My update!! "Liver Biopsy"

Hey guy's, sorry for the absence, I have been doing the summer thing with the family. However I have been going to countless doctor appointments. Last time I posted I was'nt really sure which direction this was going. I am learning more each day. I had my liver biopsy and the results were as I was expecting. I have HepC1a with Stage 4 cirrohsis. My GI Doctor who is a real ass. Treats me and my wife as if we have been living under a bridge drinking and doping all of our life. She actually gave my wife the hand and told her to hush while she is speaking. My wife was queitly crying not talking. She is right on the drinking though. I also through some research am about 80% sure that I contracted the virus through a transfusion I received in 1988 after a car wreck. The better news is they are going to start me in November on Interfurion and 2 other drugs for a year. She says I have about a 60-70% chance of beating the hep. The cirrohsis is staying. I am still a sober man and same for the wife. The reason they are waiting till Nov is I had to get the scope up the backside and down the throat. No problems there. I had to see a shrink to make sure I was mentally stable because of the effects of the drugs. I also had to see my doctor that did my brain surgery. Seems I cant take my dilantin for my sezuries while on treatment. There is also a class I have to take. The one thing my GI said is that the reason I am a candidate for treatment is that I have stayed away from the bottle and my blood has improved alot and I have shown no signs of my liver swelling or acting up. Since I have cirrohsis I have to have a biopsy every six months for life to check for cancer. I know there is some misspelling, I apologize. I also hope all of you the best of luck. See ya, Cary

Post Edited (15-2) : 9/10/2012 8:51:56 AM (GMT-6)

Hi, Cary! Thanks for the update. I agree with Carol that you should see a hepatologist, especially since your GI doc is disrespectful.

You will be taking the new trio treatment: Incivek or Boceprevir, Interferon, and ribavirin. It is said to have a 75% clearance rate on those with hep C 1a. I have heard, however, that it is a very rough treatment...so be prepared for that. You might also ask about an antidepressant, to start taking one prior to treatment.

As far as having a biopsy every 6 mos., they actually can just do an MRI with gadolinium. That's what they always did for me. They found a 2nd cancer this way, which led to my transplant. (The first was also found via MRI, treated, and then excised along with the rt. lobe.)

I wish you much luck with treatment. Please do continue to keep us updated.

Hugs,
Connie

Thanks guy's for the info. Something else about my GI. She is actually PA. I just wanna make sure I get this treatment. My insurance changes in April. I would hate for something to hold me up. She also mentioned me taking the anti depressant. You won't believe how she laid that out. She said I needed my regular doctor to prescribe me one with no street value. I asked her what she meant, she replied, I would need something like Zoloft with no street value. I again asked her what she meant by street value. She said my doc should not "give me anything like xanex or valium" that can be sold on the street. However on your advice I am going to contact the University of Washington who did my brain surgery and hips. They are also the ones that do the Liver transplant here. Cary

David, Ativan is an anti-anxiety med/tranquilizer, not an antidepressant. It also can be difficult to withdraw from, if taken on a regular basis over months.

However, you definitely should be seeing a hepatologist, not a Physician's Assistant (PA.)

Hugs,
Connie

Do they have like a patient advocate you can complain to or file a grievance with? Are you by chance a Veteran? If you are a Veteran, you can be treated at the VA with your insurance or if you qualify be treated at no cost to you.

Good Luck with what you do, and congrats on the sobriety!!

Debbie

Cary , I personally wouldn't focus on her ( Dr. ) thoughts . Face it her assumptions are somewhat correct , You are a addict . Homeless , Sleeping on sidewalks and under bridges is a stereotype that it seems you yourself have inserted . I'm in no way insinuating she didn't make you feel that way as she spoke down to you , Likely she is judging you by what she has seen in the past . Let me explain . I consider myself a person that would give the shirt off my back to help anyone but on the same token if I help someone and they piss my good natured gesture away . Eventually I will get jaded on helping others if it occurs often enough .

Another common thing that walks with addiction is the need for a enabler . Wife , Brother , Sister or etc. tend to be judged also because typically those people sometimes unwittingly have not only watched those loved ones go downhill or catered to that journey without attempting to stop the addict . It's just life and like it or not and we all judge people until they prove themselves otherwise . Unpopular to say that kinda thing out loud but it doesn't make it untrue . Sad thing is for every one person that is good hearted there is 3 with ill intended hearts . I know I aint one of the 3 but they don't know that so it's left up to me to prove otherwise . You as a employer should know you have to go through a interview process for employment , Think of it this way . A person shows up at your door with a bad history of work ethics , Says he acknowledges it and has changed , Will you give him a chance but there are 12 other guys who have excellent credentials behind him in line . A doctor cant pick who they treat but they do have a way of weeding out the bad seeds pretty quickly .

It took a year of working hard to gain the respect of my doctors by proving myself . Surely eating a lil crow every few moths for a year is well worth the results in the end .


A. Ziffle

I agree with David regarding being open with your doctor...at least the hepatologist. If you'll scroll back up to my earlier post, I recommended that you ask about taking an antidepressant prior to treatment. It takes awhile for it to work and to figure out the correct, therapeutic dose. The PA was probably thinking ahead also. But if you want to wait and see how you do on treatment, that is your prerogative.

Hugs,
Connie