Paula Lazarus, who lives in California, was diagnosed with fatty liver disease in the 1990s, metabolic-associated steatohepatitis in 2003, and cirrhosis in 2019. She reflects on the lifestyle changes that help her manage her condition.
Transcript
I know someone who also had a similar procedure. She gave me the best advice that got me through the first year, for sure: sugar-free popsicles.
I would buy them in boxes and boxes. That first year after I changed my diet, I don’t even know how many hundreds I probably ate, but that was one of the best tips I got.
Experimenting and finding what you can eat is key. At some point, you have to stop being afraid and embrace it. As I slowly got more used to it and realized this is my new way of life — and as I got more comfortable being around other people — it became second nature.
I pretty much eat the same way I have for the last five years. It’s almost like medication — I take it three times a day. I eat this for breakfast, this for lunch, and this for dinner. I never took any medication or any other treatment. For me, it was really all lifestyle change because of my physical challenges.
Exercise is very difficult. I’ve put more weight on than I initially lost, and I do get worried. But I haven’t changed my diet, my outlook, or my feelings about any of it. So I just do the best I can. So far, knock on wood, even with the weight increase, I’m still at normal liver enzyme levels — for the first time in my entire adult life.
