Hepatitis C Support Group
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.
The liver ultrasound I had done on November 5th says there are some gall stones. I believe this is why I may be having the right side pain since September?
It also showed something to do with "dilation of the right side duct(s) of the liver"? Not sure what that really is or if that is contributing to the ache or perhaps causing the stones to form in the first place?
Good news is there is no suspicious markings or cancer as they check for that most with the liver ultrasound with doppler (about 100 images were taken).
I will hear from the hepatologist within a day or two (minus the holiday) to hear the specifics of the results and if anything more needs to be done or treated.
Anyone have similar findings or know much about these things?
It also showed something to do with "dilation of the right side duct(s) of the liver"? Not sure what that really is or if that is contributing to the ache or perhaps causing the stones to form in the first place?
Good news is there is no suspicious markings or cancer as they check for that most with the liver ultrasound with doppler (about 100 images were taken).
I will hear from the hepatologist within a day or two (minus the holiday) to hear the specifics of the results and if anything more needs to be done or treated.
Anyone have similar findings or know much about these things?
I originally went to the ER cause my side hurt, then they referred me to see a hepatologist, which I needed one anyway. The pain was bad, but I guess it was reasonable to just take a motrin. Now, it is a dull ache. The hep doc will be calling me and explaining the results of the ultrasound more thoroughly. I will also be told what can be done about it, if at all needed.
Not sure about the kidney stone thing. Maybe they can't zap them the same way because they are made up of different stuff? I can ask the doc if that is possible though.
Just got back from seeing a specialist about my gallbladder stones.
short answer is no, although there are some drug therapies that can help to dissolve them. In most cases the gallstones return and they wind up removing the gallbladder anyway.
My HMO won't even consider alternative therapy. I can learn to live with the pain and control it through diet, or I can have it removed. The DR said I am a candidate for surgery and she was ready to schedule me. I'm going to try the diet she suggested first. If the pain becomes unbearable, or I get an infection, I'll have the surgery.
best of luck to you! I urge you to talk to a specialist if they're giving you problems.
Now I can as much cheese as I want to yet, I don't eat much cheese or milk products like I used to when I was much younger...
Gobble, gobble, gobble!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!!!
Respectfully,
Hank
you got some cheesecake eating to do for me
Jmho. But get it removed..
I have never had them before....this is strange. If I get it removed, I have to pick a time/date to have it done and then take a semester off of school. I am sure the recovery is quick, but I don't need school stress on top of that.
Hank, you don't suppose that while they are in there they can biopsy my liver, do you???? That would be awesome if they can, seeing how I have yet to do one, and I won't feel it anyway. :)
I was so Damn happy when he told me that!!
While the ultrasound is not definitive (and from what I hear the biopsy is "hit or miss"), I had a good ultrasound 2.5 years ago, and the most recent one 3 weeks ago is looking good according to the person that called me back from the university (not the hep doc I saw, but her team all the same). Also, they told me that the bloodwork looks great as well, especially considering around 32 years of having this.
From what I have read, the stones are mostly made from cholesterol, which I am sure can still happen even though my cholesterol was checked in 2011, the same day that I got the HCV results, and the good and bad cholesterol was great.
I am not sure if this will keep happening? Or, will it happen regardless of having HCV? I just don't know. It's all new to me! :)
Plus I don't have health insurance..
I don't think the stones are the same cholesterol that is the good/bad stuff with the heart.. I think they are just stuff that forms and doesn't get broken down.. But they can block the ducts.. And cause bigger problems.
I was very sick for a year.. Couldn't eat.. I lived on ensures and bananas.. The pain was significant.. I did home remedies.. Olive oil and grapefruit juice.. The apple cider..
I had a customer.. (I am a waitress) who is an anesthesiologist.. He set it up for me to have surgery.. Set up the surgeon.. He said I could get pancreatitis.. That it wouldn't get better or go away..
But I did have the stones for years..
I don't think gallstones are related.. Or have anything to do with hepc..
You're absolutely right about that dear!
Msartnut,
I'll answer your comment about the lord creating a gall bladder with a question... Okay then if we don't have any use of an appendix, then why do we have one??? Those are questions none of us could realistically answer IMHO...
In vertebrates the gallbladder (cholecyst, gall bladder or biliary vesicle) is a small organ where bile is stored, before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the loss of the gallbladder, in most cases, is easily tolerated by the body. The surgical removal of the gallbladder is called a cholecystectomy...
When food containing fat (and amino acids) enters the digestive tract, it stimulates the secretion of cholecystokinin (CCK) from I cells of the duodenum and jejunum. In response to CCK, the adult human gallbladder, which stores about 50 millilitres (1.7 U.S. fl oz; 1.8 imp fl oz) of bile, contracts and releases its contents into the duodenum. The bile, originally produced in the liver, emulsifies fats in partly digested food...
During storage in the gallbladder, bile becomes more concentrated which increases its potency and intensifies its effect on fats...
In 2009, it was proposed that the gallbladder can produce several pancreatic hormones, including insulin... hence one of the reasons why most post liver transplant patients either shortly after surgery or after many years develop diabetes type 2...
A gallstone is a crystalline concretion formed within the gallbladder by accretion of bile components... These calculi are formed in the gallbladder but may distally pass into other parts of the biliary tract such as the cystic duct, common bile duct, pancreatic duct or the ampulla of Vater. Rarely, in cases of severe inflammation, gallstones may erode through the gallbladder into adherent bowel potentially causing an obstruction termed gallstone ileus...
Presence of gallstones in the gallbladder may lead to acute cholecystitis, an inflammatory condition characterized by retention of bile in the gallbladder and often secondary infection by intestinal microorganisms, predominantly Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Bacteroides species...
Presence of gallstones in other parts of the biliary tract can cause obstruction of the bile ducts, which can lead to serious conditions such as ascending cholangitis or pancreatitis... Either of these two conditions can be life-threatening and are therefore considered to be medical emergencies...
Here are the reference links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallbladder
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallstone
I can eat as much cheese as I want to (I love Cream cheese cake but I can only eat a small amount because of all the sugar), and I still have almost perfect good and bad cholesterol levels so there's no concern about that.. The only thing I need to watch is portion control which is fine by me because I get full really fast nowadays anyway...
To Loveeachother,
You asked me this question: "Hank, you don't suppose that while they are in there they can biopsy my liver, do you???? That would be awesome if they can, seeing how I have yet to do one, and I won't feel it anyway. :) "
I would answer with "I don't see why not! In fact, they can locate the optimal area on the liver where they would most likely be concerned about with their own eyes instead of relying only on diagnostic images and the risk of bleeding can be easily controlled since they already have access to the core site where the sample will be removed..."
So, it would not be much of an inconvenience to have one's gallbladder removed and the only cautions to take is in controlling sugar intake as well as fat by portion control but everything else is no restricted in my case and yet, that doesn't mean that everybody that has their gallbladder removed will have the same circumstances as a result.
Good topic and I only wish I could tell Mema that we won yesterday because of the sure handed catching from Emanuel Sanders, or Suisam's fake field goal attempt was successful and we scored as a result -Arrggghhhhh!!!!! Tough loss fr us Sweetie!!! :>( But the season is not over yet! And I'm not giving up yet! ;>)~
Respectfully,
Henry
Dilation means expansion and in the case of the bile ducts, it means that they were enlarged because a variety of causes... The only way to properly diagnose what the cause of the enlarged bile ducts are from is to perform multiple diagnostic imaging exams in order t get a better picture of why those ducts are dilated...
The causes vary, yet it can be an obstruction although that wouldn't be necessarily a gall stone, and more likely could be a growth inside them or from inflammation, to a weakening of the duct walls which could also lead to a stretching of the inside circumference of the bile duct or ducts in question...
However, I'm just purely speculating here, so please don't put any weight to it, and your doctor would be the one to access the condition and properly diagnose the cause of the dilation.
Respectfully,
Henry
My bloodwork is normal and the surgeon said it's not lodged in a duct. My stone is about 2cm. I've had a dull,constant ache under my right rib for several years with occasional painful attacks... until now. The pain is getting worse day by day. I have chills and sweating but my body temp is low. I used to have a standard 98.6 temp but or the last two days it's been 96.7 - 97.9. I don't think I will be able to control this through diet. A liquid diet gave me one (almost) pain free day. Yesterday I followed the gallbladder diet. I didn't even have a sliver of pie. This morning I'm back in hell.
I think, short of arriving at ER in septic shock, they won't remove it until you cannot deal with the pain and discomfort anymore. It isn't going to get any better, although if you have a high pain threshold, and do not get a serious infection, you may be able to postpone surgery for years. Wishing you the best & do keep us informed. =)