Cirrhosis Support Group

Tomorrow I am off to Edmonton Alberta (6 hour drive) for another appointment with my hepatologist at the U of A transplant clinic. I am hoping he will say things are holding steady for me. Last time he said to give him six months and he would know better how rapidly my PBC is advancing. Well, this is the six months later appointment.

I had a bunch of bloodwork done here and faxed to him in Edmonton but don't have results until I see him. He will also talk to me about the enlarged lymph nodes in the celiac axis and the porta hepatis. As well as the growth seen on my 9th rib and potential heptocellular carcinoma. I am hoping he agrees with the doc here in Saskatoon that it isn't cancerous.

Will be good to see him and get another update, I like to think I am about the same as six months ago but I do have more symptoms and increasing symptoms and don't know my LFT numbers this time yet, but they have never yet been normal so I doubt they are now either....

Anyway wish me luck everyone. It's a long drive but well worth it!!

Seems things are holding fairly steady, my bloodwork is no better but not really worse than it was before. I can't remember my exact numbers, but my INR is not too good, my bilirubin is not too far above normal but my ALT, ALS and ALP are all bad as usual. Alkaline Phosphate remains in the 400 range, normal being about top end 100. He does think not alot of progression in six months so he is pleased, as am I.

Back in another month as he has a study almost ready to get up and running which contends that PBC is a betaretrovirus. He is going to treat his study group with anti viral meds to see if that slows things down.....so back in a month to be a guinea pig.

Otherwise, things are stable. Thanks for all the good wishes, they helped

The study sound interesting. It would be great if he is right and could stop the damaged being done.

mimmi