City/State/Country: Radford, VA, USA Disease(s) of Loved One: Cirrhosis (2012 - Present) I first heard the word “cirrhosis” in March of 2012. At the time, my husband was battling sepsis – going into...
Global Liver Institute
GLOBAL LIVER INSTITUTE
Rebecca Johnston
City/State/Country: Springfield, Illinois, USA Disease(s): Autoimmune Hepatitis (2002 - Present); Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (2017 - Present) “Have you noticed that your eyes are kind of...
Patient Story Feature: The Advocacy (and Research) That Saved My Life by Melinda Bachini
After brushing off the symptoms of shoulder pain, fatigue, and GI issues as part of my career as a paramedic, I eventually scheduled an appointment with my primary care physician in 2009 when I suspected that I had gallbladder stones. The ultrasound revealed that I had a grapefruit-sized tumor on my liver…
Patient Story Feature: The Ups and Downs of a Liver Cancer Journey by Anthony Villiotti
St. Patrick’s Day seems to be a recurring theme throughout my liver cancer journey: I was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma on March 17, 2017 and exactly one year later, I received the phone call telling me that I was getting a new liver. Before my battle with liver cancer, I had struggled with weight problems, diabetes, NASH, and cirrhosis…
Patient Story Feature: A normal day in my life with PBC by Bob Tyler
If you’ve ever seen the movie Groundhog Day, that’s probably the best example I can give about my experience with PBC. I know each and every day what my day will be like. Waking up is tedious due to the joints just aching because of no movement during the night. Feeling totally “unrested” even with 6 to 7 hours of sleep. Slowly making my way down…