Great news. The kind we all like to read to start a weekend ... or any day for that matter.

SF

HOORAY!!!! I'm so glad everything went well, Alison. It sounds like your doctors were in complete control and had that nasty Dragon's egg sliced, diced and scrambled in short order!

I'll never look at an egg the same way again, lol! Congratulations on your good news 

Glad this is behind you Alison. Hope you have a restful weekend.

Double yay here! Hey, there's an echo in the room! Or, is that just you, reverberating on drugs? I am celebrating for you (you just go back to sleep now), home again, home again, lickety-split, turd cells well and truly fried.

Humph, I didn't realize they were going to make you do WORK!! None of this participatory stuff for me thanks, heavy breathing and such, (and not the nice relaxing deep breathing kind wendy was talkin' about either!) I would want to be "out" at the door thanks.

I liked the part about dreamland and the lovely voices though.

Which shoulder, right!? Maybe it is just that gas they pump into you, they still do that don't they RC, use gas to inflate overlying tissues away from the ablation area, maybe not? Just a thought.

Sleep well my freind. Glad it's done and gone now. Hooray! No more ablations for you!  C.

Yay. It's done!

I was in the pre-procedure bed with my IV installed when I had a young Dr. come over to get my consent and discuss the process. 

(I have difficulty getting frozen at dentists and the drugs from an epidural did not work during a C-section, so he wanted to discuss the freezing,sedation etc.)

he said, "so what is your understanding about the procedure you're having?"

I said....."well, I killed the HCV dragon but it planted a nasty egg in my liver and you're going to blast the s**t out of it with a microwave" 

He laughed and said..."thats a unique way of looking at it but you are completely right"

the procedure was not too bad...I felt the catheter going in through the liver and the pressure when it went in the tumour (I had to take and hold big breaths to move the tumour up ) but then they upped the drugs and I was in another world, then I heard these beautiful voices I opened my eyes and my two gorgeous daughters were beside my bed, and that nasty dragons egg was gone.

Hurray.

Robert, you are right, they will do the 1 month then the 3 month CTscans, then 6 monthly from there on. I didn't ask about a biopsy of it but I think they think it's a one off and now that I'm HCV free, hopefully won't happen agaiN, but if I do get more, the bi-yearly CTscans will  make sure we always catch it quickly and do the ablation.

i have a sharp pain in my shoulder, exactly like when I had a liver biopsy many moons ago,I guess theres some connection between liver and shoulder...acupuncture point?

Anyhoo,

thank you all my friends for your good wishes and thoughts.

Hopefully having this dealt with, will allow me some time to be normalish healthwise for a good long while 

xox A

Hi Allison, Im a little late on this thread, Looks like your having the procedure today?   They sound a lot whose than they really are.  At 1.7 cm you will have good ablation results.  Its the ones over 5cm that are the trouble makers.  Are they doing a biopsy?  Was just wondering, not to get you worried.  If there is only one and they get it all then the biopsy is a mute point. But its nice to know what there are dealing with non the less.  I have had 4 microwaves done on tumors ranging from 1.5cm to 2.3 cm and all were completely destroyed. They will re check you in one month for  reoccurrence at the ablation site then most likely three months later to make sure your not making new lesions anyware else in your liver.  This ablation therapy is a lot better way to deal with small leasions verses a liver resection. That is a big major deal (operation).  We are both lucky to have ablation at our disposal.  If i get my way with my issues, they will just keep ablation my leasion as they pop up. Anything to put off the transplant job!!  Your going to do fine!!  RC

Allison,

Best to you in the morning.  Solid information and results are always helpful.  Focus on good breathing to keep the anxiety down, if you have it.  Be sure to update us when you learn more.

We'll be thinking about you.

Cheddy

Thinking of you Alison

Thanks kindly,

Im going to bed early tonight in anticipation of getting up at 5:30 to get into the city/ hospital.

Scared but excited to have that unwelcome clump of cells zapped..

will check in tomorrow night.

xox A

Yes! What  she said! We'll all be waiting for your progress report! Good luck Sister! 

Thinking of you observer,

Sending you good vibes. Let us know how Y'ar and how things are agoin'.  C.

Hey nightowl - You're right on time!! (And as the crow flys BTW) I am not far from you at all!! Same time zone (or warp zone) as you I am relieved to say - I thought you going to tell me you are just a really early riser like the majority of folk I know who are those curious "day" people. 

I have a theory - born at 3 AMish, and lots of night shifts in my life - pre-programmed me as nocturnal! That's my excuse anyway, mind you I didn't know why I had weird fatigue for decades. I'll give it further thought tho as I am hep-less now, I'll see if any of that nocturnal stuff changes over to diurnal.

Some of us in the recent past have threatened to come over there and help each other beat up our docs or to help reason with them, some of us have a fair distance of land or water to cover to get there - I am at your beck and call should you need back-up, 110 lbs, but I can beat them up if required - I would be about a 5 hour drive from you - say the word and point out which one! It would be my pleasure!

Hm, I was hoping you would not having a matching pair of veins now. Good they got lots of pics tho. 

I've never had a CAT scan, but IVP dye was not fun for me - first IVP I ever had they "forgot" to dilute it!! Stuck it in arm arm full strength, thought I was gunna fry my blood vessels in my arm inside out (all the way to my chest), at least until it reached my heart and larger vessels where my own blood volume diluted it - mind you I was in a teeny/tiny hospital who had never done an IVP before!, so, was not their forte. But guess what, that IVP made the most beautiful picture! By the time I had a second one (at a large facility who does 100's of them in their sleep), they had no idea why I was having such trepidation about having another IVP - nicely diluted in a bag, long talk over details, we gleaned the full strength "oversight" from the first IVP. The second facility marveled at the quality of the first IVP pic tho - go figure!

There is something to say for going to people who do the same procedures 100's of times a year, in their sleep!

Well, on the bright side, it's good you got 2 arms, and some spare veins, and the right folk, doing the right things for you. Rest assured and sleep well. C.

Awww Canuck, you are always so awesome, such a wonderful cheerleader and you're so alert to everyone's situation.

My brother always used to say,

'be alert, the world needs more lerts.'  

Yes, I had the contrast CTscan, with the dye. Even though I had just had one a few weeks ago, they like a 'fresh one, no more than 2 weeks before the procedure. He used the other arm for the injection so now I have matching bruises. It's weird stuff...you can feel it rushing around your body. I think you pee it out, so lots of water and no lasting effects that I've noticed. 

They do seem quite casual about the PTT and the tumour and the whole thing, so I am trying to feel casual about it too. I believe that thought and attitude are really important to wellness, and worrying doesn't actually help any situation. But it sure is nice to be able to chat with peeps here about our woes.

2 or 3 am...  Yes, ummmmm you are right, we seem to both be late nighters but I am in the last time zone so you might win for actually being up latest depending on where you reside.

Wendyo xox thank you for your support. I truly appreciate having my forum friends to talk to.

A

So nice to hear of the good experience with the staff at the hospital Alison.  I am praying that the procedure goes just as smoothly. 

Understatement!! ME TOO - will be so glad when it is done!

I am glad though that you are getting it done in short order.

Found and destroyed quickly. 

Because you have the best, I am sure this is going to go just lickety-split. These things are "nothing" to them pros nowadays, sure seems like a LOT to us!!

That was nice those girls gave you the tour, that might help a bit (sort of). I became familiar with the "ambulatory surgical care room" and their procedures via my partner who was a frequent flyer for repeated colonoscopies/gastroscopies and biopsies, so when it recently became my turn for pieces of me getting cut out, it helped a little being familiar, and I recognized one of the girls. (I'm glad you told that young man where to go tho - hee hee). 

Having a "clinical" doc is reassuring, but don't ya wish they were good at everything, like bedside manner, don't they realize how totally unnerving (more understatement) all of this is for us!! We should not have to be doing all this stiff upper lip work!

How did the CT scan go today? - you did say you were having one today - same as before? done with dye and such, how did your vessels hold up then for this one, and how is your big old nasty blood draw IV site in your arm fairing?  Did anyone say they were going to do another PPT, or were they unperturbed by your level?

Hey, how come we always find each other posting at 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning!!

There I go again! - 20 questions is my limit - just tell me to shush up and go to bed. I fully intend to have sweet dreams about you!  C.  

Thank you Mena and Syd. Good and reassuring advice/support from both of you.

The nurses/technicians were all very sweet at the CT station of the hospital today...when I said I'd be in next week to have the ablation, they were very reassuring and showed me where it was done, told me about the machine they use to guide it, said they'd see me etc.

I made one young man laugh when he asked if it was my first ablation, I said 'Yes it is my first and it's going to bloody-well be my last ,too.'

I will be glad when it's done.

xox

A

Hi Alison,

sounds like you're in the right hands with your specialist. Listen to the advice of the doctors re the pros and cons of waiting until your blood clotting problem is sorted. 

Big hugs,

Syd

Allison, if I understand correctly they have found that you have HCC and they want to the to a radioembolization treatment to kill it. This happened to my husband but the doctor did NOT go straight through his liver, but through a vein in his wrist of the opposite side of the liver. First they mapped the way to get to the liver with no problem, saved the map to be used as a guide and then schedule the actual procedure.

Everything went really well, his tumor was 4.3 and the rdiation got rid of it 100%

Best of luck, 

Mena

Thank you both for helping to ease my fretting. 

Tig, I don't have the report but it is a 1.7 cm and is closed (which I assume means not expanding?) We saw my AFP rising so I had a CTscan a few weeks ago and they found it. I get another CT scan tomorrow then the ablation next Friday. The Dr was pretty confident that they will rid me of it easily and with over 85% non-reoccurrence 

My Dr didn't call back today but my neighbour was putting up his Christmas lights and he's a nurse (and friend) so I asked him and he said the same thing Tig...they will of course have the reports and see the massive bruises and will give me platelets or something to help with coagulation.

I know the Drs are masters and my Dr is probably the best in BC, he's the liver transplant guy and I do trust him. Whenever some crazy liver related thing happens, I see him being interviewed on the news ( like a little fellow who died from eating a poison mushroom, or the guy who fried his liver and died from drinking 5 energy drinks a day)

My family and I joke about him only seeing a liver and not a person, but that is kinda what I need in this case.

Anyhoo my friends thanks for listening and supporting me yet again.

A

Hi Alison,

I'm sorry you have one more step to go. I know you'll handle this as efficiently as you did HCV Tx and just as successful. Do you have a report you can share? Sounds to me like this has been caught early. You would've had a pre treatment ultrasound, right? That would've been discovered if it had been of any size. I think ablation is an excellent option. These doctors are artists with these microwave procedures. You should do just fine.

Don't worry about the PTT. They will absolutely consider that before any procedure. It's protocol. They have systems designed to be sure there are no errors like that. There are ways to improve your clotting if it becomes necessary.

Stay proactive and part of your care. Ask questions and for copies of your lab work and radiology reports. It's a good idea to keep accurate records. If you need an opinion on something, or help finding anything, please ask.

Hey observer,

Been wondering how you were! Sorry for your troubles. But I am glad you are on it and getting it fixed.

Hm, what to do for next week?

I think you are on the right track (calling for the hep docs opinion) - but also, what does the ablation guy say about doing the procedure with your "slightly" elevated PTT, how many times before, in the past, has your PTT been elevated, (and other than this IV site thing right now) have you ever had any other episodes of PTT/bleeding troubles)? HOW elevated IS the pTT right now, compared to any of your other past levels? Perhaps you have been running on the thinner side normally? Maybe they won't see your level, if slight, as a risk or obstacle.

I would be like you, and need the re-assurance of my docs (both of them) that you and your PTT are good to go.

Did you show your vein to anyone? And, have you got some more/enough vein spots left to work with by next week? They, no doubt will need another vein spot for surg, and, for more bloods ... (perhaps you will be needing further pre-op blood work/another PTT). Maybe, another "repeat" PTT, now, would be helpful?

Generally, I believe they review these things (PTT's) pre-op, and would tell you (that they would not plan to go ahead with incision for ablation) if they thought bleeding was going to be an issue. But, i would want to hear it from them.

On occasion, in the past, I have some some beaut vein things happen to me too, but, I cannot say in my case if they were a result of my PTT's per say..

Sorry for the worries, nothing is easy here. I wish things were easier and dif for you, but I will be glad once the ablation is done and behind you. We'll see what Tig and the other think on this. BIG psyber hug to you. C.

well, 1 year post treatment, blood showed a couple of abnormalities so had a cat scan and unfortunately I have a tumour on my liver, 

the Drs want to do ablation therapy next week and microwave the little bugger.

but....... My PTT is also slightly elevated and I now have a bruise the length and thickness of a manly finger just from the tiny needle used for the  blood test.....

so........do I let them cut me and stick a probe into my liver and hope I don't bleed excessively or do I put off the ablation and figure out if I need vitamin K or some other treatment for coagulation delaying?

I'm going to call my liver guy tomorrow, see if I can get his opinion, but would also appreciate your opinions please.

thanks 

A