Let's start with the good news: Most of my blood work came back looking really good. Almost everything is in range and even my blood sugar, which has been far too high for the past six weeks (in spite of oral meds and insulin) was 121. Excellent!
Then there are the liver enzymes. I've set a personal record, my friends. ALT is a whopping 690 (normal range is 0 - 40) and AST is 519 (range 0 - 40). GGT is 494 (range 0 - 60), which is the best reading I've had since last December.
I'll have labs repeated in three weeks and we'll see what that reveals. Obviously, something is awry (the doc speculates that it's part of the ongoing Hep C flare-up, yet this begs the question, How long can a flare-up last?). I'll also work on losing weight and keeping diabetes under control; hopefully, it will reduce impact of metabolic syndrome/fatty liver.
Weight and diabetes are an ongoing struggle. I asked about a magic pill to help and my transplant coordinator suggested Weight Watchers. Ugh. She's right, darn her.
Showing posts with label Hep C flare-up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hep C flare-up. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Good News from Liver Biopsy Results
It's only a flare-up of Hep C! Yeah!
My transplant coordinator called yesterday and told me that my elevated liver enzymes are a result of a flare-up of Hepatitis C and are NOT related to any sort of organ rejection. Whew! We're relieved; it's never great to have elevated liver enzymes, but it's less bad (?huh?) to have a flare-up than to experience rejection and have to take steroids.
That's the good news. So, why the flare-up
and what can I do to help prevent them? Focus on and improve my metabolic condition - eat healthily, lose weight (gasp - 30 pounds), get some exercise, control my blood sugar and manage my stress. These things I can do. It will also help reduce my steatosis, which is fat in the liver (mine has increased a lot since my last biopsy in June 2008 - fatty liver is NOT good, especially when you have Hep C). This just sounds gross, doesn't it? Ack!
In A Guide to Understanding Hepatitis C at HCVAdvocate.org, the link between stress and Hep C flare-ups is explained:
Financial strains have created an unbelievable amount of stress for my husband and me during the past year (well, more like two years - however, the stress has been truly difficult for the last six months). If stress causes flare-ups, then I came by mine honestly. I also had a flare-up last October/November. Hhmm. I need to consider meditating again.
This week was a challenge, to say the least. Thanks for your prayers.
My transplant coordinator called yesterday and told me that my elevated liver enzymes are a result of a flare-up of Hepatitis C and are NOT related to any sort of organ rejection. Whew! We're relieved; it's never great to have elevated liver enzymes, but it's less bad (?huh?) to have a flare-up than to experience rejection and have to take steroids.
That's the good news. So, why the flare-up
and what can I do to help prevent them? Focus on and improve my metabolic condition - eat healthily, lose weight (gasp - 30 pounds), get some exercise, control my blood sugar and manage my stress. These things I can do. It will also help reduce my steatosis, which is fat in the liver (mine has increased a lot since my last biopsy in June 2008 - fatty liver is NOT good, especially when you have Hep C). This just sounds gross, doesn't it? Ack!
In A Guide to Understanding Hepatitis C at HCVAdvocate.org, the link between stress and Hep C flare-ups is explained:
Controlling stress is a major factor in managing HCV disease. Living with a chronic disease is stressful. Many people report 'flare-ups' (periods of increased symptoms) following episodes of stress. Exercise, meditation, and time management can all help reduce stress. Try to maintain a realistic picture of your health and a positive attitude. Understanding the severity of your liver disease is an important part of having a realistic picture of your condition.
Financial strains have created an unbelievable amount of stress for my husband and me during the past year (well, more like two years - however, the stress has been truly difficult for the last six months). If stress causes flare-ups, then I came by mine honestly. I also had a flare-up last October/November. Hhmm. I need to consider meditating again.
This week was a challenge, to say the least. Thanks for your prayers.
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