Karen Hoyt

Take a break and read all about it

being doing relating new year goals
Ascites Hepatic Encephalopathy
Karen Hoyt

Being Doing and Relating: New Years Goals

As we step into a new year, it’s a perfect time to set intentions and map out goals that guide our journey toward growth, happiness, and fulfillment. This year, my goals revolve around three overarching themes: Being, Doing, and Relating.

Read More

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.

Read More
Karen Hoyt meld score
Blog
Karen Hoyt

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 extra points for liver cancer. If you have a situation where there are Extra Circumstances,

Read More
healing hip and sciatica after transplant Karen Hoyt
Blog
Karen Hoyt

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 and lower back pain that prevents me from ever cycling or running again. Listen, I

Read More
what are normal liver lab values cirrhosis
Blog
Karen Hoyt

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

Read More
Alcoholism liver disease cirrhosis
Karen Hoyt

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

Read More
Blog
Karen Hoyt

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.

Read More
4 warning signs dying liver ihelpc
Ascites Hepatic Encephalopathy
Karen Hoyt

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

Read More
MELD score AASLD Ihelpc liver transplant
Blog
Karen Hoyt

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

Read More
born with hepatitis c
Blog
Karen Hoyt

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

Read More
cured hep c ihelpc.com
Blog
Karen Hoyt

You Can be Cured of Hepatitis C

It takes a leap of faith to go through Hepatitis C treatment. With the new fast acting medications, you can be cured of Hepatitis C.  It still takes a lot of courage to start and take the drugs. You can

Read More
Karen Liver Transplant ihelpc.com
Blog
Karen Hoyt

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.

Blinking hard, I 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

Read More
Do I have hepatic encephalopathy he? Ihelpc.com
Ascites Hepatic Encephalopathy
Karen Hoyt

Do I Have Hepatic Encephalopathy from Liver?

This is a topic that is the absolute hardest to understand. I asked my doctor, “Do I have hepatic encephalopathy from liver? He looked at me like I was crazy. He had just told me to take my lactulose as

Read More
Make a Donation

Donate Now

[wp_paypal_payment_box email="ihelpc.com@gmail.com" options="Donate $:10.00|Payment for Donate $:20.00|Payment for Donate $:30.00" other_amount=true currency="USD" new_window="1"]
Receive the latest news

Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter

Get notified about new articles