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I was just diagnosed with Hepatitis C and I am a wreck. I had a

bunch of blood tests done before gallbladder surgery and I came up

positive for Hep C and then was given a more intensive test and it

came up positive, too. I am 53, have always been in poor health, and

now this. I am devastated. Since the gallbladder surgery, I have

been having pain in my liver and extreme fatigue but I will not go to

a Gastroenterologist because this is a virus and viruses are

incurable. I went through enough complications and hell with the

gallbladder ordeal (it was not simple), and I am just not going to

subject myself to the agonizing pain of a liver biopsy and all the

other horrid tests that they run. What's the point? All they can do

is treat me with Interferon and Ribovirin which my low-income

government issued insurance does not cover anyway. Plus there is

only a 30% remission rate with those drugs and the virus usually

comes back. I am old. I am not young and strong and not in good

shape at all. I don't smoke or drink and I eat healthy foods. I

also take Milkthistle and a few other Hep friendly herbal supplements.

I figure that this is the best that I can do and hope that I have

more than 5 years to live. The worst thing for me is that I have a

17 year old daughter that I worship and adore and I may not live to

see her go through college, have her nursing career, and get married.

That part breaks my heart and as I write this, I am crying. I am not

ready to leave this earth just yet. I was hoping that I would at

least make it for another 15-20 years but I guess not.

I just need some hope and support right now. This has hit me like a

ton of bricks and I don't know where to turn.

Lynne