Liver Biopsies a Thing of the Past? New Technology Released

GE Healthcare, along with the Mayo Clinic announced today the development of a revolutionary technology to screen for liver cirrhosis.

GE’s "MR-Touch" system uses low frequency sound waves to measure tissue stiffness, and display the results on a monitor; where soft to hard tissues are differentiated by bright colors (see image).

The technology has just been cleared by the FDA and is a non-invasive method to test liver tissue for hardness.

What this means is a way to test for liver disease without a biopsy should be available at more health care centers in the near future. It also allows for easier early detection of liver disease and early treatment of fibrosis of the liver.

Suddenly, the dreaded liver biopsy may be a thing of the past. You can read the GE article here.

Why are some people more prone to addictive behaviors?

It's a question many of us ask who are fortunate enough to not be addicted to destructive habits.

We hear all the time about people being addicted to sex, gambling, drugs, alcohol and more, but what exactly is behind the cravings? I read a good article today, which speaks in plain english the medical and environmental reasons many can't control which contribute to addictions.

My favorite excerpt from the piece is:

"...genes alone do not cause an addiction. Researchers like to point out that, as with other ailments linked to lifestyle - heart disease, obesity, and lung cancer, for example - genes merely load the gun, while the environment pulls the trigger."

The article concludes with mention of gene screening and pharmaceutical treatment for alcoholism, future possibilities we'll be writing about soon.

The addictive behaviors post can be found here.

Time is More than a Unit of Measurement

I’ve continued to hold onto a youthful view of time throughout my life. Time was represented by the numbers on the classroom clock that the second hand would slowly tick past; then time was how many minutes I had left to get to work before the boss would start looking for me; time was how long it would take before a red light would turn green.

Last month though, my view of time matured significantly.

The deaths of a young mother I had come to love and her baby was so unexpected, it did not carry the luxury of knowing it was going to happen (see Dirty Tractor Racing Driver Tragically Passes Away). It left friends and family in a state of shock, and caused most of us to reevaluate our lives. We just didn't have a chance to spend more time with her.

And that’s when is occurred to me- time is a luxury, not just a unit of measurement.

Time is an asset we hold; but it is an asset that trumps the value of all our other material possessions combined. Without it, what good are those materials things anyway? It is our time with family, friends and loved ones that holds true value – good times to be passed on, bad times to learn from, and everything in between. Time to feel a cool breeze or enjoy the company of others is more precious than I had ever realized.

It is this true value of time I did not have the ability to comprehend before. I now see it is much more than the ticking of a clock. Now that my my eyes are opened, I am even starting to enjoy those simple moments stuck at a red light; almost glad to be there.

What are you doing with your time?

Dirty Tractor Racing Driver Tragically Passes Away

It is with utmost sorrow we announce Jill Cillan Lowers of "Dirty Tractor Racing" has passed away along with her son. Her sudden passing in the last week of August was due to a brain aneurysm.

Mrs. Lowers was pregnant and expected to give birth just one week later.

Mrs. Lowers raced in the female category of the Greater Washington Section-Mercedes Benz Club of America autocross circuit.

Words cannot express the sadness we feel. Her care-free, happy and loving personality will be forever missed.

We extend complete and deepest sympathies to her Husband Robert; may he find a reason to live again sometime soon.

Death by Alcohol in Russia - Taxation NOT the Answer

There was an article by Fox News published this week showing results from a study on cause of death in Russia in the era following the Soviet collapse. The study concluded that 50% of deaths in Russia are caused by alcoholism; a truly astonishing figure. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recently called alcoholism a "national disaster" for the country.
Some of the other published results include:

• The average Russian drinks 50 bottles of vodka a year


• The average Russian male lives to be 60 years old, dying 15 years earlier than his American counterpart.


• Russian women die 13 years earlier than American women.

The story goes on however to say the problem is that Russia does not tax their alcohol and cigarettes like we do in the U.S., and if they DID it would limit the number of deaths attributed to drug and alcohol abuse. Taxation is not the answer, and lack of taxation is not the problem.

If Russian alcohol had the same taxes placed on it as in America, it would simply make the poor poorer, and government groups richer. Alcoholism in Russia is a societal problem at large, and one that should be addressed: First with better education than they have tried before, then offer progressive social programs to address the actual causes of alcoholism (such as depression, addictive behaviors, lifestyles), then stricter laws (including actual enforcement of a min. drinking age of 18), then purity laws on favorite liquors (vodka), and then, finally, taxation.

If the issue is so ingrained in Russian life, a gradual change of course is the way to go. Placing major new taxes on liquor right now will only generate disdain towards the government and even more hardship of the general populace. It could then lead to more depression and an increased shift towards cheaper and more devastating vices.

Another thought is that many of Russia's alcoholics wouldn't be effected by taxes anyway; so long as they continue distilling their own liquor. That's where education and social programs would have to lesson the problem, but it would be over the course of generations.

Sadly, there seems to be no apparent "quick fix" to the problem. If any pharma company is looking to begin human trials of an anti-dependence medication, it looks like Russia is the place to start.

What do you think?

Cirrhosis Support Group Recommendation

On the Dirty Tractor Blog we try to stay light hearted and occasionally touch on emotional and sensitive issues surrounding liver disease. When it comes to dealing with a serious medical condition such as cirrhosis of the liver though, we recognize the definite need for more in-depth medical discussion and a variety of sources for information. This is why we’re glad an email came our way inviting us to take a look at an online Cirrhosis support group located on MDJunction.

The support group is made up of “a community of patients, family members and friends dedicated to dealing with Cirrhosis, together.” It carries articles, diaries and an impressive forum.

Upon review, I found the forum is unusually active for a medical group of this type and contains potent topics such as: "Dealing with the illness," "Fatigue with cirrhosis," “Ulcers on the antrum in stomach" and "Hepatic Encephlopathy." There is also plenty of discussion regarding how to cope with the disease for all affected parties.

If you’d like to check it out, visit http://www.mdjunction.com/cirrhosis, it’s even free to join.

A Dirty Tractor in Sin City

Every so often, people are put in situations where they are totally lost and out of place…

Dirty Tractor recently took a business trip to "sin city" itself; Las Vegas. We are a laid back group, enjoy the country and like to be outdoors as much as possible. On top of that, part of our mission is to make people aware of liver disease causes and effects. So, when in a city like this, the only phrase to describe what we felt was “culture shock.” The only other people that probably felt more out of place was a pair of Mennonites walking through the ‘Vegas airport.

However, one thing we don’t do is preach against people’s lifestyles. Even though we deal with late stage cirrhosis sufferers on a daily basis, we STILL don’t bash alcoholics, or anybody who drinks for that matter. Why? Well, we understand the reasoning behind why certain people drink more than others, the benefits of light drinking on occasion and even letting loose every once in a while. But in ‘Vegas, letting loose is a daily and nightly event – 24/7.

What saddened me the most on this recent trip was seeing men in wheelchairs and on oxygen playing the slots, 70 year old singles playing blackjack alone and young people passed out on the streets. I guess after dealing with end-of-life issues for a while in the “real world,” seeing people waste precious time in casinos and bars is hard for me to watch. Add in the constant noise and lights and it's almost unbearable after a while.

For those who follow Dirty Tractor on Twitter, you read how we spent the last night of our Las Vegas trip in a hotel room eating chicken noodle soup and looking forward to a flight home. Some may say we are boring and didn’t give the city a chance; we did – we walked the streets, toured the casinos, even sat at a couple bars – and realized after it all that making the most of life is feeling good about yourself and spending true quality time with your family.

I just don’t see that happening in Sin City. “Viva Las Vegas” for those who like it, we’ll be enjoying a cookout in the hills.

Losing a Friend

Knowing a little about alcohol induced liver disease and the symptoms people show as it gets worse, I've been worrying about one of my close friends.

Living a seemingly care-free, relaxed lifestyle his entire life, he's never hid the fact he likes his liquor. A few years ago a typical night would include a few drinks with dinner, a couple more at the local bar and about 6-8 more at home before bed. His personality was such that he would just brighten up a room if he had a few beers in him - laughing, joking and generally carrying on in the most lighthearted way. Doing this habitually over a few decades has begun to catch up with him though.

Last time I was at his house, after drinking two beers he was starting to slur his speech and get sleepy-eyed. If he were to have two more, I think he'd pass out on the spot. His liver just can't efficiently filter the alcohol out of his system anymore. He realizes it too, and obviously worried himself - usually when we talk now he asks a few questions about people I know who are suffering from cirrhosis - how they're doing, what their symptoms were and if there was any chance they'd ever recover.

It's sad to see my friend this way, but even after scaring himself over the fact he might not have much of his liver functioning anymore, he still continues to drink as much as he possibly can each night.

Some people may say "it's his own fault" or "he did it to himself;" while that may be true, words like that make the situation no easier to deal with. Watching someone you care about lose their health by their own hand is like watching a sandcastle get slowly and inevitably taken back by the sea. The same people that blurt out such inconsiderate things would say "maybe you shouldn't have built it so close to the waves." Well, maybe I liked it there - and maybe I liked my friend the way he was.

Deer Curious about Liquor Store

Found this photo today. Haven't thought of a creative caption, but think it's funny nevertheless:

Six Year Old Beats Liver Disease

I just read a great success story of a young boy in the UK who was diagnosed with was diagnosed with the liver disease Biliary Atresia Type III. The child, named Ben, was just 4 years old when he underwent a liver transplant.

After receiving a new liver, tests were done on the original with the results coming back as positive for cancerous cells in the removed organ. Now at age 6, he is both strong and healthy - a real testament to the countless operations he as already gone through in his short life.

Ben's Mom said "He is my hero. He just gets on with it. He is always very matter of fact about it." She added "We're trying to raise awareness even with GPs, (General Practitioners) who won't necessarily know about the disease. It's an extremely specialist subject."

From the story which can be accessed here, these are some startling bullet points on liver disease:

• 2 children are diagnosed with a liver disease each day.
• Currently more children have a liver disease than childhood leukemia.
• There are more than 100 forms of liver disease and most are life-threatening.
• In most cases doctors do not know the cause or have a cure.

Is Hospital Staff Incompetent or Just Stretched Too Thin?

After a recent incident at a hospital concerning a family member, I can’t help but wondering what the state of our healthcare system will be in a few years…

A loved one we recently wrote about on the Dirty Tractor Blog was suppose to be recovering nicely from surgery, when all hell broke loose in the middle of the night a few days ago. As we slept peacefully at home, our family member bled profusely throughout the overnight hours. The hospital staff called a single surgeon, who without looking at the patient, said they are doing fine and the bleeding was a normal part of recovery. No family member was called about a possible problem.

The first issue I have a problem with is the surgeon the night-shift nurses called was the one who performed the procedure – of course he’ll say everything is fine, he doesn’t want to face the fact that an operation he performed might be not be correct (and besides that, there is an ego and reputation to uphold).

On top of the wrong professional getting the one and only phone call about the situation, family members should be notified if a loved one is in severe distress. In and out of consciousness, the patient was alone, helpless and could do no more than lie in a pool of their own blood and fluid. I was under the impression that normal hospital protocol dictates a family member must be called in a life or death situation.

Convinced everything must be OK, and not thinking much harder about the event, the RNs, CNAs, LPNs and other staff continued on with their work, doing no more than changing a soaked and dripping bandage every once in a while.

When visitors eventually arrived in the morning, they stumbled upon a horrific scene, which would traumatize anyone not familiar with hospital life. Upon hearing the screams and becoming aware of the dire situation, the patient’s roommate apologized repeatedly – wishing he had known what was happening so he could at least have tried to help.

Only then, when visitors arrived, the staff finally began to pay serious attention to the patient, ultimately keeping them from bleeding to death. Suddenly doctors were called and a swarm of healthcare professionals rushed into the room to address what happened during the night.

What was the staff doing all night long? Why would a patient be neglected during their most critical hours?

The answer, I believe, is not incompetence or apathy – it is a matter of understaffed shifts and overworked employees – a crucial health issue just beginning to show its effect, with no improvement or solution in sight.

In the U.S., it’s no secret there’s a nationwide shortage of nurses. But the lack of manpower (or nursepower) is not the only cause of hospitals with too few professionals for the beds they have filled. The squeeze of heavy malpractice insurance coverage and revised Medicare/Medicaid regulations on hospitals and doctor’s offices bottom line was already being felt before the economy took a dive. Now, treating uninsured patients and/or people who simply can’t afford to pay their post-care bills is causing facilities to take a hard look at what parts of their business they can squeeze some profit out of; or in some cases, at least break even. Most unfortunately, in some facilities the amount of nurses on shifts is being looked at, as are as CNA/LPN support and specialty areas such as IV teams. All this leads to even more work and responsibility for the few remaining staff on a floor.

What does the future hold?

Sadly, the economic downturn is not helping anyone get degrees in the healthcare field. What was a bad situation with the shortage of nurses will surely get worse when nursing schools see a drop in enrollment. And as far as people paying their bills or getting insured? Well it will be a few years before the unemployed become employed. To top it all off – and this is the biggie – right about now is when the gigantic population of baby boomers starts to need healthcare in a big way, putting an enormous strain on a system already in distress.

As of now, my family member has been stabilized (again) and might make that full recovery we thought would happen. Even though things got bad, they would have been a lot worse if this all would have happened 10 years from now.

Something needs to change.

How can Some People Recover Repeatedly?

Some people seem to take hit after hit and keep coming back for more. They usually end up like the Grandpa (pictured) in the movie Grumpier Old Men:

Grandpa: Well let me tell you something now, Johnny. Last Thursday, I turned 95 years old. And I never exercised a day in my life. Every morning, I wake up, and I smoke a cigarette. And then I eat five strips of bacon. And for lunch, I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack?
John: Bacon.
Grandpa: Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. Now according to all of them flat-belly experts, I should've took a dirt nap like thirty years ago. But each year comes and goes, and I'm still here. Ha! And they keep dyin'.

I always thought it would be funny if John (Jack Lemmon) said back to Grandpa (Burgess Meredith): “That’s ‘cause you were the trainer in the Rocky movies!”

In any case, a few days ago I wrote an entry about a family member that ended up in surgery over the weekend. That person is still in the hospital, but now expected to make a full recovery from something that should have killed him years ago. This guy has been near death in a hospital bed so many times, and he always makes it through to laugh another day. Everyone was amazed he had lived so long with this particular problem going undetected – the pain should have been excruciating.

Which leads me to wonder, do the same people who have an extremely high tolerance for pain also the ones who seem to pull through multiple major health events repeatedly? The kind of events that would otherwise kill the average person? Is their pain threshold so high they keep surviving when other people's bodies couldn’t take it anymore?

I realize there is no real easy answer to the question, but the whole past week has got me thinking.

I actually know a few other older people who, by doctor’s opinions, should have been gone already. At this time I can only admire these elders and hope one day I’ll be the one eating the bacon laughing at the experts who said I shouldn’t have lasted through it all.

Waiting on News from the Hospital

There are many types of phone calls I dread receiving. This Valentine’s Day, I got one which ranks among the top calls I’d rather not get.

After taking my wife out to dinner at her favorite Italian place, my cell rang. The person calling knew it was Valentine’s Day and we’d be out for the night, so right away it was obvious something was wrong. When the voice on the other ended sounded frantic, I knew something was VERY wrong. Unfortunately, a loved one was admitted to the emergency room with extreme internal abdomen pain, but with no outward symptoms.

I think ER staff is trained to triage in their first college course. What really messes up their groove is when someone walks in with a mystery pain and not bleeding from anywhere. No broken bones? No blood? No sickness? No chest pain? Their diagnosis might as well be a big question mark on a chart with a recommendation for transfer to any other floor with an open bed.

On a good note, luckily, the family member in agony did not have to remain in the waiting room too long; it was practically empty. Apparently it was too cold outside that night for people to be out doing anything stupid and going to the emergency room.

This is where the tough part begins though – the waiting for any type of news from the hospital staff. When a patient’s pain is not easily diagnosed, a string of doctors, nurses and specialists run a myriad of tests. Each professional has their own schedule and each test’s results take time to read, all accumulating to an eternity of waiting for an answer and next course of action.

In my case, I was not able to be bedside, so to deal with the waiting and stress I had to preoccupy myself. Since I was worn out from worrying so much, the first thing I did was sleep for 12 hours. Upon waking, I then

• Cleaned the kitchen


• Alphabetized a DVD collection


• Moved archived files onto a new computer


• Installed 6 pieces of software


• Cleaned my porch


• Brushed a very large dog who sheds excessively


• Ate almost all the ice cream in the house

By this time, I finally got another phone call to the effect of “they still don’t know what’s wrong; they’re calling in two surgeons.”

When hearing news of multiple surgeons opening up a loved one, many people have different reactions. Some may cry, others may pray, me – well, I was hungry for more ice cream.

At this point, the situation reminds me of taking apart a car’s entire engine to find out what the squeak is under the hood. I just hope when the mechanics all get in there they find the source of the problem.

…and I’m still waiting for another call from the hospital…

Economy Got You Thinking About Drinking?

Truth is, you’re not alone. Historically, when economies take a turn for the worse, sales of alcohol, cigarettes and guns increase. I know for a fact gun shops are packed (I waited on line in a few to be told items were out of stock or simply unavailable), I haven’t seen this many people smoking since the 80’s, and alcohol consumption reports are projected to show a ninth year of steady increase.

There is not a place in the developed world that you can hide from bad news on the economy. From downtown Manhattan to the bayous of Louisiana, people are talking about job losses, corporations collapsing and federal bailouts. The common saying nowadays around average people is “where’s my bailout?” The question may end up being awarded the catch phrase of 2009.

Americans most likely won’t see any sort of personal bailout; last I read, we may get tax cuts equaling around $500 per family for the year. All I can say is whoopity-doo; how’s a few dollars less taken out of each paycheck going to help me or the economy – if the company I work for crumbles and I don’t have a job?!

I personally am getting tired of hearing people talk about losing 40-50% of their 401Ks, or their investment portfolio tanking, or “my stock broker can’t guarantee returns anymore.” Like many of you, we were never able to have those things in the first place.

The people of Dirty Tractor have a saying which helps us feel a little better about the whole mess: “I’m surviving the economic meltdown… all I have to lose is debt anyway.”

And that, my friends, is also the truth.


Photo: The newest shirt at the Dirty Tractor apparel shop.

New Book Contains a Collection of Addiction Stories

A new book called "Moments of Clarity" has just been released containing a collection of stories about the "harrowing life of addiction." It was featured recently on ABC News and has stories from both famous and everyday people who have tales to tell about their fight with drugs and alcohol.

The compilation was headed by Christopher Kennedy Lawford - a member of the Kennedy family. We try to keep politics aside on the Dirty Tractor Blog, so FYI - the Kennedy name has nothing to do with us mentioning the book.

What's important is the stories within and how they can help others with their addiction issues. The effort seems genuine.

An excerpt from the summary story on ABC News:

I thought, "This is bad. This is as bad as it can get." What I felt was just a little bit darker than what I'd felt the day before, but that little bit was enough to finally put me over the edge. I knew I could not exist anymore in that state. I had to either die or change, and I didn't have a gun to put in my mouth, so I had to change, and the only way I could change was to surrender. So I did. I said, to what ever was out there, "You know what? I give up. I absolutely, unequivocally give up. I'm not talking about, 'I give up so I can fight another day.' What ever you want me to do, I'll do it." And I realize now, that was it. That was the opening through which grace entered my life.

The book itself is featured on a Harper Collins Publishers page, and for a video clip from ABC News, click here.

It seems like it should be a good read.

Family, Holidays and Boilermakers

“Fish & visitors stink in 3 days.” –Benjamin Franklin

With the major holiday season now over, we all have a little more time to reflect on what it was that just happened. Sitting in a room filled with already broken toys, a 8 foot tall dead Christmas tree and burned out yankee candles, it occurred to me once again that the holidays cause more stress than what they are worth.

This year I had made a whole-hearted effort to drink less than the previous years, and the plan was going along just fine… until the thought of family coming over pushed me back to a regimen of eggnogs and beer - holiday boilermakers, if you will.

Normally dealing with family is stressful enough, but add in the extraordinary cooking of traditional meals, the decorations all being in the perfect spot, the house smelling of northern pine (rather than burnt cookies), it’s difficult to cope. Many family members you only see once a year during the holidays, so you have to figure out what it was you did of importance over the past 12 months so you can sound like you’ve got things all figured out.

Unfortunately this year, when it came time to talk about all the great things I did since I saw the family last, all I could think of was “do we have enough eggnog left to get me through the night?” Truth is, I know I did a few great things over the past year, but because I drank a little too much the family probably thought I was a flake again and slightly aloof.

Stress and holidays… It has finally hit me what happened this season – I allowed circumstances beyond my control get the better of me again.

We can’t make everyone enjoy the decorations we have up, or like the food we serve; in fact we can’t even force them to have civilized conversation with each other. Why year after year after year should this be so stressful? You can’t control other people (especially adults) whatsoever – but we can control ourselves, and in doing so keep from feeling bad about breaking a promise to yourself… and making another new year’s resolution to "cool it" on the alcohol.

I think I’ll go pack up the decorations now with little reminder notes that say “it’s my house and if they don’t like how I do things, then they don’t have to come over… PS: stay away from holiday boilermakers – they think you’re a flake.”