I'm new and scared

I'm 28f and have just been diagnosed with cirrhosis that has progressed from non-alcohol fatty liver disease. I'm very scared of how this is going to impact my life. I am also itching like crazy atm.

[Hidden]

Hi Brodysbiggerboat and welcome to this friendly forum. I'll attach some links which may be useful for you to read.

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

I hope that you have been referred to a liver specialist for management of your cirrhosis - you should have six monthly appointments to monitor you.

Hopefully you shall find this forum supportive - I'll also attach the link to our support groups

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

If it would be helpful to talk through your worries and you are in the UK, our nurse led helpline is open from Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm on 0800 652 7330.

Warmest wishes

Trust10

[Positive001]

Hi brodysbiggerboat ( l am delighted he finally got one !) So first of all don't panic. There are many people here who are living a perfectly full life despite the symptoms cirrhosis can chuck at them. Basically you have to manage it, be aware of symptoms and act accordingly as stated on the liver trust website and the guidance of your doctor. Also generally take care of yourself by eating healthily, plenty of protein but reduce your salt and sugar intake ( also laid out on the website) and regular daily exercise to prevent muscle loss and keep yourself fit. You may also feel very down having just been diagnosed with this complex disease so walk regularly in fresh air which will help to lift you out of a mental low. I am sure Katie will be along soon as her husband is testament as to how much walking and cycling works for him. He does hundreds of miles and would even put some the fittest and healthiest folk to shame. So all is not lost.

Avoid googling at all costs, stick to the NHS sites and the British liver trust for the best info and of course this forum for support and advice.

All the best to you.

Laura

[pushthrough]

Brody, I agree with everything Positive001 said. And Katie is awesome! I'm fairly new to this as well and was diagnosed in December after several months of testing. This place helped lift my spirits and I am symptom free. I want to reiterate, do not Google anything. They give the worse case scenarios. Do exercise, and stay away from salt, sugar and high fat foods. Try to get in to see a dietician, that's what I was required to do in the States. All is not lost and you can live a very long time with this as long as you take care of yourself.

[Onesmallstep1969]

If you take care of yourself, you are more likely to die with cirrhosis than from cirrhosis. Taking care of yourself means taking care of yourself mentally and physically. On the mental care side, just know the truth: cirrhosis is a dynamic, not a static disease. It can get worse. Or, it can get better. All doctors who keep up with the research on cirrhosis that has been conducted since the 1970's and 1980's know this fact: cirrhosis can be regressed, and in some cases, reversed.

Keep a journal of your progress. Listen to your favorite music. Dance.

On the physical side, drink coffee. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits of different colors. Avoid salt and added sugar. In early cirrhosis, avoid extra fat. If the cirrhosis is at a later stage (where you're losing muscle), your doctor might advise eating lean meats such as chicken or fish.

Yes, do walk outside every day to get fresh air.

Believe more in yourself than anyone else. If your doctor doesn't believe you can recover, then that's their opinion. You just keep drinking coffee and eating correctly. Give your body a chance to heal. Your liver is a remarkable organ. It can actually repair itself. Mine did. So did the livers of other people on this site (look up the story of one of the administrators, Nash2. Your liver only needs you to stop injuring it. And at this stage, it needs you to give it extra help.

[Lucy5 in reply to Onesmallstep1969]

My husband passed away with cirrhosis but it was not the cirrhosis that took his life-He developed an infection which he could not fight as he was so weakened by the cirrhosis-Point being listen to your body -Get regular physicals from your GP-My husband had very good specialist (Hepatologist)for his cirrhosis but they were only concerned with the cirrhosis and did not get busy to treat the rectal ulcer he had developed-It became infected and he died within weeks

as the infection got into his bloodstream and he developed sepsis-Unfortunately it was during the throws of COVID which made it much worse for getting appropriate treatment -The sepsis which he came down with could have been prevented I feel-See your Dr for any and every illness you develop-( stomach virus,

cough,cold ,flu, ect-)My husband was managing the cirrhosis fairly well until he became ill with this other illness -Your immune system may

be

compromised by the cirrhosis-Take care of yourself and take the advice of others who are going through this-There is also a support group on Facebook-Good luck to you with this challenge-My husband was also older and unable to be considered for liver transplant which is also an option-

[Zukosmile07]

A 28 year old that likes jaw's. Wow what about the sharp teeth? Stick with Laura's advice. Healthy diet and exercise helps. Make sure that there are no other issues it also can be caused with blood disorders. Make sure you listen to your consultant and have as many scans/tests as possible to dismiss any other underlying problems. It's not always your diet. That can escalate something underlying.

All the best. One of my favourite films by the way. Danny x

PS, (nothing to do with liver disease it's a quote from the film) Helen Brody.... "Wonna get drunk and fool around" Martyn Brody.... "hell yeah" appropriate for this site.... not!

[Marydel63 in reply to Zukosmile07]

“You got city hands Mr. Hooper, yah been counting your money your whole life”

[Zukosmile07 in reply to Marydel63]

"Smile you son of a bitch"....... hahahaha 😂

[4567tel]

Hi Brady welcome to the site you will people who are really good so ANY THING that you want to chat about not only can you chat to the nurse’s but also blogs here. Sorry to hear about the itching it’s. bloody awful best thing is talk to your GP. Don’t worry about a lot of the terminology you can across too if you are really worried then talk to the nurses at British Liver Trust you have the link I’m suffering from chronic non treatable fatty liver and have told it is terminal but that’s me look don’t be too worried your young and there is plenty of time for you so chin up stare it in the face and accept the challenge of this disease and beat it regards Terry

[sunrise20]

Hi It is a shock to be told that there are issues with your liver, I'm not going to lie.

Mine was picked up as an incidental finding when I was scanned for something else . Went to have a fibroscan and was told I was stage 4 cirrhosis but compensated.

I cried for 2 days but luckily I work in the NHS and saw a lovely hepatologist who I work with on a professional level as well sat down and he was fantastic. I blubber and cried and then felt daft for doing it 🤣As someone else has said you may well die with cirrosis rather than of...

And also read all the info on this site. It is useful and practical as well

I'm 2 years down the line and feel much more at ease with the condition which is from NAFLD .

Remember look after yourself and a step at a time and remember it's OK to feel tired at times and try not to be superwoman xxx

[Zukosmile07 in reply to sunrise20]

Hi sunrise... I can't believe someone told you that you was going to die. I had a shocking, similar statement but mine was true (different story). I'm glad you are doing good, I'm glad we all stick together because we all have/had to deal with cirrhosis. This is a learning curve for people who have just been diagnosed and us as a team let them know that we are here for them.All the best Danny x 😀.

[Marydel63]

It is scary, very scary, knowledge is power. I was diagnosed 2016 same boat as you but much older. But in my 20’s I had fatty liver.

I am also aJAWs fanatic. Like I love it!!

[Hidden]

Thank you everyone for your comforting words and advice. I'm glad I found this website. I am still struggling to take it all in, and have just been referred for a biopsy. I've never had any type of biopsy before so don't really know what to expect. The itching is persisting, my mood is up and down and I'm very very tired. Thank you all for your support, it means a lot.

[Positive001]

All the very best to you. Take care of yourself x