Max and his battle

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Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Get well Tuk !!

Chemo is done, they gave only half as much oft the usual chemo, due to Max's high Liver count, his red blood is ok but his white blood is very low, Tuk said she even has to be careful when touching him because he will easily get bruises due to the low white blood, now the doctors were checking his liver size by feel and by using Ultrasound, Biopsy, the feeling of Max's abdomen showed a slightly enlarged liver but on the Ultrasound the liver seamed still bigger, I think it a good sign that it can't be felt big but I don't know about the other results because get my information from Tuk, as we know, she's very stressed and might mix up things or did not understand the doctor well due to communication problem(English)yesterday Tuk fell down, she wasn't feeling well for a few day's already, she was so exhausted, taking care of Max all by herself isn't easy and then the bad news about their lil daughter Michal, Tuk sis from Thailand(where Mishal stay now)informed them that Mishal wasn't feeling to good and that she stay in hospital with high fever,the doctors in Thailand checked everything but couldn't find the reason for her condition,the just gave her injections over three day and then sent her back home,now she's back in hospital, Tuk worried like crazy, never eat never slept and that's the reason for her medical condition, now all she wants is go to Thailand and see her daughter but financial conditions don't let that be, now the have to pay for the hospital bill over there in Thailand, that's all not easy, some people have all the luck and others never stop suffering ...


Liver Biopsy
Often times a liver biopsy will be ordered because it provides reliable information for a cancer diagnosis. A biopsy involves the collection of a small tissue sample that is then examined under a microscope. Normal cells have a distinct and orderly appearance and are different than cancer cells which are chaotic and malformed. By examining the cells under a microscope, the pathologist can determine the presence of diseased cells and the extent of their invasion.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound uses sound waves, not x-rays, to generate images. A jelly-like substance is applied to the skin overlying your liver. Then a probe, called a transducer, is passed over the skin. The transducer sends out sound waves that pass through the body and are echoed back. The transducer receives the echoes and transmits them to a computer console which in turn interprets the echo data as internal organs and tissues.
Because ultrasound is simple, inexpensive and noninvasive, it is often one of the first tests ordered during the staging process. Unfortunately, test results are highly dependent upon the sonographer (sonographertechnician who specializes in the operation of ultrasound equipment), the quality of the scanner, and the overall build of the patient. As a result, ultrasound may not detect all tumors in all cases.
Ultrasound may be performed in the physician's office or on an outpatient basis in a clinic. Most ultrasound tests take only a few minutes and results are obtained immediately. In patients with liver tumors, ultrasound is used to locate and measure the size of a tumor and to determine if it is solid or cystic.
In addition, ultrasound is an important modality that is used at the time of surgery and is called intraoperative ultrasound. This examination should be performed on all patients who undergo a surgical procedure on the liver. It will identify all of the tumors within the liver and clarify the relationship to blood vessels in the liver. The probe is placed directly on the liver at the time of surgery. This test provides critical information that will influence the treatment strategy.

http://www.hepatitisc.org.au/resources/specialinterest.html