I had another battery of tests on Wednesday (4-14-2021). The good news is that the residual tumor appears to be smaller! This is the second consecutive MRI that has revealed some shrinkage. The ‘less good news’ is that my liver function is somewhat diminished. They have instructed me to stop taking the trial medication to see if that is what’s causing my liver issues. While I will definitely enjoy a break from taking the trial medicine, we are mildly apprehensive about what a break will mean for the recent improvements that we’ve seen.
I'm sure it will be OK, your liver is replaceable, right? Does anyone have one they're not using?
God is good!
Yes, the liver is replaceable by a liver transplant, but it is also the most regenerative organ in the body. When other organs are damaged, they develop scar tissue. When the liver is damaged it starts to grow new cells. The following information is from the Mayo Clinic and other places like that:
ReplyDelete"The liver has the greatest regenerative capacity of any organ in the body. Liver regeneration has been recognized for many years, dating all the way back to Prometheus in ancient Greek mythology.
The liver is constantly in a state of regeneration. The moment it stops processing alcohol, it begins the process of healing itself. This process could take as few as four weeks or as long as several years. It really all depends on the health of the individual person.
The liver is a unique organ. It is the only organ in the body that is able to regenerate. With most organs, such as the heart, the damaged tissue is replaced with scar tissue. The liver, however, is able to replace damaged tissue with new cells."
You can even do a partial transplant from a matched donor, and the transplant will grow in the recipient and regenerate in the donor. As it mentions above, I could stop drinking red wine for four weeks and you could have part of my liver!
Love from Dad.
Ha ha! Thanks Dad.
ReplyDeleteI believe shrinkage is good. I have told my wife that for years.
ReplyDeleteMaybe check into the David Crosby Liver Plan?
Lol
DeleteThe reference took me a while.