Be a lot more embarrassing when you're admitted to have ascites drained 🤷♂️
I get the mortification you must feel, but remember that it's simply you confronting head-on that you can't control it on your own. There's absolutely no shame in being honest that you need help.
What you will find is that when you tackle it head on, your doctor (and anyone else you choose to tell) will admire your bravery.
What would you say to someone else if they confessed to an alcohol problem but were too embarrassed to seek help?
The professional way to deal with it is to tackle it head on, cleanly and efficiently. No short cuts - admit you need help, get it and your reputation won't suffer.
I knew someone who was an alcoholic who never really faced up to the problem and they died in a pretty messy, horrible way because eventually their body just gave out. They didn't live in squalor, presented a professional front to the outside world etc. Oh and more people knew than they realised, too.
No-one said being brave was easy. But a successful woman like yourself knows what it takes to achieve anything in life - whether that's professional success, academic awards, personal fitness challenges, etc, and dancing around hiding from the issue because of embarrassment isn't it. Is it?
Time to grasp the bull by the horns. No one will think less you, I promise. You've got this.