Dear @ThomasTu, @bob, @SamanthaMech, @SS090711, and @senhour,
I’m back. It’s been more than a year since I last posted, and I cannot believe how fast time has gone by. When I last posted, I was relocating to a place with limited quality healthcare options so I am reconsidering some options including relocating to a larger metropolitan area with more options.
Here are my updates and I’d like to get @ThomasTu input. Then I will share similar experiences to others who have posted.
- Since diagnosis with HepB in March 2021 through donating blood, I’ve had two “unremarkable” ultrasounds of the abdomen. But, this past February, my third ultrasound found “mild coarsening of the echo pattern of the liver but there is no intrahepatic mass or intrahepatic biliary dilatation.” The results also found that my liver “measures 16cm” and there were “no ascites.” The scary “scarring” word was used but my doctor’s office said that the ultrasound was not the best test to identify scarring. I meet with my doctor Friday assuming she does not cancel again.
In addition, my AST is 28 and my ALT is 21. The doctor said all blood work, including kidney and liver, were “fine.”
@ThomasTu, what are your thoughts on these finds and what should I ask my doctor?
- That annoying upper right quadrant pain.
I have experienced what others have described since, coincidentally, my March 2021 diagnosis. Here is what I’m dealing with:
. Throbbing sensation but no pain
. Subtle “flash sensations” of sharp pain but nothing that causes me to say “ouch.” It comes and goes instantly.
. Feels like pressure in my bowel or intestines which feel good with massaging or bowel movement.
. Obvious discomfort down right side of back, cross middle of back, near right shoulder blade.
I agree with @ThomasTu that non-HepB conditions can cause the same sensations. But the fact that there appears to be a lot of similarity among us suggests as reasonable correlation between HepB and our upper right quadrant pain/discomfort. I think telling out stories could possibly inform the medical profession so our health care system can be proactive in educating us about what could happen and how to treat.
In closing, my latest ultrasound worries me, especially since I had already drastically changed eating habits, am not a drinker, am not a smoker, and lost a LOT of weight (about 50% gained back since covid mess).
Thank you everyone and stay hopeful.