Got my blood test results back today and my alkaline phosphatase dropped! It didn't drop very much (1904 to 1786) but it was a drop. At the same time, my AST dropped almost back to the high end of normal and the ALT dropped by half (still way above normal). What changed? I dropped the iron and the vitamin D starting on Wednesday night.
There is a condition called iron overload that I may be experiencing and it usually expresses itself with elevated liver markers and can be caused by taking supplemental iron. It can be a genetic condition or can be an induced situation as well.
Last week, I also saw a physician's assistant at my gastroenterologist and they drew 5 vials of blood to try and rule out several possibilities and she was the one who suggested iron overload. I haven't heard anything from those results but am hopeful that they may reinforce the iron overload theory. I also have an ultrasound of the liver on Thursday with the hopes that it may be able to identify any issues with bile duct problems or other issues.
We are continuing on with the same 1800 calorie TPN and 750ml of hydration/day. I had hoped for a greater reduction in the alk phos this week and would have increased the calories if that occurred but that is not the case.
As to surgery? That is a ways off right now. I need to see a trend of improvement in the liver markers before Dr. Boudreaux would be willing to talk about things. That means we have at least two more weeks before contacting Dr. Boudreaux again. If we schedule surgery, it would probably then be a couple of weeks later which puts us in late May or June, just like last year.
No particular food cravings this past week but I am always thinking of Tex-mex food. I would love some tacos or fajitas. A ground beef chimichanga with lots of green chili, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes would be wonderful. Chips and salsa, tamales, and chicken, beef and cheese enchiladas all sound wonderful as well.
Stephanie and I have talked about taking a trip to Vegas after I am able to eat again and hitting up lots of great restaurants along with taking in some shows for a weekend. Having something to look forward to is wonderful although it seems so far away at this point.
That's it for now until I get more blood test results or some conclusive information...
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