Hi,
This is my first post although I have been on here for 4 years.
I found out I had cirrhosis after attending the out of hours doctor with the helpof my mother. The doctor sent me to the hospital with a letter and I was admitted immediately with bad vomiting and diaria. I couldn't keep anything down or in my body at all. After three days in a room of my own with an assigned nurse, three consultants came in all serious lookng and asked me how long I had been diagnosed with cirrhosis and why didn't I inform anyone when I was addmitted. I immediately dismissed the fact that I could have cirrhosis and told the doctors that I had been getting occassional LFT's when I attended my GP complaining of feeling fatequed and tierd all the time. I had always put it down to the anti depressant that I was on at the time and this was normally changed. I couldn't understand why I was getting LFT's but I complied with the GP. At one point the practice nurse said she was going to refer me for an ultrasound of the abdoman. I again wondered why but went with it. This never materialised as the GP mustened of thought I needed it, but I wasn't bothered as I just thought the GP knew better than the nurse and it must of been the anntidepressants as some of the side effects matched. My Alcohol consuption was mentioned, but I kept telling the GP that I used it for dutch courage as it helped my anxiety and enabled me to leave the house. I had been with the GP for nearly 8 years and had always assumed they knew best. I complained of a bad back ever since joining the surgery but was always given pain medication to treat it and told to take paracetamol if it returned. So over the years I consummed an awful lot of paracetamol as it is cheap as chips and saved the hassle of bookng and attending appointments as I really struggled in the waiting room around others. I eventually went to A&E with my back and the carried out an MRI then sent me a letter to tell me they were sending me to a private consultant asap. I had a disc bulge of 15 mm at widest and he was amazed I could still walk. Surgery was carried out and the pain eased somewhat. But I would still pop a few paracetamol when the pain returned occassionally.
It was about a year after the surgery that I ended up being admitted and told I had cirrhosis. The doctors immediately focused on my drinking habits and asked when I last had a drink. I told them about a week ago as I had been in hospital for the last 3 days and prior to that I was in bed hardly able to move with my sore back and with no energy appart from to drag myself to the bathroom next door to my bedroom. They didn't appear to believe me. I underwent several tests and a biopsy confirmed cirrhosis. I packed in drinking as advised I might need a transplant in the future and there was no chance if I continued to drink. So I stopped. It wasn't as easy as I thought as it had become a habbit and a coping stratagy, but I did it. I was adament that it was the medication that caused the cirrhosis although I did agree the alcohol would have been a contributing factor. I believed it was just recorded as cirrhosis. Now I have moved to England and really struggled to get my notes forward. My new GP didn't believe me that I had cirrhosis as my liver function was normal. I have been admitted to hospital for mental health reasons where I remain currently. I have showed them a letter confirming my cirrhosis and a Fibroscan result from the last one taken in Northern Ireland in Feb 2019 which indicated F4 - 20.3 KPa and a cap score of 255dB/m. I know these are quite high, But I am shocked to discover that my diagnosis had been recorded as Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis. Now I have been told that I will see a Hepatology Nurse in 6 months and they might redo a Fibroscan. I feel this is because I am being treated as if it was self inflicted Alcoholic abuse that created my illness. I went from believing I had a healthy liver to lying in hospital with jeandice being told I had final stage liver failure. As soon as I knew I addressed my drinking, I dont add salt to anything now, I stopped eating meat and became vegetarian, I try and eat liver friendly foods and drink plenty of water. Yet I am still treated as an alcoholic that drank himself to liver failure. Whilst being in the hospital I am currently I have now learnt about and been diagnosed with Autism. If this had of been discovered years ago things would have been a lot different. Sorry for the ramble but I just wondered if anyone knew if those Fibroscan readings should cause concern or not?
9.8kpa fibroscan score
Can liver regenerate after high fibroscan score
Fibroscan score 19.5. Awaiting appointment with consultant
Fibroscan Scoring Card and Grades
fibroscan score 7.9 f1 finrosis
