'Silver Linings' - Sharon

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharon

EVERYBODY freaks out at first.

Me, you, everybody.

Having an illness is a hard thing to wrap our minds around.

Its all so VERY personal.

I am so proud of you for being strong.

This is all really good, not only for you, but you will be able to help your children now.

Maybe even your husband too....who knows.

I know you guys still have a lot of love for each other, even though there are problems that keep you apart.

This HCV journey has a way of helping us all heal in so many ways - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and on and on.

Teri and Steve talk about the 'Silver Linings' sometimes.

The virus itself makes us sick, yes, but it does so much to help us all heal in other ways that also need fixing.

Having HCV is like looking through a pair of magic glasses at the world around us.

We see things that we have never seen before.

It forces us outside of the box, and our safe little worlds.

With me, it has opened up the worlds of research and compassion for myself and others.

Its a shame it took me 60 years to get here.

But like my 90 y/o Dad says - 'you cant until you can'.

love

don in ks

From: Sharon Mcdonald <sharonmcdonald95@...>Subject: Re: [ ] Sharon's Visit DONE! Date: Friday, December 3, 2010, 2:03 PM

To all the warriors who helped me get to this point I can't thank you enough.

I went to the doctors visit. I brought my husband. I couldn't get it out, so my husband told him our son was diagnosed with hep c at birth and sharon was diagnosed with hep c. She never found out what kind, type etc. He said okay.

Then I started to talk to him after i stopped crying. He never questioned why I didn't say anything he was really nice. I told him that I was nauseated so bad that it was affecting my everyday life. I also told him that I was having a pain in that area and he told me it could be a number of things.

I told him I hope my liver isn't that bad. I did say ESLD and he told me that I definitely do not have that and that he would be able to tell. I said I know all the damage I have done, he said well did you take tylenol and I said I if pills have tylenol in them then yes. Before I graduated to Oxycontins, they dont. Perks have tylenol in them and I did those for about a year, great huh, what you don't know will hurt you.

See I am starting to see why this should not be hid under the covers. Had the doctors have known I probably wouldn't have been prescribed perks. It is very important that your doctors knows.

Well anyway, he took out the sheet that I said he would and he checked off, HIV, he said he is going to do qualitative then quantitative testing. Meaning first find out if I have hep c, then find out what type and then find out my viral load.

He then went back into my chart and looked at the blood work that was taken last time I was in the office and he said that it was all within normal limits.

I went down with my hubs to get the blood work, I almost left because I had to pick up my daughter early at school and my husband said no just call the school and tell them you are at the doctors and running 15 mins. late and have jackie sit in the lobby and read her book. I did and they were fine with it. The lab tech told me that she had 20 things checked off on the paper (because it was taking a long time for her to input the information) and she said she wanted to get everything rite so I don't have to come back. He did a full work up, ughh.

I told him not to call me and he said he wouldn't. He said that he wants to see me back in two weeks I only see him once a month. So he will go over the lab work with me and we will take it from their. He didn't seem to think that I was really that sick, or maybe i am hoping. He also told me that the medication he gives me could be making me nauseated because that is a side effect.

So it's done, I hope I made you proud! thanks and two weeks we will get all the labs ouch! She took at least 10-12 vials of blood, she even said wow. tx sharon

Just having my cup of tea and relaxing with my hubs who thinks I'm nuts. You were all so patient with me and to everyone that helped, you could have saved my life, and that is the truth. I owe you guys!!