Cirrhosis Support Group

Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease, most commonly caused by alcoholism and hepatitis C. Ascites is the most common complication of cirrhosis and is associated with a poor quality of life, increased risk of infections, and a poor long term outcome. Liver damage from cirrhosis cannot be reversed, but treatment can stop or delay further progression and...

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Hello again

rummi
rummi
Its been a while since I have written, however I have questions again. My boyfriend has been in jail for about a year and a half and has been doing well Thank God. Actually according to the prison doctor he shows no sign of liver disease and removed him from taking Nadlol that was prescribed to him before he was incarcerated due to a Mallory Weiss tear. His last variceal bleed was in 2002 and his last scope showed stage 1 varices. My question is should I be concerned of variceal bleeding after 8 years? And when he comes home in a week should we get back on the Nadlol? And the last question i have is, is it uncommon for people with cirrhosis to go without symptoms for a long period of time? I have been with him for 4 years and other than the Mallory Weiss tear he has been fine. He eats well, is active, looks well, (no jaundice, no swelling, no bruising, no enlarged veins) no real symptoms other than his history that I did not witness. He has no Hep C and his liver is not enlarged.And no he has never had a biopsy or an MRI to confirm disease. His labs appear to be normal which from what I read does not indicate health necessarily. His diagnosis was made by the presence of varices soley.
deleted_user
deleted_user
If it aint broke don't fix it! My labs are all normal and I too show no visable sign of end stage...thank God! I eat well and take care of myself too. In prison, he had no choices so he ate well and did what the doc told him to do... he should con't on that path. I have been told I could go twenty years with my current liver...That is up from 6 months, 10 yrs and now 20. I am shooting for another 20 at least. best of luck to both of you and if he con'ts doing what he is supposed to do....he should be good. Positive thinking brings about positive results.
rummi
rummi
thanks Maggie for your prompt response. So did I get it right that you were once told you had 6 months to live?
deleted_user
deleted_user
nobody told me....they did not even think I was going to make it a week. It was pretty grim for a while. I found out after I pulled out what they all though they knew...Including the doctors. Being stubborn pays off some times...LOL
onedayanotherstep
onedayanotherstep
There's a lot to be said for stubbornness (and eating well)! :-)

I also believe in sticking to what works. If I must try something new, I do it carefully and on its own so I can try and monitor any changes.

Perhaps partly as a result of the enforced diet, it sounds like he's got a very bright future ahead of him.

However, I personally would keep taking the beta blockers, *if that is what is recommended* unless the liver has recovered to the point that the varices have been resolved. I sleep better knowing I take them as, statistically, it reduces the risk of a bleed by around 50%.
deleted_user
deleted_user
hello unless the scope done was in the last 3 yrs i would probly get him in for a full checkup and schedule a scope as well. afterall, if u are going to start a new section of your life you might as well know any health issues which need attending. A good GI doc is a must.