Brother diagnosed

[bigmacsgirl]

Hello,

My brother was dx with Hep C and Cirrhosis about a year ago. He had testing done in August.. MELD score was 10. Yesterday he had more testing..
MELD score is 10
Child Poug is 7-9  Catagory B
Amonia is 49 (normal range is 11-35 I believe)
Symptoms of Hepatic Encephalopathy

I understand that this is not a good sign.. Statistically he has approx an 81% survival rate the first year and approx 52% the second.. We just lost our father to Esophogeal cancer in March after a month battle.

I cannot believe we now have to deal with this..

I understand these are statistics and even if he does everything this is what his survival rate is and if he does no treatment it could be cut in half.. I am not sure what we need to do next.. We are getting an appointment to speak with Dr so it can all be layed out for him since he is forgetting things I thought this would be the best thing to do.

[Livelife777]

Good morning
I'm going to step out on a limb here and tell you that I don't believe those statistics.  I believe that's what has been said, but not the reality of them.
A Meld Score of 10 is relatively an early stage.  The #s range from 6-40, and personally feel your brother has hope.  What the worrisome factor is the fact that he has crossed over into decomposition which makes his illness a bit more trickier to treat.
Does your brother have medical insurance.   Not really familiar how the VA handles liver patients so I'm hoping others will chime in with that answer.
One thing for certain, at this point in his illness process is NO alcohol at all!
Zero!   That would accelerate beyond belief his liver issues.  He also needs to be on target with diet ( healthy eating, liver friendly) exercise and rest.  You see, the Hep C is attacking his liver on a daily basis and any additional additives will increase destruction.   We need to find his genotype also as D3 is inaccurate.
If you can get a savvy Dr, get his Hep C treated, not drink alcohol ( or smoke) he can then get on on a Transplant List if needed and save his life.  May I ask how old he is?
Sorry for all the questions but they are important ones for treatment.  As others have mentioned the newest drugs for treatment of Hep C come out tomorrow so your very lucky.  The most Important thing at this point is to not let him get worse.  Once his virus is taken care of then step 2 will fall into
place.  
I very much admire you for taking care of your brother.   Let us know what you find out and perhaps we can help with further options.
Take Care
....Kim

[nan535]

"I understand that this is not a good sign.. Statistically he has approx an 81% survival rate the first year and approx 52% the second."

First, welcome to the Forum. You will find this is a great place for support.
My condolences on the loss of your dad. I know how difficult that must have been for you all.  

My husband has a long history dealing with hepatic encephalopathy.  If treated properly, those statistics are just that - statistics.  HE can be controlled well but you need the proper doctor treating him.

He needs a hepatologist as you have already been advised by the prior posters.  Even though he may not need a transplant at this time, a doctor at a transplant center will know how to best treat his symptoms of decompensation so they are not life threatening to him. They also are experienced in treating his Hep C. These doctors are the best in the field.

Here is a link to a webinar on treatment options for Hep C.
http://hepc.liverfoundation.org/resources/webinars/treatment-options-and-the-patient-experience/

Here is a link on a webinar series on Hepatic Encephalopathy
http://he123.liverfoundation.org/resources/webinars/

My husband takes lactulose and Xifaxin daily to keep his HE under control.
You need a doctor who knows how to control this in your brother.

Keep us posted. we care.
Nan

[Dee1956]

Hello, welcome.  I am sorry for the loss of your Dad.  I can't imagine the pain of that.  Lifelife has given you excellent information.
He really needs to see a hepatologist as soon as he can for proper treatment.

Like Livelife, I was also diagnosed with early cirrhosis, I am doing well after treating and being cured from HCV.  There is medication that your brother can take for hepatic encephalopathy.

There is a new medication coming out in the next day or two that has a very good record for curing people with HCV..  There are other medications out there now though he really needs to see a hepatologist first.

Are your statistics based on your brother have HCV with cirrhosis?  Or is this based on his MELD score?  Just curious.

Take care, keep in touch, I am sure others will be along very soon.  We have a lot of very knowledgeable people here who are very supportive, helpful, caring
Dee

[bigmacsgirl]

Thank you Kim.. I forgot to mention he is being seen at the VA.  I also remembered he had Genotype D3 I believe is what they told me... Not sure what that means..  His MELD score is a 10 and I believe he has to be at a 15 to get on transplant list..

[Livelife777]

So very sorry for your brothers diagnosis.  I know what a scary time is is for all of you with many uncertainties.  There is hope, and we have help, so the good news is that your brother can be treated for his Hep C and Cirrhosis.
The next few steps are critical tho for a good outcome.
The first thing you want to do is find a good Hepatologist (liver doctor) who's associated with a teaching hospital or a comprehensive medical center.  Your brothers going to be evaluated, and possibly placed on a transplant list.  You really need to at this time  find the best "Team" behind him.  You may even have to travel to a good center if your not near a major city.
After evaluation they may then decide to treat.  From the info you've shared your brother has decompensated cirrhosis and need to be with the top dogs.
This is not the end of the road by any means but you need to get started on this ASAP.  There are medications that can control his Hepatic Encephalopathy commonly called HE and other symptoms he may acquire.
We have many people on this forum with Cirrhosis including myself and doing great.
Others will be writing and also helping you and your family.  Please know that he can pull thru this and live a productive happy life.  My condolences for the loss of your dad.  Lets get help for your brother, as being a sister to 3 brothers I know how important they are in our lives.
Take Care
...Kim