Health Issues

I've hesitated doing this post hoping that after seeing a couple specialists I would have better news to report. Most of my life I have been blessed with great health. My growing up years were very healthy, missing school very rarely. Of course I had the usual childhood diseases for that generation - measles, mumps, chicken pox, whooping cough and managed to sail through them. Four years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and a little later with high blood pressure. not too surprisingly because my mom has them But, my doctors were happy that I was very controlled and seemed very healthy. I remember my family doctor praising me and saying she wished all her patients with diabetes were as healthy and well controlled.

Thanksgiving Eve I ended up in the hospital for an appendectomy. It was a quick surgery and recovery. Imagine my surprise when Mark told me the next day that when they did the CT scan and surgery they noticed that I had cirrhsis of the liver. After quite a few tests and a biopsy it was determined that I have the kind that is a mystery to the doctors. They don't know what causes it. It is called NASH. Often people who have this have the metabolic syndrome, but not all. Usually they are overweight, but not all. After seeing a couple of specialists they have essentially told me there is no treatment or medication to cure it. The scary thing about diabetes and liver diseases is they affect every part of your body.

But, I was am in a research program through Virginia Mason Hospital and the University of Washington Hospital. Which means I will be followed every 6 months and monitored. The liver specialist from Virginia Mason did change a couple of my medications, added Vitamin E supplements and told me to exercise 45-60 minutes a day. So that is what I am doing. So far the only symptom I have is fatigue. (What is interesting about this is that because of the diabetic medication I have had my liver enzymes tested every 6 months for the last 4 years and have yet to show any abnormal levels. So if I hadn't had appendicitis I still would not know to this day that I have this disease).

The up side to this is that I have joined a fitness center and am swimming at least 45 minutes a day (well 5 days a week). I love swimming - always have and now I have an excuse to do it every day. I am also working with a trainer in weight training. He is very nice and very encouraging.

For Father's Day, I got Mark the Wii game and his children chipped in and got the Wii Fitness so we are both enjoying that. So I am now exercising a lot more than I ever have and I actually enjoy it.

The fitness center is part of a hospital and the time of day I go they have lots of elderly people in the exercise rooms and the swimming pool. I have seen women with canes and a man with a walker come in and get in the pool on a regular basis. One elderly man I swim with is a good swimmer. He uses a paddle board and can swim faster than I just using his legs that I can using arms and legs. They inspire me and I hope I can be just as active and cheerful when I need a cane and walker.

My goal is to gradually lose weight (even though a new medication I am on causes weight gain), and to increase my endurance and muscles strength and try to slow down damage to the liver. I want to postpone a liver transplant as long as I can.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that I am on a diet that decreases saturated fats, but increases protein which I have been doing-sort of-but now I am more strict. So I eat a lot of chicken, fish, cottage cheese and low fat string cheese for protein.

So that is my health news. I won't continually dwell on it or bore you with a lot of detail. But, I think it is worth mentioning from time to time for my posterity who unfortunately may inherit some of these diseases.

I am not feeling sorry for myself yet. Maybe when I deteriorate to the point where I am helpless. But for now I plan to just move forward, listen to my doctors and change my lifestyle to a more healthy one and trust the Lord knows what is best for me.

Wish me luck!