Newly diagnosed

[Stevie_A]

Hi,

first post here and just feeling a little overwhelmed after being diagnosed with liver cirrhosis only a couple of weeks ago - following an ultrasound scan and some bloods a month or two ago. I've been very overweight for a long time, don't take any alcohol, and last year diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I suppose I'm just reaching out here. I suppose I'm just shellshocked as the liver cirhossis wasn't even on my mind and I hadn't associated the peripheral odema I experience with it.

Just looking for a bit of reassurance I guess

Thanks

[AyrshireK]

Hi Stevie, sorry to hear of your diagnosis, it's always a shock when you are first diagnosed. My hubby was diagnosed completely out of the blue - he ended up with decompensated symptoms before we even knew he was poorly. In his case his diagnosis is due to Auto-Immune Hepatitis.

Have they given you a cause for your cirrhosis? Type 2 diabetes and being very over weight probably points to Non Alcohol Related Fatty Liver (NAFLD) and perhaps its associated more aggressive form Non Alcoholic Steato Hepatitis (NASH).

All is not lost, even cirrhosis can be reversed to a degree if you can tackle the underlying cause of the liver damage. It is possible to slow the progression.

If NAFLD or NASH has been mentioned then the BLT has excellent resources about this condition.

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Without terrifying yourself it is best to learn about cirrhosis and it's many symptoms so that you are aware of what to look out for.

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

The BLT also has a good page with a patient charter which will help you see what care you are entitled to etc. britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...

The pages about living with liver disease are also superb. britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Any further questions or for further support then ask away, always someone here.

Katie

[Stevie_A in reply to AyrshireK]

Hi Katie

thanks so much for your kind and informative response, and yeah I think the route to cirrhosis for me is via NAFLD. I've had a good look through the BLT site and yeah pretty terrifying if read with negative specs on, but I'm trying to be sensible and keep things stable, particularly with regard to being able to continue to work. I work full time, do shift work, it's not physical work but it's tiring and I very much need to be able to do it financially. At the moment the only really recognisable symptom I have is odema in my legs which I control with compression socks and furosemide already.

Hoping to be Mr Sensible with diet and get the weight off, I am guessing that is as much as I can do.

[AyrshireK in reply to Stevie_A]

If you can exercise, shift some weight, follow a low salt diet and look after yourself you might make significant improvements. My hubby was diagnosed in April 2012, bleeding from varices and literally at deaths door. He was listed for transplant in June 2014 but delisted after 10 months as his liver became well compensated and stable and January 2021 still doing 'ok ' in the grand scheme of things. Sadly he can't work any more as he was a welder in heavy engineering so various aspects of his condition make this out of the question and he struggles with new information, concentration and fatigue so retraining isn't really possible but it's not all doom and gloom. On a snowy but sunny Ayrshire day he has got his rucksack on this morning and trotted out to do a 9 mile walk round local lanes - he'll be knackered after it but his mood will be enhanced no end and he'll feel he's achieved something plus the longer he can stay fit the better.

All the best to you, Katie.

[Stevie_A in reply to AyrshireK]

You've helped more than you can know Katie, thank you so much