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Ascities in scrotum

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Posted 11/6/2006 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone had this?
Posted 11/7/2006 3:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi SisterMo, Welcome to HW. My husband is a Liver Transplant candidate. He has extreme ascites, and he has had the fluid in the scrotum as well. His testicles have been the size of large grapefruits. He requires a paracentesis every week, they are going to try to do a TIPS on him soon to help relieve the fluid accumulations. They tried recently and there were some problems, so they had to stop. A very long story and hospital stay.

Teresa

Posted 11/7/2006 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Teresa,

Thanks for the reply.  Be very careful with TIPS, I just read a study yesterday that showed survival rates much lower for people who have had TIPS.  After reading it I was glad my brother has not had one.  I will look for the link and send it.  Do they do the paracentesis in his scrotum?  Is it just gravity that takes the fluid to the scrotum?  I wasn't sure if it was a separate issue or just another place for the fluid to go. 

I think my brother does too much after the paracentesis and exerts himself with golf or work around the house.  Last week he had a paracentesis (with no fluid in the scrotum) then the next day cleaned carpets with the steam cleaner and ended up with the scrotum fluid. 

My brother has been sick for 6 years and very sick for almost one.  He had a bout of SBP in December and nearly died.  He is a 21 on the transplant list so it could happen soon.

Keep in touch, sounds like we have a lot in common.

 

Posted 11/7/2006 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi SisterMo, I think I have seen the study you are talking about on the TIPS. Mark is having a paracentesis every week, they have assured me that this is just to get him through to the transplant. He is at the top of the list, the only reason we are considering it. They can only take 12 liters off of him a week or he crashes. The fluid in the scrotum is just another place for the ascites to go. The fluid in the scrotum goes down if enough fluid is taken off with the paracentesis. Mark can't do much of anything without the ascites getting worse. Mark has been really sick for about a year now, he has been in the hospital about 8-9 times this year. I can tell we do have alot in common. It is a very hard life!!!

Teresa

Posted 11/8/2006 1:36 PM (GMT 0)
Wow 12 liters!  The most we have had taken off is 9.  Poor guy, that must be super uncomfortable.  Has it ever gotten infected?  That is the worst!  We are in that little window where his tumors are not too big or too many to disqualify him for the transplant but every new MRI might disqualify him, so that's scary.
Posted 11/8/2006 2:30 PM (GMT 0)

So far the ascites has not been infected. But he kept getting encephalopathy really bad, to the point of comas and near comas. Well last month he was in the hospital for 12 days, they were thinking he wasn't compliant with the lactulose, he started going into a coma under their care. They found he had a prostate infection and does take the lactulose. Mark is having another MRI next week, to make sure the spot on his Liver is not growing, our doctor told us if it is cancer he will be transplanted asap. I hope they get your brother a liver soon, sounds like he needs it! They are making arrangements for Mark to get a TIPS this week. Today he is to have a doppler of his right arm to rule out DVT, last month (a week and a half ago) while in the hospital they transfused him with blood and it infiltrated. Now he has a large knot on his arm that is painful. Just keep faith and our guys will get a new liver very soon!!

Teresa

Posted 11/8/2006 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
Just wanted ya to know that you and your family are in my thoughts daily Teresa,,please let us know when you can how the tips goes for mark,take care :huge hug:
Posted 11/8/2006 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
I found my brother last week nearly in a coma from encephalopathy...I thought he was a gonner!  But the lactolose does wonders.  I'm afraid he will get too thin/sick to have the transplant.  The funny thing is that when he is not going thru a crisis, he functions very well, goes golfing etc.  He is determined that nothing will stop him...call it denial, but it seems to work.
Posted 11/8/2006 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
sister,,hes a fighter it seems,thats a good thing,,my hubby doesnt seem to want to fight this,gives in and lays around alot,,,sleeps for hours n hours,,,and doesnt want to be sociable at all.,attitude can make the quality of life better,and give him the will to fight this,,take care
Posted 11/8/2006 7:30 PM (GMT 0)
Has your husband had any treatments for his tumor?  My brother has had 2 chemoembolizations and 1 radiofrequency ablation.  It takes a lot out of him for a few weeks after but it does slow down the growth and sometimes kills the tumor completely.  The RFA seems to do a lot better job.  How long has your husband been sick?  My brother is ready for it this time (he was offered a liver once and turned it down, didn't think he was sick enough!).  It's been 5 years since this started...variceal bleeding, etc. he's had every sympton of liver disease there is except hepatorenal syndrome which is the last.
Posted 11/8/2006 10:27 PM (GMT 0)

The doctors are just monitoring the spot with MRI's every 3 months to make sure it is not growing. We do have a member that has had the chemoembolizations and I think she also had the radiofrequency abalation. My husband went into a coma in 2001, he got better and didn't have any problems until last November. He has been in and out of the hospital since. They told us in December that he needed a transplant. He has had every thing except bleeding varices. He has had alot of trouble with his kidneys they are very sensitive to drugs and as we recently found out dyes that they use in procedures tend to cause him to go into renal failure.

They ruled out the DVT to the right arm today. Still no word on the TIPS procedure, as to when. I will be on the phone in the morning if I don't get a call soon, because if they don't do it this week they need to get him in for a paracentesis by Friday. His potassium was high so I had to go pick-up Kaolate and sodium bicarbonate to get it down. It is always something!

Your brother really sounds like a "go getter". Mark just doesn't have the energy, when there is no crisis. He will help around the house more, but just a few minutes and he is worn out.

Teresa

Posted 11/8/2006 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
They watched my brothers spots from 02 to Nov. 05 when his AFP (tumor marker) went from 0 to 700. That means cancer. Do they monitor your husband's AFP?

I do this from work and am off for the next 2 days, then the weekend so I won't be able to respond until Monday. I hope all goes well with the TIPS and para. I know what a problem it is getting things done. Have a good weekend
Posted 11/11/2006 11:45 PM (GMT 0)

HELLO,

SORRY FOR WRITING IN ALL CAPITALS. I'M NOT YELLING. I'VE HAD A STROKE & CAN'T USE MY LEFT ARM. SAD BECAUSE I USE TO TYPE 70 WORDS A MIN, NOW DOWN TO ONE FINGER.

MY HUSBAND HAD ASCITIES IN SCROTUM. VERY PAINFUL. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER EITHER. I FINALLY TALKED HIM IN GOING TO THE HOSPITAL. HE WAS THE TALK OF THE HOSPITAL. LUCKY FOR THEM WE BOTH HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR. ONCE HE HAD HIS BELLY TAPPED HIS SCROTUM WENT BACK TO ORIGINAL SIZE.

ARE YOU ON THE LIVER WAITING LIST? WE ARE GOING TO SAN ANTONIO ON MON. THE 13TH TO START HIS EVALUATION. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL BE BEFORE WE KNOW IF HE'LL BE ACCEPTED OR NOT.

THAT IS WHY I WANTED TO TALK TO OTHERS about THEIR SITUATIONS.& HOW THEY HAVE OR ARE DEALING WITH EVERYTHING. MY GUY HAS HEP C & CIRROSIS OF THE LIVER. 2 YRS. AGO THEY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH HOPE FOR HIM BUT LOTS OF PRAYERS, GOOD CARING DOCTORS & MANY HOSPITAL VISITS HE'S STILL WITH US. :-)   HOW ARE YOU FEELING? GOOD WE HOPE. LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. TEXAN GRANDMA

Posted 11/12/2006 1:24 AM (GMT 0)
Just wanted to welcome you to the forum grandma. Sounds like youve been very lucky to have good drs and hospitals. Does he still have active hep c? has he had interferon or combo treatment? Dont worry about the capitals,,,its easier to read actually as my eyes at this time of night are tired and get a bit blurry:) This is a great place to exchange info ,talk and vent when needed,hope you keep returning:) good luck getting hubby on the transplant list. My thoughts and prayers are with you both.
Posted 11/15/2006 3:25 AM (GMT 0)

Welcome Texan Grandma, my husband is listed for transplant. My husband has HepC and cirrhosis also. His ascites has been quite extreme! SisterMo, I know that Mark's AFP marker was 8 the last time they checked it.

Teresa

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