Gastroenterology: Cirrhosis and Alcoholic Anonymous
Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology is the study of the digestive system and its disorders. Diseases of the gastroenterology tract include the organs from the mouth to the anus.
Hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates the study of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas as well as management of their disorders. It is a subspecialty of gastroenterology. Diseases and complications related to viral hepatitis and alcohol are the main reason for seeking specialist advice. More than two billion people have been infected with hepatitis B virus at some point in their life, and approximately 350 million have become persistent carriers. Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C along with cirrhosis is the cause of 80% of liver cancer.
The reason I choose this topic is because I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver 12 years ago. Alcoholism has been in my family for many generations which made a good candidate. All of the men in my father’s family drank alcoholically and most of them died due to alcoholic related illnesses. I started drinking in high school at a young age. By the time I was 18 I was a full- blown alcoholic. I have always had very bad anxiety or panic attacks and I found out that alcohol relieved these. Everything I did and everywhere I went included alcohol for fear of a panic attack. I remember thinking “Where have you been all my life?” I could go wherever I wanted without fear. I got married when I turned 19 and my drinking became worse. Our house was the party house and everyone else drank like I did, so I thought it was ok. The only difference between me and them was that they would have hangovers the next day but I wouldn’t, I just continued drinking. At the age of 22, I found out I was pregnant and God intervened I believe. The taste of alcohol repulsed me throughout my pregnancy. I was very grateful that the urge to drink was taken away from me. Four months after I gave birth to my only child I slowly
Gastroenterology is the study of the digestive system and its disorders. Diseases of the gastroenterology tract include the organs from the mouth to the anus.
Hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates the study of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas as well as management of their disorders. It is a subspecialty of gastroenterology. Diseases and complications related to viral hepatitis and alcohol are the main reason for seeking specialist advice. More than two billion people have been infected with hepatitis B virus at some point in their life, and approximately 350 million have become persistent carriers. Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C along with cirrhosis is the cause of 80% of liver cancer.
The reason I choose this topic is because I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver 12 years ago. Alcoholism has been in my family for many generations which made a good candidate. All of the men in my father’s family drank alcoholically and most of them died due to alcoholic related illnesses. I started drinking in high school at a young age. By the time I was 18 I was a full- blown alcoholic. I have always had very bad anxiety or panic attacks and I found out that alcohol relieved these. Everything I did and everywhere I went included alcohol for fear of a panic attack. I remember thinking “Where have you been all my life?” I could go wherever I wanted without fear. I got married when I turned 19 and my drinking became worse. Our house was the party house and everyone else drank like I did, so I thought it was ok. The only difference between me and them was that they would have hangovers the next day but I wouldn’t, I just continued drinking. At the age of 22, I found out I was pregnant and God intervened I believe. The taste of alcohol repulsed me throughout my pregnancy. I was very grateful that the urge to drink was taken away from me. Four months after I gave birth to my only child I slowly