Oh Kay, I'm so sorry you have another hill to climb. Thinking good thoughts and prayers.

Jeanne

So sorry to see this. I hope it can be treated successfully with drugs. Sending you healing thoughts.

So sorry about the diagnosis Kay. They treat with prednisone don't they? Treatment can be rough too. Seems like I connect Sjogren's Syndrome & this, aren't both forms of auto immune disorders? You will be in my thoughts & prayers in the next days.

Thanks so much Jeanne, Debra and Nancy. At least i have experience dealing with them...They will treat with steroids, Nancy, but they also want to use azathioprine, but they did bloodwork today to make sure I can take it because if I have antibodies against it, I cannot. The object is to slow down or stop the attavk on the liver by slowing down the immune system. I am a tough old bird, And I can actually take steroids without gaining a lot of weight; I've done so in the past....the secret to that is to drink a lot of water. I will doubtlessly get a moon face, but that may smooth some wrinkles out. Lol. Not what I wanted, but we'll make the best of it...at least I won't have to be quite so restrictive in what I eat, which is okay too.

kaY

Kay, sorry to hear the diagnosis but appreciate your optimistic approach. So fortunate you are a member, albeit retired, of the medical field and know the questions to ask. Hoping for good treatment options for you and remember my offer stays on the table. :)

Kate

You are a doll, Kate. I know a little too much sometimes, but I am actually relieved to know what it is and I am really not that much worse off than I have been before at the start of one of these. One good thing is it is early in the thing, know this because of when the lab tests changed. We will get on it quickly and I expect to get it in remission even though I will be on low dose steroids for the rest of my life at best. Energy, right?

kaY

I admire your strength and will. Prayers.

Thank you for letting us know what's up. Tough road to travel down. Know that your daylily family is pulling for you all the way..........Maryl

Sending caring thoughts your way.

Sorry to hear of the diagnosis. Research in the scientific community is always turning a corner. Stay positive.

Oh, I will handle it. Just hoped I wouldn't have to. I know the ropes...you keep eyes and ears open for things that help, do what you are supposed to and continue with the things you love...I will still be posting here... Do not like taking steroids, but understand it will be a lifetime addition....even if and when we get it in remission, I will have to continue the steroids or it comes back. I have done that before too, and just so you know, if you ever have to take them, increase the water you drink. That is the only way I know of to prevent steroid weight gain. Also, stay busy doing things that involve your hands...gardening, sewing, quilting, painting. Not what I wanted, but maybe some lessons that I needed to learn.

And I truly do appreciate your kind concern and all the well wishes and prayers from those that pray. It is heartwarming.

kay

Kay - well, that's not good news, but I understand you're saying you feel better knowing. Now you know how to proceed with your life. So much of our lives doesn't go "according to plan", does it? Our plan, at any rate. :) Karma and the Powers that Be seem to think otherwise too often. Your attitude is an inspiration to me, if you'll allow me to say so. Take care.

Alex

Not knowing is the roughest part! My thoughts and prayers are with you. You have the right attitude, time to conquer!

Sherry

Kay, I'm sorry about the diagnosis but glad to see your positive attitude. That really helps. A side effect I get with prednisone [I've taken it for fall allergies] is lots of energy. Do they do that for you? That can be a positive. One year on a particularly high dose I stripped and stained every wood thing in the house, painted rooms, etc.

It does sometimes. I had to take very high doses initially, but was able to decrease it and just had to take 10 a day for a several years. The only majoor problems are it interferes with sleep (see energy) and I have to wean off very very slowly because my adrenals quit producing while I am on it and my blood sugar will drop like a rock to really low levels. But knowing prepares you. You are keeping a watch on your eye pressures aren't you, Brad. You know glaucoma is a risk on long term prednisone. (you have to sew a nurse's mouth shut to keep them from advising you,. lol)

kay

Kay, fortunately I've only been on it at the most a month at a time. My wife is a nurse, so I know how it is to know too much, lol.

You've probably learned a lot from her and would know more than the average "joe" then.

kay

Kay, you are a true trooper for handling these health issues so well. I know for certain that I cannot face them as well as you do. I wish you the best outcome for everything. Do you think that your autoimmune issues may perhaps be caused by exposure to substances that trigger them? Like certain foods or chemicals?

Kay, I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis but am glad you are keeping a positive attitude. Will continue sending thoughts and prayers your way.

Lori

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Sending thoughts and prayers to you. Also, hope you are not too threatened with Hurricane Irma. Isn't it funny that you were concerned about me with Harvey and now I get to be concerned about you with Irma. I have a good friend in northeast Alabama, and she e-mailed me to say they are not too excited about this, so hope they are right and that all of you are going to be safe and sound. Keep us updated as to your medical progress, we all want you to be as well as you can.

We will just get a bit of rain out of it, and that is a good thing. I have a friend on the west coast of Florida and I am quite worried about her. Thank you for asking though. Hopefully, after Monday when they are doing a liver biopsy we will know whether it is type 1 or 2 of autoimmune hepatitis and can go on from there. It does take a long time for anything.

kay

Well Avedon, we have had a change in the forecast for us. WE will still be tornado free, but Irma has moved westward so we will will have some tropical storm issues. Hopefully, not too bad, but trees and power lines could be a bit at risk. We will see as this thing moves along.

kay

We are watching this storm because of our daughter and family in northwest Florida. If it turns more to the west, things could get dicey. At least, they know they can come here should the situation get worse, but we hope it will start to fade and not be much of a threat to any more people in its path.

Wi are set to get some tropical storm winds, but not to the extent Florida and Georgia are getting them. All of our State parks have been opened to Florida people leaving the state as well as a lot of churches, Talledega raceway opened thier camp areas with showers and all available free. And individuals offered mobile homes, campers, bedrooms etc... Disasters bring out the best of most of us, but then there are the looters. The last time a tropial storm came through here, we were on vacation, and Ivan blew an oak tree onto our car at home. Hopefully none of that this time...no trees were we park anyway, but an enormous one over the house. Ah well.

kay

Kay, do you know any more yet? Hope you came through the storm ok.

All I know at the moment is that a liver biopsy is a thing to avoid if at all possible. Supposedly the results will be in in "three days or so" and hopefully I will find out a bit more. The Doctor has told me it is autoimmune hepatitis. It will be treated with steroids and azathioprine if I can take the second med...I don't yet know if I had the appropriate enzymes to process it or not. It protects against some of the bad effects of steroids (glaucoma, brittle bones etc). The aim is to slow the attacks on the liver by decreasing immune response. But you are more prone to infections etc...not a good diagnosis, but there are worse ones. And, as Brad said, the steroids will give me energy....unfortunately they keep me from sleeping well, but that is life, you deal with it. I got Sweet Isabella planted, so that is a plus. Of course the recent rains (today a drizzle) will keep me out, but it was a real spirit lifter to spend a couple hours in the garden.

I didn't know how long the biopsy results would take, of course something like that would take longer. You will be in my thoughts & prayers.

Kay - glad you were able to get out and work in the garden. I know for me, just going out and walking or sitting in the garden is healing.

Alex