When I learned about the virus ....

On November 11th, 2005 I got the diagnosis of being HCV+. That means, I have Hepatitis C, also known as chronic Hepatitis. At first I didn’t really know what it meant, just that I was supposed to greatly reduce if not stop alcohol as to avoid any further liver damage. The nurse at the Health Centre didn’t help by saying when she gave me the results: “This a terminal illness, you know!” Of course I thought I was going to die. Preferably on the spot, there and then. About 10 people in the queue behind me had heard it. I am sure they were all thinking “Poor old cow!” Hey, less of the old, I was only 47 then.

I went home after this. Well, not straight away. I called into the adjacent pub and had a double vodka and coke. Reasoning: It was going to be my last one. Then I went home – and had a beer. Reasoning: Definitely my last one! It never was. I have to admit, to my shame, to drinking throughout the time until treatment started. But that was much, much later. For now I had to deal with the shock and with the lack of knowledge what this diagnosis entailed. Unfortunately the clinic had run out of leaflets about Hep C, but thankfully as a modern woman, I was connected to the internet at the flat and therefore to a wealth of information. I wasn’t stupid, I could find out what this meant. Regrettably the provided information on the internet is as confusing as it is plentiful. I am a woman, middle aged at that, as a result easily befuddled. At the end of the day, I still didn’t know much more. When my then partner came home from work, I told him what I had learned earlier that day. In hindsight I think I shouldn’t have done that. He almost instantly clamped up, didn’t want to talk about it and little did I know then, that this was the beginning of the end of our relationship. I somehow sensed though, that I would ultimately be alone with this, whatever was going to happen, die or live.At least one thing I had found out on the net: There is a good chance of cure for Hep C with the use of a combination therapy of Interferon and Ribavirin. I had also discovered, that there are various types of Hep C, called Genotypes. Genotypes 2 and 3 are deemed the easiest to cure, combo treatment takes 24 weeks. Genotypes 1 and 4 are more difficult, treatment is between 48 and 72 weeks. There are a couple of other Genotypes as well, but they are not very common and research into them has been slow so far. One little blip though – at this stage, I did not know my genotype. Stuck again! But I did have another blood test scheduled to make sure the first one was right. Comforting or what?