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If you have hepatitis C, are struggling with addictions, or are looking for new answers to spiritual questions,you will want to bookmark this page now, so that you can return often for updated material. You will find information here you may not find in other sites on this topic. ~ Jere
Hi! Glad you stopped in for a visit. Pull up a chair and get comfortable. I'll fix a cup of coffee, or herbal tea if you'd prefer.
This site is a little about me, my beloved wife Polly, and much about Hepatitis C, which I discovered in 1994 was at the root of many illusive health problems for which I had sought medical aid since the mid 1980's. But it will also touch on other aspects of my life, the philosophical, spiritual, and self-help aspects that so many of us need in varying degrees. These may give strength and hope to some who may need it. It is to them that this site is directed.
A diagnosis of Hepatitis C often brings shock, confusion and indecision to those who learn of it, and may have suspected nothing. Questions abound. Should I accept treatment if it is offered? Should I wait? What are the consequences of treating now or waiting? Should I just try to live with it? If so what diets or supplements are best?
What might be the results or consequences of either the decision to tret or to wait? Can I pass this on to my wife or husband, children, family or friends? If so, how and how may I reduce the risks of it? What is the probable outcome for me and/or my loved ones? Can the disease be cured? Can liver damage be repaired or reversed? Can symptoms be relieved? Can health be restored? What are the treatments like? Are there side effects? Are the side effect risks worth possible benefits? What are the risk Vs benefits equations? Who is likely to benefit from treatment? Who may be harmed by treatments? What are my treatment options? Should I use alternative or complimentary treatments, and if so, along with standard treatments or in place of them? Where can I go for reliable information?
These questions are only a small sampling. They go on and on. Dreams and plans are shattered or put on hold. Fear, confusion, depression, and even despair may follow. Emotions may swing wildly. Indecision often reigns. It is not a happy time. It is a time when our decision-making processes are often dulled or clouded
I understand all of this, and have lived it, along with thousands of others in online support groups, in and out of many and various types of treatments. If you have been told you have HCV, or if you are the family or loved one of someone who has it, I hope to share with you some of what I've learned over these difficult but also enlightening years.
Most of my time, effort and study over the past 7 years have been directed toward the characteristics and treatments of this viral disease. If there has been a medical or research paper of note or worth that has been published on the subject, I have probably read it, or summaries or abstracts of it. I have literally thousands of them on my computer or printed out in filing cabinets or boxes. Most of the better ones I've posted and shared with online support groups as "Info:" posts. Some are too technical for most to gain much from, especially if not familiar with the medical vocabulary and terminology. I have a medical background, and a fairly extensive medical vocabulary grasp of the medical complexities involved. In addition, my wife Polly is an accomplished Registered Nurse with a master's degree and 30 years of Critical Care nursing experience. Her expertise and capable assistance has helped me gain medical insights into Hepatitis C that otherwise would have been impossible to gain on my own.
I have done my best to distill out the "take home" information and put it into words the average person might understand. Of that, you must be the judge.
In addition I have dealt with overcoming the effects of a horribly disfunctional early family life filled with physical and emotional abuse. This set the stage for my own incursions into addictive and self-destructive behaviors. The path that I discoverd out of my own personal darkness may be of value to others and it is discussed in some detail here. Although it is a spirit-based path, it entails no doctrines, dogmas, creeds or specific religions. It can be used by anyone of any faith, or none at all. I especially encourage those without a faith of their own or without an animosity or hostility to religion or spirituality to read on. I say this because I was once in that category, and have found answers I never thought could be possible during this lifetime, and I am a well read, well-traveled person.
I hope you will find something of value here - something to "take home". I particularly want to reach out to those who have been recently diagnosed and are trying to determine whether or not to treat, and if so how to best proceed. Many factors may play a part in that decision if properly understood, and not all of them are medical. Many have to do with family, personal or work circumstances, economic issues, availability of competent medical advice and treatment supervision, and so on. We'll try to help you weigh these issues, so that you can make the best decision possible... for you!
Be cetain not to miss my recently added page on "Optimal Treatments for HCV". (Click on that title on left side of this home page) The 37th EASL just released the most encouraging treatment results to date achieved with Pegasys + Ribavirin, and I've included suggestions for patients and physicians to make these results even better, with fewer side effects.
For more about Hepatitis C
To go to other sections of the site chose from the menu on the left.
Jere L. Hough - Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. ~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Copyright Notice:
All material herein in copyrighted by the author unless otherwise stated. Material may be freely reprinted or posted for non-profit use as long as proper credit is given to the respective authors. Anyone may link this website for benign non-profit use.
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