Hepatitis C Support Group
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.
With the near-weekly support I have thru my PTSD-Therapist, I am near the end of taking Soma after being on it since May of 2001, with only a 2 year break btwn 03 & 05... So that addiction is nearly a thing of my past! I only have 2 more 1/2 doses of morning Soma allowed, so start living without it on July 11th! I am already feeling so much better & feel proud to be so brave to face this head on even during treatment - It probably accounts for more Riba-Rage (mentioned in my other post just now), and I expected that, so thanks to supplements I take to curtail the Anger (yesterday forgot to take them due to so many factors, so DUH that I would have a major angry outburst) ... it hasn't been hard much at all to do this slow titration over the past 3 1/2 weeks or so. Well worth it!
- I posted this as a comment on a thread somewhere & will post it here and again as a main topic.
Ashwagandha 450 mg 2/day (taken as a single dose before a meal(on an empty stomach) (Helps reduce stress & antioxidant support for Immune System) (New since Hep C Tx)
Boswellia&Curcumin (a combo suppl.) 300 mg ea - 1/day (Aids pain relief; Boswellisa supports joints/Curcumin fights free radicals)
Cardio-Amino Acids - 2/day -(150mg Lysine, 150mg Proline, 100mg Arginine, 50mg Taurine)
D3 - 5,000 IU - 1/day (Supports calcium intake & bone health.)
Ginkgo Biloba - 120 mg - 1-2/day (To aid Memory Function & other antioxidant qualities) (Been taking this 18 months now)
Green Tea Extract - 250 mg - 1/day (To aid Chronic Fatigue & digestive problems - new during HepC Tx)
BioCell Collagen - 1000 mg - 2/day (Hydrolyzed Collagen Type 2 600mg, Chondroitin Sulfite 200mg & Hyaluronic Acid 100mg) (Aids joint function)
Magnesium - 300 mg - 2/day (To aid heart&bone health, and anxiety)
MultiVitamin (without Iron) 2/day
Omega 3-6-9 - 1200 mg 2/day (Borage Seed Oil, Fish Oil, Flax Seed Oil all at 400mg each)
L-Tyrosine - 500 mg - 1/day (Helps Serotonin Levels)
L-Theanine - 100 mg - 2/day (Helps Anxiety and lowers anger levels)
Passionflower Extract - 350 mg - 2/day (Helps Anxiety)
I also take many other supplements for familial High Cholesterol, but only listing here ones that provide solid support for the side effects known to be probable from the HepC Tx Meds we have today.
I had also been put on Valium back in February, was limited to 10 per month, to be used PRN only, which I did well with until further problems were happening with my Mom's health and my own health (herniations & bad nerve pain radiating down left arm since Dec 14th, and part of that has still been with me since beginning Tx May 17th). So, I've been housebound mostly since moving here 10 months ago.
I am completely alone, no children, no family support at all. And my best friend is facing something so stressful and I can't seem to get it thru her head that I am too sick to be of support to her in this, and she has MANY other very close friends, but she sends all her stress 6 hours North to my house? Uh uh. Not anymore. I had my final say. So, yes, these supplements work so well, that I tended to think I was Super HepC Patient Woman who could save the world! Nope, not no mo!
At least I have a good Chiro, a great Therapist who'll see me practically on a moment's notice, and - oh - in closing, due to the added stress my friend wouldn't stop bringing my way this past week, especially, and another stressor here in the neighborhood that I did some ProBono Paralegal research to help resolve the issue, I only went 2 entire days without Soma, the 11th & the 12th. On Monday, I took 1/2 of a 350mg in the morning, and another 1/2 around 2 or so. Repeat today, same deal, so am seeing my Therapist tomorrow, the day before I FINALLY get to go see the Pain Mgmt doctor about the radiating nerve pain that is almost completely resolved now (der der der). Can my luck get any better? Oh, I do have one more story, but it's so stupid, I won't even give it energy by putting it in print! HAH!
But I did go after getting spinal cord stimulators cuz I never believed the RheumDoc who dx'd me with Fibro years ago; I knew it was emanating from bulges in spinal discs in low-back, mid-back and neck. So they do take care of about 60 to 80% of my pain ever since I got used to them (surgically implanted one for neck, one for low back, in April & Oct 2008, and by mid-2009, I finally understood better how useful they were.
But, back to where I was at with Pain at age 50. I went through this wonderful Transformational Breathwork Seminar or workshop at a local New Age type store in Sacramento one weekend and it changed my life for the next 5 years! I went on to become a Facilitator of that, and eventually of The Work of Byron Katie (you might've already seen me speak of this? I'm not sure if I have here or not before). Anyway, a lot of self-work, also learned Ishaya's Ascension Meditation Practice (still can't do Yoga worth a toot), but I have most always stretched & toned and walked since the age of about 34. Gotta keep moving, and eat healthy, whole foods only. Meat is okay by me, as I grew up on a pig farm, so I ain't about to cut out pork chops or ribs, but I eat fish 2x/week now (Salmon or Steelhead Trout, mostly, or Rock Cod - grill all meat on a grill) - use very little salt, very little real butter, and kept my focus on meeting my financial goals once I lost almost all my inheritance during the crash of '08 cuz my arch tendon had blown in my left ankle, and due to that, I lost my home down in Oceanside and skadoodles of moolah. Oh, well. At least I did a lot of good with it while I had it!
Got off track, rambling cuz I've had yet another very stress-filled day & still am resisting taking that second valium.