02/27/2020
"Lori, it is okay to let the patient know that there are currently no signs of liver cancer by CT, only previously known signs of cirrhosis and increased spleen size."
Yesterday, that message hit the inbox of my patient portal, and while I'm thrilled that it was a generally positive message, it was a reminder that this liver disease that I was born with will always require medical supervision and medication.
Did you know that doctors didn't expect me to live, let alone live well, and live this long, when I was born?
Every year, when I make my annual trek to the gastroenterologist, and I enter the waiting room, I'm reminded that by all visual signs, I am the exception.
The reality is that everyone else in there looks sick. I fully understand that there are many illnesses that don't have physical manifestations - but, liver disease is usually not one of those.
I continually amaze my doctors, and they keep telling me how I'm doing "everything right." Yet, most of that, I've had to research and learn on my own.
Sure, there's the obvious - I don't consume alcohol. Quite honestly, having grown up in a home with someone who struggled with an addiction to alcohol, I had no interest in drinking anyway.
But most of my health has come from listening to my body and following holistic recommendations that I've discovered.
I don't eat much meat, other than the occasional piece of chicken. I love fruits and veggies - especially spinach - which ironically is one of the foods specifically recommended for the elevated liver enzymes that my body produces.
I drink a TON of water, because that's what my body prefers - and, it helps my liver cleanse my body more easily and remove toxins, something it struggles to do on its own.
I've begun detoxing my home and personal care products, too, because our skin is our largest organ, and the liver has to filter those absorbed products, too.
Listen to your bodies, friends. I can't stress that enough.
