Saturday, May 20, 2006
Have HCV & Still Waiting to Treat?
I am a very strong advocate for Hepatitis C treatment. When possible I do my best to encourage my brothers and sisters to get onto treatment. For those who haven’t responded I have also tried to encourage them to re-treat. However, as of late I’ve been listening to those who will not consider the current treatment as an option and I guess I need to vent.
Some are newly diagnosed; some have been diagnosed for years now. I personally have lost too many friends to this insidious and serious disease; as I’m sure most of you have too. It really annoys the hell out of me, when I hear oh I don't want a tx with sides, well I'm sure people who are suffering with other illness's feel that way too. I would love to be a billionaire, but oh well I'm not.
You must deal the playcards you are given, or you will surely loose the game. There are many people that cannot take treatment for various reasons, I am not addressing you. Some have other medical conditions that prevent them from doing tx, there are also those who have tried tx and had adverse effects and had to stop. I am addressing those that can, or have not yet tried. At times I feel that the HCV forums may be doing more harm than good, because it seems that many hear the “horror “ stories of tx, non-responding stories, relapse stories, people in denial, or post tx problems. Some forums think because they have tons of HCV material posted on their forums they are EXPERTS, they are NOT. Your Doctor is and if he or she is not that knowledgeable about the disease; please find one that is.
I ask you, not to listen to ME, but discuss this with your doctor. When I asked why they have made this decision I’m told, the sides are too harsh, they are not that sick, they are waiting for better treatments, they have time. Please take heed and if you have the opportunity to do HCV treatment, please do it.
There are many that are dead now because they didn’t, there are also many that are on waiting lists for a liver transplant. Treatment does not always work the first time, or the second, it took me 3 attempts and 3 years. What if I had waited until I was “Sicker” as my first doc suggested, I might be blonde, but I'm not that blonde. Would my liver be damaged now, hell yes it would. May 16, 2006 I celebrated being "cured" 8 years. Yes, I dare to use the "C" word!
Just because there are some new treatments currently in clinical trials does not mean they will be better or the side effects are milder. They might even be worse. There are no guarantees in life, only chances and if you have the chance to do treatment just do it....
TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE....
Some are newly diagnosed; some have been diagnosed for years now. I personally have lost too many friends to this insidious and serious disease; as I’m sure most of you have too. It really annoys the hell out of me, when I hear oh I don't want a tx with sides, well I'm sure people who are suffering with other illness's feel that way too. I would love to be a billionaire, but oh well I'm not.
You must deal the playcards you are given, or you will surely loose the game. There are many people that cannot take treatment for various reasons, I am not addressing you. Some have other medical conditions that prevent them from doing tx, there are also those who have tried tx and had adverse effects and had to stop. I am addressing those that can, or have not yet tried. At times I feel that the HCV forums may be doing more harm than good, because it seems that many hear the “horror “ stories of tx, non-responding stories, relapse stories, people in denial, or post tx problems. Some forums think because they have tons of HCV material posted on their forums they are EXPERTS, they are NOT. Your Doctor is and if he or she is not that knowledgeable about the disease; please find one that is.
I ask you, not to listen to ME, but discuss this with your doctor. When I asked why they have made this decision I’m told, the sides are too harsh, they are not that sick, they are waiting for better treatments, they have time. Please take heed and if you have the opportunity to do HCV treatment, please do it.
There are many that are dead now because they didn’t, there are also many that are on waiting lists for a liver transplant. Treatment does not always work the first time, or the second, it took me 3 attempts and 3 years. What if I had waited until I was “Sicker” as my first doc suggested, I might be blonde, but I'm not that blonde. Would my liver be damaged now, hell yes it would. May 16, 2006 I celebrated being "cured" 8 years. Yes, I dare to use the "C" word!
Just because there are some new treatments currently in clinical trials does not mean they will be better or the side effects are milder. They might even be worse. There are no guarantees in life, only chances and if you have the chance to do treatment just do it....
TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE....
# posted by Joyfulstill @ 3:15 AM 
