On her 58th birthday Michelle was shocked to discover that she had cirrhosis and only 12 years left to live – if she was lucky. She knew she had to make some drastic changes to her life and change the way she thought about food. Thank you for sharing your story, Michelle
I had been overweight since my twins were born in 1988 and, like so many mums, I spent my time looking after my children and juggling a busy home life with work. There was little time left for me. My weight had crept up over the years and despite trying various diets and slimming clubs, I struggled to find a way to manage it. I was completely unaware that being overweight could lead to cirrhosis of the liver.
By 2008 I weighed around 18 stone, was feeling extremely tired and had a thirst I couldn’t quench. My GP ordered blood tests and said the results looked normal. It was only when I went back to the doctor in 2011 that I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. By now the symptoms had become very noticeable – I was thirsty all the time and felt I could have laid down on the floor and gone to sleep at any point of the day. It seems I had mistakenly been given an incorrect diagnosis three years earlier. The diabetes was managed by medication, but at no point did anyone ever talk to me about my risks of liver disease. 
It was only in 2021 when I was having some routine blood tests for my diabetes that my liver enzymes showed signs of concern. I was referred to a gastroenterologist who asked for an ultrasound and FibroScan and, in a consultation on my 58th birthday, he said he was concerned about the level of stiffness of my liver. I was gobsmacked to learn that my FibroScan reading was 24 , F4 and I had cirrhosis of the liver. I thought cirrhosis only happened to people who drank excessively, whereas I would only have a glass of wine at Christmas or on a special occasion and no more than two drinks at a time.
Cirrhosis shock
The consultant said there was nothing I could do about the cirrhosis and could expect to live for another 12 years – if I was lucky. Even though the prognosis wasn’t favourable, he said I could stabilise it with a drastic change in my lifestyle. I knew I had to take control of my life to prevent the damage to my liver from worsening.
I still found it hugely difficult to lose weight with a job that involved working into the evening most days. While I did manage to lose around a stone, I was struggling to keep it off. However, because of the diabetes, in 2024 I was able to access the Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injection which has really helped with the food cravings and weight loss.
It changed the way I felt about food and enabled me to have a much better focus on weight loss than I have ever achieved before. When I started the injections I weighed around 17 stone 7 pounds. Twelve months later I weighed 10 stone 12 – a loss of 93 pounds. I also try to exercise when I can. It’s difficult with osteoarthritis in my spine, but some days are better than others and my medication does help.
I found what I needed by accessing the British Liver Trust’s website. Their advice about diet and liver damage was spot on and really did help me in my journey and enabled me to devise a healthy eating plan for myself. Reading other people’s stories was also such a help in motivation.
As a result, I made some big changes to the food I eat, my cooking methods and how I think about food. Instead of just eating something, I stop to ask myself if I really want it, and more often than not, I realise that in the past I would have eaten something out of habit rather than because I really wanted it.
I now follow an alcohol free, organic-based diet. I have cut out all fried food and use an air fryer, very rarely eat processed foods or takeaways, replacing them with ‘fakeaways’ such as healthy kebabs with chicken in a pitta bread with lots of salad. I eat cereals, nuts and berries, choose salmon and salad when I go out and generally substitute unhealthy options for healthier ones. I also make my own additive-free bread and butter and don’t drink at all. I drank so little anyway that I don’t miss it.
Exercise plan
Because I also have osteoarthritis, not all exercise is easy, but I’ve found an exercise plan that works for me and which I can do in my living room for 30 minutes every other day. It includes some fast-paced walking when I can and marching on the spot and I keep track of my steps 
every day too. I feel comfortable doing this sort of exercise because it’s at my own pace and I can stop if I need to or if my back starts to become sore. It’s important to find an exercise that suits you and that you can stick to because you’re much more likely to keep it up.
I’ve shocked myself at being able to lose four-and-a-half stone in six months and feel like I’ve got my life back. Three years after my diagnosis and just one day before my birthday I learned that the cirrhosis had been reversed and I had no liver damage whatsoever. I cried with happiness when I found out.
All I wanted to do was stop the liver disease getting worse, I made a lot of small changes and they’ve had a massive impact. I didn’t have any symptoms of liver damage before I was diagnosed and I had no idea I had it. Thanks to the changes I made I no longer need to have twice-yearly ultrasound scans to check for liver cancer and feel so thankful. I also have an enormous sense of relief that I will continue to be here for my family.
I would urge everyone with diabetes to get their liver health checked and educate themselves on the link between diabetes and fatty liver disease.
