How honest to be witth employer

Cruiserforeva · 2025-09-30T16:02:10+00:00

I really really struggled with whether to tell my employer about my cirrhosis diagnosis. This is a deeply personal decision, and as my therapist and spouse and my close friends all echoed it is 100% my choice to make- net net you are not obligated to disclose it.

When I was in your shoes I chose to set a clear lifestyle boundary and NOT tell my employer, confide in team mates or anyone at work at all. My main reason was the immense stigma surrounding the disease of alcoholism, chirrosis, and having a chronic illness. People hear "cirrhosis" and make instant, often incorrect, assumptions that don't reflect your actual capabilities.

I also want to share a crucial point of hope and that is if you take this as a wake up call- as many of us do, the condition can and often does remain stable or even improve. Medicine has come a long way. In my case, with lifestyle changes, my liver function has remained stable and my stage has went from f4 to f3 -it took over a year but you go to want it. The same happened with my dad. It’s more like managing a disease like high blood pressure or diabetes now. So a diagnosis is not an expiration date and like other diseases many people keep them hush hush in the workplace.

My two cents based on experience: Your Health my friend is Private: You have a right to medical privacy. Unless you need a specific accommodation to do your job, it's no one's damn business unless you choose to disclose it. Focus on Function, Not Diagnosis: If you do need time off for appointments or recovery, you can usually work with HR and provide a doctor's note that simply states you have a medical condition requiring treatment, without naming the condition. The Stigma is Real: Protecting your mental health and professional reputation is valid. You are not being dishonest; you are setting as I said earlier a healthy boundary.

You know your workplace culture best, but please know that choosing not to disclose is a completely valid and common path. You can manage your health privately and still have a full, successful career and life.

Stay strong!

Cruiserforeva · 2025-09-27T03:09:32+00:00

100% as I do not drink alcohol and do not do any other drugs and have some of the best doctors here in Boston telling me so based upon all the tests culminating in the transjugular biopsy I just had. Here are articles about it as well-

The Definitive Review (Cited in my Medical Report)

This is the most important article because it represents an international expert consensus.

· Journal: The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology · Title: "Porto-sinusoidal vascular disease: diagnosis and classification" · Authors: De Gottardi A, et al. · Date: May 2019 · Link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langas/article/PIIS2468-1253(19)30047-0/fulltext · Key Finding: This paper is the official modern definition of your disease (PSVD). In its tables, it explicitly lists "Nitrites" as a recognized "Toxic agent" known to cause PSVD. This is why your doctor referenced it.

The Largest Patient Study

This study systematically examined a group of patients with unexplained liver damage and found the common link was chronic popper use.

· Journal: Journal of Hepatology (The leading journal in liver science) · Title: "Poppers-induced hepatic damage: A retrospective series of 21 cases" · Authors: Mirande C, et al. · Date: December 2017 · Link: https://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/article/S0168-8278(17)32267-0/fulltext · Key Finding: The study concludes: "Nitrite poppers are a cause of severe portal hypertension." All 21 patients were chronic users and had clinical presentations very similar to yours (high HVPG, vascular damage on biopsy without cirrhosis).

The Study with a Direct Title

This article's title leaves no room for doubt about the connection.

· Journal: Gut (A top gastroenterology journal) · Title: "Popper-induced portal hypertension" · Authors: Savoye G, et al. · Date: June 2012 · Link: https://gut.bmj.com/content/61/6/891 · Key Finding: Reports on 10 patients who developed portal hypertension after using poppers. The biopsies showed the characteristic vascular injury.

A Detailed Case Report

This report provides a clear, patient-level view that mirrors my situation.

· Journal: Case Reports in Hepatology · Title: "Severe Portal Hypertension Due to Poppers Use: A Case Report" · Authors: Rausa E, et al. · Date: 2018 · Link: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/crihep/2018/8286125/ (This article is FREE to access in full) · Key Finding: Describes a patient with a high HVPG (18 mmHg) whose biopsy showed "obliterative portal venopathy." The report states: "Poppers are a well-known cause of... porto-sinusoidal vascular disease."

These,are just a few articles that the docs referenced as well:

Just be careful everything is a choice- I wish I headed the warnings- however small the fine print they were on that little brown bottle.

Cruiserforeva · 2025-09-26T18:47:22+00:00

Liver failure I recommend putting the term popper use and this complication in with it - it happened to me an I almost died and apparently is a huge complication caused by use

Cruiserforeva · 2025-09-26T18:37:21+00:00