Help pls re terminology.

[Charlie-legs]

I should know the answer but I don't. I haven't heard the terms Compensated and the other De-compensated.

I have already posted about the decision not to offer me a transplant but they have sent me to an extended team, the High Intensity Alcohol Cirrhosis Clinic. I'm trying to get my head organised. Need a good kick up the bum, as they say.......Who are 'THEY' anyhoo 👋🤠😸 Michelle

[Str8jacket]

A liver is decompensated when it cannot fulfill its basic functions--one or more of the main symptoms of end stage liver disease (jaundice, ascites, HE, variceal hemorrhage, hepatorenal disease) is present. A compensated liver can be cirrhotic but functioning to the point there are no or just barely noticeable symptoms. Most people with cirrhosis don't know they have cirrhosis because they have no/minor symptoms and a compensated liver.

Are you never eligible for listing, or was the decision for the time being? Were you told why the decision was made?

[Charlie-legs in reply to Str8jacket]

Thank you 💓 I must be compensated as I'm not showing any signs, bloods are better, muscles mass is still ok. L

I do get terrible pain and am knackered all of the time. Meds don't help. Epilepsy ones, migraine jabs and now Carvedilol. Since the Carb tab was added I am forgetful.

With regards to the transplant, I thought when they said no, it was a ' here's your coat,Ty & goodbye' moment, however they have called me back, so could be 2nd chance.

My mental health issues need to be addressed and only having my partner as my support is a concern.

Michelle 🐱

[Tommy62 in reply to Charlie-legs]

If your compensated cirrhosis you probably dont need a liver transplant if your liver is still functioning ok at the minute if its decompensated that's when you would more likely need to be put on the transplant list that's my take on it not that they dont want to give you one but you need to be 6 months sober to be even thought of given you a liver transplant

[Charlie-legs in reply to Tommy62]

Thanks Tommy. I gave up alcohol on 3rd December 2019. I'd self medicated and hated that it had taken control of me. If you read my posts you will see I stopped without any medical help just determination. I threw my toys out of my pram and drank half a can of G&T. Poured rest away. I told them straight away. I'm seeing the psychology alcohol team soon.Michelle 🐱

[Tommy62 in reply to Charlie-legs]

I done the same I stopped for 9 are 10 months but have had a few wobbles it's not easy I've been drinking since I was a teenager I'm 58 now I went for my bloods today I get before my month scan and told the nurse she said none of us are perfect and she is 100% right but I wish you all the best and goodluck for the future take care Godbless 👍

[Charlie-legs in reply to Tommy62]

Thanks 👍 God bless you also.🙏

100% perfect?!😜😜🤣🤣😁🤪🙄🧐😱🤥🥸 HA ha. I'm more Ford Prefect🕶️

[Hidden]

Hi Michelle,

This is taken from our Cirrhosis of the liver publication;

Cirrhosis is classified as compensated or decompensated.

Compensated cirrhosis is where the liver is coping with the damage and maintaining its important functions.

In decompensated cirrhosis, the liver is not able to perform all its functions adequately. People with decompensated liver disease or cirrhosis often have serious symptoms and complications such as portal hypertension, bleeding varices, ascites and hepatic encephalopathy.

There are also systems for grading cirrhosis according to its severity. One of these is the Child-Pugh score, which uses symptoms including encephalopathy and ascites together with blood test results for bilirubin, albumin and clotting, to grade cirrhosis from A (relatively mild) to C (severe), There are other systems including MELD (model of end-stage liver disease) which are used to help decide which patients most urgently need liver transplants. It uses blood test results for bilirubin, creatinine and clotting (INR).

[Charlie-legs in reply to Hidden]

Thanks 👍 I will have to read through my records to date to see if I have a better idea of the stage I'm at. I'm guessing not good for the only one who has been honest was the nurse practitioner. My partner asked, when we were in the group questions, what happens if you aren't able to have a transplant. I nudged him and said palliative care. He said no, that can't be right. Lo and behold, she said the same as me. She said that the doctors always leave the nurse to be the one to tell the truth.I am being told that I look really well. Outward (now I've had my hair cut) I have no signs.

Ty again x

[Kettl]

Do you mind me asking why you are not eligible for a transplant?

[Charlie-legs in reply to Kettl]

Hi I don't mind at all.

I had a drink problem which was my crutch when life threw a lot of tough stuff at me. I can vividly remember the first drink that tipped me over. My dad had gone to have a total knee replacement and the nursing staff had neglected to monitor his fluid in/out put so we got a call to say that he had been blue lighted over to another hospital because he had septicemia and multiple organ failure. 4 days I sat next to him before he was stabilized. It was awful. The hospital was an hour from home. When I got in I went straight into the bath. My ex passed me a very large glass of wine and after I drank it l felt calm and my view of it changed. Although I have stopped I think my mindset from then needs to be addressed.

That's my next appointment. See what planet my mind is at, whilst my liver is holding up. Sorry for the long reply

Michelle

[Kettl in reply to Charlie-legs]

Thanks for the reply. You can get on top of this.

[Charlie-legs in reply to Kettl]

Hi Kettl, hope you are ok.I went back to Birmingham this week to see the Addiction psychologist and a liver consultant,whom I had never seen before.

The AP was great, she said that after meeting me 3 times she believes that the drink isn't an issue, it's if something else in life becomes tough how I'd cope.

I can't answer that because who knows what I MAY happen in the next 5mins never mind the future. It certainly would not be drink.

Michelle 🙏🤓