In December of 2019, I had my first liver biopsy. Liver biopsies aren’t always required when diagnosing primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), but in my case, it was recommended by my gastroenterologist. After a series of intense lab work, it was determined I had some sort of autoimmune liver disease–either PBC or Autoimmune Hepatitis, or even an overlap of both diseases.
Due to my age at the time, my GI physician told me he wanted to be very aggressive with my care and get down to the bottom of what exactly was going on with my body. So, after an ultrasound of my liver, an abdominal CT scan and an abdominal MRI, all of which came back with normal results, he sent me to have a liver biopsy for confirmation. He wasn’t willing to take any chances on misdiagnosing me.
Preparing for the biopsy
Even though I had already been working in healthcare for a few years, I was still pretty nervous for the day of my procedure. I tried to look up as much as I could regarding a liver biopsy, from the procedure itself to the potential complications that could happen.
Researching my diseases and procedures was the one and only way I felt any sort of control in a situation I had no control over. I wanted to make sure I knew what potential problems to look out for with my body after the biopsy was done and I was home healing.
I was not allowed to eat or drink anything before midnight the night before my biopsy. Thankfully, my procedure was scheduled in the morning hours, so I didn’t have to wait all day without water or food.
We arrived at the hospital pretty early in the morning; my partner and my aunt went with me, as I was not allowed to drive myself home after the procedure. I checked into the hospital, walked back to the patient room I was going to be staying in and began to be prepped for the biopsy. I had to sign consent forms for the procedure and other documents to allow the biopsy to be performed. I felt like I waited a really long time before I was even taken back to the interventional radiology room on my stretcher.
The procedure
Once we got into the room, the physician explained the procedure, and my family left for the waiting room. My biopsy was a CT guided liver biopsy, and I was administered some sedation and pain medicine. My nurse was very kind–she made me feel safe and got me a heated blanket.
The procedure itself was fairly quick. I don’t remember much outside of a few quick seconds of pressure when the hollow needle was inserted. The physician took three different samples from various locations on my liver. After it was done, my family was able to reunite with me as I was wheeled back to my patient room.
The physician stated that my procedure had gone well with no complications and that we had to wait a few hours to ensure I had no internal bleeding before I could be discharged. I remember resting as my vitals were taken about every 15 minutes. I had no pain or any other issues and was able to be discharged a few hours later a little before 1:00 p.m..
The day after
After we got home, I ate some lunch, drank some water and rested for the rest of the day. I was told I could return to my normal daily activities the following day. The next day came, and I had a doctor’s appointment to go to. After that, I ran to the grocery store to grab a few things.
After I got back home, I started to feel pretty dizzy and felt like there was a chance I could pass out. I called my Gastroenterologist, and he sent me for some emergency blood work to make sure my liver enzymes were stable and that my other blood markers were not of a concerning nature. I called my aunt and talked to her on the phone to and from the hospital for the blood draw because I was scared of losing consciousness. After the labs, I went back home and rested.
Returning to my normal life
My lab work came back the next day, and thankfully, the results were normal. My doctor contributed my experience to dehydration and being on my feet too much, even though I felt I didn’t do much.
A few days later, I went back to work, even though the biopsy sitewas still somewhat sore. For the first two days after the procedure, I had to leave an adhesive covering on the site.
This was when I found out I have an adhesive allergy. This caused my biopsy site to develop some welts, which took some time to heal. Otherwise, I just had some minor discomfort and tried to be cautious of bending over and twisting my body. About a month and a half later, my skin had fully healed,and thankfully, I did not develop any further complications.
When my biopsy results came in, they confirmed that I have PBC. Biopsies are not always necessary when it comes to PBC, but I’m glad I had mine. The confirmation of an official diagnosis confirmed I was on the right treatment path, which made the whole experience worth it to me.
