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.
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
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
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.
How to Tell Difference in Muscle Bone and Nerve Pain
When we are talking about how to manage pain, it’s important to know how to tell difference in muscle, bone, and nerve pain. I should have known better, after being a work out addict for my whole life, but nope. What felt like a muscle strain to me, was actually pain from a pinched sciatic nerve. Let’s dive right in. Muscle Pain This type of pain can be the soreness you feel after a work out or walking a long distance. You can probably pinpoint the
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 Treat to Cure Hepatitis C with a short treatment that only lasts a few weeks or months. I was on the first wave of the protease inhibitors and took 2 medications and an injection for almost a year. It is exciting to know that many of
Healing Your Fatty Liver
Finding out that you have liver disease is a blow, no matter what caused it. For most of us, it sneaked up slowly. We were
Patients Are Going to The Liver Meeting
The patients who go to The Liver Meeting AASLD will meet many friends, patient advocates, and medical providers. Some of them are in the patient lounge, webinars, chats, and workshops. But we will also be gathering together. I love to join the chats where it’s patients like us leading the talk and we all get a chance to ask questions and learn more about how we can Live Longer Stronger with liver disease. I’ll be hosting a live chat in November from Boston and I’ll tell you more about it soon!
Why Does My Liver Hurt?
If you have pain under your ribcage and wonder why your liver is hurting, there is still hope. Find out what steps to take to get the help you need to have a healthy future.