Linda's Page

Hepatitis C and Emotional Healing

Hello, I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Linda. Sargie has been a good and faithful friend through the years. We met at a poker room online and have since exchanged hundreds of emails. We've shared both good days and bad, expressed our feelings, laughed a lot and exchanged poker stories until there were barely any that we hadn't heard before. We players tend to talk a lot about our wins and our bad beats. I, in fact, was dealt a lousy hand but I continue playing it the best I can. I am just one person amongst millions who have Hepatitis C. I've met people from all walks of life with it, both online and off, even some at the poker clubs I frequent. Since being diagnosed in 1999 and subsequently treated unsuccessfully for this disease, I've dedicated these past years to the support of those who have HCV and for all those interested in learning about it. I've been asked to give a brief description of this disease for USATeamPoker.com and I agreed gladly, as it's one way to bring it into public awareness.

Quality of life is a crucial issue for people with chronic Hepatitis C. While combination therapy can slow HCV replication and improve liver health, individuals are understandably concerned about how treatment and its side effects will affect their everyday life. My website and forum hopes to allay many of these fears by sharing with others, supporting them emotionally and helping them get the information they need. Education and public awareness too, of this insidious disease is so very important as HCV is of pandemic proportions throughout the world. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a worldwide public health problem. The World Health Organization estimates that 170 million people worldwide are chronically infected and that between 3-4 million are newly infected annually. The faces of HCV are those of men, women and children. It does not discriminate.

HCV is the leading cause of chronic liver disease including hepatic fibrosis, end-stage cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is no vaccine available to prevent HCV, and current therapies are costly, have serious side effects and are curative in only a fraction of patients.

As of February 2006, one million more people in the United States have been infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) than previously estimated, according to the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD), and American Liver Foundation (ALF).

According to an AASLD news release, the number of U.S. residents who have been infected with HCV is approximately 5 million – 800,000 to 1,200,000 higher than the 3.9 million estimate performed by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This did not take into consideration several high-risk populations including people who are incarcerated, homeless, hospitalized, active-duty military and nursing home residents. Small steps lead to huge gains towards dealing with this disease. There are preventative measures, advancements in treatment, now and to come, and hope for the future. Educate yourself, it's the first line of defense!

If you or someone you know someone has HCV and would like to become more informed about it, please join my friends and I at Hepatitis C And Emotional Healing. With the advent of computers and forums such as mine and countless others available, there is no reason to remain in the dark about this potentially deadly disease. No one should be alone in dealing with it either. Be an organ donor. Your life may one day save another.

Hepatitis C & Emotional Healing