Happy Birthday ihelpc.com

This blog is a Happy Birthday ihelpc.com celebration. November 12, 2012 was when I first launched Your Best Friends Guide. It started off as a way to organize all of the writing I had done before, and during, treatment for Hepatitis C. I’ve always been a journaling type girl. My notes were a way of coping with Hepatic Encephalopathy during the last several years, and also to track everything with my medical team. Seeing my thoughts on paper reminded me of who I was when my body was fading out.

Tackling Technology

Putting it all on a wordpress site took a lot of time due to brain fog. I had just finished 43 weeks of the Telaprivir old treatment, and that year was brutal. After surviving a massive variceal bleed, I wanted to reach out to anyone else who was preparing for it. I also wanted to encourage others with end stage liver disease. It was an insult to finish treatment, only to continue needing esophageal bandings.

That Name?

When choosing a name, I was thinking along the lines of “I Help Connect” those of us who were looking for support, and easy to understand information in different forums. It was also about the C virus, Cirrhossis, and it came to mean Cancer in the long run. It’s still about Connection and Caring.

Quiet Launch

With the click of a button, my story was out there for all to see. I didn’t even tell my family. Within a few months, I got an email from Lucinda Porter RN. I was so honored, because her website and books meant so much to me. Her friendship proved to be the foundation for me to continue to build on. I was so sick. She was so intelligent and kind.

I didn’t have a clue about being searchable. I just got online and started talking to people who were sick. Soon, Ian Anderson from Hepmag reached out to me.  He taught me how to hook up statistics, and soon, I could track the progress of my baby blog. By the 6 month birthday of ihelpc.com, Dr. Oz had awarded us as a top Social Maker for Sharecare.

I didn’t put a picture on until 2014, when Lucinda encouraged me to put a face on the blog.

New Best Friends

I still spent a lot of nights alone in the kitchen, writing and drinking hot tea. I wanted a best friend who KNEW what I was going through. Someone to help with my messy, scary, rotting liver stuff. I found you. You found me. Whatever. Crying now, as I recall all the friendships over the years. You’ve stuck with me. Many have passed over, and others of us are still hanging on.

I don’t think I could have survived the whole health journey without you all. My Best Friends, who connect on the Happy Birthday ihelpc.com every time you need encouragement.

We’ve stayed upbeat and united through every single step of our sick liver saga. Our hospitalizations, our tests, our family struggles, mental mess, emotional ups and downs, are all played out in a no judgement zone. I haven’t held back, and you haven’t either. When you walk through the fire, we all feel the heat together, yet we hold fast. I hope we’re still doing this in another 6 years and longer. It’s been an amazing journey with you at my side. XOXO Karen