liver biposy

i got my results today but i hate my dr,,,he explains nothig and if i hadn't requested a copy of my biposy i wouldn't know anything except he said i needed a physch clearance...by looking at results it says i am in stage 2 with mild to moderate chronic hepc and that i need interfron threapy..a friend told me that i didn't need to do the threapy so i am totally confussed..i am going to by primary dr cause she will have to find a physch for me and ask her what she thinks..i am wondering if any1 has any input for me..it says part of my livergeginning of gastric mucosa whatever that is..portions of my liver show unusal lobar architacture...clusters of lymphocytes are present within the parenchyma,,,could any1 help me here..should imjust leave it alone or do the threapy???please help...happyoldergal oh yea i am geneotype 1a

[annieCinMD]

You can probably wait until the new drugs are available next year. Stage 2 is not the end of the world. You probably should think about treating but it's not imminent. The PI drugs will improve your chances of clearing the virus as a geno 1 and the shorter duration is much easier to take. I'm sure others will chime in that know a lot more than I do. Take some time to learn about your options and mentally prepare. Don't jump into treatment because somebody scared you.

[becksta29]

i would do the tx when the new drugs come out,i wouldnt just never treat,u have the chance to be cured n be healthy so why not treat,i believe imo we should all try n get rid of the dragon if possible.so id prepare yourself n study up a bit b4 u start tx cos i new nothin when i started mine n i would of waited for the new drugs if i had known bout them back then but i would have the flue vax n not started tx in flue season,but all is good cos i think im goin to stay undetected cos my 3 month post pcr was und.SOC is still gr8 n works but if ur a 1a its 50% chance so id rather wait for the 80% chances with the new drugs in 2011.
                  good luck in what ever u choose

[Rockerforlife]

You have time to wait i think by the averages of the odds like beck says,80% and over is better than 40-50% i say,of course you have to factor in if insurance will cover the new PI`s,you could also do a trial like i did and i SVR`ed...times are lookn good now for hep TX so lots of hope is here...and you are medium stage,like was .

[merryBe]

NOW your name can really fit your profile!!

congrats. be happy!!

the liver is a hematolymphoid organ....meaning lymph and blood are both involved with it and it is full of lympocytes and surrounded with lymph nodes, it interacts constantly with both the spleen and heart, which control the lympatic and blood circulatory systems so it really is the multitasker of the organs in phenominal ways.

Having extra lympatic clusters within the liver is a response to the disease, and not uncommon....as long as they didn't say you had fibrosis or bridging fibrosis yet I would be doing the happy dance.

The things said above apply. Given the current state of your health I would wait.
The PI's will increase your chance of successful treatment, and lower your tx time which will lessen the impact physiscally and mentally.

meanwhile, I would start the process of working on getting the meds on board to help you mentally. Think about going to some nutrition classes, getting some of the weight off will help increaseyour chances of successfully treating. Making sure your blood sugars are good...

a lot of clinics offer classes to their patients now in diebetic (diabetic) diet. A diebetic (diabetic) diet is good even for the non-diebetic because this will clean your liver out of the excess fat stores which lead to the other big issues with liver disease, NASH and HCC. If you get on a sensible plan diet wise you can head off all those complications while also increasing your chances of successful killing the dragon.

You definitely want to take a proactive approach to all this, as it can make all the difference. I'd also encourage you to get into counseling or a support group, whether it is weight watchers, or a church group...or even just a walking club, anything to help you keep positive and not get depressed. Depression is the enemy here of moving forward.  I would have loved to have been in your shoes, and figured all this out and dialed in a comprehensive treatment plan before treating. Unfortunately, I was only diagnosed when already stage 3/4.

Given your situation, I'd say you hae an excellent chance of overcoming all this, but you need to begin to take all this seriously, especially important is to get your head into a space of acceptance first, and becoming an overcomer second. I know you can do it...we all can. We just need to keep our eye on the prize and not the problem.

Again, congrats!  I look forward to hearing good reports and that when the battle comes you'll be ready.
You'll need to post the exact wording of your biopsy for someone to really help you there, your remarks and spelling (like I have room to talk LOL ) leaves things unclear.

mb

[neptune235]

As you contemplate waiting for new meds, consider two indications that reduce chances of success.  One is age, and the other is amount of liver damage.  A single biopsy is not sufficient to accurately predict the speed of progression one is experiencing.

For example, my first biopsy was 1/1.  5 years later it was 3/3.  This is fast -- faster than most, perhaps.

It is a tough decision, and for me, I always tend towards treating now, while I am younger and relatively healthy.  If I succeed, fantastic.  But, if I fail, then I can retreat, with new drugs.  Many people here have failed treatment a time or even two (a few threes out there, even), and then achieve success.