Hello. I'm Bruce, and I'm your patient guide. I've lived with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) – once known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) – for over a decade, although it took me years to get the right diagnosis. If you've recently been diagnosed with MASH, one of your top questions is probably how fast the condition will progress. There's no set-in-stone answer. MASH affects every individual differently.
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0:37First, don't be afraid to ask questions. I often counsel patients that the only dumb question is the one that they don't ask.
“It's good to have another set of ears there, to catch things you don't catch.”
Most labs have a patient portal. Sign up. This means that you'll have these results in hand for your appointment, so that you can discuss them with your medical provider.
Make sure your doctor knows that you have specific questions about your liver health and your disease's progression that you want to address during the appointment. Remember that list of questions I suggested you get ready before your appointment? Have it in front of you, so you don't forget any of them. Be prepared for your doctor to ask you a few things, too.
Save & Share the questions for your appointment.“You should let your doctor know exactly how you're feeling, even if you don't think it's related.”
It’s important to answer your doctor’s questions as completely and truthfully as possible. This will help them provide the best possible care.
You know your own body, and you know when something is off. There are times that you may need to be proactive about your care: Here are some of them.
Before you leave your doctor's office, book your follow-up appointment. But when you're home, do the following:
Read your clinic notes.You may get some important information that you didn't get from your actual visit. This actually happened to me fairly recently. I came back from an appointment and saw that my doctor had noted that we should do another liver biopsy soon. I called his office and scheduled it right away. If I hadn't done that, he might not have brought it up for another six to 12 months.
Find a support group. You can find them through the American Liver Foundation, or even through your local clinic. It's a safe space to talk about things, and even to unpack some of what your doctor said at your last visit.
Take care of yourself. All the things that you do to improve your mental and physical health – stay at a healthy weight, get regular exercise, eat a healthy diet – can all help you manage your MASH, too. In general, doctors seem to recommend the Mediterranean diet, which is a plant-based eating program rich in fruits, veggies, fatty fish and good-for-you fats like nuts and olive oil.
Bruce Dimmig had symptoms of MASH -- once known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) -- for more than a decade before being formally diagnosed in the spring of 2022. A former architect living in Arizona, he now spends his days advocating for those with liver disease.
