Growing evidence of childhood fatty liver disease

I am seeing a number of studies and proof to support something I have known since 2008. Our kids are in serious trouble for their futures if they live on processed foods, soda pop and sauces coating anything natural. Finding those kids out there is a challenge. We have about 6 children in my fatty liver disease support group on Facebook ranging from age 2 – 18.  This is 2 girls and 4  boys which is not by any means a predictor.

Doctors DO NOT look for liver disease as a rule. They are NOT taught to look for the disease. They will blame the pancreas, gallbladder, IBS, Celiac Disease, Diabetes before they would even pay attention to elevated liver enzymes.  As a Parent you need to pay attention to your child’s symptoms and NOT be too quick to blindly trust the doctor.  Demand a blood test for your child. review the levels for AST and ALT and ask your doctor what the safe levels are for enzymes. As for an Ultrasound of the stomach.  If the liver has fatty deposits they will be shown in this test.  Ask for genetic testing they are now proving there are genetic links to fatty liver disease. I am not saying every child has a problem with their livers but I would bet my life at this point far more do then are being diagnosed. Studies say between 3 – 13% of kids have fatty liver disease. I suspect its closer to the 25-30% that is happening in adults.

These kids generally have homes where both parents are working. There are few home cooked meals because parents are stressed out and running between all the soccer, dance, skating, hockey, baseball games that kids are involved with. Or because they can’t get their kids away from the video games and their kids are picky eaters who will ONLY eat hamburgers, chicken nuggets , macaroni or other standard processed or junk foods.

The very sad reality is that these products are created by companies who know and love the fact that people get addicted to their products. If your kid eats it once and it has high fructose corn syrup in it there is no message to the brain to tell them that they are full. and there is no balancing of the sugars. This creates a fatty cell in the liver and your child becomes addicted to those products.

So when they are eventually diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease or Diabetes or other metabolic disorders you will find you have a child who is trying to sneak foods, or find ways to drive you nuts until you give in. The problem is that they are actually ADDICTED to these products its like they are coming out of alcoholism or drug addiction. Everything in their body is telling them they NEED those foods.  You essentially need to accept that your child is in withdrawl

You have to be strong and fight for your child. This disease can and does lead to liver failure. Doctors and researchers have no understanding about this disease right now. They are all fighting to find the answers but we are dealing with it TODAY and don’t have time to wait for them. I am aware of 2 men in their 30′s who died of liver failure due to fatty liver disease. Neither of them were alcoholics or drug addicts. They were only in  their 30′s. I suspect you want your child to experience life longer than that!

This generation of children are the first generation which will live shorter lives. This is directly related to processed foods and additives and genetically modified foods. Our body’s DO not know how to process these chemicals. Our poor children do not stand a chance in this world of Monsanto versus humans.

If your child is dealing with chronic illness that doesn’t get better. Try getting rid of sugar! Getting rid of junk food, do they start to feel better? You will find after 3- 6 weeks of not eating those things or drinking sugary beverages they will feel healthier!

Parents please pay attention and do not go blindly into dealings with doctors. Get the right tests, keep all test results…you need to take this into your control for your kids sake!

Austin’s Story – 14 year old with Fatty Liver Disease – Guest Post Cat Case

My Sons Journey to Diagnosis of Liver Disease

By C. Case©

At age 14 my son was diagnosed with Liver Disease. From the time he was born up until this diagnoses, I just knew something was very wrong with my son. He was born weighing 7 lbs 1. oz  after 8 weeks old his weight tripled and he was constantly hungry, and either had constipation or diarrhea. By age 3 he weighed 70 lbs. By age 6 he lost the weight as he also was diagnosed with ADHD and was on medication.

As an infant and toddler he ate fast and so much he threw up everything that just went in him, and I mean projectile vomiting. He also had digestive problems we went through so many different diagnosis it was spinning my head.  We went from formula allergies to wheat and lactose intolerance. My son had severe gastric reflux and he does have burn scars on his throat from it. My son started to get severe diarrhea, where I took him to the emergency room and they kept telling me it was just the stomach flu. I was like okay and went with the doctors order, but it just continued on.

My son started gaining back that weight even being on the medication for ADHD at age 8  He has had a gastroenterologist that he has been seeing since an infant on and off. It has been about 3 years since he has been back to see him as he ruled my sons problem to a wheat sensitivity, lactose intolerance and severe IBS. He has had a colonoscopy and endoscope and age 9. I was getting concerned as my son has put on a great amount of weight by age 11, he is now 14 and is 5’8 and weighs over 200 lbs. At first I though maybe diabetes since that runs in both sides of our family, but his sugar lever was elevated but not that much, then I am thinking he has an eating disorder, that was not it either, then I am thinking heart issue possibly? His heart is fine as well.

My son in the past three years has missed so much school from either vomiting uncontrollably to a severe case of diarrhea or constipation and cramps. He put on over 80 lbs since this time last year. He also has migraines associated with the above mentioned . He still has episodes of vomiting and having diarrhea or severe constipation and this year he was complaining about cramps and pains under his rib cage on his right side. If he ran in P.E. He could not go far as the pain and cramps became unbearable.  His disposition was always irritable, and just plain mean when he was having flare ups.

I took my son to the doctor last month for a check up as he was having bad migraines, and diarrhea, the doctor run a blood panel on him and his liver enzymes came back elevated, we waited to 2 weeks to go back and have it redone and it came back elevated ever more. She sent him for an ultrasound just last week and within 45 minutes, my doctors office calls and tells me the news that he has Liver Disease as in a NAFL and to lower his calorie intake and certain carbohydrates and for him to get out an exercise if possible and to stay away from certain foods. His Cholesterol is also high its at 245. Apparently his liver is not breaking down any of the fats in his system for some reason and is just sitting there,. I am surprised that his PCP did recommend him to see his gastroenterolgist or a hepatologist. So I will contact his Gastrenetologist for further assessments on the issue.

So for now my son is on a low fat, low carbohydrate diet, he is drinking a lot of water and is off soft drinks and he is making good choices in school for lunches.

 

Join our group on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/fattyliversupport/

Follow us on Twitter @fattyliverhelp

And join our website with patients helping patients at http://www.reversefattyliverdisease.com/

Marina’s Story – 14 Year old NAFLD patient

I met and started talking to Darlene who is Marina’s grandmother after she found my blogs about my daughter Megan. I have asked her to share the story of her grand daughter Marina.

It was Nov 1. 2012. Marina woke up for school and said her stomach hurt her. She generally never gets up at 5 am and for her to wake me up that early, I knew it must hurt her very badly because she is not a complainer.
She showed me where it hurt and it was like the top right side of her abdomen. She started getting ready for school and she was still in a lot of pain..so much so that I took her to the urgent care clinic instead of waiting to call her family doctor’s office. At the clinic ,they took Marina right back and drew blood, after examining her and with her being in so much pain, they reviewed the blood work wnich showed her (* white blood count was way off) they actually called an ambulance to transport her to Children’s Hospital.

When we got to the hospital…they hooked up an IV…started drawing blood and she was in so much pain she was crying. They did a CT scan and a Sonogram and took her right to the ICU. Her blood pressure sky rocketed..her blood count was way off…and she couldn’t stop crying about the pain. I was trying to act calm on the outside to keep Marina calm, but I was so worried …thinking…let this be her appendix so it will be solved quickly!

That would have been to good to be true. They call in the Gastroentologist and we were told the scan results were in and she had pancreaticitis. Marina just had to stay for a few days in the hospital …keeping a good eye on her in the ICU. No food to give her pancreas a rest with just an IV and lots of pain medication. So, I could breath again… she stopped crying cause the pain medications were working.They brought a portable toilet for her to pee in because she was hooked up to monitors.She was dealing with nausea but didn’t throw up…her blood pressure was high but they said it was due to the pain. To me, she looked so uncomfortable from the pain the whole thing,then she goes pee and what the heck her urine was brown like coffee. I almost passed out but I am still acting calm on the outside..she was groggy and I calmly asked the nurse why is her urine that color? Oh that’s ok, its just that her pancreas is inflamed and it needs to rest. Ok they are the medical experts… so for the next 24 hrs..she continued to feel nausea she was still getting the iv so she could let her pancreas rest, still urinating brown ,blood pressure high but a little lower with drugs,she did not sleep much and I didn’t sleep at all.

So 24 hrs go by and the doctors came in to make their rounds. I asked all kinds of questions…like what caused this what can be done why is her blood pressure so high…why is her urine so brown…they answered all my questions and said her pancreas got infected…they don’t know how…these things happen… no med for it just no food to rest it and the pee is brown because the pancreas and liver work together and the red blood cells are coming out in her urine because the liver is not working correctly because of the pancreas being swollen…its fine.

So two more days went by and she still was on pain medications but it was hurting less everyday…her blood pressure was returning to normal and her pee was a light brown….so they moved her to a regular room and had her start in liquids… they gave her soda POP…with sugar in it…coke, pepsi,ginger ale, they gave her pudding, ice cream, jello and these are medically trained doctors?. So I not knowing they were poisoning her liver, I was so happy Marina was holding it down. So after a day of sugar galore, her face started turning red,then purplish. Again I was calm on the outside falling apart on the inside. I Go and tell the nurse and they see her blood pressure rocket, her pain was coming back. They rush her back to the ICU. What’ going on?? I go to an empty room to call my daughter long distance to tell her help!. I was so weak inside my daughter (marinas aunt) and my son in law and my daughters best friend get on their computers they are searching reading, looking, talking, trying to save Marina.

I am sitting in marinas ICU room when a nurse…now this is extremely important to remember..THIS NURSE who was taking care of marina that shift…commented to me…who by the way NOT ONE DR. OR SPECIALIST SAID A WORD ABOUT to me…her liver enzymes are so high. So I freak out inside what? her liver enzymes are so high I am thinking no doctor or specialist said that to me!!! As far as they were concerned it was all only about her pancreas So now back home they start thinking maybe its not her pancreas maybe her liver is causing her pancreas to be sick!

Now keep that comment from my daughter’s friend in your mind along with what the nurse said about marinas enzymes
So I see my precious grand daughter is getting so sick again after she started getting better!

I go to the room where marina can’t hear the desperation in my voice and tell my daughter listen to this a nurse just said to me wow her liver enzymes are so high. I said why would she be concerned about that,all along the doctors and other nurses were saying to me…no its her pancreas, the other organs are just helping with her pancreas. So my daughter says mom let me talk to her doctor. And I took my phone and went and found Marina’s doctor and told her to please explain to my daughter about marinas health… 20 min the doctor hands me back the phone and my daughter says to me MOM..WHY ARE YOU TELLING US COMMENTS MADE BY A NURSE…GETTING EVERYONE WORRIED THAT MARINAS SO SICK..HER DOCTOR SAID HER LIVER IS FINE she just needs to rest her pancreas everything is fine!

so I am numb am half happy, half thinking no she is back in the ICU, I am in a mind set of total confusion. I’m thinking about what the nurse said and I have marinas mom stay with her and I went to a computer, typed in liver and Fructose in Google searched fructose, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, every thing I typed in about liver..dark urine pain. I start seeing all this about children…fructose ,liver, dark urine and I’m like what??. So I send all these links to to my family. My son-in-law said get Marina out of that hospital something is not right!

marina was so sick when she came here they didn’t put anything in her body meaning no sugar because they wanted her pancreas to rest and it was working her blood pressure went down her blood count was getting better her urine was lightening with every pee. Then since she was getting better they took her out of ICU and gave her all liquids and soft food high fructose pudding high sugar jello, sugar in chocolate milk The comment stood out in my mind….maybe its her liver that’s making her pancreas sick I said I am taking her home…The doctors said you can’t, no said marinas mom! I said OH YES I CAN I AM HER LEGAL GUARDIAN I took her home and put her on a strict no sugar diet and my family and I read everything about fructose sugar liver and by the next week when they did blood work…wow….was her body getting better not much pain at all pee turning yellow not brown no nausea, sleeping good Since then we have been very on top of marina walking for exercise..every day she has to walk… he set her up with drinking watered down cider vinegar every other day….and on the other days she drinks a spice with water… turmeric. Every label is now read for hidden ways of saying sugar!

Marina is an honor role student and is doing very well since we took her health into our own hands! Doctors are not taught enough about this disease and they don’t look for it and assume its other things. We blindly trust doctors with our lives and sometimes you just need to listen to common sense. If the sugar brought all symptoms back then there is something to consider getting rid of for your body!

This disease is hitting kids as young as 2.

Do not ignore it, if 1 in 3 north Americans has liver disease someone you love is dealing with it before it starts showing nasty symptoms like this.

Join our group on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/fattyliversupport/

Follow us on Twitter @fattyliverhelp

And join our website with patients helping patients at http://www.reversefattyliverdisease.com/

Erin Krenzler’s story of HELLP and how she has overcome it

Guest blog Erin Krenzler

Yesterday the most amazing thing happened to me… I wish that I could not only tell you all about it… but I wish that you all could feel the feeling that I feel right now!

For the past 8 years I have battled numerous random major metabolic related health issues that have made the quality of my life poor at times and prevented me from doing many things that I wanted to do. I had to quit my job as a medical laboratory assistant in 2010 and I had to stop attending college after putting almost 3 years into working on my nursing degree… all due to my health.

One week after our baby Ryleigh was born just a year and a half ago… after months and months of terrible sickness and pain they discovered that my liver and spleen were enlarged. I was shortly thereafter diagnosed with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (an advanced form of fatty liver disease). I was 24 years old. Liver disease was the tip of my ice burg… I feared the fact that if I didn’t figure out what was wrong and if I did not fix it… I would not be around as long as I would like. My family has been ridden with metabolic disease, diabetes, heart disease, and death at an early age.

I sat there… holding my brand new baby… knowing that there are two little girls in this world that depend on me… one of them depends on me completely. If something were to happen to me god only knows what would happen to miss Brave Mykayla… but I sure knew I didn’t want to find this out. I can’t even describe how sad it felt to me to know that I had a condition that could potentially cause me liver failure and/or death… and in the period of 5-10 years in some cases! On top of the kidney issues I have had since the age of 17. I slipped into a state of mind where I was worried, sad, fearful, but determined to find another option besides failure. That was not an option. My mind constantly pondered thoughts… and I spent hours and hours researching and reading each and everything I could.

I refused to go back to a physician after I was diagnosed… because I had felt so ignored and abandoned for so long that honestly I felt as if I could do a better job myself with the test results I had on hand… the knowledge I have from my medical assisting degree… and the years I spent researching and working in the medical field…. Like I said… I slipped into a state of mind. I learned everything I could find to learn about genetics, metabolic syndrome, mitochondrial function, metabolic diseases, cannabis, the truth about food, livers, immune systems, insulin resistance, diabetes, fat build up on body organs, etc. The amount I have learned continues to blow my mind when I think about how all of these things function together to make our bodies work… I took the information that I was learning about and implemented it to my life. I began healing my bodies deficiency’s… supplementing with a combination of antioxidants, herbs, roots, supplements and amino acids based on my symptoms and long term problems. I made sure to develop a combination that focused on increasing mitochondrial function and repairing and cleansing the liver. I also made huge diet changes. Most people think that they could not eat the way I do… but I have to… my life depends on it. I plan on sharing more on my diet in this blog… just haven’t had a whole lot of time lately.

I wasn’t going to physician’s for check ups… but I began to slowly drop pounds without even trying! I did not even have to exercise any more than I did before. I knew my choices were working <3 I was healing myself! I slowly began feeling better… and the pain went from excruciating to an annoying constant tenderness.

In January of this year I decided it was time to go back to the doctors (after 14 months)… to ensure the changes I was making were helping me as much as I thought they were… also I wanted to make sure that the constant tenderness (that I thought was my liver) was nothing majorly wrong. She ran a bunch of blood work and referred me to an actual Hepatologist *liver doctor*… yesterday I had my appointment with the liver doctor… and I got the most amazing news ever!

I HAVE HEALED MY LIVER DISEASE 100 PERCENT!!!

The pain I have been feeling is scar tissue build up on a nerve that they accidentally hit when doing my liver biopsy… its not even my liver at all… actually it is a nerve that runs by my last rib! I feel that this pain will be tolerable knowing its nothing major at all… and not a major body organ hurting!

I never understood why I developed this condition when the first doctor diagnosed me with it. I did not fit the classic description of the diagnosis….and the liver disease itself came on rapidly during my pregnancy. Through the research I did I suspected it to be related to my families genetic metabolic problems and not knowing the correct way to care for myself. The liver specialist confirmed this. I am genetically predisposed to insulin resistance and diabetes. During my pregnancy with Ryleigh I developed HELLP syndrome that the doctors failed to diagnose… this initiated the problems in my liver and caused the massive swelling and inflammation that generally occur over a long period of time in an average adult.

I have lost a total of 46 pounds since the day they discovered my liver enlargement! The day I was diagnosed I didn't even consider myself that large… I never in a million years thought I could lose 46 pounds… and to top that off… I surely never thought that losing that much weight would be so easy and not require much of anything except learning the truth about what foods you should eat and what foods you should not!

I knew in my heart the entire time I was learning… and the entire time I have been learning to live a new life style… that one day I would hear that I was all better… I honestly did not expect it to be this soon! I cannot even begin to put into words how this feels!

I feel like yesterday I was given the gift of LIFE <3

I feel like I have a fighting chance to see my babies grow old… to hold my own grand babies… To help my children through their teenage lives and adulthood. I now have a new found assurance that things like this will be a part of my future.

I thank god that he put me on this mission years and years ago… It has been a journey of ups and downs… frustration… sadness… fear… anger… helplessness… braveness… strength… courage… love… and so much more. This mission taught me the key to living a long life… If I would have been in my 40's or 50's when I discovered my insulin resistance and fatty liver the doctor said it would be so much harder to lose the weight along with reversing the damage that had been done to my liver. I feel blessed that I had the unfortunate happening occur so early.

I am 25 years old… I am very young… I have a very long life ahead of me that will be filled with good health, family, love, success, and lots and lots of good times!!!

This is the first time since I was 17 years old that I can officially say "I am free of chronic disease"!!! As you can tell if I could stand on top of the world right now and scream out how happy I am… I totally would!!!

NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP HOPE <3

Thank you cannabis… for helping control my metabolic syndrome… thank you for getting me through my pregnancy when all the physicians lacked compassion….thank you for allowing me to control all my pain without any need for medication… thank you for making me hungry enough to eat the food that I once thought tasted like poo (because I used to be addicted to high fructose corn syrup like most of the people in our country… food without it doesn't taste as good until you have gone without it a while)… Thank you for being an essential antioxidant to my body… thank you for helping me create a homeostasis in my body in order to reverse my disease… THANK YOU CANNABIS!

Until next time my friends…

Fatty Liver Disease in Children and Adolescents

Medical Files
Fatty liver in children and adolescents
By Rafael Castillo M.D.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
11:24 pm | Friday, April 12th, 2013

A few weeks ago, a chubby 14-year-old teenager was referred to our clinic due to a mildly elevated blood pressure. We did some blood tests and the liver enzymes were found to be elevated. He has no history of any liver problem like hepatitis in the past; he swore he has never tasted any alcohol preparation, and I believed him. We did an ultrasound to check on the liver and it showed an extensive fatty liver.
We couldn’t help but ask: How many of our young people already have fatty liver, which can remain undetected for many years, until it progresses into something much worse already like cirrhosis of the liver?
As the term implies, fatty liver consists of a collection of high amounts of fat around the liver. There are two types: alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The first type is due to an excessive consumption of alcohol, while the second one develops in non-drinkers, usually associated with an unhealthy diet, diabetes, cholesterol problems and obesity.
Simple fatty liver, also called steatosis, is due to the deposition of fats in the liver. There is no liver inflammation or scar tissue formation yet. And the risk of progressive liver damage is relatively low. Usually, individuals with simple fatty liver are symptomless.
Swelling
If the risk factors causing the fatty liver are not controlled, it can progress into a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), wherein inflammation or swelling of the liver cells are present already. If the swelling persists, this can cause some liver cells to die; and if this becomes extensive as what happens in a few, it may lead to liver cirrhosis, characterized by extensive liver scarring.
I remember when I was in residency training in internal medicine, NAFLD was regarded as a benign condition, likely just a concomitant finding of being overweight, or being a diabetic. But published studies over the last 12 years now strongly consider NAFLD as a disease entity by itself, which can have serious consequences in the future if neglected.
Of course, the progression to a severe form may take many years, perhaps decades. But if one has already fatty liver at a young age, he or she would still be relatively young after three to four decades. And since the risk factors for fatty liver are the same risk factors that cause heart disease, metabolic syndrome and other diseases, the picture becomes more complicated.
The following risk factors have been implicated, which are all present in the adolescent patient we saw recently: unhealthy eating habits like eating high-fat concentrated, fried foods rich in bad cholesterol, “fast foods,” sugar-rich snacks; lack of physical activity or sedentary life; and being overweight or obese.
Fatty liver is now truly becoming highly prevalent even in children and adolescents with the so-called modern diet and modern lifestyle we have today. For the more adventurous teenagers and young adults, a fat-rich diet coupled with alcohol drinking significantly increase their risk of developing fatty liver.
Healthy eating, regular exercise, and drinking in moderation—or better yet, complete avoidance—are simple ways to prevent a fatty liver disease, and if practiced at an early age, can go a long way in preventing fatty liver. Our schools should inculcate this in our youth’s mind, as part of the curriculum.
Increasing prevalence
With the increasing prevalence of obesity in our children and young adults, the risk of developing fatty liver has remarkably increased too. In 2008, obesity has ballooned to 25 percent from 1987 statistics of only 13.5 percent. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, not the insulin-dependent type, has also been increasingly reported in obese children and adolescents.
Not all cases of fatty liver will have a sad ending. But if it’s a loved one who has it, we don’t want to take any chance of it developing into something much worse than just fatty liver. So we need to teach our kids at an early age to practice healthy lifestyle and good eating habits by avoiding fatty foods like junk foods and French fries. Adults should also show them the example on “responsible drinking,” but at their age, they should be encouraged to lay their hands off the alcohol bottle.
Chubby kids may look cute and healthy, but not if they already have some “precursor diseases” like prediabetes, prehypertension and fatty liver. By allowing them to get used to an unhealthy diet and lifestyle, we may be unwittingly compromising the health and lives of these children and adolescents. Let’s take pity on these young souls.

If you or your child has Fatty Liver Disease please consider joining the support group on Facebook called Fatty Liver Disease Support Group. You will need to request to join but we are there to support you with 400 members across the world

What does Terri’s Death teach us for Fatty Liver Disease?

Terri was 55 years old. Not young and not old, in December 2011 she was told by a family doctor that she had NAFLD and that she should go home and eat properly and exercise.

Sadly this is a VERY standard reply from doctors all over the world, and I understand why they feel this way. They are NEVER taught that this disease kills people. They are not being educated about the progression of this disease from basic NAFLD to NASH to Cirohsis. They are looking to help with Asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, and all other common health challenges facing our society. They know what drugs to prescribe to manage those symptoms. Until they are being educated properly and until people truly take this seriously that will not change.

For those doctors who have seen this disease take peoples lives , they will be the ones who will take this more seriously. How we find these doctors I don’t know but I know that in my group of 400 patients around the world there are a handful of doctors that do know this disease is a serious epidemic not to be taken lightly.

Then we have the patient. They go to the doctor complaining about exhaustion and stomach pains. So they did a stomach ultrasound and found a fatty liver. The doctor is not worried the doctor reassures them that if they lose weight and exercise that the liver will be fine. Patients are used to having lots of respect for their doctors. They are used to seeing them as all knowing, the perfect guides for managing the patients health. Patients go home, they might change some eating habits, they might lose some weight but since the doctor was not worried neither are they.

If the patient decides to investigate the disease they will find lots on the internet now, lots of conflicting data. Then they might go to the Liver Foundation for information. The Liver Foundation relies primarily on research and since there is not enough research data for NAFLD yet they also do not raise alarm bells for the diagnosis. They will provide eating advice, they will provide support groups. But once again you will not go to their sites and be alarmed by this diagnosis.

Drug companies tend to provide funds for research grants and tend to sponsor them. You can’t blame them, if they can create a drug which will solve a health care crisis they want to be on the cutting edge of that research. The thing about the Liver is that most treatments are natural they are not drug related. Most drugs have a warning label telling you to not use if you have liver disease. Your liver has to break drugs down, so if the liver is already compromised another drug is NOT likely to help it heal, its likely to cause further breakdown in the liver as it tries to process ingredients in the drug.

When Terri went to the Emergency room at the end of her life , the ER doctor was SHOCKED to hear that she was not on a liver transplant list. That ER doctor is one of the few out there who would likely NOT pat a patient on the head and send them home to eat better and exercise. If that doctor had been her primary care doctor the results might have been different, But by the time Terri found him it was too late, her liver was too far gone.

This is the case for some members in my Fatty Liver Disease Support Group on Facebook. They start investigating when they are in the final stages of Liver disease and come across my blog or my facebook group. They finally found someone who understands what they are dealing with but sadly all we can do is be their to support them and guide them the best we can.

If you search NAFLD and NASH early then we can help you change your diet correctly. Help you understand that this is not a race to lose weight its a change to natural eating, foods from gardens, and non GMO farms. Its getting back to basics and respecting your body.

Your liver is the only organ in the body that can fully regenerate itself. It takes time but if you want to get healthy we can be there to support that journey.

If you or anyone you love is dealing with stomach aches and exhaustion, have their doctor run a full liver panel as part of the yearly phsyical or request it at any time. Get to know your AST and ALT numbers and your goal is to have less of these enzymes being in your blood stream.

Search for Michelle Clermont on Facebook London Ontario picture of my dog, or search for Fatty Liver Disease Support Group and request to be added to the group.

Please learn from Terri’s story… this is your life take control!

2013 in one word “BROKEN”

After such a whirlwind 2012 with meeting Oprah Winfrey, hosting a successful Jamie Oliver Food Day Revolution, Starting Ignite Health No one could have prepared me for the reality that 2o13 would knock me down and keep kicking at me.

January 2nd my daughter who has already faced more than any child should have to with health issues fell down 12 stairs. She broke her 4th toe on her left foot. Sounded simple enough but here we are April 8 and that toe has not healed and we are going back to the Orthapedic surgeon on Friday. At our last appointment in March the surgeon looked at Megan’s xray in shock. Turned to us and said I have never had to operate on a toe before. Megan’s body doesn’t heal. I know this intutively but can’t seem to get any doctor to look beyond their area of expertise to the bigger issue below the surface.

Since January 2nd I have been taking care of Megan’s needs for showering, for all meals delivered upstairs before I leave for work. Also Toby my 2 year old labradoodle has had to count on me for all care. In that regard I took him to the Dog park on Good Friday. He had a blast there was water in the pond and he was soaking wet. I decided after an hour that was enough and i needed to get him out of there before he got any wetter! Toby is a very rambunctious! He is enthusiastic and still ALL PUPPY! I got him on his leash with the promise of a treat. He was fighting me as i had to drag him out of the dog park. I thought we were through the worst of that and all of a sudden out of my periphreal vision I notice an arm being raised. Toby noticed it too. I felt him tense and all of a sudden he pulled…..I went with him and landed very hard on my chest on Left side.

I now have a broken rib and a bruised kidney to add to the complications of taking care of Megan. I am learning how to do laundry, cook, sleep on my back , how to drive to my job, how not to stretch, laugh, cough, sneeze!

I ponder if God is laughing again, or if he is sending me a message that I still don’t have priorities right? I have a good sense of humour and it helps a lot.

I will be starting therapy on April 12 officially. I need help to understand why I keep beating myself up, picking at my skin, and I send up my white Flag!

I need help to understand what I am doing right and what I need to change, what survival techniques from my childhood are helping me and which ones need to be removed.

We are broken and we are trying to get up!

Terri lost her battle with Fatty Liver Disease

She had just turned 55 in August. She to was one of the patients who were patted on the head and though they didn’t say “you’ll be fine ” instead they said ” okay well lets see you in two more weeks after we give this new medication time to take affect for one of many other factors that was not nearly even a fraction to the real issue of a fatty liver. Yes we did find out that she had been diagnosed in may 2011. However NEVER WERE WE ONCE TOLD ABOUT IT/THE DEPTH if it or YET TREATED FOR IT OTHER THAN THE BASIC COMMON SENSE OF GENERAL HEALTH THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE HUMAN BODY.

So we went about having the impression that she was back to being better . for the most part–(in the meantime she had suffered from a stroke and a mild stroke). Still no treatment or even depth on this liver situation being a key factor to her decline. My mom was my best friend , and we were inseparable. I would do anything for her – and that’s why I agreed to hospice the three last days before her death. She wanted to just come home. I was Still under the impression that she could graduate out of care possibly. In reality at that point I knew it was the last thing I could do for the only person who gave me life. She wanted to not hurt any more. Going to the Emergency Room I was asked within 6 minutes of speaking to the dr info about her transplant status. I froze and could not speak. Terrified- by the fact that we were in an illness/disease in which that could of and should have been an issue from day one .If, in fact it was going to be neglected up to the last week of her life. i explained all i knew, had done, all that i felt and also the despair my mom had been denied. she was baffled by the lack of information . Not only our situation was limited but at that point even all procedures and even iv meds/saliene fluid was very minimal. due to her blood pressure dropping below 60 and under. It was painful and for years she hurt and it always was present yet none of us knew the depth or seriousness. We had just gotten used to dealing with how to ease it. This did not always come though. The doctors are pretty good about helping pain management and perscribing a good supply of drugs that half of, she didnt take or need. This didnt help or impair her liver issue. she had a handful of dr”s and yet the order was written for an abundance of MRI and catscan a and blood work and ultra sound and digital image scans of her body in all areas . Only once she was filmed for the lower back in which then I asked to also take images of her abdominal area. Then we had the actual depth of our situation. Still nothing on reversible measures or how and what we had to look forward to. So MUCCH of this I could go on about for maybe the rest of my life. No let me rephrase that : I know that there are many patients that get left behind. Insurance isn’t always a factor either. It is a great help but what I’m saying is sometimes the unfinished business that our mothers, family friends, neighbors and, even those next to us on the street ; get left behind is due to the whole health care / pharmasudicles industry. Yes we all are aware of coverage issues determining our health for sure. So take it upon yourself to really listen to what their not saying. Then do your own research. Now I’ve done some and it came much to late for my mama Terri. However the best treatment you can truly do for the body is learn it. seriously consider your diet and make your body your temple. if you want to live and not die finding out just how terrible the premature preventable and sad horror is then u i know will consider my plea. im sorry for those who found out too late and I’m sorry for those who simply didn’t find out.
And to Michele , my heart is fully in your search to get the very best for your daughter. I’m also a mother of of two girls not much difference in age and I can only expect that every child will get a long lived and beautiful life that is bombarded by happiness, joy, beauty, knowledge, privilege and love and compassion. I know that your family will see her do very well in life and go through it thankful for your strength and courage to take great concern so seriously and graciously genuine. To all of you who read this please know my mother was one of the littlest headstrong and increadibly caring for others first -ladies known.

she was the one everyone wanted to resemble. many really did. she had talent, skill, smarts and a knack for the best crafting/decorating most had ever seen. she always was requested for her stage presence and eye to create. A cool lady for sure. she had other journeys to travel and i know she will be missed more than life itself. ALWAYS a GIVING, loyal, and good hearted person. Please ask questions and go to the library for your answers. This I know now will be a disease that has other long living options if it is fully taken charge over. Best of health to you readers!

Depression and a New Focus

I have been depressed. Absolutely without a doubt It started a few weeks ago when we learned that Megan’s foot is not healing and continued as I realized that in order to face the rest of 2013 I will have to back out of my passions in 2012.

My intentions with Jamie Oliver Food Revolution was to spread the word about eating whole foods and making sure our kids are healthier in the future by stopping the craziness now!

I got asked to become a volunteer in April 2012 and I accepted that challenge with excitement, I focussed a ton of my energy and support into creating a wonderful event in May 2012, I got lots of media coverage and the event was an amazing success.

My intentions with Ignite Health Ontario was to take the food revolution a step further and focus on the whole body experience, we need mental balance, spiritual balance, exercise, we need to eat balanced. Any of these factors being out of balance can cause illness and we always need to remember that.

I was inspired by Ignite London and additionally the creation of Ignite Culture where a full night of topics was related to arts and culture. If that could be done why couldn’t we create a night of health related topics. I was geared up and excited. I shared the idea in an ignite london talk and I had a number of great people come to me afte that to tell me to get in touch with them about this event.

We ran this event in October 2012 and it was a great success. I am very proud of both of these events and the work I did for them.

What I stopped paying attention too was the fact it was impacting my own stress levels, my ability to focus on work and now that we have no way to predict when Megan will be able to walk again I have to raise my hands and scream UNCLE!!

I decided that I need to shelve or back out of both Ignite Health Ontario and the Jamie Oliver food revolution for at least 2013. Making that decision broke my heart I am dousing the flames of passion with my tears. So over the last 3 -4 weeks I have been sleeping a ton, I have had a number of migraines and flus hit me. My Chronic Skin picking (dermatilomania) is at a level that I am struggling to get back under some control.

I have open sores on my arms. hands, chest, face and scalp. They are sore and begging me to stop. I am having so much anxiety around what I do with my life now. How do I translate that passion to taking care of my own health needs when I have never taken care of myself. Where do I start? How do I learn at 44 how to love myself when my entire life has been focussed on helping others. How do I get passionate about work again. There are quiet times that I need to fill with projects and I need to get excited about that and just do it. How do I keep the man beside me who has come into my life as a blessing and I can barely see with the challenges of working full time and being full time caretaker to Megan and the dog too.
I have been crying a ton and finally hit my breaking point last week . I made a doctors appointment to get Megan some more Tylenol 3 for pain and at the same time I asked to have my antidepressant Effexor increased from 75 MG to 150 MG.

I do feel lighter in my thoughts, I am not crying as frequently and do not feel as emotionally lost. I am now having insomnia instead of sleeping too much, I am having cold sweats but I assume thats related to upping my dose of Effexor and it won’t last long.

I have decided that I will focus on work, my health, my daughter, my boyfriend and I will refocus some of my energy to provide direction to Fatty Liver Disease support again. There are some demons that I will need to address in some counselling sessions and its time I took that step to take care of myself again.

I am not out of the woods but I will not hide the fact that yes I am dealing with depression again. I am also taking steps to fight back against its control on me. So 2013 will look very different for me but I hope to have some positive news for you all soon.

Hugs

Michelle

Good news and Bad News

I will give you the good news first:

My incredibly smart Megan has been exempted for 2 of her 4 classes for exams for her first semester. Megan worked to complete her English Essay on Romeo and Juliette she sent that to her English teacher on Monday and today she received the news that she will not need to write that exam and she finished with 89%. Megan was also at the top of her Science class and her science teacher has also exempted her from that exam. Math and French will be handled in the 2nd semester and Megan should be ok for her grades with missing this time at school. Her Vice Principal, Guidance counsellor and teachers are all routing for her success! I have been touched and happy with every conversation with her high school. They are very supportive and are giving Megan some much needed reassurance.

Megan is also making lots of friends on Tumblr. They are all over the world and they all exchanged christmas cards this year. Last night she worked on making homemade valentine cards to send each of them and it was good to see her enjoying that arts and craft moment!

Now for the bad news:

Saturday I took Megan back to the Emergency Department because she is still at the same level of pain she was on January 2nd when she fell down the 12 stairs and broke her foot. The emergency room doctor did another x-ray and determined that Megan’s break is not healing at all. Usually a broken bone will start to develop calluses around the break 10 days after the injury and we were far beyond that point. They put her on Tramadol for pain and referred us for urgent appointment at orthapedic clinic.

The Tramadol gave Megan the best sleep she has had in years the first night. but did not relieve the pain at all. By the 2nd day it stopped helping her sleep so its pretty clear Tramadol is doing nothing for Megan.

Wednesday January 30 was our urgent appointment with the orthapedic clinic at Victoria Hospital in London Ontario. On the way to the car on crutches Megan lost her balance and fell on a muddy incline. Luckily she did not hit her head or land on her foot but it hurt the foot as she had to move it and had to get back up with pressure on the foot. I finally got her to the car and to the hospital. I have to comment that that fact that you have an appointment at 2 pm and don’t get in until 4 pm is a very poor setup for a clinic. This was the same issue when we were there on January 9th. They show no respect for the patients time and in this day and age they should be able to properly plan out closer times for actual appointments. So we finally got into to see the resident and he had a look at the xray and asked about her underlying health issues and we told him about non alcoholic fatty liver disease. He showed a lot of interest in that so i explained it. But when it came to megans foot he really only said do you smoke? NO he asked about eating and she is now eating correctly and lots of fresh foods again. He said come back in a month. Thats it , thats all for a 2 hour wait. They will do NOTHING for her broken foot or her pain.

TO be completely honest the last month was not the best eating for us. I was exhausted working 10 hour days and coming home to help megan and take care of Toby too. I bought a lot of frozen lasagna’s and sheperd’s pie and chicken pot pie etc to make dinner a quick prep. This past Sunday I made a double batch of Spaghetti with lots of veggies and whole wheat pasta, prepped for Beef Stew for Monday night and prepped for Stirfry as well. Megan is drinking a glass of milk everyday and is taking calcium and Vitamin D as supplements too. I am now looking at other supplements and lotions and whatever else I can find to help her heal this bone faster. How much of her life is she supposed to put on hold for a broken toe! So any ideas to speed up healing would be appreciated as this is craziness after 4 weeks she is still in extreme pain and not able to put any weight on that foot. This girl has been through enough in her life already!