Well, for those who have wondered where I've been the last several months, the answer is "VERY BUSY!" I was unexpected given the summer off, and now will b e transitioning into a different department, thought to a similar position as previously (I was secretary for the chem and physics departments, both small. Now I will be the secretary for the Dept. of Modern Languages, which is large! and people from different cultures who are not necessarily native English speakers. Should be fascinating, in fact! SO, the recession did for me what I couldn't do for myself: forced me to take a new position without losing my insurance coverage (hooray)!
Back to my topic: today I had my first (and I hope my last) liver biopsy, From what I've heard, this is not an uncommon experience for people who have had RA for a long time, but I don't recall hearing about it from anyone on this site. I meant to ask BEFORE I went in for it, to hear about people's experience, to be better prepared, but never got to it because I've been so crazy busy. Well, this one definitely will slow me down for a couple of days.
The biopsy is being done because my liver enzymes (so-called) ALT score has gone up and down over the years since I got RA. At first a liver-spleen scan (nuclear medicine) and Liver Ultrasound showed nothing. but a year ago, the liver-spleen scan showed "colloid shift" and that my liver was slightly enlarged. I had been taking Tylenol daily since going off Celebrex several months before. I was only taking 2 650mg tablets a day, which is about 1 1/3 grams, but as usual my body seems to over react to all meds. So of course I stopped the Tylenol and when I've needed something in addition to Enbrel, I would take a 1/2 tablet of Percocet (which does contain Tylenol but much less, and I would only take it occasionally).
When I went in for the biopsy today (after the hospital first mixing up the doctor on the schedule last week, and then the procedure listed on the cover sheet this morning - does that make anyone nervous?), I asked my GI doc if the ultrasound being done beforehand could check whether my liver was still enlarged. Thankfully, it is not. (I think I'm right about the Tylenol effect!) Then they did the biopsy - which I have been extremely fearful of. My doc is really good and it went ok (I did take some anti-anxiety meds last night, and Percocet this morning). The 'refered pain' to the shoulder went away in the first hour as they predicted, but I still feel a bit like I've been shot in the right side where the needle went in. Anyone else have this problem? They tell me most people don't have pain for too long after the procedure, but even my doc said, people with RA and FM often do have more pain. So - that's where I am, folks!
I would love to hear other people's experience because this is a first and I have no other first-hand info from anyone.
it sounds like an interesting challenge.
I had one done before I could go onto any meds. In fact my rhuemy and the ones in his office (the only one in this area) would not do any further appointments with me until I had one. Same thing up and down liver enzymes. Not sure what from because they've been like that for years and I am not an avide nsaid taker. All went well, I got home and had shoulder pain. Real bad, they perscriber tylenol with codene and that did not help. So back to the hospital I went to have a catscan to make sure there wasn't a bleed. I think the shoulder pain is fairly common they just don't want to tell you. But I was fine the next day Just some bruising and upset stomach from the tylenol the day before. They found nothing and my enzymes still go up and down all the time. The dr. has finally decided thats just how my body works.