before treatment starts just tell yourself that no matter what happens you will NOT quit ! unless, of course, your doctor tells you to quite. it's wonderful if you can remain positive but it's not easy!

i lived alone during treatment and i'm really glad that i did because i was absolutely CRAZY and would have driven any normal, sane person nutty!

it's true that some people breeze through treatment and have very little sides. hopefully you'll be one of those!

stay connected to daily strenth. it will be your lifeline while in treatment. i would not have made it without everyone on here!

when do you start treatment?

and now my step sister sends me this;

BREAKING NEWS: The Pity Train has just derailed at the intersection of "SUCK IT UP" and "MOVE ON" and crashed into "WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS" before coming to a complete stop at "GET THE HELL OVER IT!!! Reporting live from " KWITCHERBITCHEN"!!

gotta luv your relatives

i started a family business in 99 , just about the time i went on intron a. i got sick in the head , wife got sick in the head, divorced me, oldest son went into the air farce, some lowlife moved into the house that i had built, and the tx failed after 6 months. for the next 4 years i done masonry work by my DAM self . bought property and lived in a block bunker for 5 years sleeping on a pile of blankets on a concrete floor. went on peg, then directly onto infergen, burned tires in my wood stove, dam near starved to death, had a 5 gal bucket for a shitter, paid off a 7 k tax bill , both tx,s failed, and the funny thing is , i had the time of my life.. its just all in how you wanna see it. i was thankful to have plenty of tires to burn.. it helps to be thankful for your blessings. that displaces self pity very effectively..

Damn hardass--well said. You just gave me a boose up, deeper meaning of life, and a reason to want to kick hep in the ass.
@ quqsar--being alone will not be so bad--I do have my dog. If I get attitude she will still love me. I did tell my family about hep c--they are 3 1/2 hrs away. They all tell me I can do this---like they know something. However, it is good to hear that message--over, and over, and over.

Just hang in there. There is life after tx. You for now---come first!!!

Hopefully you will have little sides or even if you do, to have the gumption to get it done, regardless. It is difficult for others to understand what we go through and what we still go through once the last ill is swallowled and the ast shot given. That is why we need DS!

Chinssup, tell the step sister to back off and outta your life till all the tx is done and post tx is better. Dont let the negativity of people who have NO IDEAL WHAT WE FACE ON A DAILY BASIS, bring ya down! Ya got enough on your plate, not to be rude, but I dont sugar coat shit here. I would tell her fuck off!

Well put Karmah! I believe I've told a few people that same thing since being on tx...I just have no patience for ignorance right now.

Chins, I don't know how we do it, we just do. Since starting tx last May, I've had some major issues with my 2 teen daughters and come really close to losing my marriage. I won't go into detail here, but if you read some of my journals, you'll see. I know that all the stress has just made my sx worse, and I think in my case, it would've been easier if I had been alone. At least my marriage is back in the right direction after my husband finally started going to a therapist and being more sympathetic. I actually had a sister remove me from her friends list on FB because of a couple of posts I made there, just venting, when I wasn't in my right mind.

Thank god I didn't have to worry about needing to work...I wouldn't have been able to. I was already on disability with chronic pain which the tx has intensified, but the fatigue alone has been killer. I think I may have given up a long time ago without this group constantly telling me I can do it and to put myself first, which has been near impossible with all that has gone on.

Good Luck! I see you've got alot on your plate that's for sure, but I know if I can do it, then you definitely can!

@ patty..
the FATIGUE is what makes our other problems so seemingly insurmountable. it seems being shithouse rat crazy isnt enough, we have exhaustion as a complicator..
yes, that sums up tx. exhausted and stark raving nuts..
gone mad , with no power..

Chinsup, anyone who says get over it, the pity train has derailed is ignorant. That is the type of person(s) you do not need in your life. You need positive inidividuals who understand how you fee, and what you are going through. It does sound like you have a lot on your plate right now. Is there anyway as far as work goes you can delegate some responsibility? Stress will take you down quickly. DS is an support system welcome!!

I like what capnhardass said... that focusing on your blessings displaces self-pity very effectively. I find that to be so true. I totally understand why you're worried- you have a ton of stress in your life already and treatment could make it even harder to handle. But don't get ahead of yourself and worry yourself to death now- deal with that if it happens. Back to the first thing I said... for me, I find that I can deal with my life problems best when I constantly focus on GRATITUDE... that's like the principle i live by and the only thing that keeps me sane some days. As long as I am thanking God for all that I have, it's hard to be down about the things that are going wrong or how terrible I feel physically. While you have a lot of stressors, it also sounds like you have a lot to be grateful for.

As far as your step-sister... maybe she's trying to be funny, but it's not funny and it's not supportive. I'm sorry she reacted to your concerns in that way. Yes, we do all have problems... and those of us who care about each other set aside our own problems for a while to try to help other people with theirs. I'm hoping she generally is a good sister who may just be having a bad day... one of those days where you feel like you have nothing to give and want everyone else to leave you alone. Her negativity may just be about her and have nothing to do with you. Also, I think sometimes family members who are dealing with those of us with chronic illnesses... or painful problems that drag on and on (like a divorce).... sometimes I think they just don't know what to say anymore. It definitely sucks... but that's why DS is so great!

Good luck with treatment. I hope it goes as smoothly as it possibly can. If you start getting overwhelmed, come here and let it out.

I should have explained better. The below was sent by my stepsister but she doesn't even know about the hcv, it was just a random email at a very ironic time. She meant no harm, I actually laughed quite a bit.

"""BREAKING NEWS: The Pity Train has just derailed at the intersection of "SUCK IT UP" and "MOVE ON" and crashed into "WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS" before coming to a complete stop at "GET THE HELL OVER IT!!! Reporting live from " KWITCHERBITCHEN"!!"""""

You're all right about focusing on the blessings and not the negatives. Even with all this stuff around our necks there is always a situation someone is going through that is more difficult than our own.

tks ds

Life is not fair. I used to believe the world owed me something, but unfortunately it does not. Good people don't always get good things and bad people aren't always punished.
We are so much stronger than we think. High tight.

I was so hard on my hubby, I shoulda been alone. It will be tough, but you can make it. This time is for you and concentrate on your health and getting better. Clearing land sound like good therapy to me. Just take it easy, take care of # 1. Stay with us and screw everyone else