Hello there.
I don't know quite what to do here but I'll try my best. I'm Martin, age 41 (mental age of about 11) and a couple of months ago diagnosed with PBC.
Yes - a bloke with PBC - my Doctor seemed quite pleased he had a chap with the condition as it's quite rare. Also if it helps my location is Central Scotland.
At the moment I have diffuse cirrhosis of the liver and varices in the throat. I'm taking tablets for the varices (propanolol) but nothing for the PBC. I'm booked up for regular endoscope exams and seeing the gastroenteritis doctor again in September. He seems to expect at some point that my cirrhosis will develop tumours but blood tests will show this up.
As I say it's my first proper blog post. Hello to everyone with this condition! I'm having a really hard time with my missus who just does not want to hear anything about it.
Hello Mitzlock, welcome to this site.
There are several males on this site with PBC as I have previously read their contributions.
I can't work out why you haven't been given urso as that is standard for PBC. I was diagnosed Dec 2010 and started on urso. During 2010 I started with the itch and felt very fatigued. My liver function bloods came up abnormal and then it all started rolling on from there to 8 months later having the diagnosis.
I had only been married 9 months when I started with the itch and due to the work load I had at the time in a full-time job, didn't think much about it when coming home at the end of a long day and just drifting off in a deep sleep.
I am fortunate that my husband took it seriously. He took it even moreso when I had the first hospital appt following diagnose (Feb 2011) when he said that 'PBC can lead to transplant' as I knew that but never filled him in on that. I think it is far better your wife hearing it from the hospital doctor or GP's mouth and even though it can be daunting to hear, it is a bit of a sharp shock.
I've been taking urso now over 2 years and my bloods have improved somewhat. They probably won't ever return to normal range as some PBC patients' bloods can with urso but I'm in pretty great shape (I'm now 49) and try to look after myself even better than I thought I did prior to ever starting with the itch (which is still with me at night-time unfortunately - but for now that is all I do have, the fatigue has long since left me).
Hang in there and keep us all posted.