What a difference a year makes!

[DaveQ67]

This is probably a post for those who are fairly new to the site, I still consider myself one of those people.

This isn’t a post about reversing cirrhosis. Or some miracle I’ve experienced. It’s purely to provide my experience, the questions I had at the start, the complete hopeless feelings I experienced and after a year where I’m at compared to the state I was in time last year.

Im just over the 13 month mark after diagnosis of decompensated Cirrhosis caused by alcohol and with it the same time sober.

My initial prognosis was bleak, I had no idea I had hit the stage where I was at and how close to the end I was. Varices, jaundice, small amount of ascities. Burst blood vessels on my tongue which wouldn’t stop bleeding, couldn’t stop vomiting, bruised head to toe and looked like I’d been in a car crash. I was told I was looking at months left if I didn’t change now and even then needed luck!

Along with the future looking grim and short with the hope of turning it round seeming impossible. I left Hospital with complete uncertainty, but decided to do what I had threatened or promised to do so many times and give sobriety and healthy living everything I had and get back to the old me who was fit healthy. Although it had only been a year since I left the Fire service at 42, I was unrecognisable both mentally and physically. it was literally now or never!

Fast forward to yesterday the 12 July. I had my 2nd appointment with the Liver team, the first being in January. Until yesterday I had very little info on my condition, no scores, no fibroscan, child Pugh, Kpa. All I knew was I was decompensated in June 23, Told Compensated in November 23. All I was told was stay of alcohol in January. In March this year I had my first UC, all I was told was “ in keeping with the known Cirrhosis” which I believe is a normal response.

Yesterday I went in armed with questions written down. I felt ready to hear what my future looked like, in January if I was told my situation hadn’t really improved I think it could have knocked me mentally.

The lovely woman who I met yesterday answered all my questions, she walked me through every blood test and went over how I presented along with how I’m feeling now. She offered me my Child Pugh score which is A. Due to the limited knowledge to predict further timescales 15 yr + is the maximum which is provided. In 1 year and I would probably say the first 4 months after leaving hospital I was ill to the point I was near the end. To now with focus, commitment to my health and never allowing complacency to creep in. I stand a chance of watching my daughter who’s 8 get into her 20’s and who knows how much longer!

Before finding this site, I spent months trying to find solutions, answers, diets, supplements to reverse this. The answers to give you the best chance are pretty straight forward, we have all known them through life. Eat healthy, exercise as best you can, if you can find the source and eliminate it great, Finally absolutely refrain from alcohol. In my case… It’s the enemy! It’s an illness on its own and I know all to well the battle it takes to fight it off. It does get easier but never leaves.

I hope this helps at least 1 person who’s at the beginning of all this. So many people on here will have been in your shoes. Be patient and focus on living your healthiest life and enjoy feeling the benefits of returning health.

[Grassroots112]

Hey, thanks for sharing your story, you have done amazing to turn things around and should rightly be proud of yourself. I was hospitalised March 2023 with jaundice and ascites and likely decompensated cirrhosis, eating healthily, getting regular exercise and 100% abstaining from alcohol now has me in the moderate fibrosis stage of liver disease.

Although I personally believe I do have a mor scarred liver beyond just moderate fibrosis, but the doctors are reluctant to diagnose me, telling me to stick to what I’m doing and that my liver is doing everything it should and needs to do and given where I was at, drinking myself to death, I’ll take that.

What I never knew regarding alcoholism outside of what it can do to your liver is the damage it can do to your body, I have terrible neuropathy in my feet for example where I want to hack them off at times that’s how bad they get and I also have had a lot of muscle wastage.

But I’m at a healthy weight and fighting fit so to speak, all my LFTs and bloods are back to normal and some are on the better side of a normal range probably for the first time in over a decade.

You’re absolutely right, zero alcohol is the only way and it’s amazing how simple and true the mantra of regular exercise and a healthy diet really does work, who’d have thought it eh…

Again thanks for sharing, it’s real life experiences like your own and dare I say it mine that give hope not just regarding liver disease and cirrhosis, but alcoholism too. I’ve been sober since the day I was admitted to hospital and will never ever touch a drop again and the longer I remain sober, the easier it becomes. As an avid football fan, many in my circle were worried about the Euros, I watched the England semi-final in a pub the other night surrounded by at least 100 or so people all merry, and it never once crossed my mind to have a drink, not once.

My life and those close to me, namely my wife and kids, is unmeasurable in terms of quality with me being sober. I drank because I loved the taste of whiskey and how it made me feel, but I’ve learned being alive and well makes me feel the best and always will. Good luck and take care!

[DaveQ67 in reply to Grassroots112]

Hi, Thanks very much.

Well done on improving your health. That’s great news.

The theory is simple, the action has its challenges. I was in the same situation with the euros. I’m also a huge football fan, only Scotland wasn’t there long, so not a huge risk of spending to much time worrying about it!

Tomorrow I can enjoy watching the game with my sons. I would have bit your hand off at the chance last year!

My eldest played in his first national final 2 miles away from me when I was being given my diagnosis. You couldn’t write it!

I was angry with myself, I thought I would never have the opportunity to see that again. Eliminating alcohol and healthy living has given me the chance of that happening.

Hopefully you continue to heal, It’s important people hear stories like yourself. I found the hopeless feeling worse than the actual diagnosis. People need to know that it’s possible the ability to take control is in there hands.

[Grassroots112 in reply to DaveQ67]

Thanks and I’m 100% with you on the need for real life experiences to be put out there so to speak, because when I left hospital with a bag full of medicine, a pamphlet and a good luck, don’t drink again, see you in a few months cheerio, I was beside myself thinking that’s it, I don’t have long left. It wasn’t until I found this place and others that I began to realise that with good luck, exercise, healthy eating and staying sober, one’s health can improve and sometimes massively so. Mentally at least this is the best I’ve ever felt and been.

And sorry about Scotland ha ha, I’m of course hoping England can do it, but…

That’s the best thing about being sober, I can get to enjoy my life with my wife and kids and do so many things together that would usually involve booze or me taking up booze ahead of anything else. I’ll be sat around the TV on Sunday with my boys watching the match instead of likley being out with others too drunk by that stage to take anything in like the last Euros final where I can’t remember anything about it. Another thing alcohol damages is your brain, I have huge memory gaps which alarm me, although today my mind is now the sharpest it’s been in a decade, but those memory gaps are weird to say the least.

Enjoy the day tomorrow with your kids and again all the best 👍

[MilliganHorse]

Wow DaveQ67 that is a lovely and heartfelt post and yes your story is so very similar to others of that I am sure - you are much younger than many too so it is doubly important that you get your message across loud and clear and I think you have done this; a brave, honest account and as you say if it helps just one person, but it will , I am sure help more than that.

It's very difficult not to deamonise alcohol but in reality I honestly beleive that there is a perception and steriotype of 'the alchi' that none of us see ourselves as but dependency creeps up and goes ignored and one thing leads to another so I for one hope more people speak out and step out of the dark and grasp tomorrow in their hands and say you know what I don't need alcohol to get through or to enjoy my life and you and many others in this group seem to prove this 100% which is so very hopeful and positive.

Good on you and take care of yourself and warmest wishes 🤗

[DaveQ67 in reply to MilliganHorse]

Thanks for the kind response. Things can only improve if you take responsibility for where you are regardless of how you got there, where alcohol is concerned.

The lead up to my diagnosis and complete free fall mentally all came after I took responsibility for my drinking and looked for help. Until that point I had a job I loved, house, marriage, beautiful kids and after that moment lost it all in a couple of months.

My actions after led to inevitable cirrhosis.

But that feeling of “ that’s it” was the worst part. But it can change, even with the small steps. Just add them up over a few months and it’s improvement.

There is such an unknown across the board with cirrhosis, I do think the education can be better for the individual before going home. I do get that there’s a stigma attached and that’s very hard to accept. But hopefully with more people giving there experiences people can draw positives to focus on to help them along the way.

[SirRobert]

Thank your for your post, I’m sure it will resonate with so many people (myself included being in the first few months and the what on earth is going on stage and is there any point paying the balance on a short British break later in the year!).

So pleased for you being able to hear such positive feedback to prove what you’d been doing was absolutely the right thing to do,

[Aotea2012]

Well done…you’ve done incredibly well. Thanks for sharing your story 😀

[Smif56]

thanks for sharing this story Dave. It really helps everyone when you are able to read real life experiences like you’re and what shines through is your determination - keep up the awesome work 👍

[Oscar21]

You have made a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to you. It takes willpower and strength but you are one of many of us on this site who are winning against the demon alcohol.

Sending positive thoughts and encouragement to you.

Take care.

[0range5520]

Hey, your story is truly inspiring and it brought a tear to my eye especially when you mentioned seeing your daughter grow up. From reading your post I can hear the determination and satisfaction in what you have achieved during a journey from near death to living life to the fullest.

Thank you and I am sure you have helped more people than you will ever know. Amazing.,

[sumlolo]

Reading your story, my heart went out to you and I don’t even know you. You are an incredibly brave man and hopefully your journey to where you’re at now will inspire others. You have turned your life around and hopefully you’re now living your best life. We can all beat ourselves up about our past life choices but that was all the yesterdays and you now have so many tomorrows to enjoy. As for the Euros, living in Hamilton, I share your pain ! Take care and know that so many good wishes go with on your journey 🫶

[Breakfastbabe]

Congratulations and well done. Thank you for sharing your story and giving others so much hope.

[Nerico]

Thanks Dave. My story is similar, I've now been dry since 4th October 2024. I'm going to get that date tattooed somewhere as a constant reminder of where I was and where I'm never going again. I've started tests for transplant suitability, the biggest issue is that you can hear nothing for weeks, then a new appointment appears. I've got a telephone consultation tomorrow with the consultant, if she saw my list of questions I reckon she'd 'forget' to call!

Really well done on your progress, it's inspiring and uplifting to hear about.