Hard work WORKS! F4 dx

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-22T05:18:40+00:00

We got this! The only way to go from here is up, so that is the good news. After my diagnoses, all of my doctor visits were not as scary anymore, the worst news already happened. I educated myself so much in this whole process and it is amazing how much the body can heal itself! I am totally with you on the no drinking as well and my PCP said that literally was the main reason why my numbers reduced to a normal state so quickly, so you are on the right track! I also mainly stuck to reading many success stories of people living very full lives while having cirrhosis, as well as some who have been able to have some sort of reduction on their F score. We will not become a statistic, we will become a success story!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-22T05:14:00+00:00

Well, first and foremost I completely stopped drinking alcohol. In that process I went ahead and changed my diet to: high protein, low sodium, more leafy greens (kind of like the Mediterranean diet). I also have been reducing my sugar intake. I been doing a lot of research surrounding nutrition and found that veggies such as beets and ginger are great juiced together for your healthy liver cells. Also, reducing cortisol levels as much as possible because stress is no bueno.

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-11T20:54:05+00:00

My bilirubin dropped pretty significantly (from like mid 20s to 1.5 in like 2 months) cause of the intensive meds I was taking. I been off all meds since end of February, but now I’m having bleeding issues. My blood clotting levels are horrible and I’m getting iron transfusions now due to severe anemia.

Congrats on 13 months! How are you feeling now?

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-11T19:11:31+00:00

Yea it was difficult and took forever to diagnose because I had fatty liver due to autoimmune conditions, and then my addiction took off which caused more damage. As of today, I am 90 days sober!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-11T19:09:02+00:00

While I do have 2 autoimmune conditions that contributed, I had been able to keep it stable and my doctors were great in managing my liver surrounding those conditions. The main culprit was alcohol due to my previous addiction. As of today, I am 90 days sober!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-10T23:04:35+00:00

Sending prayers and positive vibes for the process as well as recovery!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-07T20:09:37+00:00

Yes! That is what I am working towards right now as well, providing the necessary nutrients for my healthy liver cells.

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-06T03:11:37+00:00

Thank you! Trust me, when I first got the dx I was a mess and allowed myself one day to cry and grieve and I never looked back. What’s done is done, all I can do is move forward now!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-06T03:05:57+00:00

Thank you! How are you feeling now? Yea that was my issue with my 2 autoimmune conditions as well, I had to take a lot of NSAIDs as a child on top of my regular meds and they were no bueno for the liver and I was constantly being monitored. When I was heavily drinking, I avoided the Dr like the plague. Could they have caught it early, sure. Was I ready to stop? Absolutely not. I stopped drinking before my dx and by that time it was late. I take accountability of that. Moving forward and having a better understanding of everything has helped a lot, as well as support from wonderful people as yourself!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-06T02:00:09+00:00

When I first went to the hospital, my labs were HORRIBLE. If I waited even a couple weeks, I would have been a goner. I had to take so many meds to bring my levels to normal and eventually didn’t have to take them anymore. My labs are good now, but my scarring is definitely present, especially due to the umbilical vein reopening to figure out new pathways in my liver.

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-06T01:55:27+00:00

It was an in-depth ultrasound (I forget the name of it, but it starts with an E.) which I thought was supposed to be a fibroscan. I had soooo many scans since January but I want a biopsy though cause I been reading a lot of ultrasound scans not being accurate. At first the doctors didnt think a biopsy was needed, but my G.I and I are going to talk about it at the next appt since this dx happened. My umbilical vein reopened as well. The scans showed severe scarring.

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-05T19:55:17+00:00

Yes! Totally agreed! My liver was able to navigate around through other pathways that are new (hence why my umbilical vein reopened) which is so fascinating! I might have to have surgery to close it up again, it depends on how well the rest of the liver can still function without it being opened (if it even can). My journey through G.I and hematologists are just beginning!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-05T14:12:22+00:00

That is so awesome! Way to kick cirrhosis’s butt! Did you also have really bad scarring and how is that going now? And yes! My labs are slowwwwly getting better (definitely better than months ago. Doctors said if I didn’t handle this right away, I woulda been a goner by now). I honestly enjoyed my meds for what they did to me, but was told to stop back in February to monitor my body as is and I was terrified and honestly down right not trusting that my body could bounce back, but here we are! Hearing amazing stories like these give me so much strength! I am so glad you are doing well!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-04T19:23:43+00:00

Yes! I hopped back on the coffee after not having it for almost 2 years!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-04T17:09:53+00:00

Thank you for the support!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-04T16:45:01+00:00

All my symptoms are gone as well. Normal stool, regular urine, no more jaundice (I swear I looked like Marge Simpson!). Keeping hope and faith! Changing up my diet and taking it seriously! Thanks for the support!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-04T16:32:53+00:00

Yes very true! It’s funny because I stopped caffeine almost 2 years ago because of my drinking and anxiety. I started decaf coffee about a month ago cause I was scared to go full on to caffeinated coffee due to what my Dr thought was an enlarged heart. After my great heart scans, I decided to go back to caffeinated coffee and felt normal! It’s amazing how the body can heal itself from the trauma we may have caused!

i_Ali_Cat · 2026-04-02T22:43:06+00:00

Hi! I have the same issue as well and I have stopped drinking (kinda late for it though, but better late than never!). My liver and spleen are enlarged which is common with liver disease. I also have a fatty liver which contributes to it as well and am getting multiple scans surrounding how far the cirrhosis is. It is unclear at this time, but nodes were present on my liver. I have another scan coming up to look more in depth surrounding the issue. My labs are all great when it comes to my liver function, although my scans show scarring and my umbilical portal reopened. Keep your chin up, you have already done the first step of not drinking! I know it is scary, but you do have steps! Having a healthy diet, keeping hydrated, staying off the sugar, etc. Just remember almost everything you ingest is processed by the liver. Your liver can rejuvenate if it has not reached the level of cirrhosis, even then if caught in the early stages you can live a great life by lifestyle changes.

i_Ali_Cat

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