Hi guys. Haven’t written in a while. Been working on project that‘s very dear to my heart. I formed an advocacy group on facebook that promotes hepatitis C awareness and early detection. The cause has taken over my life (literally) for the past few weeks and has kept me from just about everything else.
Why am I doing this? I have Hepatitis C. I don't know how or when I got it. I want people to learn about it and encourage them to get tested.
On my 40th birthday I donated blood at a local high school. About a week later the Red Cross wrote to inform me that my blood was tainted, that I had tested positive for HCV antibodies.
The news hit me hard. Reading in a letter that I had Hepatitis C was harsh. It left me with more questions than answers. I didn't even know I was sick. The doctors said I was asymptomatic. That was several years ago. To date I still show no signs of infection and my liver enzymes test close to normal.
I would never have known I was infected had I not tried to give blood. I don't know how or when I was exposed, but I do know I have Hepatitis C, and I am doing all the right things to stay healthy. I feel OK right now (a little tired perhaps), but I understand that can change without notice. That's why it's so important to get tested and schedule regular check-ups.
Hepatitis C, the Silent Epidemic promotes hepatitis C awareness and early detection. I started it earlier this month and poured my heart into it. Membership is up and increasing. Donations could be better.
There are three parts to the effort.
- The group, where we promote hepatitis C awareness and provide information of interest.
- The cause, where we encourage participation and solicit donations to The American Liver Foundation.
- The stores, where we sell merchandise, books and apparel that promote hepatitis C awareness. I made a personal pledge to donate fifty percent of all profits from those sites to The American Liver Foundation. (If there was some way to automate the fifty percent contribution, I would do it. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be one. All I can find are all-or-nothing solutions that allow 100% contributions, or nothing at all.)
Once I get my head back in the game, I’ll start writing my weekly posts again. If you watch any news at all, you know there are a world of ideas out there to write about. Please stay tuned.
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