vulturine

I posted here a while back that I got a fibroscan done and the results showed stage 4 ALD on a scale of 0-4. Well I'm on another group for people who are not as fortunate as you guys, maybe, because they are not going to recover and they are pretty much experts on liver diseases, tests, living with symptoms, etc. Anyway, my friend on there had some erroneous test results that were artificially high, and he thought maybe the same thing happened to me because my blood test results didn't indicate significant fibrosis (GGT 50, so bad, but probably not impending death bad, ALT/AST) and I'm sure my doctor would return my call, or call me if there was something seriously wrong. So I got the test done at a different clinic last month (mainly because this one's on a bus route), and it appears that I'm stage 1, if there are 5 stages. THE HELL? I thought I was doomed like these poor people I've been talking to for 6 months. I was nearly suicidally depressed all summer, but clinging on to improved health. So now I know I'm dealing with fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and early fibrosis, which is good all things considered.

I quit smoking 3 weeks ago though, so that's something. I'm actually starting to feel like things are healing. Whatever tore open inside me finally healed, so the blood vomit stopped and it doesn't hurt to eat anymore. I still want to get the endoscopy thing done though because stomach cancer runs in my family and ulcers sometimes turn into that. Most importantly, I quit smoking! QUIT SMOKING. QUIIITTTTTT SMMOKKKIIIINGGG!

Dee74

I'm glad the results are not as bad as you feared. Sobriety should help a lot in keeping things in check as much as possible

D

SoberJohn

Remember that feeling of hopefulness when you thought you had permanent stage 4 as a reminder not to drink. Too many times I freaked out when my blood tests came back abnormal only to continue drinking when my follow up tests were normal. Don't take that chance because one day the tests will be permanent . Congrats on quitting smoking, not an easy task!

Winslow

Wonderful job on quitting smoking! The body really does repair itself faster, as a matter of fact most plastic surgeons won't do any work on someone unless they stop smoking for a few weeks, great news about the test too,if you don't mind me asking how did you feel besides the vomiting and pain when eating? Fatty liver can be healed too by eating healthy and staying off the booze, I wish you all the best

vulturine

Not all of my symptoms went away, so there is still something not very nice going on in my body, but I'm dealing better with the stomach ulcer and cigarettes gone. Some of my thoughts and actions got pretty extreme and desperate over the summer. I don't really have anyone to talk to anymore.

vulturine

How did the stomach ulcer feel? Like a dull ache in the same place. I had some minor withdrawal symptoms over the past year, and my first symptom was extreme vomiting, which would irritate the tear/ulcer, causing bleeding. Then I couldn't sleep lying down for a few days because lying down hurt. Eating hurt.

Oh yeah, smoking hurt because I think some of the smoke goes into your stomach when you inhale. It really isn't pleasant.

Other than that, extreme fatigue, a weird gushing noise in my head, skin lesions that never heal or do heal and look like first degree burns for MONTHS. Palms still red, still never feel hungry.

Optimist4ever57

Hi Vulturine. Please be careful with the stomach ulcers. Do you take an anti-inflamatory meds? Advil, naproxin, aspirin? Over a period of 3 years, I had two bleeding ulcers, both of which requrired surgery, multiple transfusions and a long stay in intensive care. Both were due to the nsaids. Alcohol is also quite hard on the stomach. My GI doctor has me on meds for the rest of my life because of my propensity for ulcers. Please try to get a scope done so you know what you're dealing with. Sending healing thoughts your way!

vulturine

I don't take any medication. My human cellular biology prof did stomach cancer research, so it's kind of funny I was taking that class with an active stomach ulcer. The final page of the exam was just, "draw the evolution of an ulcer following H.pylori infection and resulting metastases" but we had to include the names of docking proteins, chemical changes and so on. :/ I miss school.