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Posted 7/30/2008 1:18 AM (GMT 0)

mad  just found out i have cirrhious after i about died  in june i was loosing blood faster than my body could make it i was put in hospital they gave me 4 bags of blood  banded 4 blood vessels  drained 2.8 liters off my stomache an also have been hiv pos since 97 that is undetectable for the last 5 or 6 years found out hep-c in 2003 now this cirrhious is all new can any one give me a clue to what to expect now 

Posted 7/30/2008 2:55 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Holley, Welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear that you suffer from this terrible disease. My husband also has hep C and cirrhosis. He has not suffered from any of the serious complications except for encephalopathy. That is caused from the liver not filtering the toxins from the blood and it causes ammonia to build up. A person starts acting confused and has brain fog. If not taken care of it can cause coma. He also has problems with edema and ascites. He hasn't had to have the ascites drained from his stomach yet. He takes lactulose to control the encephalopathy and lasix for the ascites and edema. He also takes medication for portal hypertension. Portal hypertension is what causes varices in the stomach and esophagus(sp). If varices get too bad they can rupture. That is what happened to you in June. You may already know all of this since you are being treated, but what I learned, I learned from here and researching on the internet. The doctors didn't tell us much. Cirrhosis affects everyone differently so know one can tell you what to expect for sure but it does help to know what could happen and what to watch for. This is a great place for knowledge and support. If you read some of the older posts you will have alot of your questions answered. There is a great group of people here that is always willing to listen and give advice whenever they can. I hope you continue to come back. You will be in my prayers.
Posted 7/30/2008 4:02 AM (GMT 0)

Hi, Holley.  Sorry you find yourself here, but there are a lot of knowledgeable and supportive people here.  I also have hep C and had liver cancer diagnosed in '06 and the rt. lobe of my liver removed in May '07.  At that time, a biopsy was done of the left lobe and it was found to contain "mild cirrhosis."  Both the cancer and cirrhosis were caused by the hep C.  I have also had problems with ascites--abdominal fluid--and edema (swelling of extremities.)  These are also caused by hep C damaging my liver.  Have you had treatment for your hep C?  I don't know if you drank alcohol, but if you did I hope you've stopped.  That's the single best thing you can do for your liver.  Also, drink a lot of water and eat fresh fruits and veggies, and little meat--especially not beef, which is hard to digest.  When you had the fluid removed from your belly, were you put on diuretics?  You should be on them.  I am, as are most liver patients.  Keep coming back here and you will get a lot of information.

Hugs,

Connie

Posted 7/30/2008 4:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi holley,

Just a quick welcome to the forum and a regrettable welcome to the club of Hep C'ers. I've got Ascites, Varices, Encephalopathy, and am on the transplant list (inactive for low MELD score) and have a MELD of 14. I'm sorry that you're here but as you've read, there are a lot of caring and knowledgeable persons on the forum.

Be well, John
Posted 7/30/2008 10:51 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Holley and welcome

I am sorry that you have this horrid disease. I too have recently been diagnosised with cirrohsis, the word alone is so scary. Like so many others the biggest probem I have currently is the constant fatigue and fluid retention (ascites) in my abdominal area. There is several old posts by another member Shelley regarding the stages of liver disease that you might find helpful.

Hope today finds you feeling well.

Lucy
Posted 7/30/2008 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
you all have brightened my day today just knowing there people out there that will give support to others even if its just a little reassurance a quick hello how r you the swelling in my feet an legs an abdomen was so scary that im scared to eat much because of my blood pumping to fast an busting my vessels again i will keep coming back thanks for making me smile today
Posted 7/30/2008 7:50 PM (GMT 0)

Holley, eating has nothing to do with the bleeding varices.  You need to have good nutrition to help you stay as healthy as possible.  As I previously stated, fruits and veggies are the best--easily digestible and good for you, as is water.  You need a little protein, so some fish or chicken would be okay; also, beans, cheese, soy products, milk, eggs.

I'm glad we were able to brighten your day.  Just knowing that there are many others fighting the same battle makes it easier.

Hugs,

Conne


Post Edited (hep93) : 7/30/2008 10:38:44 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/30/2008 8:15 PM (GMT 0)
hep93 thanks for the info i was thinking i couldnt eat cheese and havent had any since june so it will be nice to add a little to my diet never realized before  that sodium was in just about everything ... now it takes  1:30 at grocery store   thanks so much

Posted 7/30/2008 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
lucy i feel you on being scared i found out injune about cirrhious since then the swelling hasnt came back Thank God... i  sure watch what i put into my body where in the past there were lots of times i didnt care  god bless you

Posted 7/30/2008 10:35 PM (GMT 0)

Butterflythree thank you for responding  sorry to hear about your husband. ive been reading alot on the internet and on here . but no i wasnt told much from doc either there seems to be alot of good people an information on here God Bless You :-)

Posted 7/31/2008 4:38 AM (GMT 0)

Holley, just be aware that cheese does have sodium...so be careful about how much of it you eat.  ;)

Hugs,

Connie

Posted 7/31/2008 1:32 PM (GMT 0)
hep93 i didnt eat just a spoonful of cheese in some noodles an it was great... for some reason for some reason i crave watermelon it seems all the time .
Posted 7/31/2008 10:20 PM (GMT 0)

Watermelon is good for you--fills you up and also has fiber.  Lots of water, too.  This is true of all fruits and veggies, but of course watermelon has more water than most.  Are you on diuretics?  If not, you might want to keep a check on the watermelon, simply because it could cause you to retain fluid if you are not on a "water pill."

Hugs,

Connie

Posted 7/31/2008 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Holley, That is so funny. My husband craves watermelon all the time also. I'll bet we go through 3 a week, and he eats most of it by himself.
Posted 8/4/2008 7:43 PM (GMT 0)
Holly

So glad you found this forum. You will get lots of good info. I dont know why the doctors dont tell their patients all of this. I suppose it affects everyone differently, so they dont know what to tell us.

By the way, I also crave watermellon always. I dont know what I am going to do when winter comes. Maybe switch to grapefruits. My other love.

Love and Prayers

Cheryl
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