I had been wanting to quit smoking cigarettes for many years and had tried all the quit smoking aids,nothing worked. I heard an ad on the radio about a new drug that was being tested,and that this research group was looking for likly canidates to use this new medication to stop smoking. I made an appointment with the research group and was accepted into their program,contingent on passing a drug test and phyaical exam. I was contacted by the research group and told that there was a problem with my liver enzymes and that I needed to contact my doctor immediately.

I saw my doctor with my lab results from the research group, she reviewed the results and asked me if I ever used iv drugs,I answered "yes,but that was 23 years ago!" she turned away from me and said "you have hep-c".I told her that I was in a bad car wreck and had oral surgery couldn't I have contracted hep-c from a blood transfusion? She answered yes,did you get a blood transfusion? I didn't know,would they have told me? Not necesserily she replied.She asked if I drank alcohol,yes I answered,well you don't any more! do you smoke? yes, well you just quit,we'll need to do more tests and the hep-c group will be contacting you.End of my first doctors appointment and I left with the big question, what is happening to me! When I got home I sat down at the computer and looked up hep-c on webmd I read all the pages, when I finished I guess I knew more about the disease and at the same time I felt that this was going to be a challenge that it wasn't going to be a simple matter of taking some pills for a couple of weeks and life would go on.

I told my wife my bit of bad news and she seemed somewhat disinterested,her attitude was to bad for you how is this going to effect me. I told her she needed to get a blood test,and that I could'nt drink anymore. The I can't drink any more part totally blew her away, "you meen while you are taking the drug therapy" no I meen never ever again,this was really bad news to my alcholic wife.

I was diagnosed with hep-c type 2a with a viral load of 79,000 and elevated alt ast numbers. I felt that this all sounded like good news to me seeing that the treatment would be ONLY 6 months. I had to attend a hep-c class that my HMO required of all newly diagnosed patients we we're given two tests to take, one to determine if you we're depressed and the other to determine if you you're an alcoholic. At the front of the room sat the man in white, the doctor, peering out over his papers at the 20 plus patients as we all sat there looking at plastic liver models.The doctor reviewed my tests and determined that I wasn't an alcoholic,but that I had consumed sufficient quantities of alcohol that I would need to wait 6 months before I started my drug therapy.

I felt relieved that I had 6 months to get things in order I own my own business and you have no way of knowing what your side effects will be.I didn't want alot of people to know that I had hep-c I told the people I came in contact with at work that if something where to happen on the job and I we're bleeding to please protect themselves from contact with my blood. I overheard a conversation my wife was having on the phone telling the person on the other end that I had hep-c when she hung up I asked her who she was talking to she told me it was our neighbor down the street, I asked her to please not tell people I had hep-c she said why wouldn't you tell people, I told her I felt that the disease had bad connotations attached to it and I'd rather she didn't tell people, that conversation went in one ear and out the other,you'd think I'd won the lottery.

As time passed leading up to the start of my drug therapy I started to meet people who had gone through the therapy and was taken aback by their stories about the side effects,however the biggest shock for me was when I found out I'd have to administer my own shot in the abdomen or leg,I hate needles I couldn't watch people on tv give or get needles,it was the worst part of going to the dentist how was I going to give myself a shot. Ironic, an ex pin cushion that scared himself into having a phobia about needles know had to face that fear to get better using the same instrument that made him sick. Before I started the drug therapy the doctor orderd a liver biopsy,the procedure really wasn't a big deal,however once the drugs wore off it became very uncomfortable sitting was the only position I could be in,by the next afternoon I felt fine.

Two weekslater the doctor called with my results I have stage 4 liver disease I felt devastated,the news was worse than the original diagnosis,from what I read type2 was not as aggressive as the other types, I had been thinking that I could put the drug therapy off for a while, that there would be some new therapy was on the horizon a new wonder drug. I made the decision to start the interferon and ribrovin therapy I didn't fell I had a choice since being diagnosed with sirosis. It took a while to get over the needle fear I'd stomp around the house and put it off and finally muster up the courage to do the shot. For the first 2 months I didn't notice any side effects,after that I would have to muster up all my energy and plan one task at a time once to accomplished my daily goal (ie go to work )after attaining my goal I was pretty well spent for the evening.At the completion of three months I had a viral load done and the results came back that there was no detectable amount of virus, hey thats good news maybe they'll take me off the drugs or cut down on the dosage I thought.NO!

The subsequent 3 months sucked,couldn't sleep,people became very annoying I had no patience I was agitated,I also developed photo sensitivity which left me with open sores on my arms and neck,I saw my attending doctor and she got me back on track with the sleep problem,and referred me to a dermatologist. At the end of 6 months they did another viral load test,the doctor called me in for a visit, he told me that the viral load was at 29000 and that the therapy hadn't worked,type 2 has a success rate of 80% I was one of the 20%.He asked if I would consider going back on the interferon shots,I told him under the condition that he'd supply me with a good telephone number,in the event that I had any problems with the drug I could reach him.He told me no that I would have to deal with there dysfunctional HMO call center just like everybody else.I asked about getting on a list for a transplant he told me that right know I would be number 800 and that the only people who get transplants are the people in the worse condition. My feeling was put me on the list and let me float to the top so at least I'd be close to the top of the list should the need arise.NO!

One month after this visit the doctor called and told me he'd ordered another couple of tests, 2 weeks later he called and left a message that after further review of all my labs the virus is undetectable. I haven't called him back, I'm tired of the 14 month roller coaster ride just need some time,no shots, no pills,no blood work,no nurses, no doctors,this most resent time has been like a wonderful vacation.Yes yes I'll call the doctor back