2,500 Days Sober – How I’ve Healed

Today marks 2,500 days sober for me. Each and every day is a gift because, really, I should be dead.

I posted on social media recently about the condition of my liver and soon after received a lot of questions about the health side of recovery.

So, I think now is a good time to share an update on the progress I’ve made with my health. Hopefully, this will answer some of those questions.

A BIT OF BACKGROUND

In 2015 I spent a month in hospital having been diagnosed with alcoholic liver disease. I was bloated and as yellow as a Simpson’s character.

The alcohol had also damaged my nerves (mainly in my feet). I remember trying to pull the paper-thin hospital bed sheet over my feet and screaming in agony. This meant, for a short while in hospital, I had to use a wheelchair.

My liver had pretty much stopped working. Talk of a transplant was dismissed because I hadn’t been sober for long enough. My amazing dad even asked the doctors if he could donate part of his liver.

Miraculously, and thanks to the incredible team at the hospital, my liver started to work again.

I left hospital on SEVEN types of medication.

Now you would have thought this was the point I stayed sober. WRONG. I was very lucky to get three months in rehab through my local alcohol services which helped me heal. Then, over the course of the following year, I relapsed another 4 or 5 times.

On one of those occasions, I ended up in intensive care after drinking a huge amount of something that contained 98% alcohol.

On August 6^th 2016, I had my last ever drink.

HOW I’VE HEALED SINCE 2016

The nerve damage in my feet seemed to heal relatively quickly. Which was amazing because running was, and still is, a cornerstone of my recovery.

My jaundice yellow skin gradually morphed back into a normal tone. I can’t remember how long this took, but it wasn’t ‘years’.

I was on medication for itching for a while (because jaundice skin itches like hell!). But again, that subsided as my skin returned to its normal tone.

My bloated face and body was another thing that seemed to heal pretty quickly.

I remember my dad speaking in disbelief about my appearance so soon after getting sober. He couldn’t believe that I didn’t look like swamp creature considering how much punishment my addiction had put my body through!

To be honest, I was surprised too.

Now, the really serious stuff – my liver.

As, I mentioned, I had alcoholic liver disease. My liver was barely working in 2015. It was fatty and enlarged. I was also told it had some scarring.

A few years ago, I had an ultrasound. And for the first time in my life, I was told it was no longer fatty or enlarged!

This week, I had another ultrasound. They said they couldn’t see anything concerning, although the consultant still needs to take a look.

In other words, my liver looks pretty normal on an ultrasound.

Next month, I have a fibro scan. That will tell me more about any scarring on my liver – so TBC.

The only overall symptom I have remaining from my alcoholism is some slight discomfort in my oesophagus each morning. I’m on some mild medication for that.

So, from SEVEN types of medication in 2015, I’m down to ONE now. Not bad going!

WHAT I’VE DONE TO HELP MY BODY RECOVER

This is quite simple: No alcohol, lots of exercise and a relatively healthy diet.

I think you can guess which of those three is the most important. But exercise and eating well have 100% made a HUGE difference.

THE FUTURE

I’ve put my body through hell, but it’s made an incredible recovery.

There is always a chance that the damage I’ve done could come back to haunt me one day, but there is absolutely no point in dwelling on that.

I’ve been given a second chance and I’m going to make it count.

If you’re worrying about the damage addiction has done to your body, just remember that you can recover. I’m proof of that.

Just follow the three golden rules:

No alcohol, exercise and eat healthy.

I hope this helps someone.

Thank you for reading and take care, Toby.