My name is Patricia, I have been online giving support and raising awareness since 2002. I was diagnosed with HCV in 2002. Genotype 3a. Biopsy showed Stage 3 Grade 3, viral load 800,000IU. I treated the first time in 2002 with Pegintron + Ribavirin yet was pulled off Ribavirin within the first ten days due to very low counts (having to be transfused), I continued with Peg monotherapy for 9 months yet I did not respond. I was told that I could never take Ribavirin again that my body could not tolerate it. I was not ready to give up. I found a wonderful Hepatologist at Duke University, Dr. Andrew Muir. He told me that we would try again, but this time they would give me Procrit if my counts started to bottom, which they did after the first 9 weeks. I retreated with Pegasys + Ribavirin starting on January 13, 2005 my starting viral load was 3,124,000IU and by week 8 was undetected. I finished 43 of 48 weeks of treatment on November 3, 2005 stopping 5 weeks early after having had 2 blood transfusions and even with Procrit my counts still bottoming out. I achieved SVR as of May 2006.
I have been involved with HCV support since I was diagnosed, learning everything that I could about this insidious disease and trying to give back the support that was so freely given to me. I remember that day that I was diagnosed, how scared I was and so naive when it came to Hepatitis C, My hope over the years has been to keep others from feeling the way that I did.
I started this blog in June 2010, expanded to Twitter and Facebook later that year. Reaching out to learn as well as educate. In January 2012 I started a support group on Facebook “Hepatitis C Family and Friends” it is a safe haven where people can go and find the love and support from others that are going through the same things. It is definitely a group of ‘family’ and ‘friends’.
I am not a writer, yet my goal of this blog is to provide a place where people come and find the most up to date research and information on Hepatitis C, as well as HIV/HCV co-infection and other liver diseases. This year has been one of the most exciting in hepatitis C research since I have been involved with HCV awareness, so much promise in the pipeline coming with new drugs over the next few years.
As much as I enjoy what I do here on the internet and social media, I do hope and pray that someday soon, this blog will no longer be needed, for a cure has been found. Until then I will continue to provide you with the latest research and news.
Patricia Emory
Hepatitis C Research and News
Updated December 12, 2013 9:08 pm EST
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