I have thought this too V, and add to that list now cured (via peg/inf) Mr Steve Tyler of Aerosmith, who could help as well. I recall the breaking down of stigma and the support for HIV by stars and royalty alike, and the global awareness of poverty with Geldof’s We are The World, people won Grammy Awards, received Queens honours and so on…these are worthy causes indeed. These are causes that should be incessantly lobbied, yes.

The stats on HCV are still really unknown I think , we only can go by who has been tested, and I don’t like to think about the lack of testing in less developed countries with an unwell GDP and little ability to run on Primary Resources or to develop sustainable infrastructure in Health, Housing and Education. ick:' />
I am sure a projection could be made by a statistician as to the probable number of infected people based on those of us who have been accounted for, and the other data coming into play.

Lately many people with public profiles have died as a result of the ongoing fight with HCV. I thought that when Bowie passed away his high profile might have urged some of these rockers to get together and speak up.

I think 2016 we will witness more loss. I hope that these people who have huge social media presence, who have global music markets and the finances to actually break stigma, raise awareness and to assist the global eradication of HCV come to the party.

Thank you for your post, you spoke my language,
Ariel

Ever felt like this?
You’re in loving company here

I am at Monash too I can help you sweetie xxx you can use the medicine from here I can explain how to keep the peace and still be able to go to Monash it’s our nearest clinic after all
I have private health insurance too xx we may have sat side by side at last liver clinic not sure but I did talk to a lovely young lady who was anxious
Lots of love Ariel xxxx

Keep the pressure on NZ
AWESOME work team NZ love your passion
Lobbying is a draining and sometimes most frustrating task. My letter to then PM Tony Abbot was hand delivered via a secret route and his reply indicated he had not read my letter
I disclosed my identity my degrees my interferon debacle my loss of income
I explained the matter of the burden to the health industry and the causal effect it would have in Australia to deny tx
He wrote back the most inane drivel
It was a personal letter not written by a staffer but by himself
It just made the hair on my neck stand up at his complete head in the sand retort.
Same type of reply from two other leaders here.
Lobbying is hard work when $$$$$$$ are involved at this level of greed. Also the scaremongering trying to con people into waiting eternally for the PBS that never came that’s been promised but hmmmm ve vill see!
Go NZ Go

As an interferon relapser I was even scared of starting any new tx…I am scared of relapsing…I am scared of sx, I am scared of a lot of stuff BUT I think this is completely normal.
After all, I realise I have not been well for a darned long time, in my case Lynne, I was not told of any sx going into peg/inf, in fact when I asked I was told about people who ‘worked all the way through peg/inf’, and how they ‘breezed’ through it, no no truth was told. I was NOT told about fibroscan and not given one. I am F0! I was urged in fact to commence tx immediately.
I was not gene tested, I was not told about this and when I finally was taken off tx at 43 weeks with heart trouble by a locum while the Gastro person responsible for this failed duty of care was away, I relapsed within four weeks.

These and the last four years of rebuilding my completely destroyed body have made me nervous.

I agree with LG, I have decided to praise myself, and that is; focusing on the triumph of reinventing myself, of taking the bit between this old nags teeth and giving this a go…of never giving up hope, and of just accepting baby steps are my thang.

I asked about relapsing going in, via a pm to Dr James, and I know if the worst happened it is not all lost and done and dusted for any of us. I think that this is a great issue you have raised.

We will be okay. After tx a nice cleansing lifestyle to detox these meds too…lots of swimming in the sea (not very close to Bendigo ) massages, walks, new hobbies, trying something we have never done before…these are great things to distract the mind.

I feel your anxiety, and thank you for the honesty Lynne xxx
Ariel