Welcome to ihelpc
This Blog is dedicated to helping those who have Hepatitis C or Cirrhosis. I'm not a doctor, but I'll be your Best Friend.
Mindful Merrymaking: Stress-Free and Healthy Christmas Tips
The holiday season is one of the most joyful times of the year, but it can also be one of the most stressful. Between shopping for gifts, attending social events, and preparing endless meals, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. My dear friend Katie has great ideas and is helping you think ahead and plan for Mindful Merrymaking: Stress-Free and Healthy Christmas Tips.
MELD Score: Liver Cancer and Other Exception Points
If you are looking for your MELD Score: Liver Cancer and other exception points, you’ve come to the right place. I ended up getting the
Healing Hip Pain and Sciatica after Transplant
I didn’t even know what to title this blog. Here I am nearly 10 years after my HCC diagnosis, still alive, but dealing with hip
What are Normal Liver Lab Values?
What are Normal Liver Lab Values? So many times, you get your lab values delivered in your hospital portal and have no idea how to understand it. By all means, talk to your provider about any concerns. Then, read on for just the facts about labs. Remember that every person, and every liver is different. Liver labs refer to a group of blood tests that evaluate the function and health of the liver. If you are wondering what are normal liver lab values read on. As
Fight, Flight or Freeze Response to Addiction Triggers
Fight, flight or freeze response to addition triggers is our basic response to stress. We will all go toward one of those when we get triggered. Think of trigger as representing danger. We were given these as part of our physical biology to protect us. If we have a threat, our body secrets chemicals to help us respond appropriately. We can also get caught in a cycle of needing a chemical to help us escape from a trauma situation like illness, pain, or a dysfunctional relationship.
Liver Biopsy or Fibrosure and Fibroscan
The Fibrosure and Firbroscan can detect liver damage. i had the needle biopsy and many doctors still consider it the gold standard. Read more to see the pros and cons of all and go to your doctor with an idea of what your choices are.
What Happens to Your Liver When: Find out here
Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body. When mine got sick, I made some changes . It is the largest organ and can weigh over 3 pounds in adults. After my diagnosis with Hepatitis C, I was surprised to find out how much it was responsible for. This may sound silly, but I didn’t even know what all it did to keep me alive. I promise, when your liver fails, it is hurry up and learn time. It’s no joke how
What are 4 Warning Signs of a Dying Liver
I heard the nurse outside the door. She was telling the physicians assistant that I looked pregnant. They ended up shipping me off to the hospital for an MRI. I was still lying on the MRI table when they handed me a phone. My doctor was on the other end. It was bad news. She wanted to get me a bed for more tests. If I had known the 4 warning signs of a dying liver, I could have gotten help months or years before. Instead,
What a MELD Score Means for Liver Transplant
I wasn’t sure about the details of what a MELD score for liver transplant meant until my doctor gave me one. It was right after my first draining of the yellow fluid called paracentesis. A lot of new words were being hurled at me left and right. I had a surprise diagnosis of hepatitis at the same time that I was hospitalized for liver failure. Whattamess! If you are there, here are some details to help you understand the MELD score. With a MELD Score of
Born with Hepatitis C
This is a guest blog by a fellow Hepatitis C patient. She’s a miracle, and I knew that her story of being born with Hepatitis C would give you encouragement. I wanted to share my story of having a liver transplant. It was not something that I ever dreamed that I would live through. The reason that I needed one is because I was dying from decompensated cirrhosis. I was born with Hepatitis C, but didn’t know it and had gone on living my life.
Who is on Liver Transplant Team?
This is a total list of everyone that will be your support before, during and after the liver transplant process. A liver transplant team consists of a diverse group of healthcare providers and professionals who work together to ensure the success of your transplant process. Together, they provide wrap around services and comprehensive care to every patient. You will come to know who is on liver transplant team. After all, you are placing your life in their hands, and will become close to some of them and at least be acquainted with others. I always wanted to be sure that they were impressed with my desire to live. For some reason, there was a threat of not “making the cut”, if that makes sense to you. Read on and see if you can match the titles with the people you know at your hospital.
I live in a rural area and had to travel to see my team. That meant a longer drive and also meant that not all of these people were easily accessible to me.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Dearest Friends, if I could give you one present for Christmas, it would be the ability to stop comparing yourself to others. First, you will
I Don’t Want a Liver Transplant
Sleep is kind of like a thought eraser that swipes the day clean. But I frequently wake up in the middle of the night and remember the tumor. One night last August I awoke with the image of big clamps all around my chest cavity. Eyes wide open now, I saw myself lying on a table surrounded by doctors and nurses, my face as white as the fish I had seen floating belly up on the pond last year. I could see my head arching back with a tube tunneling down my throat that clicked and whished while forcing air into my lungs. I blinked hard and then stared at my chest as my breasts moved up and down. I wondered what it would be like to wake up in ICU with that machine on and my hands tied down. Shaking my head with an audible moan, I flung back the covers, and jumped out of bed like the house was on fire.
My heels drummed a hollow beat on the wood floor as I fairly flew to the kitchen. I stood in the dark. I don’t want a liver transplant. The thought of someone dying to keep me alive is more than I can bear. Of course there are a lot of other things that I don’t want. I don’t want to clean the branches up from the last storm. I don’t want to pay taxes or shave my legs. I don’t want cancer.
