Karen Hoyt is a blogger who has a story about hepatitis C, cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, liver cancer, and liver transplantation. This excerpt first appeared on Karen’s I Help C blog.

That whole thing you hear about feeling like your body let’s you down with liver disease?  Yeah…that’s an ugly truth. Here is the truth about liver disease – my story. I had a healthy dose of self-acceptance before my liver failed, but it was sorely tested. Every. Single. Day. I was nowhere near where I needed to be mentally or physically. My liver had suddenly failed. Before I could unpack my emotional baggage, I had to begin eating better. Whattamess. I threw the skunk on the table.

Most of us see a problem and start working on a solution. Except it didn’t happen. Not this time. The physical and emotional impact kept my brain foggy. I had hit a wall.

The Truth about Liver Disease – My Story
I am an upper kind of girl. Positive thinking is a good icing on a cake. Except in my case, the cake had fallen. I needed to find a bolder truth.

WOE IS ME
Brene Brown words grabbed me during liver cancer. She said this: “You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort. You can’t have both.” Ouch. That means telling your own truth about how you are taking care of your health. That single step can help you to overcome a lot of hurdles in your race to a healthier lifestyle.

You need to know, and tell, the truth about your body. It’s time to open your eyes and become aware of the daily habits that make up your lifestyle. Get honest about your symptoms. Don’t wallow in it, but don’t sugar coat it either. You can only begin a new shopping, cooking, and eating routine once you see your current routine and diagnosis for what it is.

To read the rest of this blog and find out what happens when Karen puts the skunk on the table, click here.