relentless positivity

In 2007, I had my gallbladder removed after 4 years of escalating symptoms. I thought I would be home free once I recovered; however, what has followed has been nearly 10 years of pain, discomfort and questions.

In 2008, I had a colonoscopy to try to determine why I was still so sick. They weren't able to come up with a reason but they did find pre-cancerous polyps. If left alone, those polyps would've turned into colon cancer by now. I consider my sickness to be a blessing of sorts, because I could be dead today if they hadn't discovered the polyps. I have no family history and no reason to get that checked out. Now I have a colonoscopy every 3 years to make sure I don't get colon cancer.

In 2015, I went to the dermatologist to figure out why my hair was falling out. Again, no answers to that but that is when my highly inflammed blood was looked at and I was sent to see a liver doctor. So I guess thinning hair could be considered a blessing here because it got a doctor to actually look at what my body was saying.

If none of that had happened, I could be dead. If I don't make changes, I will be dead.

It's all terrible, yes, but it could be so much worse!!!

I choose to look at all these problems as opportunities, and I think that is what will make the difference.

Also, I'm 7 days sober and feeling good about it!

Also also, REALLY hoping that lowered blood inflammation and a happy liver will make my hair healthy again....#vanity

it's go time.

Ah, it's good to be back.

So much has happened. Some of it is very bad but I'll get to that.

To those that are back with me from before, welcome! To new folks, pull up a chair and join me on this journey!

Here's the bad news: my liver is giving up on me. Yup. It's bad. I had a liver biopsy earlier this month and got the results today. They measure liver health on a 4 point scale. 0 is a normal, healthy liver. 4 is cirrhosis. I am at a 2, considered fibrosis. 

The good news is this: the damage is, at this stage, completely reversible! However, it is going to take massive commitment and hard work for me to reverse this. I have to avoid alcohol and lose at least 10% of my body weight.

This happened because of my weight. I literally made my liver fat, along with the rest of me. Add a hefty amount of social drinking and my liver just couldn't keep up.

I am going to blog about this, simply as a way to cope. I need to put words down to help myself process all of this. I went to a happy hour last night and didn't realize it would be my last drink. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve and I will be stone cold sober. It's going to be weird and hard for a while. I am also quitting Diet Coke. I have to, although the doctor didn't say I needed to. I need to stop filling my liver with toxins if I want it to heal.

As far as my food scene, I'll keep working with my nutritionist and keep trying to keep the wheat out of my life. 

And my Y membership will finally start to get used again!

I knew this was coming. I've known for a year that my liver wasn't happy but now it is confirmed. Can't ignore it anymore. If I keep ignoring it, liver failure and a liver transplant are in my near future. And that is just not okay.

Side note: if you are carrying around extra weight, this could happen to you. You don't want this to happen to you! Join me this year to get healthy.

So for now, everything I put in my body will have to pass the liver test. "Is this going to help or hurt my liver"? Seems like a pretty good way to go.

Wish me luck! This is going to be one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.