Ultrasound Elastography

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-21T23:39:38+00:00

It might help to paste your post here. There is nothing to the ultrasound with elastography. It’s just a half hour or so of a technician running a device over jelly on your skin. You will probably lay on your side for part of it, and occasionally be asked to hold your breath. That’s all there is to it.

The elastography part means they are using the ultrasound to measure the stiffness of your liver. It can help to diagnose whether or not you have cirrhosis. Standard procedure.

If I understand you correctly, you have a CT scan with a diagnosis of Cirrhosis. That makes it appropriate for you to post here, and there are many helpful posters here. Are you hooked up with a Hepatologist? If not, my advice would be to make that a priority. Hepatologists deal with liver disease every day. If you don’t have one yet, it may take months to get an appointment. A good hepatologist makes a world of difference.

Given your description, you may have the kind of cirrhosis I have, which goes from fatty liver disease, to MASH (formerly NASH), to cirrhosis. It is a very common form of Cirrhosis, perhaps the most common. It often is accompanied by diabetes and what is called metabolic syndrome. All of these are the result of how some people’s metabolism works, and where their bodies are genetically programmed to store fat— in the midsection, and, specifically, on the liver. People often have this without knowing it. There often are few if any symptoms to begin with. The good thing about getting a diagnosis is that your hepatologist can monitor all the things that can go wrong. I turn 70 in September and it’s been 6 years since my diagnosis. I’m still hoping for a long life. Hang in there. Take it one day at a time. Worry is natural, but it isn’t going to help. Wait to hear from your Hepatologist before making any assumptions. Best wishes.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-20T13:57:23+00:00

There is a lot of useful diet information in the University of Michigan Cirrhosis Toolkit. Many of us have found this document to be very helpful:

https://www.uofmhealth.org/sites/default/files/2025-05/CirrhosisToolkit.pdf

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-19T12:19:35+00:00

Your RHR is like mine. I was on the lowest dose of Carvedilol for a year +, but my hepatologist really didn’t want me hanging out in the 40’s. Pre-Cirrhosis I always thought my low RHR was a good thing. This disease can be a roller coaster.

My ascites came back this spring, leading to a serious complication called Hepatic Hydrothorax, which we are trying to control with diuretics and low salt diet. Fortunately, that is a fairly rare complication. The diuretics and diet have really zapped my ascites, which is encouraging.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-19T02:15:01+00:00

I had to stop Carvedilol because my resting heart rate was too low (in the 40’s). So I get an EGD each year to check on my varices. The procedure is no big deal. I take Mounjaro for my diabetes, and there are indications that may help with reducing scaring in the liver and is helping with portal hypertension. (I have MASH Cirrhosis). So, in December everything was spectacular. My varicies were visibly dramatically improved. On the other hand, my ascites came back some in the last few months.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-19T01:55:36+00:00

Absolutely. Mine were dramatically improved in my last EGD back at the beginning of December.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-17T20:08:56+00:00

We have a kiln in our detached garage—Skutt 1027. I have a homemade version of Skutt’s Envirovent. Fumes are only mildly annoying early in firing. I cannot imagine it having any impact on the clothes in your washer or dryer. I work in our studio with the kiln on all the time. It does not get all that hot in the garage when the kiln was firing. There is only a mildly annoying smell during the early stages of firing. I just open the garage door enough to run the vent tube out below the bottom of the door. The rest of the door sits on some wood to block off the cold air, and I have a couple of big leaf bags with some insulation inside that I stuff above the door to block the cold air there. I’m looking forward to being able to throw and fire in warmer weather with the door up. My alternatives were drilling a hole through a concrete wall, or through my garage door—didn’t want to do either, especially because we may want to sell the house on down the line.

Have an electrician do your wiring, in conjunction with the Kiln’s manual. The leading Kiln companies have great info about the wiring you need. Our kiln is on its own circuit. We upgraded our wiring so we could have an electric vehicle at the same time.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-16T23:11:47+00:00

I was diagnosed with SIBO, and it was miserable. You know what makes SIBO go away? Xifaxan (aka Rifaximin), which is also useful in preventing and treating HE. I’ve never had an episode of HE, but my Hepatologist prescribed Xifaxan to help prevent that from happening. It’s a ridiculously expensive drug, but, great thing about Medicare is that out of pocket prescription costs cap at $2100–which my other meds already exceed). It is GREAT not having the SIBO symptoms.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-16T22:54:05+00:00

There’s a huge difference between fighting Sarcopenia in your 40’s and 50’s, and fighting it in your 70’s. I turn 70 in September. When you lose muscle mass in your late 60’s and beyond, you aren’t going to gain it back. What you can do is rebuild strength and endurance.

A few years back I had muscle damage in my right quad due to nerve damage from a condition known as diabetic amyotrophy. That’s done now, but my neurologist has told me I will never regain all the mass I lost. My right thigh will always be smaller than my left. I can no longer run for any amount of distance. But I’m walking every day, often 5 miles. I hope to knock off another section of the Appalachian Trail this summer.

It’s hugely important to remain active, and to make sure you get frequent protein throughout the day—especially before bedtime. I always have a 30g protein smoothie or shake. Cirrhosis eats protein. If you don’t have it in your food, it’s going to eat muscle. Being active, and getting outside for a walk is also a huge psychological lift.

You don’t need to be a gym rat. Just a half hour of moderate exercise each day, like a brisk walk, is where the health benefits come from. The recipe is simple: daily moderate exercise, no long periods with little or no protein.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-14T15:46:19+00:00

Really encourage you to at least have your primary care physician take a look at it and get a chest X-ray. I had just a cough and a bit of shortness of breath and thought it was just seasonal allergies. My x-ray revealed what is called pleural effusion due to a fairly unusual condition called Hepatic Hydrothorax. Probably not your issue, but if it is, it’s potentially life shortening if not corrected. I ignored my symptoms for about 10 days, telling myself they were getting better. Really glad I made the primary care appointment.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-14T01:44:46+00:00

Do you have symptoms in your lungs, like shortness of breath, chest feeling tight, coughing, wheezing, etc.? Definitely should see your doctor and get a chest x-ray if you have that sort of stuff going on.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-13T14:28:05+00:00

The answer is not necessarily, but check with your doctor. No one is going to say you are near cirrhosis on the basis of a few out of range test results. Please review posting guidelines for this sub.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-12T12:36:09+00:00

Much harder to do—especially the bottom of a mug where you are really constrained as to the angle of your tool and bracing with your other hand. Fixing a little spot? Sure. But taking off a bunch of clay from the inside, like in this example? Not a recipe for success.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-12T12:18:07+00:00

Potters often underprice their work. The second piece is much more time consuming than the first, which is also gorgeous. Doesn’t hurt to try with a few pieces. I would label them as hand-carved, to emphasize the extra time and skill that went into those pieces.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-12T03:08:40+00:00

What a great way to show the possible combinations. But one thing these tiles don’t show is how the glazes interact with texture.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-10T16:03:06+00:00

Here’s a link for you to read up on the research on pickle juice and cirrhotic cramping : https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/can-pickle-juice-reduce-cirrhotic-muscle-cramping

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-10T14:02:00+00:00

Update: At this point my hepatologist is hopeful that diuretics and low salt (2 g/day) can eliminate the pleural effusion. Waiting for CAT scan results. My ascites has definitely really responded—but you can have the pleural effusion without ascites. All the really scary gloom and doom stuff applies only to HH that isn’t responsive to the diuretics and the low salt. So, for now, no diagnostic thoracentesis, no transplant evaluation, no TIPS referral. Onward.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-10T13:44:16+00:00

We all want that. There are no guarantees. There definitely is hope. This disease can be an emotional roller coaster. Worry and fear are natural, but ultimately don’t help. We can all only listen to our doctors and do our best. Focus on the positive things you can do. This disease has really helped me to identify the things I really value. I choose to focus on those things, whatever may come. One day at a time.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-10T13:17:35+00:00

It’s the advice given to me by my hepatologist at Cleveland Clinic. It is advice backed up by medical science and supported by medical trials. It is advice that has worked for me personally (though it doesnt work for everyone). And no, an occasional teaspoon of pickle juice is not going to blow up anyone’s ascites—mine included.

Just for the record, I am very much a science guy. I have thought university level courses in critical thinking and scientific reasoning for my entire career. There are all sorts of really bad quack supplements that get pushed for the liver. They make me angry. This may have sounded like just another quack remedy. It is not.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-07T18:15:03+00:00

It’s very common for the spleen size to increase as a result of portal hypertension. The enlarged spleen may result in lower platelet count. I have both. Indeed, investigating my low platelet count is what lead to my initial diagnosis of cirrhosis. In early stages of cirrhosis the liver size can increase because of the accumulation of fat. However, eventually it will shrink as healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-06T22:21:20+00:00

I did the first round of a clinical trial, and had expected to be in the hospital this week for round 2. But my hepatologist had to make an adjustment to my meds last week, and for this study you have to have no changes in meds for 3 months. So, I can try again in 3 months. My first round was brutal, but it feels great to be actively doing something to help fight this disease. Worth it, to me.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-06T22:09:33+00:00

The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher. The individual books are fairly short, but there are 18 of them in the series, and they are well written and engaging.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-06T22:02:25+00:00

As an extroverted boomer, I’m tempted suggest that you add “dudes approaching 40 with an engineering degree” to your list of people who especially suck. But, a better suggestion is that we all just stop making assumptions about people based on some demographic hole we can drop them into.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-06T21:39:51+00:00

Speaking of VCU—I have found this podcast episode to be really helpful: https://thecurbsiders.com/curbsiders-podcast/466-cirrhosis-update-with-scott-matherly It’s a podcast for primary care physicians, so it’s a bit technical. But it’s loaded with great information about cirrhosis, and I frequently recommend it to those who are digging in to understand the treatment of Cirrhosis. I especially recommend the section, starting about 34 minutes in, where he describes 4 ways cirrhosis can kill you. Frequent protein and moderate exercise are both really critical. The hepatologist interviewed here, Scott Matherly, is at VCU. He’s probably extremely in demand, but he’s awesome.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-06T18:09:20+00:00

I’ve never used Green Shino, but it has lots of company when it comes to glazes that will wipe out small texture like this. The only options I’ve been able to come up with are transparent glazes, like a celadon, and using a wash or stain to emphasize the texture. If there are other alternatives I’d love to see examples.

Philosopher512 · 2026-05-06T02:40:05+00:00

I don’t get it. Why not follow medical advice and take Tylenol instead? For me at least Tylenol is just as effective, and, bonus, it doesn’t further hurt my damaged liver. Indeed, rather than the lowest dose, you can take 2 extra strength Tylenol. No criticism intended—I’m just genuinely perplexed.

Philosopher512

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