Weighing 17 stone and standing little over five feet tall, Fiona feels tired all the time and is usually asleep on the sofa by 9pm. Her doctor has classed her as obese and, because she has high blood glucose levels, Fiona has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Following a series of blood tests Fiona is referred to hospital where doctors diagnose non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Her liver has become enlarged and unable to function properly, explaining some of her extreme fatigueand exhaustion.
Fiona is put on a diet and is given tablets for her diabetes. Fiona starts going to the gym and takes spinning classes. Unfortunately further tests reveal that Fiona is actually suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, a progression from NASH. Her liver is so badly scarred that her hepatologist suggests she may one day need a transplant for a new liver.
Fiona is distraught but even more determined to lose weight. She has cut alcohol from her diet completely, even though she only drinks three or four glasses a week.
By increasing her visits to the gym Fiona loses two stone within four months.
Within six months she is down to 13 stone, and after a marriage proposal from her boyfriend she works on shedding more weight. In total, Fiona has lost more than five stone.
Two weeks before she is due to get married Fiona visits her specialist again. The news is good – Fiona’s weight loss has reduced the fat and inflammation in her liver and the blood tests have returned to normal. For good reasons she is no longer a candidate for a liver transplant.