Tony Peale

“You have Hepatitis C, a viral infection of the liver. If left untreated, this disease can develop into cirrhosis or liver cancer, which, in time, may even result in death.”

These devastating words are heard every day by thousands of mainly unsuspecting people. I heard them for the first time in December 1999, when I was told I had hepatitis C. At the time, I knew very little about hepatitis C. My doctor told me the only available treatment was not widely effective; it worked in only about 30% to 40% of cases. Nevertheless, I decided to go on treatment.

I started my treatment in February of 2000. One of the first things I did was watch a video about how interferon works and which side effects to expect, such as aches, fever, fatigue and depression. I learned that these side effects slowly diminish after three or four months. But, as I found out, it can be different for each person. Through personal experience and after talking with hundreds of others, I realized you deal with it in your own way.

I experienced a variety of side effects during treatment, but with a positive attitude, and with the realization I was fighting a potentially fatal disease, I didn’t give into them. My first PCR test, taken after three months of treatment, showed the medicine was working: I was undectable for the virus. My viral load was checked again at the sixth, ninth and twelfth months of treatment, and each time it was undectable.

By the third month following treatment, another PCR test is administered. It’s the “big one,” because the virus can reappear. I remember that period as the longest three months of my life. Fortunately, the virus still could not be detected. The same has been true at six months and now again at one year post-treatment. I understand from good authority that after one full year as a sustained responder following treatment, my chance of a total remission is 98 percent.

Since my physician first spoke those unforgettable words, I have tried to learn as much about this disease as I could. I learned in the very early stages of treatment to stay calm and fight off depression. In my case, it helped to write on the computer to friends and family. These were not just little notes; I expressed what I was going through, what I had learned through personal experience and what steps I needed to make positive changes. I noticed that I soon became more understanding of other people who were fighting a chronic, life threatening disease. I’ve also begun to look for new ways to help. One way has been to volunteer as a facilitator for Texas Liver Coalition’s support group in central Houston. Being a public speaker and leading a group were never my forte in the past, but now I have the knowledge and the passion to help others who have heard those terrible words, “You have Hepatitis C.”