Today, my "ReproEndoGuy" discussed N.A.S.H. with me.
Blessed be the Google Gods...
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH is a common, often “silent” liver disease. It resembles alcoholic liver disease, but occurs in people who drink little or no alcohol. The major feature in NASH is fat in the liver, along with inflammation and damage. Most people with NASH feel well and are not aware that they have a liver problem. Nevertheless, NASH can be severe and can lead to cirrhosis, in which the liver is permanently damaged and scarred and no longer able to work properly.
NASH affects 2 to 5 percent of Americans. An additional 10 to 20 percent of Americans have fat in their liver, but no inflammation or liver damage, a condition called “fatty liver.” Although having fat in the liver is not normal, by itself it probably causes little harm or permanent damage. If fat is suspected based on blood test results or scans of the liver, this problem is called *nonalcoholic fatty liver disease *(NAFLD). If a liver biopsy is performed in this case, it will show that some people have NASH while others have simple fatty liver.
Both NASH and NAFLD are becoming more common, possibly because of the greater number of Americans with obesity. In the past 10 years, the rate of obesity has doubled in adults and tripled in children. Obesity also contributes to diabetes and high blood cholesterol, which can further complicate the health of someone with NASH. Diabetes and high blood cholesterol are also becoming more common among Americans.
Click here for more information.
On a personal note, we're watching some of my enzymes for a bit, and he's not sending me in for a liver biopsy--yet.
Downnote: I gained four pounds.
Upnote: blood pressure is down to 125/70. Fabulous for this fat-ass.
He did recommend getting a personal trainer (I'm a "governmental" worker--where will I have the funds for that?), and a nutritionist. One of the last visits I had, he suggested getting those Zone meals delivered to my home ($$$); and then another suggestion was a recommendation that I attempt to make an appointment with Dr. Stephen Gullo, author of The Thin Commandments.
If I thought the Zone meals being delivered would be cost prohibitive, the fee to see Dr. Gullo indeed was beyond what my wallet would allow (sorry, I can't see taking out a personal loan to justify going to a doctor for this--if I were to spend that much money, I might as well go in for the gastric bypass surgery, at least I would know with some level of certainty what the results of that would be). And even if I *had* the funds for such an endeavor, the waiting list to get in to see Dr. Gullo was something like 6-12 months. Sorry, this is my health--not some vanity trip I'm on.
I go back in February.
A gf met me in the city after the visit with the specialist, and we went to Intimacy to get our bazongas properly sized (for years I have been wearing a 44C, when I should be wearing a 42E--when the gal who was sizing me helped me into the proper sized bra, I tell you the ANGELS SANG! I had to buy at least two bras to get myself started (not cheap), and when I go back to the specialist in February, I'll buy several more.
We then walked about 20 blocks to grab a bite to eat at Burger Heaven (I needed to drown my sorrows, post-specialist visit, with a burger-induced FoodGasm. Once we hit the 70s, I started chanting "Burger Heaven" over and over again--I lost track of where it was, thinking it was in the 80s-70s, NOT the 60s. My heel spurs are in agonizing pain at the moment as a result. But the burger was worth it. After our meal, we took a cab back to GCT, so we could take our respective trains home.
Not the best day in NYC, not the worst, but made considerably better because my gf was there to distract me from dwelling on the doctor's visit.
