Why it pays not to panic

[Whyt]

My short story

I had an annual medical in Sep21 and highlighted some minor nausea and skin itching, which led to them doing full bloods

The results were a horror story....all off the charts but especially Iron

Referred to heptologist and haematoligist.

After much testing, bloods reverted to almost normal by Oct 21 but ultrasound showed much swelling

Oct21 fibroscan was 15.1. Chirrhotic reading was the doctors comment first

Repeated in Nov21 as I had drunk coffee pre the first Fibroscan (wasnt informed of protocol) and came in 10.1

Since Sep21 I have been totally abstinent, returned to v healthy diet (except a chocolate craving that came from abstinence...is this normal?), gone to the gym and trained hard daily, drunk lots of coffee and taken lots of supplements

Fibroscan yesterday (6m into the saga) 7.7 (sub 7 is top of normal range)

(Private one £95 and highly recommended)

I had been a daily drinker for 35 years, beer and wine and very rarely more then 10 units in any day, but things ramped up in the 3m before my issues

First ... post covid holidays, we all drink more on holiday Im sure...and every day

It might not sound an alarming level but a pint at lunch, a pint before dinner and sharing a bottle of wine with your partner over dinner is 70 units a week

Then in my case a family health issue saw me drink like crazy for 2-3 weeks

What appears to have happened is to large degree inflammation and that is reversing

I consider myself very lucky to have been given a warning at a point before it became too late and the seesaw tipped the other way and led to severe permanent damage.

I hope this gives some help and hope to others who are scared as they follow the same path. For those not so fortunate please see my prior posts....the medical world

will bring you help shortly I believe

My plan now is to keep up all the good stuff, however I am going to allow myself

very restricted and controlled drinking, which some may question, however I'm very disciplined (and stubborn) and have learnt much from this scare and ordeal

I'm off to get married in Turkey next week and will definitely stick to beer not Raki!!

[Janden12]

Hi Whyt congratulations on your wedding next week glad to hear your story gives me hope as I’m still waiting my results my Fibroscan reading was 8.6 then 14kpa can I ask where you had your private Fibroscan only that’s a good price.

[Hidden]

Hi Whyt

Congratulations on making some key lifestyle changes to improve your liver health.

As a UK charity we cannot promote private clinics on our forum so I have deleted the link you posted.

Many thanks.

[Positive001]

Hi Whyt. While l am thrilled with the progress you are making, you mention you are taking lots of suppliments. Unless they are prescribed by your doc/ specialist, you really should avoid taking any which you may have bought on line or over the counter as they can further damage your liver. This is because the liver has to work much harder to process them at a time when it needs rest to help it heal. You really don't want to overload your body with things it just doesn't need.Any suppliment which claims it is a "liver cleanser" is nothing more than an expensive rip of.

So stay off the alcohol and continue to eat healthily and exercise daily and your health will continue to improve.

All the very best.

[Whyt in reply to Positive001]

Thank you

[idyllic420]

Very inspiring post but please don; drink again. It's a slippery road!