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Update on my Dad and me, sort of
I thought I'd write a little update on how my Dad is doing. I'm happy to report that he's doing better at home now. He's eating so much better and Mom is trying to "fatten him up." He's gained about 5 lbs, which is awesome. A visiting nurse comes to the house every few days to check on him and to drain the fluid from his stomach cavity. Unfortunately, he still has a catheter, but there is an upcoming procedure that may help with that.
They saw the GI doctor today and finally got an answer to his cirrhosis - it's genetic. It's called hemachromatosis and a large portion of the population is a carrier for it. I'm so glad that my parents can rest a little easier knowing that it isn't their "fault." The treatment for it is to regularly have blood drawn, basically. I don't know if they are going to pursue the treatment given his level of cirrhosis or not.
From what I've read, if both parents are carriers, then the child will have it. If only one does, then the child may not have any problems or could have elevated iron levels and other issues. Either way, all family members should be tested.
So... this all ties in with my own liver issues. Knowing that my father has it will make a big difference. My biopsy showed I had slightly elevated iron levels in my liver. I'm supposed to have more labs done in December to further examine the iron levels. I hope this gets us one step closer to having an answer for me as well and explains the high liver enzymes (which led to the biopsy).
Re: Update on my Dad and me, sort of
Call me Kat =^..^=
Southeastern Cycling
My Nest Bio and Cycling Advice
Thanks. There isn't anything else I need to do right now. I'm already taking medication for insulin resistance and vitamin E. It all depends on the blood work. I've already had one of the blood tests twice and it was fine, but there are more that have been ordered for me in December. From what I've been reading, if they find elevated iron levels, I may need to alter my diet - less beef, avoid iron-enriched foods, no multi-vitamin, etc. The worst case scenario for treatment is phlebotemy (sp?), where they draw a pint of blood a few times a week for a year or so and then periodically after that depending on lab tests. This is so the liver can heal itself, from what I gather. I do not know if this is even an option for my father. My mom didn't mention it, but I'll talk to her about it tonight.
How can they draw a pint of blood several times a week??? That would kill you!
Here's the text from the NIH. Sorry, I remembered wrong.
"Based on the severity of the iron overload, a pint of blood will be taken once or twice a week for several months to a year, and occasionally longer. Blood ferritin levels will be tested periodically to monitor iron levels. The goal is to bring blood ferritin levels to the low end of normal and keep them there."
Wow, that still seems like a lot, seeing as how women on average have 8 pints of blood in their bodies. I wonder how long it takes to regenerate? ::runs off to google::