Your Liver is Amazing

We've all heard about how drinking "too much" alcohol can give your cirrhosis, but there are many other factors contributing to liver disease and ailments.  Sure, alcohol can harm your liver - this we know, but do you know just how much alcohol? What about acetaminophen? I'll stop while you check your medicine cabinet. Raise your hand if you suffer from pain and pop a few Tylenol to keep it in check. Acetaminophon overdose is a leading cause in toxicity of the liver. We need to know what is out there to protect our bodies!

Did You Know?

The liver can grow new cells to replace damaged tissue? This can be referred to as "regeneration" of the liver. By up to 75%, which is a miraculous number, the livers' own cell mechanisms can breed life to itself again. Kinda neat if you ask me!

The Importance of Liver Health

Apart from digestion of toxins, your liver plays a key role in your bodies ability to retain vitamins. Often referred to as "the sieve" of the body, the liver acts as a filter to pass toxins through the body. Whenever I hear the phrase "colon cleanse" I shudder a bit, but it is as important to cleanse your liver too. The center lobe on the liver receives the least amount of oxygen and this is an important fact. Those Tylenol that you pop "on occasion" can add up to a pretty hefty amount in your liver. The inability to process all toxins through mean that the medicines are toxic to your liver. This can cause many problems with your body. Blood is another important part of your liver. A lot of people suffer from "anemia" (anaemia) or low iron. In some folks the opposite applies. Iron overload or medically, "hematomacrosis" (haematomacrosis) is pegged to be contracted either by two ways - genetics or cirrhosis. In my personal opinion, there should be more studies in relation to determine how this specific disease is in the body. I do not believe that it is a 50/50 shot. P.S. to anybody suffering from hematomacrosis, be careful, just walking on the beach without sandals can add to your ferritin toxicity and send your counts back into the thousands! Don't eat those lobster tails either. Shellfish contain an absurd amount of iron. Good for those suffering from an iron deficiency though. Many products contain "iron enriched" flours. These are completely unnecessary. In ONE slice of whole grain bread there can be up to 11% of your daily value of iron! Many foods aid in the absorption of iron too, but some can block the absorption. Drink a glass of milk with your broccoli. 

Did You Know?

There are a TON of frightening diseases in the world. Some with symptoms so similar that even the definitive tests run at hundreds of dollars each are just a few markers apart, yet negative on both. I am specifically mentioning Rheumatoid Arthritis vs Lupus. Both scary, both degenerative and both difficult to distinguish between. If you begin to find that you experience "razor blade" sensation attacking your knuckles, please see a rheumatologist immediately. Sometimes in a little as two years your can lose the mobility to do many day to day tasks such as brush your hair, put on your shirt, open a jar. Unfortunately, if you have a liver disease, many of the medicines prescribed for Rheumatoid Arthritis and/or Lupus are not recommended due to the increased risk of further liver damage. Also if you have ever tested positive for Tuberculosis. 

If You Can't Tell Already ...

I am writing from experience. Currently we are learning how to live with a diagnosis. Not "a" per se, but with many. After a routine physical and latent tuberculosis (the non-contractive type) we were prescribed with a serious set of medicines. The government provides these drugs, along with "routine" testing of the blood and liver. Certain groups of people should not be allowed to take these drugs, such as women over the age of 50. A few months later you may find that you are in the hospital experiencing severe effects of the drug "INH" or for the tongue-twister lovers, isoniazid. Please, don't ever let anyone scare you into taking this horrific medicine. It will not help you. Do your research and DO NOT be bullied.

Every day is a struggle, another batch of pills to take to make this pain stop and fulfill vitamins here and stop that there. Currently we are being treated for hematomacrosis through phlebotomies (with ferritin numbers starting in the 1700s which somehow dropped down to a negative within 6 months), a thyroid condition, rheumatoid arthritis and vitamin D deficiency (most people are vitamin D deficient but to different degrees, please consult a doctor before taking any vitamin supplements). Currently awaiting tests on lupus, will begin dexa x-rays soon while the rheumatism is taking over a new hand, shoulder and toes. We will continue to help in any and all ways that we can. Driving over speed bumps slowly and putting on necklaces. The liver can suffer in many ways if you do not know what can harm it. Please seek professional advice from more than one place for specific conditions. One mans incorrect opinion can be another mans correct diagnosis.

If you or a loved one are living with any conditions as mentioned above, please remain positive. Each day is one more day. I am happy to discuss or elaborate on any listed information if I can help. Resources, low-iron diet, personal stories -- please feel free to contact me!