eifpie

I've been sober for 2 years, but I'm petrified to get a blood test.

I quit drinking cold turkey two years ago. I had been drinking about 10 beers a day, every other day of the week. I did this for about 5 years. What made me quit was that I started getting weird aches in the right side of my rib cage. I knew it was alcohol related.

Through the course of 5 years of heavy drinking, i gained over 50 lbs. By the time I realized I needed to quit, I weighed 200 lbs (I was 30 years old/female/5"5). When I quit drinking, i realized I also needed to go on a diet. So 2 years ago, along with no alcohol, the diet began. I ended up losing all of my weight, and now weigh 125! I will NEVER drink again.

What scares me is getting a blood test. I am 32, and never had one. If I've been sober for 2 years, my ALT/AST should be in a normal range, no? I am really scared, but have felt fantastic for 2 years. Any insight would be appreciated.

liv1ce

You will be fine unless you added some drugs to your routine that you don't want to have show up. I have regular blood tests due to Diabetes and was doing a lot of oxy and hydro. I worried every time that someone would take a look at what all was in my blood. Alcohol metabolizes out quickly as far as I know and so what if someone found alcohol anyway. It is legal to drink alcohol or are you involved in a job or religion where it is not allowed. Either way if what you say is all there is then you should/will be fine.

eifpie

Thank you for making me feel a bit more at ease!

I never did any drugs, but I am a moderate smoker. Giving up the booze was so much easier than giving up cigarettes, believe it or not.

I guess everyone needs to face the music sooner or later with a blood test, but for me, where I have never had one, I am looking to sort of gain insight as to what type of results I can expect.

I feel great. Not a sip of alcohol in 2 years. I lost over 70 lbs by changing my diet. I am getting a routine full panel blood test, but the fear is the liver function aspect of that. I hoping everything turns out OK!

JustBreath

Congratulations eifpie!!

You have come such a far way and have done so well for yourself.
I truly would not worry about your blood test, all you are going to do is stress yourself out until you get the results.
I honestly would have been worried about the blood test results 2 years ago, BEFORE you sobered up and lost all the excess weight I bet you will be just fine.

Keep us posted!

eifpie

Ah, thank you. You really help put me at ease!

I cringe at what my blood work would have looked like 2 years ago, and what my blood pressure was 2 years ago too, but I don't know because I never went to the doctor. I'm sure my BP was high, sugar high, liver enzymes, etc, everything was probably out of whack.

I do know that my blood pressure is excellent, because I actually went for my very first physical in over 5 years. It is 110/70. phew, for that!

CarolD

Welcome...

I moved this to our Newcomers Forum so more members would be able
to see it and reply.
The place it was....Stories does not allow responses.

Good to see you here with us

Sapling

You'll be fine and you'll feel much better when you do it.

SamanthaIam

eifpie, congrats and hugs! on the success of your healthy lifestyle. Wow! That is great.

riggedgame

Hello, elfpie. During a period of my life when I was drinking about 18 Miller Lites about 5 days per week, for about two years, I went and had a blood workup done. I was starting to have buring, searing pain in my gut and around my sides. I was about 32 at the time and had been drinking heavily for 14 years. I was *very* scared of my liver function test.

It came back 100% fine. No compromised anything. And when I stopped drinking (that time), all my physical pain went away. The liver's an amazing organ. It can take some real abuse and still hang in there for you, then recover when you stop drinking. Based on what you wrote, I'm as confident as a layman can be that your test results will be okay.

Lived in Boston for 8 years after college, from 1996-2004. Such a great place to live!

Sasha4

Agree with everyone else about your liver, the tests are going to be fine.

Anything not fine I don't think would be drink related.

Just imagine how amazing your going to feel once you have the results and they are fine - no more niggling thoughts in the back of your mind?

Kicked booze in, new diet and weight loss - what will be your next challenge?
A marathon?
A triathlon?
Swim competition?

Make sure you come back and tell us all when you get the results!

xx

sugarbear1

They didn't get blood during that physical?

eifpie

No... they do things backwards in Massachusetts, I guess! The doctor told me to go get blood work done, for a full panel - cholesterol, triglycerides, all of that stuff incl. liver function - but to make sure to fast before then. I guess that is why it wasn't done at the time of the physical.

I have to go to a different lab to get it done so health insurance pays for it.

lifewithoutbooz

I'm sure everything is going to be just fine - especially if you've been sober two years! I JUST quit drinking and have to go for my annual physical in August. I've been putting it off because I'm scared to see my liver enzyme count. It's been off the charts the past six years because of my drinking. I'm petrified to see the results. I pray I haven't done permanent damage but I guess I have to face the truth. If it's actually come down a bit by August it'll be incentive enough to stay sober, amongst other things.

FredG

I can't be positive, cause it was a looonnnng time ago, but I was told by a medical professional that it only takes 7 days for alcohol to completely leave your system. I think within 2 years without any alcohol consumption you'd be pretty clear