Going through another phaze

[FazeFour]

Damn the prep is the worst part, First 2 times I had one I used MoviPrep, not great but not as bad as my 3rd test on Dec 2, '15, my Vantage plan had changed & they no longer covered MoviPrep. I can't even remember what it was but I had to drink twice as much mix & never reached perfection. Cheaper, nasty tasting. I was told on the follow up final call that based upon my age (70), blood results & test results I never had to take another one, but in Feb '16 when I went to the oncologist he changed all that. Since it was colon cancer in '11 he wanted one more at age 75. Me & my big mouth.

My ALT/AST counts were also going up indicating liver problems, I got up to 78, I had read about pain relievers with Acetaminophen could affect those counts, I queried my oncologist in Nov '14 about the connection. He agreed that I should stop taking Tylenol & take one 81 mg aspirin, I was on two extra strength Tylenol nightly. I quit them & subsequently started drinking apple cider vinegar (Braggs, unfiltered w/mother) for my diabetes, my last blood test (Feb '16) showed my ALT/AST + everything else was normal (the counts were down to 13/17 low end of normal). I'm not recommending it for you but it possibly helped reduce my counts. I know my oncologist was damned happy.

Sorry about your back pain, I had polio age 9 that left me with curvature of the spine in my lower lumbar region. I have 3 bulging disks & stenosis, pain & numbness in my lower legs. World renown Orthopedic surgeon at the University of Utah hospital said with the curvature he wouldn't recommend fusing or surgery, but that was 25 years ago.

SoP - There's a lot of good information in your post that is very pertinent to the medical issues I'm experiencing. Thank you.

Three years ago I had blood work done and my ALT/AST numbers were high/low, respectively. That was the first indication of a liver problem. It is so enlarged now it's actually causing a visible bulge. Currently I've also been diagnosed with liver fibrosis. A biopsy will help determine the severity, and it's required if I'm going to participate in the trials.

You've mentioned the vinegar on other threads. I got some, but not the brand you mentioned here. I'll get the right stuff next shopping trip. I'm hoping it will help control my GERD symptoms as well.

Some very cool advancements are being made regarding spinal surgery. There's a real nifty cervical spine implant that affords awesomely natural movement. Nothing like it for the back yet. I want to wait at least a few more years or so before I agree to back surgery as, even with advancements, success rates (reduced pain plus increased mobility) are still hovering at just above 50%. Meantime, the injections (ESI) are helping immensely to relieve pain but only as long as I limit my physical activities.