Brian

Cirrhosis

My name is Brian, and I’m 42 right now. In 2017 I was really sick and my stomach started to look like I was pregnant-no appetite, throwing up in the morning, fever, etc. I’d been drinking alcohol since I was in high school and was a heavy drinker in my late 20s to 30s. I finally went to the hospital and they had to drain three liters of fluid out of my stomach. The test result came out that I had cirrhosis. Obviously I was shocked. My liver specialist ordered a low sodium diet, with very little salt (one a teaspoon a day) and no alcohol. I started taking water pills to get rid of fluids from my stomach.

The next day after I got out of the hospital I stopped drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, and when I got my appetite back I started a good low sodium diet and stuck with it. At my first 6 month check up my blood result came out better then before-no cancer, no ascites and the portal vein was normal, but the ultrasound came out showing evidence of cirrhosis. At eight months I started to feel better so I got a membership at a gym, I started lifting weights and running, bike machine and stair master six days a week . On my 1 year checkup, my blood results came out normal and no ascites, vein was normal and no cancer present. The ultrasound came out showing signs of fatty liver but not cirrhosis!

My advice to anyone with alcoholic cirrhosis is to stay positive, believe in yourself, never give up, stop drinking alcohol immediately (and all other bad habits), listen to your doctor, switch to a low sodium diet, lower your salt intake, and when you start feeling better exercise is really really important-in fact, it will save your life.

I hope my story can help someone. Here soon I will be getting my personal trainer certificate, professional nutrition certificate, CPR and first aid certificate- and I’ll be specializing liver disease. I would love to help!