When I found out I had chronic-active hep.C I was certain I was going to die very soon thereafter. Not so! I was diagnosed twelve years ago. I'm now 48 years old and to date have not succumb to this sometimes fatal disease.

I have no health care and have not had any treatment except for the diagnosis, itself. My story is probably a litany on what not to do, that is, ignore it and hope, pray, and will it to go away. One thing I did do, however, was to stop drinking alcohol the same day I learned I had it. I know that can go a long way towards prolonging life for anyone suffering ANY kind of liver disorder.

I haven't had any sickness in particular that would make me think the hep C was manifesting. I do get irritable bowel syndrome, and my legs and feet have swollen up from time to time. I'm not even sure if these are symptoms . I am manic depressive and have an unreasonable fear of doctors and hospitals.

I have a hard time living my life with any continuity, i.e. getting and keeping jobs, keeping track of dates and appointments. On top of that my marriage is failing and I can only hope that my health, such as it is, stays as well as it has been so far. I have lived under tremendous stress for the past 3 years as my husband lost his job and never went back to work. We lived off of our retirement and refinancing our house. Now, we're out of money and will almost certainly lose the house within a few months. In conclusion, I will ask that you, the reader, take a second to pray for me and anyone else living with this disease. Thank you for your time!