I finally have some good news that I hope one or two other people might hopefully find useful and even encouraging in some way.
Following lots and lots of further scans and tests in x-rays during the last couple of months, and after a recent kind of 'summing up' appointment with my GP, I've now been told that my liver is now virtually clear of fat after being diagnosed with fatty liver disease around this time 5 years ago.
There's genuinely no attempt to 'show off' in anything being reported here, as I can be the weakest willed and most easily 'temptable' of all souls, but I report them because the results are absolute proof that our livers are only too willing to respond if we just give them a bit of chance - which in my case was to drastically cut down on the booze and to work hard to improve my diet, and renew my commitment to a very regular exercise programme, which, again, is my case means to go running several times a week on an ever increasing programme of new distances and times.
The work hasn't been without any personal cost, but the alternative is unthinkable, and at 64 years old - and therefore at a time when we can so easily just go downhill for good - those costs are now feeling negligible given the value of their returns.
The pains, or more accurately; the 'discomforts' that I was having in my upper abdomen and chest, have been diagnosed as a kind of gastric infection which is happily now responding to treatment.
The last thing I intend to do now is to slope off and leave the group as I've made too many online friends here and have been helped far, far too much to do that, anyway, so I'll still be 'lurking' round and seeing if there's anyone I think I might be able to help in ant way. And anyway, this site and all its members is just a really 'safe' place to be, and stacked with really decent people who feel like real friends...
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Written by
Kellan38
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Being in the process of losing a bit of weight myself at the moment I can certainly vouch for the will power needed to change those habits. Not an easy task at all.
It's certainly not easy at all to tame a rampant will, but the system I devised which actually worked for me was to teach myself that the best way to lose weight is to lose weight, the best way to stop drinking is to stop drinking, and the best way to improve your diet is to improve your diet.
That might be seen as to fly in the face of all the problems we have in persuading ourselves to actually do what we want to do, but when I temporarily 'removed' my will from the equation ie from the current problem, I found the rest followed pretty easily.
An example of this is to counter the internal dialogue that pleads with me to skip any particular run by telling me either that it's "too cold" or "too wet" or that I'm "too tired after a hard day at work" by talking back politely to it and saying, "I understand what you're saying, and I agree with you in some ways,. I'm certainly not ignoring you, but I'm a little busy now because I'm going out for a run, but if you still want to talk about it when I get back, we can certainly discuss it then".
And dim as I am and as stupid as I am (I cite the evidence if the previous rest of my life as an example of that one), I find the approach almost works almost perfectly for me.
I too have a fatty liver and am trying to emulate what you have done and posts/stories like this let me know that the work and dieting etc produces results and is worth it.
Running is a much, much better buzz than alcohol, too - and it never gives you a nasty hangover, either! It sometimes hurts a bit, but always offers full compensation packages for anyone who suffers in any way...
After all the anxious times you have suffered over the last however many months, I am sure you will be able to be more help to others than you realise. There are many people on here who come for reassurance, presenting with many of the symptoms that you asked about and now that you understand this process of worry and have managed to resolve it successfully, you are in a very good place to be able to reassure and help others.
I am glad that you finally have a great resolution to all of this and am sure that others will benefit from your experience and nice way of explaining things. All the very best to you.
Wow Graham! I think that's one of the nicest replies I've ever heard. Thank- you for your kind words. I know my responses aren't as warm and cuddly ( no disrespect meant to other posters) as others ' but I feel more comfortable relaying facts from my own experience, so I try to help in my own way.
Your reply to me just confirms what I already said- you will be of immense help to many others and it is great that you have decided to stick around. The board benefits from the different styles of posters.
The main thing is remembering that it was my fault that I got fatty liver disease in the first place, and knowing I never want to go back there again. In that sense, it never ends, but that’s the same, I suppose for all of us.
Regards
Graham
Thanks SO much for this positive and supportive post and for sharing your story! If you would like to share it with our media department so it could potentially help others please send me a PM.
So happy to hear that you've done so well - positive outcomes are such an uplift! Do you mind sharing what the name of the gastric infection was, for others who might want to be tested for it and avoid the stress of wondering about liver damage with abdominal pain?
In all honesty, I was so pleased when the doctor said my liver was completely fine that I’ve totally forgotten the actual name of the condition that he said had been causing the discomfort,
I’ll access my online notes in the next couple of days and get something back to you once I’ve had a good look at those.
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Just some food for thought, and sharing some news
Good news from the consultant
Good news
News At Last Ultrasound,
Really scared & looking for some advice :(
