Today I saw my gastroenterologist, he's very nice, well-mannered and wicked smart. [pronounced like you are from Massachusetts: wickid smaht {wicked is a good thing}]
We talked about changes my body will go through, possible "issues" caused by my not-functioning-at-all-really liver. Things like muscle weakness, cramping [EVERYWHERE!!!], jaundice [call him and go to hospital immediately] confusion, edema, swelling, itchy all over, spider veins [legs and feet right now], malabsorption [like malnourishment], anemia, pain, pain and did I mention pain? [in my muscles mostly right now] There was more but I can't remember everything he said.
I will check in with him every two months, for now. If I need help he said just call him. Then he said the T word. TRANSPLANT. I really did not want to hear that word today. I didn't want to make it real. But there it was. Three BIG hospitals in the Boston area do liver transplants. I chose Massachusetts General Hospital. They do the most transplants and have very aggressive surgeons on their transplant teams. With very good results for transplant patients. He forwarded all of my information to the hospital and someone will be calling me soon to set up appointments for testing. We should plan on staying overnight because the testing will take 2 days, but we don't live that far away, it's not even 2 hours driving time. And I'd prefer to sleep in my own bed. And it's expensive to stay in the city.
I will be adding to my everyday medications [all 11 of them] Vitamins A, C & D, Calcium & Iron. The vitamin C helps the liver absorb the iron. I am anemic right now because my liver isn't doing what it used to do with the food I eat.
Now I wait, again. I really do not like to wait, I've never really been good at it.
I'm tired, need a little rest. You are all wonderful and I am so happy I found you.
love, peace & joy, oh and hugs! lots and lots of hugs
~Sha