Keeping an Eye on Things

Today I’m having an endoscopy, which means I’m not working today. It’s one of those quiet, necessary pauses that comes with living with stage 4 liver disease.

The odd thing about this diagnosis is that, for now, there isn’t much to do. My liver is functioning well enough at the moment, and that may remain true for many years—ten, fifteen, maybe even twenty. If the day ever comes when it can’t do its job, the only cure currently available is a liver transplant. That’s still a long way off, and there’s hope that medical advances will offer new options before then. Doctors already know that some medications used for diabetes can slow the progression of liver disease, which is encouraging.

What is certain is that my doctors need to keep a close eye on things.

That means ultrasounds every six months and an endoscopy every year or two, depending on what they find. When the liver can’t handle blood flow as well as it should, pressure can build up elsewhere in the body, sometimes affecting the veins in the esophagus.

These are called esophageal varices. They often cause no symptoms, which is what makes them dangerous. I was told that many ruptures are fatal simply because the bleeding happens so quickly that help doesn’t arrive in time. That seriousness is exactly why monitoring matters—when varices are found early, they can often be treated with medication and careful follow-up.

So today is about prevention: checking in, staying ahead of potential problems, and taking care of myself. It’s not how I’d choose to spend my day, but it’s part of living thoughtfully and realistically with a chronic condition. For now, that’s enough.