HCV has extra hepatic symptoms that are wide and varied, that's why it is so tricky to know you have it without a blood test. Once the virus starts destroying liver cells, and the liver can no longer perform all it's 450+ tasks, the body starts to suffer, and the way depends on the individual. Some get one symptom, some another, and yet, when a person is aware of the virus, they can take steps to lower the load on the liver that is created with daily habits, such as eating non-nutritious food, junk food, smoking, drinking, taking drugs, being overweight, not getting enough sleep or exercise...all these cause toxins that the liver has to process. This is why we fall asleep after a big meal, because the load taxes the liver and the body has to shut some systems down to survive.

When I was diagnosed, I had been suffering from liver stress for 18 months and had many symptoms, but no idea what was wrong. After I found out it was HCV, I read and learned everything I could. I read Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver, by Stephen Buhner, and learned about the liver and the virus and how to lower the burden on the liver. I decided not to do Interferon, due to the long long list of side effects. I felt that in my condition (very sick, it was like I had Mono) that interferon could kill me, or make me want to die. So instead I focused on getting well, and building my immune system, avoiding toxins, making healthier food choices, exercising.

It was hard at first, I was so weak. But I kept going and in 18 months, I felt recovered, and was able to go back to work and had a huge garden that year. That was the spring of 2008. I ate a diet similar to the one in the book, Eat to Live, by Dr Joel Fuhrman, and also took large amounts of vitamin C, and did a lot of fresh veggie juice, made with organic carrots, celery, beets and apples, sometimes parsley. I did a lot of green smoothies with collard green and kale juice, spirulina, chlorella, lecithin, carrot juice, soy milk, and lots of berries, fruits, bananas. I ate a lot of salad, big bowls of leafy greens. I ate a lot of cruciferous vegetables every day, 8 oz a day most days. Another inspiration was the Gerson Cancer Therapy, which stresses detoxification through juicing, a vegan diet and coffee enemas for liver detox.

I still do half a coffee enema every day, to detox my liver, with organic therapy roast coffee from cafemam.com. I use distilled water with Real Salt added for minerals. I avoid white salt, white flour, white sugar, white animal fats, and white milk, the 5 deadly whites. If I eat bread, it's made with whole grains or sprouted grains. I eat raw nuts and seeds, avocados, onions, garlic, greens, and berries almost every day. And I feel good. My health is improving still, and my strength is increasing.

Point is, you are in charge of your health, either by knowledge or ignorance. And this country is full of things that will contribute to illnesses and disease, and they are advertised and coupons are readily available to help a person make poor choices, so they will need medical care. I'm grateful to be able to say that I do not take any drugs, prescription or recreational, I don't drink or smoke, and I have not been to a doctor, except HCV related, for decades. And I owe it to what I have learned about health and nutrition.

I've spent the last 8 years sharing what I've learned with others, freely. My gift of gratitude to my Maker, for giving me this opportunity to NEED to learn how to take care of my health, by putting me in this situation. I'm thankful to have HCV, so that I can learn about how to protect the body and the liver through right living, and see how it applies to anyone, whether they have HCV or not. HCV kills liver cells, and the liver keeps us alive, it keeps us being a live-r and not a die-r. So simple once I got it. Take care of the liver for a long healthy and happy life.