Finding out about hep C will help you plan for the future. Our Hep C Action Newsletter Program can help guide you through testing and treatment.
Patrick
I was diagnosed with HCV 8 years ago, but I didn’t do much about it until last year. Truth was, I felt fine, almost never got sick, and had pretty routine blood tests. So I figured why fix it if it ain’t broke, right?
But then my doctor told me the HCV can damage my liver even when I feel fine. He said that before you know it, your liver could be in pretty bad shape. I didn’t like the sound of that, so I started looking into what I could do. Turns out there are treatments for HCV, and some of them make the virus undetectable in over half the people who use it*. Those odds sounded pretty darn good to me.
But I got a good job, a family that counts on me, and a lot of friends. I didn’t want treatment to interfere with my job or interrupt my life. But my doc made it real clear: you can try and live with HCV and risk liver failure, or you can fight. Well, heck. I’ve always been a fighter, so I told him let’s do it.
The doc sent me to a specialist—a liver doctor—and I got a whole medical team assigned to me. The treatments had side effects—felt like I had the flu sometimes, especially in the beginning. But my medical team helped me to manage the symptoms. They didn’t mess too much with my life—I still played poker on Thursdays with the boys, made it to work on time, and was able to play with my daughter.
I guess when you get down to it, the bottom line is I’m the kind of guy who focuses on results, plain and simple. Today HCV can’t even be detected in my blood. As far as I’m concerned, it was worth it. My liver’s healthy, my blood counts are good, and I’ve never felt more positive.
*Response to treatment may vary based on individual factors.
