Before I left work on disability, a good friend had recommended blogging as a way to stay sane. I did something else. But looking back from today, it has been such a strange and often wonderful trip. It seemed a shame to let it be lost like tears in the rain so I'm starting a bit later. For anyone inclined to read this stuff, the good news is that it will exhibit alot of brevity that would have otherwise been missing. For anyone treading this same path, I hope some of what I relate will serve to help you to traverse the wasteland.
I guess the logical place to start is where Hep C (then known vaguely as Non-A/Non-B Hepatitis) and I cross paths. That would be in the service of my country. Like a large number of others, I came out of my Air Force service with more than an honorable discharge. I have a better explanation than most - I worked in a lab that, among other things, tested the fresh blood supply for hepatits (B at that time). No, I didn't use needles in that endeavor and I don't recall any accidents that would have resulted in Blood-blood mingling. But, there you have it.
Like almost everyone with Hep C, I had no overt symptoms for years, decades. And during that time I was a faithful blood donor (please accept my apologies). In fact that was how I eventually found out that I had HepC was sometime in 1991 after donating blood.
I booked time with my family physician immediately. But the ordinary family MD knew little about this disease back then. Mine read the letter from the blood service which stated that I had antibodies to HepC and glibly reported that that was good news - that meant my body must have already whipped that nasty virus and my immunity would serve me well in the future. Nothing about drinking alcohol, in fact nothing about anything. Don't ever entrust any single person with such important information.
