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Hello everyone, my name is Mar, I'm based in Egypt, and I'm trying to help Dr James Freeman in his global fight against Hepatitis C. I'm quite aware of the suffering Hepatitis C causes and also how it can be successfully treated because it's a national epidemic here. In 2016 for example, the country has successfully treated about 1 million patients (more than the rest of the world combined that year). That's one of the reasons Dr. James has visited Egypt on more than one occasion, and I had the pleasure of meeting with him and discuss ways to advance his global agenda to fight the disease. I just wanted to introduce myself and say hello to all the wonderful people here, and I'm looking forward to be involved in the forum and try to help as much as I can.

Hello Mar in Egypt. I'm really happy to welcome you to the forum. The international reach of this forum and the belief that everyone has a right to a Hep C free life is one of its' great strengths - and the fact that each person really can make a difference.

I'm really looking forward to reading your posts.

Coral

Thank you very much Carol for your welcome. I'm really looking forward to being part of this forum's effort of getting treatment to every citizen of the world.

Thank you for inviting me to join the Forums.
My name is Chattypie and I am in London, UK.

Welcome to the forum ChattyPie, it's full of great people who love to help, I'm sure you will find it quite useful.

Hi Chattypie

Welcome to you. I have been part of this forum for about a week, and have found the information, help and shared stories to be invaluable, a place where where you don't feel your walking alone!

A big wave from New Zealand

Balance

Welcome to the club, it's not like this one...

Hello and thanks to everyone who welcomed me.

Unfortunately I have been a patient of not only the HepC 'not sick enough' but also other medical ailments. In the UK we have, for many years now, had a National Sick Service which only serves a few people well.
I worked in the NHS for many years and have seen it personally. I get very irate about people having no treatment when they are mildly ill so that they can get back to work and pay taxes. The Governments are blind as well as stupid.

I lost a young friend of 42yrs, a mother who was treated so badly by the NHS, given incomplete biopsies which made her worse, put in gauze which they then could not remove and eventually giving her old pharmaceuticals because her consultant wanted to prove he could still use them regardless of killing his patients and then refusing to put a drain in for her and instead putting her through the agony of punching holes in her every week to drain off the fluids their mishandling had caused. It was pure torture.

I am so grateful for the HepC Trust in the UK who pointed me in your direction, for my Prof Rosenberg who encouraged me to go to you for my medicines because he has been trying for a year to get NHS England to approve my therapy (which they would not), and of course to Dr Freeman for his perseverance and dedication to eradicating this disease.

My medicine arrived within days, the chatline were extremely helpful and efficient and I have just received my consultant's letter saying that "there is a dramatic fall in the viral load".

I cannot say enough thank yous to FixHepC. Thank you, thank you.......
My best wishes to everyone in their continued efforts.

Congratulations Chattypie on the dramatic fall in your viral load, it shows that your body is responding well to the medication. We're all looking forward to hearing news of your SVR in the next few months, best of luck.

Hi Chattypie,

Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. Well done on your perseverance in getting the treatment despite some road blocks along the way.

I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. You have seen first hand and through your friend the flaws in the system that leave the most vulnerable people without adequate support.

Your falling viral load is good news. Keep posting - we look forward to hearing you updates.

Hello Chattypie and welcome
Thank you too for being here and sharing with friends here. We are here to empathise and support you through tx and beyond whilst you go through the blood tests. I hope you are not as cold now over there gosh what a Winter you had!
I hope to read of your progress and send you happies from Downunder
Ariel

good luck in your admin role

Thank you very much Beaches for your welcome