I don’t post a lot on here but read often. I need some help please. I have fibrosis. I’m concerned with my results. I haven’t drank alcohol for 17 months now and have been having Elf and ultrasound tests every six months. I had result where my Elf score went from 10.1 to 9.1 which I was pleased about, but then it went up yo 10.1 again . I do not understand why, could it be that in that six month period between the last two tests the score had risen again because I was eating about eight chocolate ice creams a week and a 360g bar of milk chocolate a week plus a lot of porridge with honey in it?
My doctor has now said he will not be repeating these tests for two years now, but a lot can happen in two years and I need to know if my diet is affecting the results. If I don’t have these tests six monthly how will I know? I’m feeling very anxious now, can I insist that my doctor will do as I ask.
Thank you
Tania
Written by
kippy2
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The layman way that was taught to me was, the body turns food into glucose to use as energy or store as fat. The glucose comes in two forms, simple and complex.
Complex is foods that need longer to break down and digest... so the glucose is absorbed slowly.
Simple, is things like chocolate, sweets, cake, ice cream, white flour products and.... sugar.
If you want to lower your score, you should not diet, but eat more healthily, replace chocolate with fruit, replace honey in porridge with berries (porridge is excellent as a slow release food). Try to cut out all sugar. There are diabetic ice creams for sale in most supermarkets and I can tell you they are delicious .
The positive you should take from all this, is that your doctor considers your results over the last few years as being so good/ stable that you do not need to be tested for 2 years... that is great news. Your anxiety will tell you it is not, it will try to panic you, telling you that you must see a doctor sooner or something will go wrong, but, you can learn to suppress that anxiety.
I could not cope because anxiety would leave me frozen in place unable to focus on anything else apart from the fear it was generating. I took counselling, I felt I didn't want or need counselling, (I really needed counselling) that was probably my anxiety trying to stop me getting well.
Depression, anxiety and stress like many other mental health issues are extremely serious . I cannot overstate the importance of a healthy mind and its effect on getting a body healthy. Having a strong healthy mind will help you beat anxiety AND ELF issues.
If you take a little time and read some of the inspiring stories on here, some people have been to hell and back, anyone can get there, but only those with a determination and fortitude that comes from having a strong healthy mind, can make it back. (Sometimes it is the partner/ relative that needs to have that powerful drive to get their loved one healthy regardless of time and effort).
I wish you well and hope you can get your ELF score and anxiety lower. Do not be afraid to reach out and call someone.
Thank you DavyGravy, I appreciate your help. I have such a sweet tooth since I stopped alcohol, and was hoping the choccie etc wasn’t going to make the fibrosis worse, other than that I do eat a lot of salad and jacket potato, drink coffee with skimmed milk, and did lose 2.5 stone.
2.5 stone wow that is amazing, I'm trying to lose a stone, I drop 8 then put on 4 then drop 6 and put it back on. So you definitely have some will power (more than me 😁) . But yes, chocolate and ice cream can be absorbed fast as fat. I eat sugar free biscuits as a treat which are great but I only eat an occasional chocolate if I find one that the grandchildren have left behind.
The odd treat is not a problem. My problem is making myself walk on my days off work. But I still go but not as far as I should.
Coffee is good for the liver, well done on the weight loss I am jealous 🙂
Always, yeah right... haha 😂. I've got mi tunes in my ears and taking my sister's dog for a walk. Enjoy it when it's cold and I'm all wrapped up (snowboarding jacket) 😎
I had a major sweet tooth when I stopped drinking. I even ordered Galaxy bars and had them shipped here. Shipping was $99 but man were they delicious. They were all supposed to be for my wifes birthday but I hid half for me. LOL
I was wondering if it was just me...but I have developed a sweet tooth after giving up booze too. Normally I could go months without chocolate....now I crave it after every meal...its more addictive than the booze!!
I did too, I was eating cakes and biscuits - I have never been one for biscuits (though even the ones I didn't like I found were much better after being dunked in tea!!!) Morrison's do amazing gateau's but I moved out of Morrison's delivery range, dammit. That all had to go when I got this diagnosis though. (fibrosis too)
Hello Tania, try not to stress about it too much. As Dave said eating healthier is the key. I'm not going to lie to you, I was eating reeses ice cream for a few months knowing I was going to the specialist in 4 months for additional testing that would result in my diagnosis. Me eating like crap for a few months could have raised my KPA. Either way though I'm pretty sure I already had Cirrhosis.
You would be surprised how tasty fruit smoothies are with mixed berries and a bananna in it. Make it yourself don't buy the smoothie because they add sugar and everything else to it. I'm finding the better I eat the better I feel. Too bad it took me getting this disease to realize that. Keep your chin up, meet with a dietician and stick to a healthy diet.
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