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Totally freaked out about tomorrow
Tomorrow morning is my liver biopsy procedure. I'm scared to death about this. I just have to keep reminding myself that I'm doing this to prevent going through what my dad is going through. Basically, I have the precursor to his liver disease (as shown by blood tests) and the docs need to find out how closely I need to be monitored, if at all. *fingers crossed* Losing weight will help dramatically, but the damage can still be there from a lifetime of poor health even if my enzyme numbers continue to go down. My GI doc has said that I'm already doing everything right, so that's good.
I have to be at Kennestone at 6:30am to register and prep for my 8:30 procedure. I'll be given twilight anesthesia (oh please, please, let me pass out and not know what's going on) and they'll use ultrasound to guide the needle to pull out a little sample tissue from my liver. I'll have to stay there for several hours following to recover and to check for the tons of possible complications that could cause me to be admitted or erm, die. Yep, there's a 1 in 10,000 chance I could die. *cry* It's less likely in the type of biopsy and what they are checking for, but for some reason that doesn't do much to ease my mind.
Once I get home, I'll have pain and have to take it easy. DH has to stay with me to watch for low blood pressure or excessive bleeding.
I'm really having a tough time putting on my big girl panties for this one.
Re: Totally freaked out about tomorrow
You are going to be fine and the peace of mind that you'll have from knowing that everything is a-okay will be totally worth the hassle and nerves.
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I've never had twilight - I hope it's good! I've only had the kind that completely knocks you out. Yes, they are going to give me some meds when they send me home as well as during recovery.
this!!
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I've had twilight before--my second wrist surgery. I was super nervous too because I'd only ever had general. But it was just fine. I slept through the procedure and was way less groggy when they woke me up.
Good to know I'm not crazy for being concerned about twilight. Being less groggy is a good thing! Thank you.
What kind of poor health, if you don't mind me asking?
I figured unless someone if a McD's 2x a day eater and/or alcoholic, that was the only way to damage a liver? Unless its poor dietary choices + a liver problem from the beginning? I'm just trying to figure out what the doc meant.
And I've had twilight before. Its so much easier to come out of than "going under". Less groggy, less vomit-y feeling. You'll be fine.
Call me Kat =^..^=
Poor health for me = being overweight all my life. I'm talking 120lbs in the 6th grade and on up from there. I currently now weigh about the same or less than I did when I graduated HS. It has yo-yo'd up & down over the years, but has mostly been 250-280 range. I'm at around 215 as of this morning. Just being obese is a huge risk factor.
Medications and other disorders can damage a liver too. My father has never had a weight or alcohol problem and was fairly active (worked hard as a ground support mechanic, hunted, fished, etc.), yet he is dying from cirrhosis. The statin drugs for cholesterol could be the culprit. That's why when you are on them, your liver enzymes are periodically tested.
I've had high cholesterol and been on statins for over 7 yrs. My enzyme numbers have been high for a while, which led my doctor to send me for an ultrasound earlier this year. They found, as suspected, fat deposits in the liver. When I told my doctor about my father's cirrhosis, he sent me to a GI doctor and took me off statins. Based on my weight history, insulin resistance (not diabetic and is controlled), and the liver enzyme tests/ultrasound, I am suspected to have NASH, which can be a precursor to cirrhosis. The biopsy is used to confirm diagnosis.
Part of the reason why I've been successful losing weight this time around has been that I have to. It's not a point of "oh I should" anymore. I must. Since being taken off the statins, my liver enzyme numbers have gone down, but are still elevated. My internist wants to keep me off of the statins as long as I'm losing weight. I'll be tested again in December and I'm hoping all my numbers are good.
holy wow. That's a lot of bad liver problems!
I hope its all working out
Call me Kat =^..^=