Friday, May 19, 2006
The Importance of Treatment

Treating (or not treating) your hep C is one of the most significant decisions you will ever make. For many people, treatment helps reduce the amount of hep C virus in the blood to a level where it can no longer be detected. Often, treatment has a positive effect on the liver—an impact that your doctor can see right away.
It may be tempting to put off treatment. The course of treatment can be difficult for many people, and it always seems easier to do nothing—to wait until a better, more convenient time in the future. But ask yourself these questions:
Have there ever been better, more successful treatments available for hep C? Will I ever be stronger, healthier, more ready to take on prescription treatment than I am right now? The answer to the first question is easy. There has never been better treatment available. We know more about hep C than we ever have, and treatment has made truly significant progress.
The answer to the second question is up to you and your doctor. Make sure you ask the tough questions and get good information and advice from your healthcare team. They may tell you what they have probably told many of their patients: “You’ll never be stronger than you are right now—today.”