This is a guest blog by a fellow Hepatitis C patient. She’s a miracle, and I knew that her story of being born with Hepatitis C would give you encouragement.
I wanted to share my story of having a liver transplant. It was not something that I ever dreamed that I would live through. The reason that I needed one is because I was dying from decompensated cirrhosis. I was born with Hepatitis C, but didn’t know it and had gone on living my life.
Born with Hepatitis C But Not Sick for Years
My first liver complications came from a Tylenol overdose at 16. I recovered from that, but my liver was still inflamed from the Hepatitis C virus. It was complicated even more from drinking alcohol in my 20’s. It seemed so strange that my liver was failing so much faster than it should.
When I was 25, it was discovered that I had Hep C. More test showed that I was the same genotype as my mom. I kept denying that the virus made me sick, Finally, when I was 32 I sobered up from alcohol.
Starting Hep C Treatment
In January of 2022, I began the treatment with Direct Acting Antivirals (DAA), including Ribavirin. It was supposed to be a 12 week treatment. That was, until I had an a deadly reaction to Ribavirin. After finding out about the reaction to Ribavirin, it was discontinued. Then my treatment regimen doubled from 12 to 24 weeks.
At the time I started treatment, I was teetering on the edge of being decompensated. I was really hoping that I had caught it in time, but after a brief hospitalization in May, it was confirmed, via gallstone, that my liver had reached decompensated status. It was determined that I was, in fact, dying. I was devastated, terrified and overwhelmed beyond words.
Cured but Still Have Liver Disease
That was the start of the second half of my journey, or my scramble to save my own life, and get myself on a liver transplant list so I could, hopefully, get a liver transplant. I had to regularly get monitored with Peths tests to prove I was not drinking. I also had to stop smoking. The liver transplant hospital wanted to be sure that all donated organs are going to a person who would take care of it by not drinking or smoking.
Some of these steps were hard for me. It was important to be compliant with all of the transplant hospital’s guidelines. For example, I was not thrilled with getting the (Covid) vaccination due to some of conspiracies surrounding it, but I still did it! By the end of August, I was on the list!
Hallelujah!
I thought that the wait would be long. I found out that it all depends on where you live, and when the organ becomes available. This is all done in sync with the UNOS organ procurement organization. They have specific guidelines that govern the list.
I was only on the list for, maybe three weeks when I got an offer! I took it, and rushed to my hospital, which is conveniently not five minutes driving from my house.
A New Transplanted Liver
Nerves were high and I nearly chickened out several times during the night of waiting but by 1:20 in the morning, my surgery began, and smoothly ended by 6:40. I was then taken to the surgical ICU because they had to transfuse me over 26 times, due to a bleeding disorder that I had due to my cirrhosis, however, it has improved already!
Post Transplant
I’ve been home now roughly a week and I’m so glad my daughter isn’t going to lose the only parent she has. I won’t say it’s easy, it is not. You MUST be brave, willful and desperate to live, but please, please know alcoholism, hepatitis C and liver disease doesn’t HAVE to be a death sentence! I’m living breathing proof, folks!
Born with Hepatitis C
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need guidance. My next journey is to continue to help the people in this world like me. I am talking about the forgotten alcoholics, the sick hepatitis C patients, and the ones dying of liver disease. Walk with me, because this world is far too beautiful to lose your light!
The image is from hepatitisc.net and I’ve written about Hep C there, and you can find out more about being form with hepatitis c.
