Fatty Liver? Crap!

Lynda-

No - there are many DSer's who had fatty liver and successfully had surgery.  This was more than a decade ago.  The fact that it occurred in one of the pioneering DS hospitals in Chicago only highlights the fact that there are risks to every surgery, and injury or death is one of those risks, especially for major a major abdominal surgery like the DS, if it's an open procedure.  I don't know how the safety stats are for lap DS.  I'm assuming it's safer, but it still has risks in and of itself.

One thing you can do now is work on shrinking that liver!  You will have to do it two weeks prior to surgery anyway, at least that's my surgeon's protocol. What that means is a liquid diet, like Optifast was when it first came out.  Your surgeon may be able to give you some guidance on this, or he/she may have your program's nutritionists  work with you one-on-one.

Remember Oprah with the wagon o' fat and her size 9 Calvin Kleins?  Optifast liquid diet did that.  She has said that show was the first and last time she wore those jeans.  I was working in Chicago at that time, and I went to the same hospital she went to for the program.  Not at the same time of course!  I'm sure she had private counseling.

Naltrexone, is that in the same class as methotrexate? I have an appointment with my Hemo later (notice the time of the post? Intractible insomnia)  to go over my labs and figure out how to deal with this.

My colleagues son died due to accidental injury during surgery.  The retractors went through his liver when they lifted it to get to the gallbladder and bile ducts, according to his father.

Lynda- 

Sorry for the late reply -

I have Lupus (Systemic) and Fibromyalgia.   Since I've lost weight, medicines to keep my flares at bay are now working.  Steroids are reserved for severe, go-to-the -ER major flares, which I haven't had since I lost weight. I did get a different problem - cellulitis, which my doctor attributes to the massive amount of loose thigh skin I have.  Cellulitis is often associated with obesity, but I never had it when I was SMO. I'm working on getting it removed.

I was looking at my surgical report from my own DS, and a biopsy of my liver was taken, I'm assuming due to fatty liver.  I had never been diagnosed with it, but some surgeons do it routinely with their surgeries.

So I know this is somewhat of an old thread but I came across it due to me searching about this. I, too have a fatty liver. First and foremost--most people have a fatty liver and don't even know it. Most of the time, a fatty liver doesn't even affect someone--it's only when you are either obese or even people like most of us that have had gastric bypass,etc suffer from it. 

I can't give you any advice for the DS. I haven't even gotten my RNY yet! I haven't even gone to my first appointment!!( it's July 31st btw, I am so excited!!!!) 

What I can say is this...breathe. A fatty liver CAN go away with just a better diet.

Anyways, in 2011, I decided I should get a full physical, all the bloodwork, everything since it was awhile. The only Dr. I saw regularily was my gyno( go figure LOL most women do the opposite!) Well, my liver panel came back that my levels were RIDICULOUSLY high. I went for another screen a week later. They were a little higher so my PCP at the time sent me for an ultrasound. My liver indeed fatty, swollen AND my spleen was swollen. Long story short, like an idiot I chickened out and stopped going! Stupid mistake. So here I am almost 3 years later taking the bull by the horns and trying to get healthy. I am only 27. I shouldn't have to deal with this!

Everything will get better! Try to eat a "clean" diet as much as you can, as I know it's expensive. I'm broke haha I know how hard it is to bring food to the table especially with kids and a hubby! 

I hope by now you have some answers from your doctors and I hope things are looking up for you. I can only imagine how scared you must be. I thought I was going to die. I still feel like that unfortunately. Take it one day at a time.