Hi Bloot, how ya goin?

That sounds like a great result on the fibroscan! I think there is reasonable cause for optimism that in your case the results may be fairly accurate…..but understand your caution and wish to keep to the original Tx plan.

Judging from the tale above, and some previous ones we have heard from you, you made some very significant changes to your lifestyle upon diagnosis. I imagine your liver was extremely….and eternally….grateful when you stopped beating the living crap out of it at every opportunity.
So when it suddenly didn’t have to defend itself against its owner on a daily basis, it was able to fend off the HCV a little better and at the same time it had enough reserve capacity to make use of its marvellous ability to regenerate, enough to regress the worst of what was probably largely self inflicted damage rather that from the hepatitis.

OTOH bad attitudes don’t regenerate so you are out of luck there mate.

(better point out here that I’m not having a go at Bloot, my attitude and behaviour was not too dissimilar to his. It was just a bit too late for my unfortunate liver by the time I was diagnosed. )

On the subject of fibrosis measurement accuracy, I like the summary provided by the specialist assigned for my initial consultation after diagnosis. A very funny man with a wicked sense of humour. illy:' />

– Autopsy is the gold standard…..but due to the significant risks he didn’t recommend them for most of his patients.

– Biopsies were definitive but really only for the immediate area around the sample sliver due to the size of the liver and the fact that fibrosis was not necessarily an uniform process. Safer than the first option but still some risks.

– Fibroscans were indicative but with sufficient readings across a larger area did give a pretty good idea of of the level of fibrosis although with a margin of error that was difficult to fully quantify. Much safer and these days (2012) his recommendation in most cases.

biopsy is not very accurate. I have heard people doing biopsy at different times and places with different results, it depends on where the cells are taken, liver is relatively large. Fibroscan is more accurate

I’m with you Tommy if Fiber scans are so accurate how can you explain so many
patients going from examples of F3 too F2 within months often without treatment.

I would think its down to a fiber scan is a much simpler procedure as opposed to a biopsy I believe
the offer of treatment on your fiber scan is a crude method to use.

I would love to know the answers, if you depend on a Fiber Scan for treatment you could be
waiting for ever.

“Biopsy is a best bet. IT DOES NOT HURT. ”

On what planet would that be?
It’s true that the liver does not feel pain but the liver sac which contains it sure does. When that biopsy needle punches through it you know.

Don’t mean to scare anybody here who is going to get a biopsy. Just – if you are offered pain meds, valium, etc. – take it.

dt

Boot….Your story is interesting. My frame of reference is my viral load. It went from 9 mil in 2008 to 1.2 mil
last year. Never had a fibroscan, but had a biopsy done by someone who had done thousands. He is a
professor at a local university. He knew what he was doing. Anyhow, he went to the worst part of my liver
for samples. My results came out fairly decent after 40 years of infection….F1 or 2 I think. I partied hard for
several years but did not turn into a dirtbag .

Yes, I firmly believe your lifestyle change can help in liver scarring. I won’t go into details and derail your
thread. I’ll post mine later. In the back of my mind, I still want the fockers out of my body. Therefore, I would
continue with TX to be sure. Continued success, man. A little of this and a little of that is not going to kill
you, IMHO. Good luck.

I had a biopsy done twice. I had to ask the doctor both times if the needle was in yet and “when are you going to take a piece of the liver”. He said I already did, I’m done”. I hear some feel pain but it it less then a milli second
Some have pain afterwards if you can call it that. It is a “uncomfortableness” for a bit in the shoulder area. I had that. It was annoying but very bearable. They call it viscerosmatic pain as it’s felt in the shoulder rather then where you would expect. Basically another area of the body feels the brunt. Even gallbladder pain can be felt in the shoulder.
I had untrasound guided biopsies done so pretty much no chance of missing. Still the BEST way to go. Not a must though but for piece of mind and seeing if waiting another year or two to save money etc it may be worth it.
I will post results of my last one 2011 one soon.

Have not drank in 15 years, no drugs. Will get one done in the next 2 weeks again in India