Welcome to The Fatty Liver Club Blog!

I am so excited to start The Fatty Liver Club Blog! Since this is the first post of this blog, I want to tell you a little bit about me and my intentions for starting the blog. Similar to the picture I selected for today’s post, I received a little spiritual nudge to start the blog, but I don’t know how it will evolve. I am trusting the nudge and moving forward with getting started. So a little about me and why I want to create a blog entitled “The Fatty Liver Club.”

I was initially diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in 2007. At the time my doctor said to lose weight slowly. I learned that I had NAFLD because my liver tests, AST and ALT, were high. I lost 30 pounds using Weight Watchers and thought that all was well. Since 2007, I have lost weight and gained weight multiple times—down 30 pounds, up 20 pounds, down 10 pounds, up 20 pounds, etc. The cycle is endless because I eat for emotional reasons and love sugars and starches. Consistently feeling my feelings is my challenge. It is so much easier to have a piece of cake or french fries to avoid what I am feeling. 

In December 2018 I was diagnosed with NAFLD again. The reality probably is that my liver was fatty all along. Perhaps my liver started to heal, however, every time I lost and gained weight, it affected the fibrosis level in my liver. None of this was explained to me during my first diagnosis, and I was surprised when I received the second diagnosis 11 years later. I didn't think there was reason to be alarmed, as I could just lose weight slowly again to bring my liver numbers down. With this newest diagnosis there was some speculation that I could also have the more aggressive non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH is the most severe form of NAFLD. I received referrals for some education about fatty liver and an appointment  with a liver specialist. I had a few more specialized tests – blood tests and a fibroscan – and in May 2019 I received a diagnosis of cirrhosis, level 1 from the liver specialist. This was shocking to me! Shocking because I associated cirrhosis with drinking alcohol and I don't drink. And shocking because as I consulted Dr. Google, I learned that cirrhosis is a serious disease with no cure that usually leads to needing a liver transplant. I was distraught thinking about how my emotional eating had led me to this point. 

Since my cirrhosis diagnosis in May 2019 I have lost 45 pounds and brought my liver tests back into range. I lost 20 pounds between May 2019 and December 2019 and then plateaued. I learned that emotional eating continues to be a challenge for me. I started working with a functional doctor in April 2020 and lost another 25 pounds. I have removed many of the foods that cause inflammation for me. However, eating healthy, especially for my liver health, continues to be an area of concern and exploration.

So on to why I want to create this blog. I want to keep my focus on learning about the different ways that I can continue to heal my liver. I have made great progress to beginning to heal and I know that I need to remain vigilant. I also want others who are diagnosed with fatty liver disease to know how important it is to focus on healthy eating and healing their liver. You can reverse fatty liver disease! It becomes more of a challenge to heal if fibrosis continues to cirrhosis as has happened for me. This blog is partly selfish and partly service. Publishing this blog each week will keep me focused on healthy eating and healthy living. My hope is that it will also help anyone learning about their fatty liver. There is so much we can do to live a healthy life!

What can you expect from this blog? I will focus on overall wellness and health, with a focus on liver health. For me, wellness and health addresses body, mind, and spirit. I plan on publishing a blog every week on Friday. My goal is to place myself in the middle of the herd–in the middle of our wellness circle–so I can continue learning and growing. I have had a little bit of success, but in no way consider myself an expert. I hope this is the beginning of sharing my experience. Please share your experience, learning and growth too!

Here is to a healing and growth-filled 2021! I am entering the path not knowing the full path. Please join me!