FAO SQAD - UPDATE

[WELSHYORKIE]

Hi Sqad, quick update on OH - admitted to hospital friday, had another set of bloods taken plus xray. Bloods came back with abnormal lft level. Having scan this afternoon so will possibly know more tomorrow. Still very yellow, and has spells of discomfort with acid reflux. Still in good spirits though!

[WELSHYORKIE]

As ever Sqad, thank you very much.

[LazyGun]

Hi Yorkie - Commiserations to your wife - the uncertainty is probably the worst thing of all. As Sqad has probably already mentioned, jaundice and raised LFTs can have a range of causes, and it sounds like they are trying to identify exactly what is the cause of these symptoms in your OH.
Hepatitis E is a rare variant virus, particularly in the UK. Usual cause is through ingestion of contaminated food or water, poor sanitation, occasionally thought to be transmitted from animals. Due to its rarity, it is not a virus that most hospital pathology labs are equipped to screen for , hence sending the sample off. Transport of the sample, sample preparation, testing, confirmation and sending the results out can take some while I am afraid.
The good news is that if it is confirmed as Hepatitis E, then although there are no specific treatments for Hep E, it does tend to spontaneously resolve after a couple of weeks or so. As with any incidence of viral hepatitis however, there is a small risk of serious health complications resulting from damage to the Liver.
As far as transmission of Hep E is concerned, that I am aware of, I cannot recall any documented instance of person to person transmission, so I think it unlikely that family / friends would need to be tested, unless they were exhibiting similar clinical symptoms. Good luck, and sorry if the above was not more helpful......

[Sqad]

Welshy...there you, advice from the academics and I am glad that they gave you a more scientific response than I could offer on Hepatitis E
The future looks bright............but with a yellowish tinge at the moment.;-)

[WELSHYORKIE]

Lazygun, fantastic reply - put my mind at rest. I just can't think of where she would have picked it up. The only thing I could think of was when we were in Cornwall near Bodmin) we were staying at a cottage where the water was supplied via a well and went through a powered filter. The power was disrupted on one particular day where it did rain quite heavily. Although I don't recall her having drunk any water from the tap, could that have transmitted the virus?

[WELSHYORKIE]

Sorry, sqad, I meant to thank you also for your link to lazygun. The future does look bright and, yes, Sylvia is orange!!

[WELSHYORKIE]

Sqad, Scan and biopsy cancelled today due to problems with blood clotting. Apparently she is on a drip containing SSP or SPP or something - she was mumbling a bit when she rang me. I guess we're going to have to wait a bit longer for a definitive answer.

[anneasquith]

welsh. could it be FFP ? fresh frozen plasma.

[Sqad]

Clotting is a problem with liver disease and would be a big contraindication for a liver biopsy. SPP.SPP...no idea although it sounds like packed platelets.

Still on course Welshy.....she will be fine.

[Sqad]

Welshy...yes anne is correct it could be Fresh Frozen Plasma.

[WELSHYORKIE]

Could have been FFP, she was very mumbly when she rang - going to hospital at 1.30 will know more then, hopefully.

[society]

Welshy, I could just imagine what you must be coping with, but, keep faith, there's always a silver lining...

[tigwig]

Hi Welshy, I have just sent you an email then came on here and noticed your post! Really sorry to hear about your wife, lets hope it gets sorted real soon and she can come home. Take care.

[WELSHYORKIE]

Cheers Society - let's just hope it comes sooner rather than later. Tigs - got your e-mail and have replied

[WELSHYORKIE]

Latest update is that she has been on a vitamin k drip this morning and is now on a 'normal' fluid drip. She is still nil by mouth so I suppose there still might be a chance of the scan and biopsy going ahead later in the day. Her blood was not clotting properly and her blood sugar was low this morning which is obviously why it was originally postponed

[Sqad]

Welshy...thanks for the update

[WELSHYORKIE]

Morning Sqad, Oh was on FFP, Vit K and 3 saline drips yesterday and when I looked at her chart she had a critical illness score of 2 - 1 for BP and 1 for Resps - BP was shown as 95/53 and has generally been around 115/60ish for the last couple of days. Hoping blood clotting today so she can have scan/biopsy later this morning.

[Sqad]

Welshy...thanks....that all makes sense in readiness for her liver biopsy. BP a bit low, but no big deal.
Long hard struggle I know, but liver disorders ARE particularly difficult to sort out....the medics "earn their money ;-)"

[WELSHYORKIE]

It is terribly frustrating but I know she's in the 'best place' - and info from yourself and lazygun just confirm that. OH is just amazed that everyone is taking such an interest!

[WELSHYORKIE]

Sqad, Just had OH on phone. Scan and biopsy been postponed until further notice but she'll be have an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (try saying that when you're p!ssed!) on friday instead. They think there must be something else going on because she is so yellow. Now I am really getting p!ssed off - why the hell couldn't they have done this sooner? This means she'll be in hospital for another week minimum if not 2 - oh I am having a funking wonderful day today.

[WELSHYORKIE]

Morning Sqad, don't know if you caught my last post yesterday - docs taking a new track, maybe?