To everyone who responded to my post; I thank you for your kindness.
In truth, had I remotely imagined that it would invoke such concern, I would likely not have written. I think my condition seems to be improving - I can breathe better. I was helped by an exceptionally caring doctor and am grateful. I was also offered alternate medical counsel due to the intervention of another member. All these individuals actively engage with Buyer’s Club forum – reflecting its generous spirit & exceptional human service.
Barry, thanks for your reply, Christmas since we last spoke. Iv’e watched you for some time now mate, other side of the outback – doing it real tough. You’ve never spared yourself – with complications & hard news – picked yourself up & fought on – I take my hat off to you. Family first, I know – so do what you have to - but lighten up a little, you endearingly stubborn bugger – be kinder to yourself. At least you’ve got the meds now – I hope you feel better, and as it goes, have whatever you need. Often think of you & the family. take care.
There are many angry – who got warehoused by the beaurocratic bullshit. Did it not occur to them to implement some strategy even at cost, for most at risk - whilst they did their wheeling & dealing. Meanwhile we waited & watched out for each other – and hoped to last the distance. Had a call last week for advice from Adelaide. How long & silent has been this epidemic till the tsunami began to break over us – yet still how little people know about HCV and how it proceeds. A friend with young children died last year – her husband told me - don’t wait – keep trying – or they “will” just wait till each crisis – and eventually its too late.
So it may have seemed surprising, when my first post disclosed that I balked when I finally got the meds – but with my HCV gone so far - I feared that even the treatment might overload my liver. Which is why whenever I even begin to have more complications (like last week) I am perhaps overly cautious. Cirrhosis can go to shite - very quickly. Thanks to the Buyer’s Club selection and testing protocols, (excluding life’s statistical outliers) there seems little reason for an “informed” person to become so advanced with HCV, that the treatment might pose a significant risk.
So here is the missing link – an “informed” person. The bureaucracy has now done its dealing – treatment is available. But how well informed are the public – about their diagnostic probability, the trajectory, complications & treatment of this disease. For years I saw nil health medium addressing HCV and more recently - poorly disseminated. Given the life threatening potential of this disease - How many undiagnosed people out there are really sufficiently informed?
Life and circumstances can change in a second. Do we yet know enough about what damage the virus is doing even in its earlier stages. Personally; Even if I was an early F1, F2 or F3 and the SVR numbers on Buyer’s Club treatments stack up – if I was well informed about HCV – and could conserve the funds from other life expenditures – I might not wait in the Public treatment queue - I would be inclined to purchase the treatment and eliminate this virus from my system at the earliest opportunity.