What are the symptoms of liver cirrhosis how did I get there and how did I feel? Part 1.

What are the symptoms of liver cirrhosis how did I get there and how did I feel?  Part 1. Both of these are questions that everyone wants answered, for sure.  The medical field calls cirrhosis the “silent killer.”  And they do this for a good reason.  The human liver is a large and resilient organ.  And the ravages of alcohol and other liver diseases, if left untreated, sooner or later take their toll.  The symptoms gradually show up over time without the unsuspecting person even knowing they are growing sicker and sicker.  Since we are humans, these symptoms do not necessarily show up in 100% of us.  It just depends on the individual.  The first onset of symptoms I recognized was a slight swelling of the ankles and feet, followed by occasional itching in that area.  And believe it or not, ten years before being diagnosed! And I felt fine. I would go to my local GP and he would say avoid salt and exercise more.  The blood tests only showed a slight elevation in ALT and AST, which are enzymes in the liver that indicate the onset of damage and the level at which the damage was occurring.  At those times, I did not have cirrhosis, which means abstinence will allow the liver to heal itself, since it is the only organ in the body that can regenerate itself as long as the cells do not contain fibrosis.  So I stopped consuming alcohol, or sometimes slowed down until the liver enzymes were back to normal levels.  Unfortunately, I then started back into my old habits, and upon retirement, since I had more time, I drank more yet, setting priority of the effects of the buzz ahead of my physical well-being.  Part 2 is in the next blog.