Question about time of liver symptoms

[scorpio72]

Hi all - you are all quite helpful and so informational about HCV.  I am so scared, don't have an HP doc yet, never had any liver scopes at all....when I was diagnosed, I didn't require liver testing through the abdomen, but think I do now.  Any suggestions?  I am unemployed w/limited insurance and would greatly appreciate any help!

Scorpio

[annieCinMD]

I think you are talking about a liver biopsy, and yes, it's done through the abdomen, but it's also not as bad as you think it is going to be. I am a big chicken who happened to have some valium left from script I got from a surgery. I took a valium before the procedure, but I think if you look around this forum there are plenty of posts from people that did not take a valium and they all say "it's not that bad" as well.  They numb you up real good, and it doesn't hurt.  You are in the right place, there is a lot of good information and support on this site. Best to you.

[m_strings]

I just had a liver biopsy recently.  They gave me a couple meds through the IV that totally relaxed me and helped block pain.  They also numbed the site with a local.  There's no real scar.  The incision area on my upper abdomen was about the size of wound you get when you have blood drawn.  They covered the area with a small band aid when it was over.  The important thing was to be careful for the next 24 hours.  Rest and don't stress that part of your body or lift heavy objects so the liver doesn't bleed.  Really, it was one of the easiest procedures I've gone through.  Good luck.  

[HectorSF]

You say that you need a biopsy now. Possibly because you asked in another post if you were gaining weight because of liver disease.

This is unlikely. If you have advanced liver disease cirrhosis, stage 4, you will probably lose weight. What you may be thinking is ascities. The accumulation of fluid in the area in the abdomen, which is common in advanced cirrhosis.

Since you have "limited" health insurance and want to know if you have advanced liver disease you should be able to get a good idea from regular blood tests. Have you had any recent blood tests?

If you have cirrhosis, stage 4 liver disease, typical blood test would indicate this. Look at your platelet count, bilirubin, creatinine, and INR values. These level will be out of the normal range and should have been noted by your doctor.

I don't know the cost of a biopsy but it has to be many hundreds of dollars at least. Depending on how advanced your liver disease is, in the future you will need to have insurance if you want to treat this HCV disease as the cost of full treatment is tens of thousands of dollars. You may be able to get the meds for free but there are other costs such as blood tests and there could be complications that could be expensive also. It is something to keep in mind.

Good luck.
Howard