Thanks for your comments joetrouble. I hope that one day you can again find your place in the sun.

i want to be able to do both....

both meaning to have some fun and enjoyment, good deep OT debates,
OT stories... the ..."hey how is your day going stuff...or just simple creative OT subjects ...

but yes... we should all learn to keep each other in check to some degree and keep in mind this is our site and the reason it is here is for serious support... not the clashing of personal opinions, and feeding the dragon more of what breaks us down as a community....

learning to be in a public forum has changed my life for the better... and the debate of your point Krammer will always come back to the fact that you are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT...

people coming here for the first time can easily get turned off ...so ...sticking to the the real purpose as best we can is vital to others and is the right thing to do....

my name is CAZ and i approve of this message

Interesting topic. Thanks for the thread. Well speaking only for myself as someone treating acute HCV and with my course already laid out months ago, I come here for fun banter, support and mostly to _pass the time_. I don't need any info on clinical trials, alternative txs or liver damage issues as I have none having caught this early. I know that I'm unique here in those regards but this is also my support group for HCV and getting through my bitch of a tx, which will be 9 months long. Personally, I find the OT stuff and silly exchanges the most helpful to me in coping with this for the reasons above and more. I certainly do respond to threads often when people seemingly benefit from support though and need inspiration and I've certainly received much of that here. I also believe there is much pertinent, good HCV info here too although little actually applies to me honestly. People are largely free to post what they want and I don't believe anybody has issues with people starting a zillion HCV threads. I just filter through much of them and look for the OT stuff, which is truly what I need to get through my tx. I am in a couple of subgroups too for that purpose but those aren't as active lately and I need hepper contact.

There's one cat's opinion.

IMK, I think they are one in the same. Support does come in many ways and the OT topics can sometimes be refreshing to share with fellow heppers. That being said even though I'm treating with the meds available now I am very interested in the new stuff for a couple reasons. One for the new people visiting the board regarding treatment and the second for non-responders. I still won't know for awhile where I'll be in that category.
On the other hand, if we are all adults, we should try to tolerate everyone else's opinion with out getting in pissing matches. We need to remember that we got here from the same reason. We are Heppers which means we are blood brothers (unfortunately).

IMK, I think they are one in the same. Support does come in many ways and the OT topics can sometimes be refreshing to share with fellow heppers. That being said even though I'm treating with the meds available now I am very interested in the new stuff for a couple reasons. One for the new people visiting the board regarding treatment and the second for non-responders. I still won't know for awhile where I'll be in that category.
On the other hand, if we are all adults, we should try to tolerate everyone else's opinion with out getting in pissing matches. We need to remember that we got here from the same reason. We are Heppers which means we are blood brothers (unfortunately).

Well said Ranger.

The First Amendment is how I roll...

Respectfully,
Hank

I think....wait let me reread....yes I'd say that pretty well is in accordance with what I posted. That OT stuff and some laughs is very important. It can't be all breaking news and technical stuff. On the other hand if the board is 90% social and chat stuff with little useful content to someone who comes here for answers, then IMHO it's lost it's balance.
I encouraged folks to continue sharing a laugh or OT topic but it seems that the actual HCV content is on the decline.
Hey maybe that's just the way it is now as so many effective therapies are available and folks are on treatment. That is great news!
There are some of us not on treatment waiting patiently for the next generation of treatment. I'll continue to post what I find for them.
I'll say it again. this is just my observation.
Take it as that and nothing more.

..and BTW ..won't it be a great day when there is no need for a Hepatitis C Support Group! :)

Here here Kramer!! That day will come I truly believe.

I appreciate the threat and the questions raised. My experience has been that I enjoy reading both o.t. and informational posts, and with the OT labels it is easy to tell which is which. Sometimes one ot shifts as the discussion progresses, to talk about many personal experiences with hep c and its mileau--- for example, the Suicide thread. For me, it was an important dialogue, really helped me think about things I hadn't explored, helped me know friends here in a deeper way, and also led me to some awsome music.
I have never asked a informational question without getting a response within hours-- usually multiple and very helpful responses by those with experience. When I read other's posts it seems that that is the pattern. I am grateful to have landed in such an inclusive, albeit human (with all the imperfections that word implies) space. Hopefully we can all learn and grow here, even if something occasionally kicks up our stuff.

Well said again!!!

What are the chances of this happening in the same thread????

Better and better I believe and to me that's encouraging to say the least... This is starting to become a very nice thread indeed!

Respectfully,
Hank

It's a great thread and a worthy topic. This group provides a little something for all HCVers and HCV supporters. Barbbey I loved your response too. I agree, when people ask for help, support or info it comes quickly. Sometimes I jump in first other times I can't or don't have the energy. But you know what, someone else always does and it's great. This place is full of support and of course some DS BS. But we're a diverse group as we all know. I like it when things don't get nasty btw members personally as there's room in my book for diversity of opinion that's not mean-spirited or hateful but some topics are evocative no matter what the thread.

I have much respect for all of you personally and HCV is the glue that binds us no matter what we read and write about. I can't wait for us all to be cured of this and I know I'm not alone there. That's why I come here. You all freakin' get me in this fight.

I post as someone wondering if they should treat now or wait for the new all orals. I post as someone who knows what fear is - and I never did before in my life (at least not for more than five minutes, like when a scorpion was on that patio) this past six months when my bx was botched but apparently, but who knows, I'm late stage 3 or early stage 4. And for me, that's not good enough because the pathologists who reviewed the mess from the May bx wrote on the report that they were not able to be accurate due to the flawed and insufficient number of samples. So I post as someone very frustrated about that situation and very angry too. I post as someone who is wondering if I need to have another biopsy so I at least know for sure what the damage is. I post as someone who's had this virus for 43 years, and it's now kicking my a$$ with fatigue. I post as someone who enjoys the camaraderie and tends to run away when things get nasty. I post as someone who very much needs a laugh now and then, and some of the stuff on here gives me that. I also post as someone who knows and appreciates that when I do have a HCV-related issue, you all will help me out - you've done it many, many times. And so ~ whatever this "room" offers - I'm damn glad it's here. Amen.

Thought I'd add, since ImK just gave us a new thread about the all orals on the horizon, that right now the most important info. for me is just that - what's out there and how far along are the trials - and what is the projected "approval" date. No one knows the approval date, of course, but I need to keep hope springing eternal .. even when I'm no spring chick. I'm a hippie chick and an autumn chick (and sometimes a cluck head). And I'm a sick chick. lol. Come on BIG PHARMA - move it, move it, move it. Yer gonna make ga-zillions on this, and you know it. Keep the fires burnin'.