My Confusing MASH Diagnosis Story

The night started out just like any other night. But I didn't know my life was about to change forever.

I'm a welder. I went to work, and they put me in a weld cell with some other team members. The blue light got to be too much for me, and I felt like I was going to pass out. My blood pressure went through the roof, and my boss took me into the office and had me sit down. I had to sit there long enough for it to be safe to drive. This then happened multiple times over the next two weeks. It was definitely scary.

The beginning of confusing symptoms

One day I woke up confused, with slurred speech, and with the worst headache I have ever experienced. I felt like I had gotten hit in the back of the head with a bat. I remember stumbling around in my living room, trying to figure out what was going on. Then it dawned on me. I need to check my blood pressure.

When doing so, it was the highest it had ever been. I thought I was having a stroke. My husband took me out to the hospital to figure out where these new symptoms were coming from. The doctors ran multiple tests. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, so they sent me home.

We decided to go to a different hospital. That doctor thought I was having seizures. So he put me on seizure medication, which actually caused me to have seizures. Every time I saw him, he put me on a new medicine. I was taking about 16 medications a day.

Misdiagnosed for months: Test after test with no answers

Multiple different scans of my whole body. I slept all the time. I kept thinking to myself: is this how I'm gonna die? By this time, I was having a lot of pain in my stomach, too. They sent me to have another MRI, this time specifically of my stomach.

Then they called and told me to come into the office for the results. I found out I had multiple masses on my liver — an early, frightening sign of a serious liver condition we didn't yet understand. The doctor said, "We have no idea what they are. It could be cancer." Then he said I needed to go for a biopsy.

Many things ran through my mind. I felt so many emotions all at once. Fear was the main emotion showing itself. I didn't know what to expect, feel, or do. My husband went and got tested to see if he was a match in case I needed a transplant. Thankfully, he was. This eased both of our minds, because we didn't want to lose each other, or have my kids lose their mom.

Finally getting diagnosed with MASH, a fatty liver condition

After having a biopsy of my liver, we found out I had multiple lesions, and I was then diagnosed with MASH — a serious form of fatty liver disease affecting my liver. After further testing, I found out that I was initially misdiagnosed with seizures. Thankfully, one by one, I was able to get rid of a majority of the medication that I was taking.

I didn't know anybody who was diagnosed with MASH. So I had to do a lot of research to figure out what worked for me and what did not. I am so thankful to finally have answers and to put my wandering mind at rest.

How did you find out you had MASH? Share your advocate experience with us.