Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Stomach Verices

Does anyone have them and what does this mean?  I understand how they form but I am very worried.  Also, my husband is showing signs of mental confusion and deterioration. Is a transplant in our near future?
9 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
86075 tn?1238115091
Thank you so much, this means a lot. Guess she's been doing so well until now, but now she's having bad pains in the stomach area, etc. She's now coming down with diabetes as well, they think, you feel so helpless to help, hopefully, they can help her.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi there 4c.  It depends on where the procedure is being done and if she has had a bleed before.  I had a bleed once before in St. Louis.  Later I came to KC to get a second opinion on the TP and I had to see a GI for a referral.  The GI scheduled an endo at his office and on the day of the appointment after he looked at my medical history he canceled and rescheduled at the hospital because he was not equipped to do the banding.  So I quess you'll have to ask if the procedure room you sister is scheduled at is equipped.  

Sometimes they might see a varicie that is not ruptured, but is swollen.  In this case it would be best to do the procedure at a hospital and if they decide to band they can accomodate her immediately rather than rescheduling.  

mike
Helpful - 0
86075 tn?1238115091
My younger sister, who is in advanced alcoholic cirrhosis, is going in Thurs to have a endoscopy and  colonoscopy at the same time, if she needs banding, will they do it at this procedure? thanks, don't know much about this condition...

Hugs to you and your boy Elaine...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You are just amazing, that's all I can say,.....I'm speechless beyond that.    Susan
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I probably had a bleed or two prior to finding out about the hep, as I had some very nasty bloody stools.  Had 15 inches of bowel removed prior to transplant, and bleeding into my ostomy bag, and was banded that time.  (Ain't liver disease fun!)

So good to here that you are climbing out of the tx funk.  You have to be feeling better every day.

I will finish 72 weeks on Nov 15, and am really feeling the effects.  Walking has become tough and I am throwing up  two or three times a week.  Don't know if it is gerd or what, but I can't eat much at one time; should be ok when tx is over.  I'm doubtful about the svr, because some of my pcr's were suspect.  But it will still be nice to be done with this mess for a while.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey BThompson, how are ya doin' now?  Somewhere around 6 weeks of tx left for you I guess.  I'm 3 weeks post now and enjoying life.  I feel like I'm returning, just not all the way back yet.  

My encephalopathy was always kept under control by lactulose.  I did have a variceal rupture in a small rural town that could not do the banding.  Fortunately, my GI told me the dangers and said to call him and then immediately head for the hospital.  He called for life flight that got me to St. Louis in one half the time it would have taken by ambulance.  He told my son it might have saved my life.  Cost me $1000 and I slept through the whole thing.  Spent 5 days in the hospital.  

I never had a biopsy before the TP, the blood work, CT scan and Sonogram w/audio (to listen to the hepatic artery) told the Doctors what they needed to know.  Also, my blood clotting factors told them not to biopsy.  Stay off of NSAIDS!  

My GI turned me over to a hepatologist who explained to me that they wanted to see a slow progression to liver failure.  When you reach the highest level in meld score and have other conditions such as ascites, varices and encepholopathy you move up the list.  The very day of the TP was the first day that any of my labs came back "critical".  This is all explained in the UNOS
by-laws.

child:  boy I couldn't comment about Nick's condition, Hemophilia I think, but you could be right about keeping him alive, they kept me suspended for 22 months.  Has he had the TP evaluation yet?

Hep C hubby:  all good advice above!

mike



Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Sometimes it can take a few years to move up the waiting list to be transplanted, depending on how sick you are, the availability of livers in your area, etc.  Lots of people have dangerous events like bleeds or encephlatic comas in the time prior to transplant.  These types of events can be fatal, so you need lactulose to keep amonia from building up in your brain and causing a coma and probably regular doses of beta blockers to lower blood pressure and reduce episodes and severity of variceal bleeding, which can also be fatal.  I was in a coma for eight days with multi-organ failure and sepsis and not expected to live.  Luckily, I had no more coma type episodes prior to receiving my transplant 18 months later, probably thanks to the lactulose and being kept in a sick but stable condition by my doctors.

I don't know much about Nick's situation, except that he has never had a biopsy?  I never had a biopsy prior to transplant.  Liver tests can tell you a lot even in the absence of a biopsy, despite what a lot of people on this board say about how you can't  make any informed decisions without a biopsy.
Helpful - 0
163305 tn?1333668571
Hep Chubby: The confusion is from encephalopathy. The verices and the enceph. . . . . are from cirrhosis. It does sound like he's in a serious condition. Try to keep him as healthy as possible, and talk to your heptologist. My guy would have already had him doing pre-testing for a transplant.
Good luck.

Hi Elaine,
    I don't know if they'll do a transplant on someone who's co-infected or am I thinking of someone else?  I do know there are fewer liver donors than those needing transplants. If you are wondering you could google MELD, go to the site, and check his score. Its a system used to determine when to do transplants.
                  Doctor's try to keep people alive. That's what they do. :)                        OH
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
What does your doctor say about a transplant?  I hope you are seeing a hepatologist about his condition, which sounds very serious.  You need lots of pre-transplant care, sometimes for long periods of time to keep the patient alive in order to receive a transplant.  It is not a process that only takes a week or so to complete.  
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis C Community

Top Hepatitis Answerers
317787 tn?1473358451
DC
683231 tn?1467323017
Auburn, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Answer a few simple questions about your Hep C treatment journey.

Those who qualify may receive up to $100 for their time.
Explore More In Our Hep C Learning Center
image description
Learn about this treatable virus.
image description
Getting tested for this viral infection.
image description
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
image description
4 steps to getting on therapy.
image description
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
image description
How the drugs might affect you.
image description
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
Popular Resources
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.