Intro/?'s

Hello all, I have been reading quite a bit of posts on this forum and admire all of you for your strength and support.  I wanted to introduce myself and perhaps get a little feedback if you please.  I am a 30 year old male in a family business of window manufacturing.  I am the supply chain manager there.  I have an absolutely wonderful wife that is my anchor and an awesome family who is always there for me.  As for my story, I have always been a social drinker but nothing heavy until about age 26.  There was a time in late 06 early 07 that I started drinking heavily (2 martini's at lunch and wine with dinner).  I had my yearly blood tests done and my liver enzymes were elevated in the low 100's.  I immediately ceased all drinking and they returned to normal in a months time.  My diet was never all that good or exercising except for sprouts here and there.  I was diagnosed with a fatty liver in July of 08 via CT scan.  The doctors told me to change my diet and exercise but never mentioned stopping drinking, so i began to diet and exercise and my cholesterol came down, but never stopped drinking.  I drank socially since then not every day but almost I would say fairly heavily say 6 beers a night or a bottle of wine with dinner.  Although I didn't eat all the right foods, I did eat very well.  In May of '10 I satarted feeling a knawing feeling under my right rib.  I decided that it was the time to get healthy.  I started a very strict diet (fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, brown everything, etc.) and exercised daily.  At first I didn't drink except for maybe a time here and there...I would say since May I drank about 10 times.  I started to feel like a 30 year old and really felt great all around except for what I call liver pain.  Just when the liver pain was almost completely gone in January, I drank heavily at my grandmother's 90th B-day party and it came back.  I went to the GI doc who ran all the blood tests (even the advanced ones for liver disease), did a US and CT scan with contrast and a liver-spleen scan.  All reports came back OK and even noted that the fatty liver was resolved.  I haven't drank since then but the liver pain is still there (not all the time just here and there) and I started seeing some weird symptoms like dry mouth/eyes, hives and  muscle twitches but otherwise feel great.  I am not sure if these symptoms are from anxiety because that has definitely set in as I fear I have done damage to me liver.  My questions:

1) Can you have say stage 1 or 2 fibrosis of the liver and it not show up on a CT scan w/ contrast.  My liver is unremarkable as of January of this year.

2) If so and say I do have minimal scarring, can I reverse or at least stop progression of it with cessation of alcohol and a healthy diet or will it eventually progress?  I know cirrhosis (stage 4) is usually progressive (except for Rick but I doubt I am at that stage.

I am recently married and would like to start a family but am worried to do so if I have some minor liver damage that may progress.  I have setup an appt. with a hepatologist in NYC in April with a goal of getting a biopsy but my GI doc says no because tests are fine and treatment would remain the same.  Thanks for listening and hopefully you could shed some light.

Thanks.

 

Thanks for the quick reply.  What if the hep dr does not want to do the biopsy for the same reason the GI doc does not want to do one, because all the tests I have had done came back normal?  Do I continue to search for a dr who will or just accept the fact that I may not know for a long ways down the road?  The stress and anxiety of not knowing is killing me quicker than liver disease.  Also thanks for the concern about not drinking.  Had no problem giving it up and will not drink another drop. 

Thanks all for the replies.  Rick your story and positive thinking is tremendous.  I on the other hand have not had I believe the unique ability of looking at the glass half full, have always  been the half empty type.

Well it seems I am at a bit of a crossroads here.  I am going to keep the hep dr appointment in NYC for April 13th.  I have a lot of questions (some I think I already know the answerd to) which I'm sure he can answer.  However, In my case I believe 3 things can happen.  He can order a biopsy and it can be positive.  He can order a biopsy and it be negative.  He could not order one as he does not feel the need because of my case and I could monitor the situation.  I am really not sure what I will choose to do, I have some positves (age, never a quote unquote alcoholic, etc) and negatives (drinking while having a fatty liver, bad diet, etc.) working for and against me here.  Of course getting the biopsy and it be negative would be great news and a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, but on the other hand if it is positive, it will totally crush me mentally, emotionally and physically.  So I might choose to not undergo the biopsy even if he orders one and continue to do the things that I would do regradless of the results.  Eat right, exercise, not drink and try to stay positive.  Go for yearly blood work and ultrasounds and if something should eventually show up some time down the road handle it at that time.  I have spoken to my wife really at nauseum over this and I really don't want to stress her out anymore.  However, we agreed that even if I do have liver disease, we would still choose to have a child as we both have big, wonderful families to support us. We always wanted to have each others babies and even though I know how dreaded this disease can be, I would not want to miss out on that and also if something bad should happen to me, she would always have our son or daughter.

You have all been through so much and I would really appreciate if you could simply give me your opinions on this.  Thank you to all and God bless. 

 

Woody,

Stressing about it won't help as others have said.  I agree that your doc will unlikely suggest a biopsy.  It sounds more like you have fatty liver disease and when you drink, it makes the symptoms worse but didn't fully damage your liver.  This would be why actually taking care of yourself is making you feel better.  I would still ask for/request a biopsy as you do need peace of mind whatever the results are.  Although you have said that even if it's offered, you may not do it.  That's something you need to resolve with yourself.  And if you opt to not have a biopsy, then you should really set your mind that you will move forward as a patient with fatty liver.  Eat healthy, exercise and avoid alcohol.  Have your LFTs checked annually. 

Especially with wanting to move forward with having a family.  You want to be there for your wife and kids.  Don't just see it that you'll have a family so if something should happen to you, that's what you leave your wife.  Strive to be there.

As Rick said, be happy while you are trying to have a baby...then keep that happiness!

Woody, I totally agree with David's post.  Get the biopsy if the hep doc orders it.

Hugs,

Connie

Hi all.  Hope everyone is doing well.  I went to the hepatologist and he ordered more bloodwork and did not want to do a biopsy.  The test he is giving me is called Fibrosure.  He said depending on the results we will see what to do.  He said that even if I have some scarring (stage 1 or 2?) that it will not progress if I do not drink alcohol.  Is this true?  I was thinking about a lot of what I read on the internet and but it seems what the dr. said contradicts people's situations.  I know in most cases cirrhosis (stage 4) progresses but what if I have stage 1.  Will it eventually progress because the scarring has started?  Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,

Woody

What your specialist told you is true. If you take away what is causing damage to the liver the damage will not progress if you only have fibrosis.

Woody....consider this the alchohol free Cheers place....Rick is Sam and David is Norm...Mr E is the professor oh wait that's Gilligans Island......and Connie is the beautiful Babe in the bikini and Pink Grandma is Marianne.......oh yes welcome to the Forum.....where ebeybody knows ur name..oh yeah that's cuz its on the post..welcome

Sandi,
Mr. Howell is played by Mick, but who's Gilligan?

yeppp

You can live your life without alcohol - but not without your liver. Just keep reminding yourself of that. Best wishes. Pam

lol David and Mr E

Thanks to all for the replies. I went for the bloodwork and am really scared about the fibrosure result. I'm not sure how I could live the rest of my life knowing what is in store for me in the future if I do have some scarring. Thanks for listening and I will let you guys know once the results are in.

Woody