Because it was International NASH day recently, we've been doing a lot of talking about NASH, or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. You may have seen our "What is NASH video" or some infographics about how the number of NASH cases is shown to be quickly increasing over the coming years.
You may also have noticed that we describe NASH as "a more severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)". It makes sense, then, for us to provide some information about NAFLD.
Please watch and share our "What is NAFLD?" video, and head to www.liver.ca/fatty-liver to learn more. Knowledge is power, and, in this case, it may even be the power to save a life! ... See MoreSee Less
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On June 9, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published findings from a recent research study on the prevalence of fatty liver disease in Canada over the coming years. We partnered with the Canadian NASH network to share the study with the media and raise awareness of the seriousness of this disease.
Last evening, Pauline Chan of CTV News chatted with our own CLF community member, Momma Braga, about her personal fatty liver journey. Did you catch the story? You can see it here: www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1982459
You can also learn more about the research findings by checking out the infographics below. ... See MoreSee Less
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𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴:
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗟
"It was a seemingly ordinary Monday night—March 14, 2005—when our daughter Trisha walked into our bedroom and laughingly complained about her ‘elephant legs.’ They were certainly swollen, but she did not have a fever and was feeling otherwise okay, so we decided to just get her checked out by her pediatrician on Tuesday evening after she was done at school. Trisha was a first-year scholarship student at Ottawa University in the biopharmaceutical science program. Always a scholar, she was adamant about not missing a single class.
The doctor had one look at her and told us not to panic. Have dinner, she said, then take Trisha to the emergency department at the hospital. She suspected either a heart or kidney problem but didn’t have the necessary tools to make the diagnosis. We were worried sick, but Trisha was calmly doing her schoolwork while we waited to be seen. Finally, they checked her out and told us to come back on Thursday for an ultrasound. Trisha went to her classes as usual on Wednesday and Thursday, then, when the ultrasound showed a cyst on one of her ovaries, she was admitted to the hospital. There was a fear that the cyst may burst, and it needed to be removed.
Trisha was supposed to receive the President’s scholarship from her university the following day. My husband and I were upset that Trisha was missing the awards ceremony. She was in good spirits, though, and was consoling us that at least her older sister Sonya was attending on her behalf. Between cheering us up and watching her favourite Disney movies, she kept busy, but her health was deteriorating slowly. She did not have much energy. Her operation got delayed without any explanation as to why, and then, on Saturday, she started getting jaundiced.
On Sunday morning, it was suddenly decided to transfer Trisha to another hospital. The General Hospital was better equipped to handle the large cyst as there was a possibility it was malignant. They monitored her and prepped her for the surgery that would be performed the next day—just a week after she had first complained to us of her swollen legs. They also started infusing her because her clotting factors were low, and she began swelling and feeling uncomfortable. Fortunately, our youngest daughter, Simrin, had just returned from her March break trip and was entertaining Trisha with her tales and gifts. We are thankful that the sisters had that chance to talk, because around 11:00 Sunday night, Trisha’s oxygen levels fell and her breathing became laboured. She was intubated. We couldn’t have known at the time that she would never wake up again..."
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𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘵 www.liver.ca/stroller-spotlight-kamal-nagpal
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The Canadian Liver Foundation's STROLL for LIVER was born in 2006, a year after Trisha’s passing. It became an annual event that expanded from Ottawa to many other cities, and this year it is becomes a national event. My husband, Daljit, “Papa,” as Trisha called him, is the top fundraiser every year in her honour.
Register for the #strollforliver at www.strollforliver.ca ... See MoreSee Less
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Did you know that 1 in 4 Canadians may be affected by liver disease? And the most common liver disease of all is fatty liver disease.
While non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its more serious form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can affect anyone, they tend to affect people who are overweight. And since obesity rates in Canada are going up, the odds of having one of these serious liver diseases are going up too. To make the problem even worse, these conditions often don’t cause symptoms until the liver is already very badly damaged.
We’re here to urge you – don't play the odds on this. Talk to your doctor about your risk of fatty liver disease, and visit www.liver.ca/fattyliver to learn how you can begin to reduce your risk today. ... See MoreSee Less
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