Good deal (all round).

I like the sounds of your doc, repeating things.

So easy to do (relatively speaking, aside from your discomfort with the probe), to repeat a fibroscan to better ascertain that Fscore. 

Second guessing why he wants a second set of results from the fibroscan ... is maybe because the first was either higher than he expected or lower than he expected. We will hope it is low, or even middle of the road. A higher reading would not be out of the question tho, the loss of the elasticity of the liver can increasingly happen, over time. As you probably know, the inflammation, leads to fibrosis, and can lead to cirrhosis, that's the nature of HCV, thus the importance of your doc in being thorough in ascertaining your Fscore. Fibroscans are a very good tool, but any one test alone (in isolation) is limited as far as holistic info, ALL the other tests (in combination with each other) are required to paint the best piciture - the physical exams, the U/S's, CAT's and labs - he will form his "best guess" based on ALL of the "testing" results together. By repeating the fibroscan, he has a 50% more chnace to ascertain the first fibroscan was indeed correct - close, or not close to the same reading as the first one. 

Don't let it rattle you, your doc is obviously being thorough and careful. Good for him (and you).

Good you and your docs are "on" the vacs. Good you asked them to provide you your results as you go along. (I think) it is good to see the feedback yourself as you get ready, go through tretament, and then when your are cured. Great you are getting a CAT. 

Be sure to tell the fibroscan person about your "after" adb. discomfort, when you present yourself for the 2nd one - just feedback for them. (Are you getting the same place, equip and tech for the second fibroscan)? I'm sure you will also mention your discomfort after U/S and fibroscan probes to your doc. I didn't really find the fibroscan ucomfortable at all, just the U/S, in certain places, a bit.

Ya, I know what you mean - when i first came to the site I was unsure where to land exactly, it got easy, once I was "On Treatment", as that fit! Actually, I eventually ended up landing my thread in "Clinical Trial Participants". Don't sweat it.

Drink lots of water the day of your CAT, IF they have instructed you to do so (follow their instructions), usually they tell you to do so to help dilute and flush any dye they inject for the CAT.

BTW - is your current doc the same one you had in 2004? Likely not eh?

I am glad you are getting through assessment and care. Thanks for keeping us posted.  C.

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Well, got a phone call this morning, we're going to repeat the Fibro scan next week.   Doc wasn't going to give me my Fscore last night, I think because the results between one scan and the other were so conflicted.

So....Wednesday, Fibro Scan repeat, vaxes for Hep A and B, schedule the CT for the bump.  Also, when I spoke to the office today, told them that I wanted copies of all lab and radiology reports for my own files.  I'll share info with you as soon as I get it.

Sorry about any confusion.  I thought maybe I should get out of the new member area to post this, which is why the original post ended up here in the first place.

Hi kozanne,

So glad you posted back about your most recent tests!

I was looking for the rest of your info, then realized you started this info in a new thread, so no background here, but  we'll just shift back and forth then to follow the trails (but sometimes it is easier and more holistic to follow all the info in one thread.)

So what was the kPa number (and Fscore) you got from the fibroscan? Are you still F2, the only other F score we know for you since your biopsy of 2004?

I think you have a good doc who is obviously doing his due diligence - good he is sending you for a CAT. Glad to hear your liver profile appears smooth. Ultrasounds are great tools, but they are limited, most docs want the most info possible, thus a CAT, to get better imaging.

People always fret and think the worst sort of worrisome things when it seems their ultrasound warrants a further look with a CAT, but most times these things are simply good and thorough necessities. Don't jump ahead of yourself with worry. I found my CAT (warranted by oddities seen in my U/S) to, ultimately, be informative and somewhat reassuring, something I will be happy they will keep tabs on into the future. Between my U/S oddities, which lead to the CAT, they only found a couple other new oddities by CAT to add to those of the U/S!, so the fun never stops! Nothing was dire, just odd, and I was glad to have the testing, and any more they recommend in future. 

I was kind of surpized, that since 2004, that you have not had any ultrasounds or CATs until now.

I too experienced some mid-abdominal discomfort, left and right, but most intensely at the diaphramatic/epigastric areas with the pressures of the U/S probe during the procedure. Not at all severe or anything like that, had it gone on for any great length of time I would have said something to them, but the probing does not take too long, so I did not complain about it to them, but, it was quite noticable (to me!) at times. The U/S probing did not seem to leave me with an exacerbated amount of lingering epigastric/abd. pain afterward like it did for you in your right side tho. Mind you, I had (already) been packing epigastric discomfort and chronic weird torso pain for years/decades, mostly always lingering, something always there, but I just learned to live with it - thought it was almost "normal" for me!! Until, just recently! ... post treatment, I am seriously detecting a lessening of this long-held epigastric discomfort (some less, but noticeable!!!), as well as a lessening of some other discomforts I have held for decades!! So, there goes my prior stand-by theory, that abd./torso discomfort was just "too bad" and somehow "normal" for me! Maybe for you too, after your upcoming loss of your HCV, you will have a lessening of what symptoms you are noticing.

A lot of people detect abd. pain they think is related to their liver condition, and give or take many good reasons for such torso or adb. discomforts, I think it is an experince that is true, despite the yada yada out there about the liver not having "those" kind of pain receptors.

How are you feeling about your 2 scans? I hope you are not freting them. I for one am glad you have had them done, and I am glad you are going to get the CAT done too. No ALT/AST/labs to share yet? Did your doc happen to know when sof/vel/vox might be available, and whether he thought that would be an option for you?

Just ignore my interrogations, that's just me, a means to out-loud thinking, I only want to bring up things that help your journey, not hinder it.  C.

Hi K,

Do you know what your Fibroscan results are? The amount of scarring is dependant on the actual Fibroscan score. The F (fibrosis) score should be listed on the radiology report as kPa. Good that the liver remains smooth. The mass or cyst needs to be further investigated and as you mentioned, a CT will provide better answers. Better answers lead to better solutions! 

Like you said, this is just a bump in the road. That bump is an angry Dragon. Put your car in gear and run over it! Thud.....

Had the Fibroscan and an ultrasound on Tuesday.   Doc called just a bit ago.  Said the Fibroscan said I was scarred, the ultrasound said the liver was smooth.  Ultrasound found a 2cm mass on the right lobe, so now I'm going to be scheduled for a CT next week.  Doc said he did not know what the mass is and coupled with the weird scan results, thinks a CT should give more definite information.

Thing is that where he said the mass is is where I hurt.  Pain has been intermittent for quite awhile now, it's not always present.   But after the scans on Tuesday, that part of me has been hurting like a bugger.

So, wait for the insurance co to clear the way for the CT.  Doc says treatment is still 'on', we just have this bump in the road to take care of.