News we didn't want to hear.

Hey friends,

These past two weeks have been super rough....still not feeling well at all. :(  We found out 2 weeks ago that my liver function blood test results quadrupled suddenly which indicates liver damage/inflammation.  The results have improved since then, but one of the liver enzymes is still higher than normal.

I saw my GI specialist last Tuesday, and he expressed that he's worried about down the road.  You never want to hear a doctor tell you that. :(  I've been on IV nutrition for more than a year now, and that definitely doesn't help things liver-wise.  I'm still attempting j-tube feeds, but I can only tolerate 2 teaspoons per hour at the most.

He's not exactly sure what's going on and why my liver suddenly took a turn for the worse...is it from Wilson's Disease....or is it from being on TPN (IV nutrition)....or is this something totally different?

We also found out that my magnesium and potassium levels dropped yet again.  We're not sure why that's happening as well because I continue to receive extra Mg and K in my supplemental IV bag of fluids which is infused through my central line every evening.  Is this liver-related, or is there a problem with my kidneys not being able to hold onto Mg?

There have been lots of questions lately with few answers.  The day after my GI appointment, I saw the hepatologist (liver specialist).  He wants to pursue genetic testing for Wilson's Disease because some specific things related to the diagnosis are puzzling him.  He also ordered lots of lab work to rule out common illnesses and figure out why I'm not feeling normal.  One of the blood tests came back high which indicates that I either have autoimmune hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, or mononucleosis.  Unfortunately, my GI dr. is currently out of the country for 4 whole weeks, so I'm waiting to hear what the hepatologist thinks about the latest finding.

I wish my GI dr. were here because he knows my situation the best.  At my appointment, he brought a smile to my face when he said he'll be thinking about me on his trip. :)

I'm thankful to the Lord for His mercy and compassion.  He is still God, even when things aren't going well, even when you receive bad test results, even when you don't feel 100%.  He is mighty!!