Feeling very anxious as have a Fibroscan this morning. I had alcohol related Hepatitis in January with 3 weeks in hossie and a pile of steroids I stopped end of March, so far my blood tests went all back to normal by the end of May and I had an ultrasound in July which was completely normal too but having been haunted daily in hospital by different consultants constantly telling me I had a 1 in 3 chance of not making it or "you're not out of the woods yet" these words are implanted in my brain.
I have PTSD and anxiety issues anyway and I drink only when I have overloaded to the point of being totally overwhelmed and unable to cope or sometimes it was as if an unknown trigger launched it off but my goodness when that happened I drank copious amounts just wanting to block away life.. the rest of the time I could and can take or leave alcohol so I now avoid it like the plague and have done since hospital...
So I am hoping that this Fibroscan will also be ok.. I accept though that whatever will be will be but I awfulise things to the point that it interferes with functioning on a daily basis.. I've been handed Diazepam for a good 10 years or so too! I try to minimise usage.
Anyway, I digress, just hope I don't have a person doing the scan like the one who did the US as she literally didn't say a word other than turn this way or that. So you walk out with yet another worry. I personally asked my GP who accessed the result in the end rather than waiting in limbo land for months.
Oh well had a banana and just water this morning, I know I mustn't have anything 2 hours before other than small sips of water if necessary!
Hope everyone has a good day x
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Miche49uk
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Sorry you had a bad experience with the scan, perhaps they were having a bad day.
Anyway, as for the Fibroscan, the procedure is quick simple and without any discomfort, so that's a plus.
Its absolutely normal to be stressed and worried about what's happening to you and your liver. Three weeks in hospital must have been quite frightening, the length of time suggests you must have been quite ill. Its good that your blood results seem to be 'normal' and you've been sent for the scan which I hope shows little or no significant damage.
Maybe the comments like 'you're not out of the woods' were intended as a scare tactic to get you to take not drinking seriously. Happily you seem to have tackled that already, just keep it up and get alcohol services support if necessary.
You should welcome this 'early warning' and take the opportunity to change your lifestyle and take better care of yourself and your liver. There is plenty of advice and information on the British Liver Trust website about how best to achieve good liver health. Put simply, you need to have a good varied diet, plenty of exercise and a sensible approach to alcohol.
As for the general anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and your ways of coping with the resulting problems. I hope that you have had specific care for the PTSD and anxiety, if not you need to see your GP about getting a referral to the local mental health services.
Looking at the time (11.46) you have probably already had the scan - so I hope it went well and when you get the result you are reassured and can look forward to a long and better life.
Keep in touch with the group as there are so many here who share your story and can relate to what's going on in your life.
Thank you Jim what a lovely response! This time it was a lovely nurse, really helpful. It's very very clever stuff! My result was 5.3 KPa and 0.4 IQR whatever that is but she said they like the result under 6 so I'd hope that combined with all blood results now being normal and US too perhaps I can breath out..a bit! Anxiety isn't going to just disappear and I know that I just have to try and exercise more but sometimes I can't leave the house..
Yes, I do think it might have been scare tactics but equally I guess Hepatitis can kill, I know my discharge letter said my liver stopped getting better which was why I was put on 40mg of prednisolone and asked to eat and drink protein shakes....and their concern was what would happen when I got home, when I got home I went to bed lol!
Alcohol is a no and I'm very aware that if I drank again the chances of it returning are very viable. Bizarrely on one blood test Hepatitis E was picked up too!
I was working with a wonderful guy from our local drug and alcohol support team who intervenes if you are in and out of A & E, he visited me in hospital and indeed got me in as well as spending hours with me at home, something I'd never had before,and for months and he was adamant it was never alcoholism but instead something historic causing it which I agree with but sadly his funding was cut and I stopped getting support in July which has been tough as my local CMHT only saw me once and discharged me simply blaming high stress levels causing PTSD symptoms.
I do think the stigma of alcohol gets in the way of any underlying issues and an example of that is having had to call an ambulance one night in July with sudden chest pain only to be asked in A & E how much alcohol I'd drunk that day which left me rather miffed! I haven't drunk a drop since January and that's that. Mud sticks. The only thing that scares me is having had no recollection at all of even going out and buying alcohol but my memory has been really bad for a few years.
Life is precious and no matter what life throws at us or we throw at ourselves it is something I feel blessed to have as some aren't as lucky.
Really pleased that you do seem to be in the clear. I know that the discovery of any virus is bad news, but if you have any of the hepatitis family, E seems to be the best one to get as it is usually mild. This is a link to the Trust website and Hepatitis E.
Just so you know that I fully understand, my liver failure was caused by alcohol. I was less fortunate than you and mine went on to fail completely and I had a transplant last year. My experience was quite positive and I never came across and discrimination form any hospital staff during my many hospital stays. I think the question they asked you about drinking was a standard question they ask everyone. I recently gave a talk to a group of A & E nurses and I got the impression they are really quite sympathetic.
I'm really disappointed that your funding has finished. You need to go back to your GP and set out your case for further funding. It really is so short sighted as the cost of you relapsing and becoming really ill is far more than the expense of therapy.
Oh my that's a lot to deal with I am delighted you got through it all! Yes the hep E was picked up on a later blood test but then a friend in Gloucester sent me a recent post about sausages in some supermarket having been found to carry Hep E! No more sausages for me then!
Yes the guy was pretty upset and didn't want to tell me, the specialist alcohol liaison nurses were gutted too and his job involved seeing lots of people so I'm sure I wasn't the only one gutted at that service being pulled.
You take care Jim, I just walked home, thought I'd get some exercise lol!
M
im sure u will be fine with your fibre scan its literally minutes and painless your anxiety will make it feel ten times worse than it is i suffer with anxiety and no where near your levels but remember the person doing the scan is doing there day to day normal job so don t try reading there attititude some are just miserable lol anyway good luck for later im having one on tuesday you are doing brill by the way xx
Thank you for your kind words, I had the scan yesterday so all done now. My anxiety levels barely dropped at all so I can see it's something else at the root of how I feel.. I am quite emotionally numb lately so that's probably why perhaps.
I hide my anxiety a lot when my daughter is home as she's only 10, this means, though, that I internalise things more and just go into mummy mode as I call it..
Good luck with your scan next Tuesday let us know how you get on, keeping my fingers crossed... I found it all very clever and far less uncomfortable than a US where they press quite hard.
so glad its done with for u i have been where u are with the hide it and mummy mode and are doing all over again in nannie mode lol i do sometimes think that we forget what kicked it all off in first place and it becomes a habit knowing u have to do something /be somewhere will i feel like this /that if u can understand what im on about my bp goes thru the roof on dr visits but we cope and will carry on i suppose but never forget how strong u are to cope with all this brave lady xx
Aww thanks Pattie I think being an older Mum I'm generally more tired too but I've been really tired all year so far.. it might be anxiety it might be ptsd, it might be Diazepam although I try and keep that to a minimum or it could be hormonal as I've PCOS and Stage 4 endometriosis or I'm just knackered because I'm nearly 50 lol. I'm kind of at the point where whatever it is,it doesn't matter! I don't feel brave, I feel as if I've lost myself but I've felt like that for a good few years, being with my child is what does make me happy, I hope I'm not a grandmother for many many years, at the moment my daughter is a football playing not so girly girl, she did choose a pink swim bag for school the other day, I nearly passed out in shock aged 10, about to get her second retainers as she's now got all her adult teeth, size adult 6 feet and nearly reaches my chin!!! I think they put something in their food at school👀 xx
I just wanted to wish you good luck today I'll be thinking about you
Michelle xxx
i would think with all that going on bodywise u would be knackered never mind the effect a zero on our age does i can see where u coming from on the lost feeling yes being eith my grandkids 5of them ranging from 3to 13 love ouralltogether family holiday altho come back absolutely shatterd some of that is due to fibromyalgia im sure your daughter will turn into a lovely young lady when shes ready one of my grandaughter is 7there is 6inches in height between us she is same shoe size as me a 4 she does horse riding think she has stood into many piles of poop been lovely chatting when ever u want take care
Aww that's great Pattie it must be lovely having so many grand children with a nice variety of ages! I have 2 friends with fibromyalgia and both get extremely tired! X
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aged 10, about to get her second retainers as she's now got all her adult teeth, size adult 6 feet and nearly reaches my chin!!! I think they put something in their food at school👀 xx
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