Had ultrasound earlier today - not good news ....
Posted , 9 users are following.
I saw my GP on Monday (3 days ago) and he tried to reassure me that I do not have cirrhosis.
However, I have continued to feel very unwell - as well as being very worried about the visible physical symptoms that developed on 30 August (now mostly gone).
So, I arranged a private upper abdominal ultrasound (including the liver) today.
I told the radiographer about the binge-drinking, elevated liver enzymes and that I have been feeling ill.
It is not good news.
Everything (gall bladder, pancreas, kidneys, spleen, aorta) is fine - except for the liver. The radiographer told me that it was bright and slightly enlarged.
Her report was brief, but reads as follows: "The liver appears of raised echogenicity. It is bright and fatty in appearance. No free fluid".
I knew I wasn't well and my instincts are seldom wrong. It's a pity they were not in this case.
I am devastated and kicking myself.
:-(
1 like, 20 replies
Misssy2 gav44887
Posted
Take vitamin C, folic acid and zinc.....google fatty liver and learn about it...you CAN be ok...but you will have to work for it
.
Sorry you are suffering.
gav44887
Posted
Serum Albumin: 48 g/l (normal range: 35-50);
Serum total Bilirubin: 7 umol/l (0-21);
Serum gamma GT: 70 U/L (0-61 - it had been as high as 121 in August);
AST serum level: 23 U/L (0-40 - had been as high as 96 in August);
Alk Phos: 84 U/L (30-130);
Platelets: 390 (150-450);
Prothrombin Time: 9.3 (9.0-12.0).
Unfortunately, there is no AST value. The doctor said that is not done routinely, and I have never had it checked for either by the doctor's surgery or hospital.
Everything else in the various blood tests was in normal ranges.
The docor said that the AST quickly coming back down to normal and the GGT returning to near normal (he said it takes longer to do so after a spell of heavy drinking) and the other normal, healthy test results show that I definitely do not have cirrhosis or any form of permanent liver damage or advanced liver disease, and that the fatty liver will resolve itself with continued avoidance of heavy drinking.
I'm sure he thought I was crazy, saying things like I was worried that an already damaged liver would not show raised enzymes because it was not functioning and would not be producing them, but he said that, if that was the case, there would be many other abnormalities in the tests, whereas everything else was normal, and I would also be displaying very severe symptoms, other than just tiredness.
I asked him about my minor hair loss and more general thinning and poor condition of hair. He said it was not liver related, but may be hormonal. He raised the idea of checking my thyroid function (my mother and sister both have thyroid issues), but then we started talking about something else and forgot about that. I think a thyroid problem might explain some of the symptoms I've been displaying - tiredness, weight loss, hair problems, excessive sweating - and, if there is a problem with it, it's easily fixed. I'm not worried about that, but, if it is not functioning properly and is put-right, I might feel physically better. So, I'll see how I feel for a few days and think about going back to get it checked.
So, as far as the liver is concerned, I guess I am still worried because it showed-up fatty on the ultrasound, I'm kicking-myself about the excessive drinking, and stil don't feel physically great, but guess I should feel somewhat reassured and just try to continue to live more healthily than I have been doing for most of the past year.
tim081952 gav44887
Posted
Also please re-read my post from last week.
I am trying to walk more every day and find I can go longer distances. Cutting out the booze is hard to do, but I've cut way back until the withdrawl systoms creep up. Then just a few and stop. Please stay strong.
How about you?
Take care, Tim
gav44887 tim081952
Posted
I wouldn't say all of my worries are going to disappear overnight, but I feel better about things than I have done for a while.
I'm worse-off than than I was a year ago when the excessive drinking began - I still have the mental health issues that caused the excessive drinking, and now a fatty liver to go along with them.
I haven't had any alcohol for three weeks, that's obviously contributed to the much better blood results. I think any withdrawal symptoms I had mostly went away after a few days, though I do still sweat very easily. I'm also still on a few medications - all prescribed - that are not good for the liver, and I want to get off or reduce the dose of those before too long.
I haven't been doing much exercise recently because I have been feeling so tired and energyless, but I did walk for eight miles at the coast a couple of days ago. It felt like hard work, I sweated like a pig while doing it, and was sore after yet yesterday, but I managed it. Other than that, I am trying to eat three meals a day, plenty of liquids, and healthy snacks, though I do have too much of a fondness for sweets - not that sweets have been my problem.
I need more things to fill my life with - when I used to work, that wasn't a problem. But, until I can get back to work, I need to get more active and fill my days so that worry and, Heaven forbid, excessive alcohol doesn't do so again.
Good luck!
Gavin.
lisalisa67 gav44887
Posted