Your Best Friend's Guide to Hep C

  Making sure that you get the right vitamins is important with liver disease. But remember, a damaged or inflammed liver cannot handle an overload of vitamins. In fact, taking too many, or the wrong dose can actually cause  more harm than good .  I have made a list  that eliminates yourl fear about what is safe. First let's start off with an intro into the why, what, and how of vitamins, supplements, minerals, and all that jazz. I have studied vitamins and supplements my whole adult life.  When my liver crashed  I was so surprised when told me to take NO Vitamins.  I was totally baffled. I knew that, the FDA's guideline are waay outdated and the industry is not closely regulated.  As a whole, we do not get enough  vitamins and mineral in our daily diets.  This is What I Came to Understand: O ur doctor's like to get to know us a little.   I had a death sentence when Hepatitis C destroyed my liver. I was all Gung Ho that I was going to take control of my diet and lifes

Vitamin B 12 Benefits Liver and Beats Fatigue  -  This is one of those super vitamins that  has been used for years to boost energy and speed up your metabolism.  Although found in many foods, it is easily taken orally or through injections. If you are low on B 12, you have probably experienced some symptoms. Luckily, this water soluble vitamin acts quickly in the body and is considered safe for most anyone. The miracle drug? B12 actually gained a reputation for being a cure-all in the 1960's.  Most of my life, my mama made me do all of the housework. Well, that was how it felt anyway. I moaned and complained while folding clothes or mopping the kitchen floor. She would watch soaps on television, smoke cigarettes, and drink iced tea. She complained that having us 4 kids had taken all of her energy.  Looking back, I'm sure we did! Then she read a magazine article about B12.  I sat in the car with my sisters the first time she got a shot. She came out of the doctor's of

Dopplar Ultrasound on Your Liver can find cysts, tumors, and keep you from vomiting blood if you have esophageal varices from portal hypertension.  The ultrasound may be one of the first diagnostic procedures that your doctor performs after you are diagnosed with  cirrhosis, whether from Hepatitis C or any other condition. An ultrasound shows the size, condition, and the shape of your liver, spleen, gall bladder, and other organs. It is a quick way to look for tumors too. It also shows the direction that your blood is flowing. This is important in diagnosing portal valve hypertension. It goes quickly, but can give your doctor a lot of imformation. One of the reasons that I like this test is because I can stay awake, and it is  fast and painless . One of the things that I do NOT like is that is can show that my portal vein in my liver is blocked. I am having one done tomorrow.  I'm being brave, but I'm also talking your head off about it! I like to say it though.  Dopplar

Come by the website for more guidance, stories, and follow me in my journey to a Long Life with Liver Disease! https://www.ihelpc.com

Moving Right Along  It has been so long since I posted that I don’t know where to begin. Changes! A lot of changes happened in the last 12 months. It seems as if I am a totally different person than I was last September. But here I am in the middle of Now with the wisdom that comes from shifting and adjusting… and the joy. Always gratitude and joy. The Loss My sister’s unexpected death was like falling into a giant crater. I feel the reverb every day. Losing some of my Hepatitis C family caused even greater shakes along the emotional fault line that was created by liver disease. Then my father-in-law passed. It was a peaceful home-going surrounded by a close-knit family. Frequent visits were a blessing. His love and legacy live on. Our siblings quickly shifted to fill the gaps… and we are guiding each other into the next stage of life. The Pain During this time, I was going to yoga school and dealing with that post tibial tendon issue. It morphed into something else t

Are All Veterans Treated Fairly with Hepatitis C?  The Veterans Administration has definitely made positive changes for those infected with Hep C. More money and expanded programs are making huge improvements. Still there are those who may not be getting the benefits. Even with increased funding, not every veteran is being treated fairly. I have ties with vets who have HCV and hear very different stories from each of them. Let their experience speak for itself. For the sake of privacy, I’ll refer to them as V1, V2, and V3. Are all veterans treated fairly with Hepatitis C? V1  was diagnosed with  stage 2 liver diseas e, and was advised to wait on treatment. He wasn’t sick enough. His work as an electrician required climbing on ladders. One day, he got dizzy and fell. He got banged up, bruised, and had a 4 inch gash in his arm. Because he had served as an Iraq infantryman, he knew how to tourniquet, and then sat quietly in ER without making a scene.  The staff ignored him , mov

This book is about YOU and how you can Live Longer Stronger There is an easy way for you to eat low sodium and healthy protein with liver disease. Help yourself to all of my recipes. They have kept me alive and moving during a decade of cirrhosis from the Hepatitis C Virus. The Liver Loving Diet is filled with delicious foods that can give you energy and help you feel good. Are you compensated or de-compensated? My easy guidelines lead you the right way to whip up simple meals no matter what your stage of cirrhosis. These foods are healthy for anyone to snack on all day long. We get up close and personal while finding ways to design new habits of eating. Everyone will benefit and that adds up to mental and physical relief that leads to personal happiness. Get inspired with these easy to make dishes that will impress your family, friends and your doctor. I’m taking you inside my kitchen where I’ve beat HCV, liver cancer, and am going strong after my transplant. From po