I Didn’t Think It Would Happen to Me, but Here I Am

I never thought something like this would happen to me. I’m just an ordinary guy in his fifties, trying to get by in life, and then out of nowhere, I get hit with the news that I’ve got a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It all started when I went in for some routine blood tests for my type 2 diabetes. That’s when the doctor mentioned they needed to take another look at my liver. I didn’t think much of it at first—how bad could it be? Well, turns out, it was worse than I could have imagined.

"I had no idea what NAFLD was when they first told me."

When the doctor told me I had NAFLD, it felt like the wind got knocked out of me. I’m not a drinker, so I didn’t think I’d ever have any liver problems. I didn’t even understand half the things they were saying during that first appointment. All I knew was that it wasn’t good. They started throwing out terms like "fibroscan," "biopsy," and even "bariatric surgery," and it all became a blur. I went home, sat in my chair, and just tried to make sense of what was going on.

"It was scary not knowing what was happening inside my own body."

After the diagnosis, I started to feel things I hadn’t paid attention to before. Every little ache, every moment of fatigue—I started thinking, "Is this the liver? Is this it getting worse?" I’d get dressed in the morning and notice how my clothes didn’t fit the same, how tired I felt all the time. It was like my body was trying to tell me something, but I hadn’t been listening. Now, I had no choice but to listen.

"Support groups helped me feel less alone."

The first thing I did after the diagnosis was search for help. I found online support groups. Honestly, joining those meetings made a world of difference. There were other people in my shoes, people who understood what it felt like to be told your liver was in bad shape even though you hadn’t done anything wrong. It was a strange kind of comfort to hear their stories, even though they were tough to listen to. It made me realize I wasn’t alone in this.

"Changing my diet has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done."

I’ve always been a man who enjoyed his food. I’m not talking about anything fancy—just simple stuff, big portions, and lots of it. But with NAFLD, I had to rethink everything I was eating. My dietician was a godsend. She didn’t make me count calories or weigh out portions, but she gave me a plan that worked for me. It’s a lot of vegetables and lean proteins now, and I can’t lie, it’s been tough. Some days I crave the old comfort foods, but I know what’s at stake. My health isn’t something I can afford to gamble with anymore.

"I’m doing this to live, not just survive."

Now, I’m in the middle of the fight to get better. I’ve lost some weight, which has been good for my liver and my diabetes. But more than that, I’ve gained a new perspective. I used to just go through life, day by day, without thinking much about my body. Now, I’m working to stay alive. Every meal, every walk, every good decision is a step toward a better life. I’ve still got a long road ahead, but I’m not giving up. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all this, it’s that you can’t take your health for granted.