After Fibroscan

[Nip1]

I have been diagnosed with cirrhosis 12 months ago and have been abstinent with alcohol and cigarettes from then on. I have being referred to a dietitian and lost over 1 and a half stone through diet and exercise. I am worried about getting complications even if I continue with abstinence and eating healthy and exercising regularly. Can I still live a normal life .

[mtk0925]

Great job on sobriety and staying away from alcohol. I do not have cirrhosis but I’ve read on here and I’ve seen in the field of work that I do that you can absolutely live a normal life with cirrhosis. Best of luck

[Chris-harris]

I was diagnosed with cirrhosis 5 yesrs ago, 6 week stay in hospital, lost 7 stone, varicies and child pugh C (not good)My appetite came back and i the dietitian told me to eat lots and not to worry about what, this was to build myself back up.

Now i have regained 4 of the lost 7 (i was a bit of a fatty so didn't need to put it all back on). i used to struggle to walk a100 yards and constantly felt sick, now i can walk endlessly.

I struggled with work and had awful lows, felt i was useless and i was embarrassed by what id done to myself, now i love wotk, im out and about all the time and am not embarrassed one bit, it was / is an illness.

So, in amswer to your question YES, you can and will live a normal life. One thing i would recommend though is stay clear of google for any answers / worries you have, it will always lead you down the path of dread and doom. If you have any concerns ask on here

It gets better!

Chris

[Nip1 in reply to Chris-harris]

Thanks Chris for your reply. I was always looking on Doctor Google and you're right, I was feeling worse everytime I got answers from it and it put me on a downer. I was told after having my scan to register with The British Liver Trust and can honestly say that I have had a couple of great confidence boosters in response to my post. I do about 4 to 5 miles a day walking myself and do strength exercises 2 to 3 times a week and lost nearly 2 and a half stone. I feel better in myself now and will make it my goal to keep going.

Thanks again for the reply and best of luck to you

[Rossella81]

hi, try not to wrap your head around white “if’s” otherwise it’s difficult to live a decent life. When and if ( for real ) you will think about it 😇😊 ! Good luck

[Nip1 in reply to Rossella81]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I'm going to think positive from now on, because, like you say worrying will just make everything worse in the end

[Roy1955]

Are you having 6 monthly check ups?

[Nip1 in reply to Roy1955]

Yes for HCC which I believe is normal surveillance with cirrhosis, plus dr looking into Gastroscopy for varices.

[lonmallin50]

yes its looks like you caught it in time before it got to de compensated liver disease you got compensated liver which it is having cirrhosis showing no signs of it like yellow eyes and skin ascites swelling of the stomach or oedema swelling of legs and ankles well done for stopping straight away I never knew l had cirrhosis till it was de compensated it was to late then i need a transplant now so keep off it for good you don't want to go down that road its not nice

[CHRISR999]

Hello, can I ask what your fibro scan reading were

[Nip1 in reply to CHRISR999]

It was F4

[pushthrough]

Hey Nip, welcome to the forum. I’m 39 with compensated cirrhosis. I posted the exact same question you did when I joined. Im 1.5 years post diagnosed. Go to your 6 month check ups and eat as healthy as possible. I feel better now than I have in several years just by not touching alcohol when I was told to stop by a gastro physician.

I’m still working and carrying on with my life and from what even my specialist said, you can live a pretty normal life assuming nothing goes drastically wrong. The stories of people living well over 20 years on here always inspire me and give me hope. Katie is extremely knowledgeable and will likely respond to you soon

The big thing for me is managing my anxiety because of the diagnosis. Being told you have cirrhosis definitely puts everything into perspective. It was kind of an awakening moment for me. Feel free to read my posts because you will likely have the same questions I did. Was yours due to alcohol, being over weight or both?

Keep us posted my friend!

G.

[Nip1 in reply to pushthrough]

Hi, thanks for your reply. Mine was through alcohol,smoking and obesity.I had slight jaundice but no other symptoms and was told I did the right thing to stop alcohol and smoking immediately. He was impressed with my abstinence due to the fact I had no councilling and no withdrawal symptoms My last phone consultation with my doctor was 1month ago and he said my bloods had gone back normal and my liver had healed although the scarring will always be there. I have had my other 6 months check for hcc about 3 weeks ago waiting for results. I've also lost over 2 and a half stone, my complection is healthy looking,white eyes( sclera) and eating healthy and exercising. Told that there's a long way to go due to years of alcohol abuse so I'm going to take it day by day.

P.S. Sorry for the long post but I've been keeping things stored up and needed to get things off my chest. Hope you do well and again thanks for your reply.

[55spenc]

hello Nip

What was your fibroscan if you had one?

[redpoint72]

Hello nip 1. Yes it seems that we can have some sort of a "normal life "....unfortunately for myself it was to late, when I was rushed into hospital I was already decompensated.....ascites,bleeding varices, jaundice,no muscle ....that was nearly 4 years ago....ascites was drained, slowly got muscle back. But have since then been in hospital again with another bleed from my stomach this time,portal hypertensive gastropathy, which is connected to having cirrhosis.. the big varices were banded....but I still have several small one's,,,so although on carvidilol, some remain.. hence I still can't fly. I think the tiredness is the worse for me ,I still force myself to do several miles a day walking....but also have lower leg fluid gathering. I've had up-to-date bloods done....no results yet, not sure at the moment if liver related, or heart related, as also suffer with af. I've come to accept that I will never be the same bloke I once was. So I know things could have been even worse, but there have always been some complications/issues....certainly not plain sailing!!!. Well done though fella, regarding the drink,and tobacco......no mean feat, I understand the drink side of things all to well,although nearly 4 years abstinence for me. But am classed as compensated at this time. Onwards and upwards fella.

My best. Chris

[Nip1 in reply to redpoint72]

Hi Chris, Thanks for your reply.

I hope everything goes well for you with your results and yourself in the future. Yes,I know that there's always going to be complications but I am just trying to look after myself the best I can. I feel a lot better in myself since not drinking alcohol and smoking for the last 12 months and I'm determined to stick to this. Every reply I get is making me more and more determined to keep going and not to think of the worst. Like you say mate onwards and upwards.

All the best. Nip1

[redpoint72 in reply to Nip1]

It sounds as though your doing well fella.....its amazing what the body can recover from with some tlc!! I never thought I would be walking 3-4 miles aday, even with the extra fluid im carrying!!!!!. We can only try are best fella!

Look after yourself. My best .Chris