Liver flaming biopsy

[happyhepper]

Oh gawwwd......help.I feel such a wimp!! Just discovered that I have Hep C and this happy hepper aint so happy since she was told she would need a liver biopsy - oct 30th - aaaaaaaaagh!
Doe it hurt? Will I bleed to death? Will I be around on Oct 31st?!
I am VERY overweight - does this make is harder or more dangerous to do?  Like five stone...overweight.

I feel so guilty there are people out there with things like cancer .....I feel faint having blood taken!
So many nasty horror stories on the net about this procedure - enough to scare you to death!
Am losing weight - but to lose five stone before the procedure I would need to amputate some very vital bits....any comments would be nice...as long as they are not rude!! Thank you

[britgirl]

It's  not a death sentence; don't freak yourself out. Hep C is very slow-moving. I had it for eighteen years before I went on treatment and, despite having drunk most days for those 18 years, I got rid of the virus in 24 weeks. I am from London. I got hepatitis playing around with drugs back in the early eighties. A relatively brief period of my life, but one I don't regret, despite everything.

[happyhepper]

Hi - Friends in Otley - my mom lives near there - its a lovely place.
How did you go on the treatment? How long hanve you had hep c? I was convinced it was a death sentence when I first heard - now with a bit of luck and careful management I am beginning to think it may not be as black as I first thought. Where are you from? Take care Sue in Leeds

[BethUK]

Hi, im in England too - I did the treatment last year and went to Queen Elizabeth liver unit in Birmingham.  I must say my experience has restored my faith in the NHS.  I was clear at 6 months post, and go for my 1 year test on Monday.  If I can help in any way just say!

[britgirl]

I don't think it was approved much earlier. I began tx in March 2002 but it was a trial. I believe it was approved a month or so later ie. May 2002. I'm sorry I don't know about figures for SVR but I think they are about the same as with Peg_intron.

[britgirl]

So, you're from Leeds. I know it well as we have friends in Otley and Ilkley. If you look at my reply to Tosser above, it'll tell you a bit about my experience. I finished treatment a year ago, but still lurk around this website, I'm afraid. It really helped me, Sue, and I hope it will you too.

[Tosser]

Thanks for letting me know what your experience has been, and congratulations on staying SVR to the end. I also found your post about it on Sep 22. It's hard to stay caught up with so much information about everyone here, but I am trying.  I've one more question. Wasn't Pegasys available in Europe along time before our FDA approved it here in the U.S. last Oct or Nov?
I was just wondering if you, or anyone here, might know of a web site that may have the latest sucess rate numbers for Pegasys patients in Europe or elsewhere. I'm not sure where to start looking. Thanks again!...and enjoy a long, liver healthy life!
Tosser

[happyhepper]

Thank you all SO much for taking the time out to reassure me. I guess everyone is nervous before they get 'punctured' - not exactly the most natural thing in the world is it?!
Tell me a bit about yourselves - your situations and how you are feeling when you get a minute.
I am so glad I found this site. Lots of love and light to all of you. Sue

[happyhepper]

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer me. You pople just don't know how nice it is to find people in the same boat - though I wish you weren't .....if you know what I mean.. I am in the UK and due to have the biopsy at St James Teaching Hospital in Leeds - a big scary place that makes you feel like a number!  Don't suppose they mean it to be that way.  How are you? What is your story? How long have you had hep c? Tell me all you want to about yourself. My husband just buries his head in the sand and hopes it will go away....its not that he doesn't care he just is good at talking about things. Lots of love and light to all of you. I am very glad I found you all.

[britgirl]

I did the Pegasys for 24 weeks (180mcg of interferon and 800mg of Ribavarin). On my biopsy I was "early septal fibrosis". I got the HepC in 1984. My ALT was 137 before I started tx. It went down to normal after 2 weeks. It has been around 15 for the last year. I weigh 65 kilos. I was never tested for viral load, just negative/positive qualitative tests, which I had at the end of tx, 6 months after tx and one year after tx (all negative). I did not have a drink problem so was not told I had to stop completely  and still had the occasional drink until the week before tx. I did not take any other drugs while on tx (no ADs). My red and white blood cells stayed OK during tx but I did get hypothyroidism. OK? Hope that helps.

[LvdByGod]

hi, i also am very,very overwieght (female 265 lbs,5 feet tall) and i had the biopsy and it went just fine. they marked the spot with the ultrasound but, moved me into another room to do the proceedure. i also am scared to death of needles (ironic) but, i am.  so i asked for a seditive of sorts. they gave me "VERSED", an amnesiac and "DARVASET" a pain killer both "happy drugs" and i did not feel or remember a thing. aparantly your still awake, they said that i asked, "let me know when you do it" and they responded we are ALREADY DONE!!!. so it worked great for me and if i ever have another one i will ask for it again. i told him i was so nervous that i didn't think i would remain still i probably would have paniced and jumped or something. oh well, i know i'm a wimp and i don't care. that's what medicine is for.

AS FOR TX AND RECOVERY FROM HEPC, you like me will probably be threatened to loose wieght to ensure a full liver recovery.

definatly get the  biopsy that is how i found out i had fatty liver and the grade and stage of the disease. it let's you know how agressive you should be and what if any other liver problems you have. i start treatment in 2 weeks. i wish i had a "happy drug" for all my shot nights!!! your in my thoughts and prayers, sandi

[Tosser]

h hepper,
I think the biopsy was probably one of the easier things to deal with during all my experiences with Hep-c so far. I'm a little over weight too, but they didn't have any problem finding my liver with the ultrasound. That's the only way to go. Getting the results, for me, was much harder to deal with. Some of us here, I'm sure, wonder why we did all the things we did to put our liver in dire straights, now, all we can do is educate ourselves to try to live a more liver friendly life, and take each day one at a time, while not taking things for granted anymore. I think you will do fine! The wonderful folks here will help you get through it, just hang around here for inspiration.

Hey, Britgirl
I'm also 47 and 3a. You are SVR now? ...and what tx did you use, for how long? Just curious. I'm trying to forcast my own success, at least build hope. Please let us know, okay? Thanks!
Tosser

[Tootsy831]

Just wanted to let you know I had a biopsy almost 3 years ago, and at first, I was scared stiff..But my doc had explained in detail how he would be doing it.. I was given no sedation, and really didn't have any pain, except for the short sharp pain I got in my shoulder immediately after it was done.. I was told for approx 3days I should just take it easy at home - no lifting, bending, and no driving for atleast 2 days.. I had no problem..I am also overweight by about 50lbs and didn't have any problems.......Hang in there.........
Best of Luck to you.........Take Care.........Donna

[Puzik]

Definitely get the ultrasound. I am a bit of an abnormal body size (6'7 or for you Brits 2 meters) and they had trouble getting through to my liver and it sounds as if you are of my variety. Even with all the poking around it was not too painful, just frustrating and I am a worse case scenario.

Sure it will be fine.

[sonata1]

You will be just fine!  Remember how I felt when my first one was done! Hey I've lived to tell and now going for my second bx in three weeks. Everything will work out for you.

[TravisB]

There is a method of doing a biopsy that will almost guarantee success and a minimum of pain, and that is having the biopsy guided by ultrasound.  Ask (insist, demand) that the doctor do the biopsy using ultrasound and all will go smoothly.

[DebbieDo]

Hi there......
I was like you, sort of afraid.....But, it was a breeze( I had mine on the 10th of Oct)....The hardest thing for me was to secure a ride to and from the hospital......It was easy, they find the liver on the ultra sound and locate where they need to go in.....they mark the spot......they tell you how they want you to breath...this is important......so when they go in there they dont snip at the lungs, because they are very close together..
They give you a local pain killer (my case a shot in the area) which just burned slightly.....and then he said he was ready....and in and out.......you lay there for an hr on your right side...then they put you in recovery, montior your blood pressure and check the area for bleeding......you lay there on your back for 4 hrs...then the ***** your finger and check your blood and then your finished......I didnt feel anything after.....I stayed home and laid around all the next day waiting for the shoulder pain that they said i might have....Doesn't matter about you weight......not to worry..you will be fine!
             Deb

[britgirl]

Hi! Are you in England? I know all about stones here in London!
The biopsy I had here in the UK was fine, but they don't give you sedation over here as they prefer people to be alert as you have to breathe in twice in exactly the same way; once when they look on the ultrasound and mark your skin with a marker pen and once when they put the biopsy needle in. I was scared to death, but it didn't hurt at all. You have two local anaesthetics first and then have to lie on your side for about four hours while they have you hooked up to machines monitoring your blood pressure etc. I was going to get a taxi to go home from the hospital but it was a long wait so I actually went home by bus! I stayed at home the next day and was back at work the day after. It really is the only way they can tell if your liver is damaged. All the best.

[happyhepper]

Thank you so much for your lovely comments - I do actually feel a bit better after that. I have only just discovered that I have hep c and biopsy is a bit hard to contemplate when I am still in denial. I hope you are well and that something really nice happens to you tomorrow for having taken the time to reassure me. Thank you

[oldhippiechick67]

Biopsies of the liver these days are very easy, ask if you can have sedation, and ultrasound guided because that is safer.  I was afraid too!  But the nurse was kind, and said the Dr doing it was all for sedation, so I took it.  It was over in a second, and I got some dandy pain pills for the discomfort afterwards, dozed the 3 hrs I had to lay on my side.  Then I went home.  (you have to have a driver if you are given sedation) You will be up and around that day and the next.  What on earth is five stones?? you live outside the US?  It may be a bit more difficult to do on a heavy person, but they get their share of all sizes.
If you read scarey stories on the Janis7hepC site about biopsies, that must be from the old days...its a breeze - I wouldnt lose any sleep over it, having been through it recently!

Best to you!  OHC67