Ramblings

[Guest guest]

When I first read my diagnosis of cirrhosis, besides not knowing

how to spell it, I thought it meant psoriasis. Of course I never

heard of psoriasis killing anyone or putting them in the hospital

for an extended length of time. Remember I was running about four

quarts of oil low. They kept giving me more but they were

unsuccessful at stopping the leak.

Portal Vein Hypertension is an interesting thing. The portalvein

takes out of your guts the things that need to be filtered by the

liver and then the blood goes back to the heart.

In the case of cirrhosis, the liver becomes scarred and the blood

cannot find its way back to the heart.

But being very determined it finds an alternative route to the

heart and this is usually through the veins that surround the

esophagus.

The blood is usually low volume but the pressure is pretty strong.

Well, the veins in your gullet cannot handle this pressure and they

eventually burst and bleed. What can be known as an Upper GI Bleed.

The proper medical term is Esophageal Varicies and they are similar

to varicose veins or hemmoroids.

On its own they will usually not stop bleeding and a surgery is

necessary.

This is done by putting a scope (EDG) down your throat.

20 years ago a balloon would be inflated and the would try to use

the pressure to stop the bleeding.

About 10 years ago they came up with a sclerosing agent that is

injected into these veins and cauterized them.

Soon after, they learned to put little rubberbands around them and

this would stop the bleeding. A much more pleasant experience.

EDG's are painless and the doctor may do one just to see the shape

of your esophagous and the stomach. People like to call them scopes,

because they are.

Before the procedure (I love that word, yeah, right) they give you

Versced and something like Demoral or one of the knew drugs through

an IV.

Just close your eyes. You'll open them in a recovery room.

CLOSE your eyes and I promise you will not remember it.

IF and this is important, IF you ever pass black, tarry stools

(looks like roofing tar)or vomit coffee grinds (looks like coffee

grinds but both are dried blood) or if you pass blood or vomit blood

(it's red) GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM immediatley. This can kill you.

In wrapping up just remember EDG's ain't nuthin and keep an outlook

for blood.

Now me and my son got to argue over watching Teletubbies or The

Backyardigans on TV. Take care. Don't worry, be happy.

Next time I may ramble about Hepatitis, Cirrhosis and Liver Dis-

ease and how they improved my life.

Peace and love,

Fuzzy