, Amy

[Guest guest]

What is your platelet count Micheal?

Are you being treated for your ascites? Standard treatment is low salt

intake and diuretics.....also are you being treated with vit. K?

Paracentesis can be done with a count as low as 40 or 50 K. Also FFP can

be infused as well. to help build up your counts. (Paracentesis is the

tapping procedure....FFP is fresh frozen plasma )

Sometimes K and FFP are infused just before doing a tap, to increase

platelet count. I can see where the clots may be of concern but I would

think if paracentesis was done carefully there would be no bleeding...

are you seeing a Heptologoist?

Ascites is serious business as the pressure could interfere with your

breathing and severly tax your heart. It causes rupture of the umbilicus

and is more than very often accompanied by ascitic infections which are

life threatening and you should at least be on anti-biotics as a

prophylaxis .

This holds for you too Amy... are you being treated for your

ascites?.... low salt diets, diuretics. ( usually Aldactone and/or Lasix

) and antibiotics.

Don't give up yet Micheal... at least your liver condition is not yet

critical enough to move you up the list ... as long as they are keeping

close watch on you they should know what they are doing. The worst part

is the quality of life you are experiencing. We get anxious on the list

but we must remember that about 18,000

are out there waiting and only about 4-5000 livers will become available

so they worst get first. Keep a sense of humor and a faith in whatever

you believe and everything will work out just the way they are supposed

to. It does absolutely no good to dwell on things that haven't happened.

I and I'msure all the rest of us are keeping you in our prayers...

May you find serenity

jerry