Glad u pulled through as i have no advice either..maybe ure kidneys acting up...oh u any relations to stevie ray vaughn? Tak care..

The first question comes to mind is this: Is your Albumin level lower than normal?

This is pretty generalized but, it may be helpful for you:

http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/hepatology/post-liver-transplantation-management/

This one is more technical yet, it does explain more than the first one and the second one is also better:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lt.20106/full

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-6143.2007.02046.x/full

These are also pretty good also:

http://www.aasld.org/practiceguidelines/Documents/ascitesupdate2013.pdf

http://depts.washington.edu/hepstudy/mgmt/mgmt/ascitesMgmt/discussion.html

If I misspell anything, it's because I'm getting really tired and should stop and get some rest...

Right now I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open so. I'm gonna
get some shut eye for a few and when I come back, I'll post more Billy! ;>) Hang in there buddy!!!

Respectfully,
Henry

Billy, as you know, I'm having the fluid problem too, but I do have a portal vein problem, even though I don't know if that's what causing the fluid or not. It sounds like you left the hospital without a clear answer as to what's causing the fluid, and that's what usually happens with me. You get a list of things it's not, but still no answer as to what it is.
I noticed Henry asked you about your albumin level. Mine is always very low. I haven't read his sites yet, but I'm going to. Keep in touch with us. Marilyn

My albumin is fine, nurse said there was no blockage in my portal vein that's why they released me but that didn't come from the doctor or the nurse practitioner. I'm lost with no answers the doctors suck cause they don't say anything. I'm really starting to dislike Dr. Galati. he is one of those doctors that walks around saying yes look at me I'm the great Dr. Galati, I know everything and he doesn't know as much as he should. His deal is money, prescribe Interferon and get rich. He doesn't care as much as he says he does. This is what I believe. We suffer and he gets richer.

Billy, I understand the frustration. I was told that once we are in the hospital, we are again under the care of our transplant doctor, Dr. Ghobriel, whom we really never see - only his assistant or one of the other supposedly transplant doctors that work on the floor. The last time I was in, the 'transplant doctor' that came to see me a couple of times was someone I had not met before. Sometimes, Dr. Gordon is on the floor, now that she is back to work. She was out for a couple of years when she had a baby. I only see Galati when I make an appointment to see him. And forget about our coordinator staying in touch. I've found that if I email him or his assistant Rekesiah, I get a response back. But if we think it's bad now, wait till we are all under socialized medicine. BUT like you have said, God is our Great Physician, and we trust and depend on him.

Okay, what do you mean by "Fine" Billy?

Do you mean it's in the normal range or, is it on the low side even though it may still be within the normal range???

Am I saying that this is the cause Hell NO! But, it can be one of many factors as to why you still have ascites...

Just the fact that you have a liver with fibrosis and are post-transplant is reason enough to have ascites especially shortly after your transplant even though with Marilyn, it's been over 2 years or more since she had her transplant...

LOook, the immunosuppressant drugs along with the steroids you were on or may still be on did some crazy stuff to your body's immune system and that's basically why with some folks Ascites can occur even if the percentage of patients is low... And it's going to take some time before your body get back to a similar kind of balance that you once had before you got sick...

So you're going to have to accept that this may take some time before things get better and like I have been told shortly after my own transplant some 16+ years ago: "If you think you had it rough going through the liver transplant and the waiting beforehand you're mistaken son because the surgery and the recovery afterwards was the easy part!!! The hard part is going to be the time that your entire body's immune system get's back to some sort of balance where you will no longer be vulnerable to ascites, fatigue, lack of appetite, etc., and once you reach that threshold, you need to keep it there which iwll become the hard part if you let it become hard by going back to the same lifestyle habits you had prior to being transplanted."

I was also told that if you're not getting the information and answers to your questions from your doctors then fire them!!! And get somebody you can work with but, don't go crazy emotionally when you decide to fire your Doctor because they will throw your ass in the luny bin so fast that your head will still be spinning once you get there!! So be diplomatic and if the get nasty, don't stoop down to their level and get nasty right back @ them because 2 wrongs never make a right - Am I correct?

Also, become your own advocate and llearn as much as you can about liver transplants, transplant medicine, complications, etc.,

And be persistent about getting the answers that you seek!

But the most important advice I have for you is to never give up and never give in!! Also, don't blame it all on your current doctors because if you only knew the workload they're under and how many real hours they actually work, you would probably take back what you said about your doctors... You too Marilyn!

I know that you're both frustrated and worried but now is the time to let God and let go without casting blame on someone who cannot always be there at you beck and call - PATIENCE is a real virtue and during these days you will soon discover how much patience you lack and how much you need to work at improving it...

Just don't get frustrated and throw in the towel!!! Keep at them along with using the phrase that you catch more flies if you use some honey - meaning that you don't let them see you get frustrated and emotionally unstable or angry by showing them that you appreciate them with a show of gratitude and understanding that their time is with very heavy constraints yet, being firm on insisting that they answer your questions and concerns without cornering them as if you're forcing them to answer you demands - use finesse when you communicate with these uniquely socially inept individuals who really do a great job and are so talented I what they do yet are really terrible in their social skills...

Your job is to teach them how to be more sociable without making them feel as if you're teaching them - CAPECHE???

Eventually they'll come around to communicating better towards you! But you must learn how to better the patience you already have.

All the BEST to you both and Dios te Bendigas Siempres! ;>)

Respectfully,
Henry