Carrie's Story

My Journey with Hepatitis C By Carrie– Every journey with Hepatitis C is as different as the people who are diagnosed with this disease. My story is one of hope. I’m an incredibly active and healthy 49 year old woman. When a yearly blood screening through the 9 Health Fair came back with slightly elevated liver enzymes, I did a follow-up with my doctor. I was shocked when results for the Hepatitis C virus came back positive. So I started educating myself about this disease. The more I read, the more depressed I became. It would be months before the only hepatologist in town could give me an appointment. I fell deeper into the abyss. For me the first few months after the initial diagnosis of Hep C was the most stressful and emotional. If I knew then what I know now I could’ve eased some of that stress. My advice to anyone who is at that point in their journey is to think about this; it is likely that you have already been living with this disease for years, it is a disease that progresses very slowly, and with the right diet and lifestyle Hep C is a chronic condition that is livable. There is hope! I was finally able to gain more information about the progression of the disease in my own body. This, along with what I was learning about the disease gave me greater piece of mind. The next step was to consider treatment. I had read all about the nasty side effects of Interferon and Ribivirin. I had watched a good friend go through 48 weeks of hellish treatment. But being genotype 3A, I had a greater chance for successful treatment and it would only last 24 weeks. I decided to do it. I’d already made lifestyle changes such as watching fat and sugar intake; I’d stopped drinking alcohol and increased my water consumption. I dropped 20 pounds without trying and was feeling better than I had in years. Being an avid cyclist, I decided my last hurrah before starting treatment would be to ride the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. A week before starting treatment I completed the ride doing a personal best time. Going into treatment, I had many fears, but I’m stubborn and wanted to get rid of this disease. So with the love and support of family and friends and a strong heart and will, I started the journey expecting the worst and hoping for the best. I am one of the lucky ones. My side effects have been minimal. What do I attribute this to? I believe it is lucky chemistry, going into it physically strong and minimizing stress in my life, and practicing positive mental and spiritual thoughts. At 11 weeks the virus was undetectable. Now with 2 weeks left I know in my heart that my treatment is a success. On a final note, the best advice given to me (from someone through Hep C Connection), is get a second opinion if you have any reservations about the doctor you are working with. It wasn’t the diagnosis or treatment plan that I doubted. I was not pleased with the level of communication from my local doctor’s office. In order to be your own advocate, you need to have good communication between the nurses, P.A. and doctor. I decided a trip to Denver would be worth it. Making that 7 hour drive to CU Hospital was the best decision I made in my treatment. So if you are contemplating treatment, don’t let fear stand in your way. There are positive stories out there like mine. Become your own advocate and don’t make yourself a victim. Find a doctor you can believe in and who will answer your questions and treat you with respect. I never would have asked for this disease, but it is what it is. I have learned so much about myself, gained strength and grown spiritually. The journey continues and I am grateful for today.

My Journey with Hepatitis C

By Carrie–

Every journey with Hepatitis C is as different as the people who are diagnosed with this disease. My story is one of hope. I’m an incredibly active and healthy 49 year old woman. When a yearly blood screening through the 9 Health Fair came back with slightly elevated liver enzymes, I did a follow-up with my doctor. I was shocked when results for the Hepatitis C virus came back positive. So I started educating myself about this disease. The more I read, the more depressed I became. It would be months before the only hepatologist in town could give me an appointment. I fell deeper into the abyss.

For me the first few months after the initial diagnosis of Hep C was the most stressful and emotional. If I knew then what I know now I could’ve eased some of that stress. My advice to anyone who is at that point in their journey is to think about this; it is likely that you have already been living with this disease for years, it is a disease that progresses very slowly, and with the right diet and lifestyle Hep C is a chronic condition that is livable. There is hope!

I was finally able to gain more information about the progression of the disease in my own body. This, along with what I was learning about the disease gave me greater piece of mind. The next step was to consider treatment. I had read all about the nasty side effects of Interferon and Ribivirin. I had watched a good friend go through 48 weeks of hellish treatment. But being genotype 3A, I had a greater chance for successful treatment and it would only last 24 weeks. I decided to do it. I’d already made lifestyle changes such as watching fat and sugar intake; I’d stopped drinking alcohol and increased my water consumption. I dropped 20 pounds without trying and was feeling better than I had in years. Being an avid cyclist, I decided my last hurrah before starting treatment would be to ride the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. A week before starting treatment I completed the ride doing a personal best time. Going into treatment, I had many fears, but I’m stubborn and wanted to get rid of this disease. So with the love and support of family and friends and a strong heart and will, I started the journey expecting the worst and hoping for the best. I am one of the lucky ones. My side effects have been minimal. What do I attribute this to? I believe it is lucky chemistry, going into it physically strong and minimizing stress in my life, and practicing positive mental and spiritual thoughts. At 11 weeks the virus was undetectable. Now with 2 weeks left I know in my heart that my treatment is a success.

On a final note, the best advice given to me (from someone through Hep C Connection), is get a second opinion if you have any reservations about the doctor you are working with. It wasn’t the diagnosis or treatment plan that I doubted. I was not pleased with the level of communication from my local doctor’s office. In order to be your own advocate, you need to have good communication between the nurses, P.A. and doctor. I decided a trip to Denver would be worth it. Making that 7 hour drive to CU Hospital was the best decision I made in my treatment.

So if you are contemplating treatment, don’t let fear stand in your way. There are positive stories out there like mine. Become your own advocate and don’t make yourself a victim. Find a doctor you can believe in and who will answer your questions and treat you with respect. I never would have asked for this disease, but it is what it is. I have learned so much about myself, gained strength and grown spiritually. The journey continues and I am grateful for today.