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Liver biopsy next Tuesday; positive thoughts, please

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Posted 6/30/2007 3:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everybody,

On the CT I had of my lungs a couple of weeks ago, all bronchiectasis (sp?), ILD, even emphysema was gone!!! I have been taking cellcept so I expect stability and some improvement in my lungs, but I found the disappearance of the emphysema shocking to say the least (I am a former smoker). I'm not sure how much I trust the scan in regard to my lungs. Anyway, that is beside the point of this post.

The chest CT scan showed 2 lesions on my liver. In order to check them out I had an abdominal ultrasound last week. It confirmed the lesions. One of them is a complex cyst; the other is a "heterogenous mass that is hypervascular and suspicious for neoplasm." So, next Tuesday I will be having an ultrasound guided biopsy. Everything else in the abdomen is good.

Two requests, please: if you have had an ultrasound guided liver biopsy I'd appreciate it if you would share your experience and I would also appreciate positive thoughts, energy, prayers etc.
Thank you, friends    :-)

xoxo emmie

Posted 6/30/2007 1:05 PM (GMT 0)
Emmie, I can't help you out much on the scan. I did take my dad in for one once. From what I remember they use the ultrascan to get the biopsy of the exact location they want. He did have to stay at the hospital for several hrs after the scan. I know all this sounds very scarey, bless your heart. Just know we will all be thinking about you!
Posted 6/30/2007 2:32 PM (GMT 0)
emmi, first of all, Yay for clear lungs   You get the happy dance for that news. However, I'm sorry to hear about your liver.  I've had some elevated enzymes before, but nothing beyond that so I don't have experience with all of the stuff that you are going through.  I am definitely sending lots of positive energy your way and prayers that the biopsy will go well and that they won't find anything that looks serious. I'm not sure how you'll be feeling after the biopsy, but let us know how it goes when you are feeling up to it. On another note, I was wondering how things were going with your daughter and grand daughter.  Have they moved in yet?  Hopefully things are going well and you have your little oasis set up in your room.  Take good care of yourself. Love and hugs
Posted 6/30/2007 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
I almost had to have a liver biopsy once. My liver enzymes were elevated for about 9 months after I discontinued taking Methotraxate. They thought after I quit taking it that the liver labs would return to normal but they didn't. They took so long they were going to have me undergo the biopsy but then just in time they returned to normal. Luckily.

I wish you luck and you'll be in my thoughts. Please let us know how it went! My fingers are crossed for good results also!
Posted 7/1/2007 12:07 AM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry you are having to go thru this.  My liver enzymes went through the roof high after I had my gallbladder out two years ago and they did a liver biopsy on me.  My advice first of all is sedation.  I had the biopsy and don't remember a thing and did not feel a thing.  It is not horrible by any means without the sedation but my second time having one had asked for and got sedation.  Since I have had to have sooooo many procedures and tests and such in the last few years, I've learned that although they say the test is just done with local anesthetic, you can also request sedation.  I wish you the best of luck and hope the biopsies come back "negative".  Please keep us updated on how you are doing.

On another happy note, HAPPY HAPPY about you first of all for quitting smoking (that's fantastic) and secondly that your emphysema has disappeared.  yeah :-)

 

Posted 7/1/2007 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
Emmi,

   I'm sorry to hear your going through this....(((Hugs))). Good luck on tuesday. Sending you a multitude of positive thoughts and prayers!!!!

                                                                  Babs

Posted 7/1/2007 3:54 AM (GMT 0)
bhkhhh, hippi, Valinda and Diane,

Thanks for your encouraging words; I will most definitely remember s-e-d-a-t-i-o-n! You can bet on it! The curious thing is that as of my last labs a couple of months ago, my liver enzymes were fine. These two lesions just accidentally showed up on the lung CT. The ultrasound shows one as a complex cyst and the other as a solid mass. So, next step is the biopsy. I will keep your positive words and prayers with me.

Hippi, my daughter and g.daughter are here. They are getting settled and so far, so good. I do have my little "oasis" set up--really works out well. Daughter is still unpacking and probably will be for another week or two. She can only get so much done while little one is napping. A 15 month old requires eyes on her practically every second! But I have to say, it is a joy. Hubby and I have decided that we are looking at this as a front row seat to getting to watch a grandbaby grow for a couple of years. What a special opportunity! Thanks for asking.

And again to all of you, thanks so much for your information and positive energy, thoughts and prayers.

xoxo emmie
Posted 7/1/2007 11:52 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Emmie,

First off, I want to add to the Hippi Happy Dance!, for having great results on the lung tests.

Sorry to hear about the lesions in your liver. Diane sounds like she has great advice.

Take Care. Let us know how it works out. In the meantime -- lots of energy coming your way from me.

Stay Strong,
Sue
Posted 7/1/2007 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
Emmi,

I also want to add yeah yeah yeah to the Happy Dance for Clear Lungs! No one knows how hard it is to quit smoking till they've done it themselves!

I'm sorry, though, to hear about the worries you're going through about the cyst and mass on your liver. You must be scared senseless and you can be sure that you're in my thoughts and prayers. Lots of healing energy is flowing your way. Do you know when you're going to have the biopsy? Please let us know.

You sound like a terrific mom and grandmother. Grandchildren are so much fun to have around, but they take a lot of energy and can tire you out, so I hope you don't get too fatigued having extra folks in the house, even though you're going to enjoy them so much. You're smart to have a quiet place to which you can escape whenever you need to. Use it!

I'll be thinking of you Emmi. Do keep us updated when you can.

Love,

Pat
Posted 7/2/2007 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi emmi--
Sorry I've been gone. My last liver biopsy was an ultrasound guided one and basically what they do is use a baby ultrasound thing as they insert the needle so they can get what they want. I've had four or five, sad I've lost count, liver biopsies. I'm so so so sorry to hear about what is going on with your liver. I've had fatty liver and inflammations but nothing like what you are describing. Lets hope that they are wrong, as we've found medical professionals can be, and it is something not bad, a shadow or something. I hope you get this in time. You must be awake and alert for a liver biopsy, because you will have to breath a certain way when they insert the needle. There is some risk, less with the ultrasound. I've found the docs that do them are good and the bad ones probably aren't allowed to do them, so it will go fast. I think the pain afterward is the worst and you will need to lie very still afterward for at least a day. I always took like three days off work and I laid still most of the time. I didn't lift my kids or anything because you want it to clot and heal. If doc says 8 hours, take at least a day. They have never gotten one and believe me you won't feel like doing a whole lot. Be a baby and get good pain meds for after, if you are hyper, make sure that you get them so you will lay still. Definitely have someone walk with you and be careful on the stairs. I fell after my last liver biopsy because I was impatient to get in the house and lay down and I darted from the car before anyone could help me and fell right on the biopsy site and it hurt really bad and I got sick and had to go to ER, though it was ok thank God. I mean the edge of the stair smacked right on it. Sorry, don't mean to gross you out. Anyway, I'm going to end this so you can get it. Not to change subject, but I had the same reaction to pred as you , I can't take it, not anymore. Anyway, you know I have hashis my TPOS was only 1000, but wondered if it was because of the hashis hypothyroid or the hashis encephalopathy that you have the problem. I had a post out for you but with all this going on. Emmi, I will pray for you that all the people who care for you and treat you are guided by God, that you will be ok and get through this and hopefully by some miracle that this is not as bad as it seems and all the bx are negative, or that for some reason, the scan is wrong. ((((hugs)))) now because you will have to be careful afterward. They will offer you a living will and all that and I did it, finally, the last time, but its a formality like when I had neck surgery. With the ultrasound, the risk is much lower because they can see where the needle goes. I had one in a medical college where the doc just tapped my side and the nurses were laughing and joking so loud he couldn't hear to do the biopsy and he did it really fast, he was good at it, I was sitting on a cold metal tx table in a not to clean room of a small medical college. I was really scared, but after the first one, I don't get too scared. They just hurt and they can't give you anything and don't look at the needle. If he's good you won't see it. If you can't tell, I'm really feeling for you emmi and I wish I could go with you and reassure you, I wish everyone was well. Liver things, the big thing the docs don't take seriously is how many meds they give us. You need to be careful of doses and if you really need it. Narcotics aren't so bad as non-narcotic pain stuff. If I can help in anyway, I will be around if you want to chat, or have more questions, let me know.
Posted 7/3/2007 1:58 AM (GMT 0)
emmi, I just wanted to let you know I am thinking of you and hoping that things go well tomorrow. Whenever you are feeling up to it, let us know how things went. Take care
Posted 7/3/2007 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi emmi--
I hope you are ok and not hurting too much. Just letting you know I'm thinking of you and sending good thoughts your way.
Posted 7/3/2007 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
Emmi,

I've been thinking of you this morning and hope things are going well with your biopsy. We're anxious to know how you're doing, and look forward to hearing from you when you're up to posting.

Love,

Pat
Posted 7/3/2007 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Emmi, sorry I haven't replied to your post earlier. I haven't been around much. I really hope the liver biopsy went okay for you. I'll keep my fingers crossed for some good results and hope your not hurting too much. Love & hugs x x
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