anyone here know much about autoimmune disease. i have it of the liver. its heridatary and makes my own immune system attacks my liver. it can happen in any part of the body btw. Mine is at the very bottom end of the spectrum so causes no sysmptoms and my readings are normal if i take immune suppressants. But my problem lies in my job in the military where they treat the same as an invalid and have no hope of a future in my chosen carrer which leaves me **** scared about the future. Even tho it fizzles out in time i want to know my rights as i feel promotion is a no hoper as they dont know what to do with me! help i never even had day off sick in 5 years! My advice to you is not to give up hope, as if you do, it won't matter what rights you have as you will have lost the
desire to fight and YOU DO have rights!! Although military procedures are harder to follow than civilian ones, there are things you can do. As you've said, this condition will fizzle out in time and you need to try to gather as much medical evidence as possible. Ask your consultant if he could write a statement or something stating the facts of your condition to eliminate the myths and that in his professional opinion he sees no reason why it would affect your work, so that when the opportunity arises you can present this to the relevant people. Also ask for a copy of the medical records the military hold on you, so that you may illustrate that you have never had a day off. If there are any senior officers that you know well, you could ask them to write supporting statements on their view of your capabilities as they see you in day to day working life. There are lots of people who take tablets everyday for many reasons, so you shouldn't be treated differently. My final piece of advice is not to wait until they decide to look at the situation as by then you may be running out of time. Start to look at the action you can take now and find out who you can speak to to get it all reviewed, as it is possible believe me! Show that you are committed to your career and you would like to progress and that you're not happy with being overlooked. Maybe all they need is a bit of education on your condition so they understand it. I'm sure they'll realise you're worth hanging on to. If you have a supportive family around you then things wil never get as bad as you might think. Hi David
I think this is another name for it. You can also go to curezone.com and post your issue and there are plenty of people there who will give you feedback on hwo to cure your condition. Believe me the liver can be restored back to normal use.
Cirrhosis
Definition
Cirrhosis refers to a group of chronic liver diseases that cause abnormal changes in the interstitial cells of the liver, in turn causing hardening and inflammation of the liver itself.
Cirrhosis can also refer to any organ that has chronic interstitial inflammation.
Symptoms
As a result of cirrhosis, the liver becomes damaged and cannot perform its many functions, such as storage and filtering of blood, production of bile (which helps digest fat and fat-soluble vitamins), production of bilirubin (which gives stool its color), and many metabolic actions like the production of sugar into glycogen (the form in which carbohydrates are stored in the body for energy; thus, another classic symptom of liver disease is extreme fatigue).
Cirrhosis of the liver usually has a very long period in which there are no overt symptoms. Early possible signs of cirrhosis include fatigue, itching, rashes of unknown causes, constipation or diarrhea, alternating color of the stools, fever, and indigestion.
When cirrhosis does finally manifest overtly, its symptoms include abdominal swelling, pain, vomiting of blood, swelling of the body in general, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin). Advanced stages of cirrhosis can lead to very severe symptoms that may result in coma and death.
Type
Another form of cirrhosis, known as biliary cirrhosis, first affects the bile ducts, then moves into the liver, and is a disease of unknown causes. It is most frequent in women 35-60 years of age; 30 percent have no symptoms but the condition is discovered through abnormal blood tests. 50 percent have symptoms of itching, rash, and fatigue as the initial signs, which can occur months or even years before the actual disease is identified. Fifty percent of people at time of diagnosis have enlarged, excessively firm but non-tender livers, and enlarged spleens. Ten percent of people have patches of darkness on the skin and less then 10 percent have jaundice. Other possible signs of biliary cirrhosis include clubbing of nails, yellow stools, and kidney, bone, and nerve disease.
Cause
Liver function can be impaired by a toxic bowel. Most pharmaceutical drugs, if taken on a consistent basis, can also cause liver disease. If you are on such medications, be sure to have your liver function monitored regularly (every 3-6 months) by your physician, and consider other healing alternatives that might reduce or eliminate your need for medications.
Caution: Serious cases of cirrhosis require immediate medical attention.
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Natural Cures
Aromatherapy: Juniper, rosemary, and rose essential oils can all help stimulate liver function.
Detoxification: Liver function can also be impaired by a toxic bowel. For this reason, bowel cleansing and rejuvenation techniques may be very important. In severe cases, repeat the bowel cleanse once a month, or as needed, and stay on bowel nutrients for up to one year depending on the severity of your condition and your response to treatment.
Diet: Diet is extremely important in preventing and reversing all forms of liver disease, including cirrhosis. Eat a low-protein, whole foods diet of organic foods, including seeds, nuts, whole grains, beans, nuts, and goat or rice milk, and also eat plenty of leafy green vegetables. Avoid all alcohol and processed fats such as margarine, hydrogenated oils, and foods with these oils added, rancid oils, and hardened vegetable fats. Instead, use cold-processed oils such as olive. Also increase your consumption of foods high in amino acids and potassium, such as nuts, seeds, bananas, raisins, rice, wheat bran, kelp, dulse, brewer`s yeast, and molasses, and drink plenty of pure, filtered water. Avoid animal protein as well as raw or undercooked fish, and limit your overall intake of fish.
Also avoid all stressors on the liver, such as overeating, drugs of any kind, a highly processed diet (especially one high in processed fats, additives and preservatives), and foods high in animal protein, and accumulation of toxins from chemicals that have to be processed by the liver such as alcohol, drugs, acetaminophen, insecticides, and chemicals from rancid and processed oils. Toxins from Candida yeast organisms within the body can also contribute to liver stress, as can the use of contraceptives.
Herbs: Milk thistle is an excellent herb to help in the treatment of cirrhosis because it helps liver cells regenerate. It may be taken in the form of tablets or the non-alcohol extract called a glycerate. The dose is based upon the content of silymarin (the active ingredient of milk thistle) and so standardized extracts are preferable. The typical dosage range is 70-200 mg of silymarin daily. The herb Picrorhiza kurroa is not as well-known as milk thistle, but may have similar effects. Licorice can also be helpful. The Chinese herb bupleurum (chai-hu) may also be helpful, as can the herbal mixture of kutki (200 mg), shanka pushpi (500 mg), and guduchi (300 mg), with is used by practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine to boost liver function. Take 1/4 teaspoon of this mixture taken twice a day, after lunch and dinner, with aloe vera juice.
Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the application of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Physical Therapists and Day Spas use Hydrotherapy as part of treatment. We suggest several at-home hydrotherapy treatments. Please seek the advice of your alternative health care practitioner before undergoing these procedures to make sure they are appropriate for you.
*Purified water is essential for any hydrotherapy treatment. The section Remedies for Treating Chlorinated Bath Water offers clear instructions and recommendations.
Juice Therapy: The following juices can help the liver eliminate toxins that cause stress on it: beet and carrot juice and wheat grass juice. To either juice, you can add raw flaxseed oil and garlic as tolerated.
Nutritional Supplementation: Lipotrophic factor nutrients are essential for aiding liver function. These include vitamin C, vitamin E, silymarin, lipoic acid, and raw liver tablets. Other useful nutrients in this regard include vitamin B complex, vitamin B12, folic acid, niacin (in small doses such as 10-30 mg. three times), liver glandulars, digestive enzymes with hydrochloric acid (HCL) and ox bile extract, and the amino acids L-methionine, L-carnitine, L-cysteine, L-glutathione, and L-arginine.
Caution: For all cases of liver disease, do not use more than 10,000 IU of vitamin A daily and avoid cod liver oil entirely.
Alternative Professional Care
If your symptoms persist despite the above measures, seek the help of a qualified health professional. The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for treating and relieving the symptoms of cirrhosis: Acupuncture, Cell Therapy, Detoxification Therapy, Magnetic Field Therapy, Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, Reflexology, Qigong,
Best of health to you
Cheers David sorry to hear that I really have not heard of your condition . I have M.S it is also an Auto Immune and attacks the mylum in my brain , eyes,and spinal cord there is no cure I also had a good carrier in Corporate Security know that I have told my bosses I am treated differently I know I won't be going any where with this company Yes I have rights but for me to prove it is hard..I can only imagine how hard it is in the Military have you told them about your sickness?? I am looking into some other things I can probably do . I am also scared to death about not being able to support my my Wife and baby..Good luck and God Bless you hang in there..Look into another career plan ahead it's hard I know trust me I know ..God Bless.. Okay first things first autoimmune disease is not fatal (can be but yours is managed) You now need to be honest with yourself, if you were on the front-line and you couldn't take the tablets you would be an instant casualty and your platoon would be in jeopardy by ordering med evac, one of the most dangerous situation in front-line ops. You have to face the truth here, you would be a liability. That said there are many critical roles within the military which are not front-line line, I for example ( though I curse them) would not go into a hot zone without the dedicated input from a PT instructor. Speak to your CO or MO and ask for a transfer on medical grounds, if you are a good soldier then you stand a good chance of progression. Civi street can be scary but, if you can think for yourself then you have a wealth of opportunity open to you. FYI my experience is manly from ex- military Friends but I have a number! I have AIH as well, it sucks. I know what it is like to have your life wrecked by such a random condition. I have not developed any secondary auto immune conditions. My thoughts are that this is not a condition that is really compatible with military life, unless you are going to be permanently in a desk job. You may be better to look for other options that suit your situation better. It sucks I know, but that is the way it is.
There is a great on-line support group, that will give you more info on the condition and the ability to communicate with others with AIH:
http://www.autoimmunehepatitis.co.uk/
good-luck |
