Oh @ChrissyD wow, that is really good news, I had been concerned for you.
I reckon we are all very complex individuals and is it a coincidence or who knows,
Really look after yourself and keep warm and dry.
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Thanks Chrissy for both your personnal experience and the good references. This decision will be a long process; as each situation is unique, the more I learn, the better. Best wishesâŠ
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Hi @ChrissyD Thatâs brilliant news that you tummy issues have resolved. I am not surprised though as I have a friend who had cancer, and as a result of treatment she had that left her with a very bad bowl problem, she could not go out anywhere for fear of not being near a toilet. She developed cellulitis and they put her on antibiotics for a few weeks and it cured the problem with her bowl. Did leave her with urinary problems, but she is much better. Anyway it seems that my liver is still causing problems. I had my haematology appointment a couple of weeks ago and my liver function blood test is still going up. White blood sells raised and higher monocytes, so have to go back in 2 months to the hospital. I am trying to be good food wise to see if it will make a difference, as I wondered if it was over exuberance with sweet treats over Christmas causing it. Have taken to eating a small amount of dark chocolate, prefer milk, but I will give it a try. Looking forward to the next Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) zoom meeting.
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@Lyndam Hello! Just saw your message to @ChrissyD Sorry to hear your liver tests are still playing up. I really hope you get some answers soon. Do keep us posted. My husbands high LFTâs seem to have started 
to trend downwards. We went to see gastroenterologist yesterday. No confirmed diagnosis yet, even though he had CT scan & ultrasound before Xmas! So, more blood tests & he might need an MRI. Due back to see gastroenterology consultant in 8 weeks. So weâll see. Take care & much love 
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So sorry to hear about the ongoing liver issues.
Lynda - thanks for your kind words and the interesting info about your friends bowel issues being sorted by the antibiotics for cellulitis. Some of these improvements are by sheer chance but Iâm so glad it was a good outcome for her. Bowel issues are really miserable.
On your liver tests, I honestly think you could be right about over-indulgence of sweet things over Christmas causing the levels to go up. Iâve been watching a TV series with Tim Spector on channel 4 called âWhat not to eatâ and it is fascinating the bad impact that sugar has on the liver. I went onto the British Liver Trust website today and read this.
âSugar turns into fat
When we eat a meal containing sugar, our bodies break it down into glucose. Our body uses some of the glucose immediately, for energy, and saves some of it for later. Any excess glucose in the blood is turned into fat cells.
The liver is one of the places in our bodies that stores this excess fat. Over time, liver cells are gradually replaced by fat cells, leading to non-alcohol related fatty liver disease .â
The website also says that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now overtaking alcohol related liver disease! Yikes!
So I think you are absolutely doing the right thing by really cutting down on sugar (thereâs far more sugar in milk choc than the 80% dark and you donât eat so much of that either!). The British Liver site says that the damage to the liver can be reversed by eating much less sugar and focusing on fresh fruit and vegetables. It may take months but is doable. You might want to take a look at the website as there is a lot of information and support available on there. Maybe a helpline?
I know youâve said that you want to keep a bit of extra weight on in case you need reserves at any point but maybe sugary foods arenât the best way of doing it as they donât have any nutrients and are just empty calories!
Hope this helps. Be interesting to see if your white counts change in 2 monthsâ time. Are you feeling any different in yourself?
Iâve just been doing a stocktake of seeds for the allotment next season so Iâm ready to go when the weather improves! 
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Just inviting @Cati to this thread as she was asking in another thread about diet and general support for Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML).
Plenty of that in here @Cati . Welcome.
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@ChrissyD Thanks so much for the link & info Chrissy, really interesting 
So glad to hear your tummy issues have settled. Best wishes 
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Hi @ChrissyD @sisi. Thank you Chrissy for the link to the British liver trust, I have read it and yes I did know due to searching dr google recently that excess sugar turns to fat, that is what made me decide to be careful what I eat with sugar in it. I wouldnât mind so much if I was eating a whole packet of biscuits or bars of chocolate each day, but I donât and never have. I still weigh the same as I did when diagnosed with Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML). I am hoping that my bloods will improve if I am careful. Decided to try making some healthy cake, at least I can control what goes in it. Hope you soon get better weather so that you can get on your allotment and plant those seeds. Afraid I donât share your love of gardening, but my husband does, and we have a reasonable sized garden, so he grows fruit and veg. Our neighbours love it as we give away any spare produce we donât need. @Sisi hope all your husbands other test are okay. And welcome @Cati to the forum. Take care all and stay as well as possible.
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Lynda. I really admire your determination to make whatever adjustments you can. Itâs hard - especially when you know youâre not going mad on sugary things! A healthy homemade cake sounds a great idea. For what itâs worth, for most of my family life, Iâve halved the sugar that most cake recipes suggest and to be honest I hardly notice any difference-especially if the cake contains any dried fruit and/or spices like cinnamon. I also use wholemeal flour. The other day I made some Fat Rascals of Bettyâs of Harrogate fame! Theyâre like a cross between a scone and a rock cake and they were delicious and quite healthy! Much nicer than shop-bought!
Enjoy your baking.
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Hi @Lyndam
Forgot to say thatâs great that your husband grows your own fruit and veg. Itâs so lovely to be able to give away the excess too. People love it. My whole street gets the benefits of our fig tree and one year lots of butternut squashes!
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Hi @ChrissyD Thanks for you reply. The fat rascals sound wonderful, have just looked on line at a recipe, will have a go this weekend.
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Oh @ChrissyD just googled the fat rascals and they really do look good !!
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A word of warning though. My recipe for Fat Rascals says makes 6 but they would be huge! I make 12 and they are still very filling!
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They look absolutely lovely Chrissy. Will take on board the size tip.
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60 g of sugar so only 5 g of sugar in each cake = 1 teaspoon!
Also I leave out the glacĂ© cherries as they are full of sugar. Can use dried cranberries but check they donât have sugar! I just sprinkle with flaked almonds!
Bon appetit!
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@ChrissyD Now HUNGRY! 
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@ChrissyD Thanks for sharing! They look delicious. Shame we canât share them but a photo is the next best thing. Thinking of you. Willow x
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Hi thanks for inviting me in to this much appreciated. I have eaten a reasonably healthy diet for the last 6 years or so being a great follower of Michael Mosely and Tim Spector. We have now cut out all additional sugar, using whole dates occasionally and cinnamon to sweeten fruit. Itâs surprising how quickly you can lose your taste for it. I am now really into all the green veg and reducing meat ( usually only have chicken anyway), more beans and seeds , more fish and loads of herbs, spices. Also supplements of modified citrus pectin, papaya leaf, dandelion root and turmeric
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Hi @Cati
@Sisi @Lyndam @Erica @Logsie @Unclejack @CathyP to welcome Cati
So good to hear from you and hear about your excellent healthy eating approach. Many of us feel that this is the best we can do, given that there are not many treatment options for this disease.
Maybe you could give us a quick account of your diagnosis and any treatment so far?
if you have the patience to scroll back through this thread, youâll find the stories of many of us who contribute. I have also given details of a video by Dr Dan Wiseman from Manchester who is pretty much the UK expert on Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML).
Post 553 (not that far back!) gives details of the 4 Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) meetings scheduled for 2026 run by Leukaemia Care which many of us attend. You just need to register at LC and you will receive invitations to all the online meetings.
Hope this helps you to find support and come to terms with your diagnosis.
Best wishes
Chrissy
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Hi, your approach with diet is very similar to my husband who has Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML). He has completely changed his diet. Tries to follow a Mediterranean diet and to cut out sugar. He takes papaya leaf extract, vit D,C B12, drinks green tea. Platelets have been low but at each 3 monthly check up since changing his diet they have been increasing. A few days ago he found out they are now up to 110 which is amazing! Might have nothing to do with diet etc but heâs certainly going to stick to it..itâs now a lifestyle change and it means Iâve become healthier too! Win win!
Welcome to this wonderful forum! Everyone here offers great support x
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