Hepatitis Forums
Hepatitis C Main Forums => Post Hepatitis C Treatment => Topic started by: Bucky on February 29, 2016, 04:36:37 pm
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Well, it has been a long time for me since I started treatment (6/6/14) with S&O and was declared cured. I have been having USs every six months for cancer screening, to monitor my cirrhosis and portal hypertension. About a year ago my hepatologist started me on 20mg of Corgard because I have a small abdominal varices.
I had my last US last week and the finding have kind of left me in shock.
The tech was looking at my liver and stated "well it looks like you have a fairly normal looking liver"! I sat up and told her I wanted to look at the monitor since in my 20 years of getting these I pretty well know what a crusty old liver looks like. The scan showed a fairly smooth liver and the kicker was that I now have normal blood flow in my liver. She switched to the Doppler and I could hear the smooth flow of blood and the image of the portal vein showed only blue, not blue then red as in the past.
I received the report today and these were the findings:
"Evaluation of the liver doesn't demonstrate evidence of intraheptic or extraheptic biliary dilation. Common bile duct measures 3.5mm. There is normal hepatopedal flow in the portal vein."
I see my doctor next week but I can only believe that I have maybe turned the corner and my liver is really healing.
My liver is normal size but my spleen is still enlarged and my gallstone is still growing but only a little.
Bucky
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Thanks for posting that. I am hoping beyond hope to see something less than a Texas sized cheeseburger with warts and the Rio Grand in flood with spilt taco sauce on my next reports. FANTASTIC news!
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Hi Bucky,
Great news about your liver improvement! Thanks for letting us know, it certainly gives me, and no doubt others, encouragement for the future. :)
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Hey Bucky,
Great news. You are not alone, however, considering the severity of your cirrhosis...let me understate by saying, small miracle. I had a sort of unbelievable one myself...I have wondered about one of my scans being off. Many folks have reported reversals and indeed many studies show this is happening. I'm taking a wait and see approach, but I think it is the real deal. Liver tissue is truly amaising. So happy for you.
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That is fantastic hopeful news Bucky!
I had my annual upper endoscopy last Friday. I had grade 3 varicies that required banding back in 2011-2012 had 4 sessions over 4 months time to get them all. That is why I have annual ones now.
Anyway my prior EGD's said I had portal hypertensive gastropathy or Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) sometimes called watermelon stomach because of the apperance of the stomach lining due to liver cirrhosis but on this EGD there was no mention just normal appearing fundus. So yay!
I am taking this as a good sign but still need to ask my doctor about the full report.
Having my abdominal ultrasound in a few weeks hope mine looks improved also. My flow was always in the right direction but I do have an enlarged spleen. So maybe.......
Best to all
Lynn
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Thanks everyone! I can't hardly wait until next week to see what my platelet count is along with the rest of my blood work.
Bucky
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Hey Bucky,
Great news. You are not alone, however, considering the severity of your cirrhosis...let me understate by saying, small miracle. I had a sort of unbelievable one myself...I have wondered about one of my scans being off. Many folks have reported reversals and indeed many studies show this is happening. I'm taking a wait and see approach, but I think it is the real deal. Liver tissue is truly amaising. So happy for you.
Beto
The fear that something was wrong with the scan was why I asked to look at the US image. The tech was impressed that I could read it as well as she could and I told her that I had "On the job training" with my many years of having USs.
Bucky
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How fantastic. Great job Bucky. I will likely get a scan sometime after my 24 week SVR. I hope to hear more stories of liver improvement.
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Outstanding! I am very happy for you and this is encouraging news.
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Amazing! Here's to the researchers who have things moving so quickly and effectively. Praying for their continued success.
Congratulations Bucky! Keep up the good heals!
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Well after having a fibroscan confirmed at 26kpg just one month prior to 24 weeks of treatment in 2014-'15 which was eot in may 2015. For the first time I am starting to hike and build up a full body sweat and hold my urine for more than 4 hours while I work or exercise. AND not have my urine smell and look like it came out a camel that just crossed the Nafud desert!
So I will take this as meaning my much abused Texas sized hunk of pork which passes as a liver is starting to get the message!
All the best to everyone on this road we travel.
Cheers
Eric
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Ah Eric. Ever the poet! lol
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I went yesterday for my yearly follow up and my doctor was very much excited by my US results. She said that the return to normal flow of blood in my liver was a very big deal and an clinical indication of an improving/healing liver. She also said that she has a large number of cured patients receiving great news similar to mine.
All my blood work is perfect except for my platelets with are still not normal, but up by 20,000 from 70,000 to 90,000. It is hard to get an accurate count with my enlarged spleen distorting the size of them, but my PT & INR was within normal range.
My AST 28, ALT 18 and my Bili was 1.0.
Bucky
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That is tremendous news.
Thank you for sharing.
Gives hope to us wannabe better livers.
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Love, love, love these great success stories!!! I think 2016 and 2017 are going to be banner years in the field of hepatology! FT
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Bucky, this is truly awesome news. I'm so pleased for you. Couldn't be a better outcome. Congratulations!
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I had my annual upper endoscopy last Friday. I had grade 3 varicies that required banding back in 2011-2012 had 4 sessions over 4 months time to get them all. That is why I have annual ones now.
Anyway my prior EGD's said I had portal hypertensive gastropathy or Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) sometimes called watermelon stomach because of the apperance of the stomach lining due to liver cirrhosis but on this EGD there was no mention just normal appearing fundus. So yay!
I am taking this as a good sign but still need to ask my doctor about the full report.
Having my abdominal ultrasound in a few weeks hope mine looks improved also. My flow was always in the right direction but I do have an enlarged spleen. So maybe.......
Sounds good, Lynn! 8)
Hoping for the best. It's high time things started going your way. :D
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More good news!
Just got my Lab work back except for viral load.
ALT 24 & AST 22 both lower than last July ALT 29 & AST 27
Platelet count up to a whopping 111 was 92 in July
Woo whooo!!
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Lynn, I'm happy dancing for you --- fantastic news!!!!! Onward and upward! FT
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Slowly but surely and don't call me Shirley! :)
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Fantastic, Lynn!!! You are healing and that's a fact! ;D 8) ;D
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Lynn I knew your labs would rock...
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Lynn, So happy to hear of your positive test results. Post like this keep hope alive!
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Look at your platelets! Wow!
What's your INR like?
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INR steady at 1.1 same as before treatment. The oldest I have record for is August 2013.
Apparently my INR is the only score I have that raises my MELD to 7
BILIRUBIN 0.5 mg/dL
CREATININE 0.89 mg/dL
My AFP is now 10.8 ng/mL still above max normal of 8.3 ng/mL but before I treated it was 26.6 ng/mL in August 2013 so even more good signs
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Nice! Your INR kicks my INR's butt! (1.4 I think).
My APF is 8, but before treatment it was nearly 80 so I'm pretty happy about that. Alb, creat and Bili all normal (well bili 1 point above normal but nearly!)
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My INR is 1 now and 1 before treatment what does it mean ?
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Has to do with how long it takes your blood to clot 1 is good higher numbers means it takes longer for your blood to clot.
Cirrhosis effects this number which is why those with cirrhosis bruise easily. Also low platelets which is tied up in all this.
How are your platelet counts?
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More good news!
Just got my Lab work back except for viral load.
ALT 24 & AST 22 both lower than last July ALT 29 & AST 27
Platelet count up to a whopping 111 was 92 in July
Woo whooo!!
I am so happy for you my Little Flying Squirrel!
Bucky
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My platelet count was 159 the last time they took it which was 2 months before tx.
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Wow you are fortunate yours are in normal range. I haven't seen normal for at least 4 years. :)
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More good news!
Just got my Lab work back except for viral load.
ALT 24 & AST 22 both lower than last July ALT 29 & AST 27
Platelet count up to a whopping 111 was 92 in July
Woo whooo!!
My congratulations Lynn! I am so happy for you.
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I found these links compelling.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/839337
http://www.aidsmap.com/Liver-fibrosis-improves-after-successful-treatment-for-hepatitis-C/page/3015981/
Moreover, we know how is important platelet level after Hepatitis C treatment. Doctors consider the platelet level as sign of successful treatment of Hepatitis C and healing of the liver.
Study given below indicates that growing platelet level after liver surgery may point out regeneration of the liver. I am not a doctor, but I think it isn't barrier for using my logic.
Logic says if growing platelet level after liver surgery is a indicator of regeneration of the liver, then growing platelet level after Hep C treatment may be considered as a sign of the reverse of the liver fibrosis. The same principle should work here. So, please watch your platelet level. Longer your platelet is in the normal range, stronger is your liver!!!
http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/2015/11/platelets-promote-livers-regeneration.html
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Just got my ultrasound results folks
Liver is now normal size of 16.7 cm was 19.1 cm October 22 2015. Spleen is also decreased in size compared with October study and is now also normal size.
Also previous reports had said a small amount of ascities. The report said "There is no free fluid"
The tech came back to ask me for the doctor if I had done anything since October like lose weight so I was thinking they saw something. I said only thing I had done was cure my hep c
Wow just WOW!!!
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Amazing news Lynn!
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Just got my ultrasound results folks
Liver is now normal size of 16.7 cm was 19.1 cm October 22 2015. Spleen is also decreased in size compared with October study and is now also normal size.
Also previous reports had said a small amount of ascities. The report said "There is no free fluid"
The tech came back to ask me for the doctor if I had done anything since October like lose weight so I was thinking they saw something. I said only thing I had done was cure my hep c
Wow just WOW!!!
My Congratulations!!! :) :) :) Very good news. I am so glad for You!!!
Lynn, previous report said a small amount of ascities. What was the maximum amount ascities ever?
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Yes every report for the last several years said some ascities or scant ascities or similar. But never more than that. So the remark no free fluid seems to me to be kind of significant.
This test was done about 46 weeks after finishing treatment and 15 months since my first not detected result after 4 weeks of Harvoni. Basically my liver has not been under attack from hep c since December 2014.
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Since Dec 2015 or Dec 2014?
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Oops tiny keyboard challenged or math I am not saying which LOL.
Yes 2014 I edited the year in my post
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Just got my ultrasound results folks. Liver is now normal size of 16.7 cm was 19.1 cm October 22 2015. Spleen is also decreased in size compared with October study and is now also normal size. Also previous reports had said a small amount of ascities. The report said "There is no free fluid"
Wow just WOW!!!
Amazing Lynn. Such good news! Congrats. :)
kim
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Amazing our livers...so happy for you Lynn. I am eager to to hear more.
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I sooo needed to read this tonight. I have been in tears because of fear that kept me from treating 2 years ago when I was still an F-2. To see livers healing and reversing is awesome!
I do have a question....after starting treatment is when I started swelling in ankles, feet, and lower legs. I feel like the hulk breaking out of his clothes. I have wonderful long feet...size 10 that now look like puffed up elephant feet. Pitting edema too. I have had low albumin levels since last year. 3.0 and range is 3.5 -? Also high alk phosphates 188. Have any of you monitored those and how long did it take to go to normal? Will the swelling go away and it seems neuropathy has now set in. Hands and feet. Again, just cried because I could have avoided. I have 1 week to go. At and as is normal. Bilirubin down from 1.9 to 1.4. Albumin is up to 3.2. Platelets are slow but climbing from the lowest point being 47,000 to now being 60,000. I am just really scared and I want to be around for awhile. Thanks for the inspirational stories.
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I sooo needed to read this tonight. I have been in tears because of fear that kept me from treating 2 years ago when I was still an F-2. To see livers healing and reversing is awesome!
I do have a question....after starting treatment is when I started swelling in ankles, feet, and lower legs. I feel like the hulk breaking out of his clothes. I have wonderful long feet...size 10 that now look like puffed up elephant feet. Pitting edema too. I have had low albumin levels since last year. 3.0 and range is 3.5 -? Also high alk phosphates 188. Have any of you monitored those and how long did it take to go to normal? Will the swelling go away and it seems neuropathy has now set in. Hands and feet. Again, just cried because I could have avoided. I have 1 week to go. At and as is normal. Bilirubin down from 1.9 to 1.4. Albumin is up to 3.2. Platelets are slow but climbing from the lowest point being 47,000 to now being 60,000. I am just really scared and I want to be around for awhile. Thanks for the inspirational stories.
For some of us it is a longer process to overcome the effects of cirrhosis. HANG IN THERE. Prior to treatment in 2103 I had taken myself off the road because of brain fog, I was using a cane to get around and starting to forget where I was going and what I was doing.
I finished TX in May 2015 and today I actually worked a ten hour shift on my feet institutional cooking for the first time in over 7 years!
It was a long tedious road back from the brink. I am 63 and I am now in better shape than I have been in a very long time. I am no longer suffering the slow downward spiral of this curse. Sure I am not a 20 year old buck but at least now the horrors of cirrhosis and the feeling of hopelessness are gone.
Cheers
Eric
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Dragonslayer inprogress, it takes time. And for some of us we see improvement in some areas but not in others.
My albumin levels were dropping and were below the normal range. I had oedema and ascites and was on a diuretic for that. I stayed on that all through treatment, although as albumin started to pick up I cut it down. Now I'm off it altogether except for when I am doing a lot of air travel or it's really hot weather and im on my feet for 12+ hour stretches. Even then I'll just take a little and the stop when things are stable. Mightonly be for a few days.
Now most of my levels are normal except for my INR and platelets. They are still funky. So there's still an issue there somewhere. But things are better than they were and it was all going to hell in a hand basket so any improvement is a cause for celebration.
It took a long time to get sick, I figure it'll take a long time to get better. One day at a time.
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I also have pitting edema I have been taking a diuretic Spironolactone 50 mg which is a low dose which relieves the lower leg and foot swelling. I tried to stop taking it the last couple of months but couldn't take the swollen feet and eventually my knees also were swelling restricting motion so I went back on the Spironolactone.
Are you taking anything for yours you could talk to your doctor about it for symptom relief
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Lyn,
I haven't talked to him yet but think I might need to. It really hurts. Also seeing neuropathy in hands and feet. Not sure that can recover but sure hope so. Trying not to get discouraged and beating myself up about the fear but...I am still scared lol. Praying God does a miracle.
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Hi All
Had a fibroscan done today and not much change to report.
My Nov 2014 score was 27 and my score from today April 2016 was 33 so actually a bit higher but I believe that is not significant and just statistical variation owing to the variability if the test itself.
Bottom line so far at least my cirrhosis remains unchanged but I am cured so I should not get any worse and may improve with time
Only time will tell.....