Ben called. He asked me to chat with one of his exes about what to expect before she begins treatment for Hep C. After all, I have close personal experience.
I should be grateful he likes me well enough to ask. After all, our relationship has been over for years. But for some reason it doesn�t make it easier to know that what was once a deep abiding love has turned into this.
And what do I say? That good news is with the treatment she has a 50/50 chance of living with a reasonably healthy liver that won�t be as susceptible to cirrhosis or cancer or a need for transplantation (Hep C is the leading cause of liver transplants in the US)
But for the next year she will endure weekly injections and blood tests, daily pills, exploratory and sometimes rude questions about how she �caught� it, and side effects including lung issues, extreme muscle pain and cramping, stomach aches, nausea, skin and scalp so dry it will drive her insane from itching, then crack and bleed, destruction of her complexion and muscle structure, diarrhea or constipation depending on the week, loss of weight, bouts ranging from insomnia to sleeping 15 hours a day, a general fatigue so severe she cannot work, cannot go to the grocery and sometimes cannot even pick up the next month�s prescriptions, bleeding gums, almost complete hair loss, anemia, neutropenia, and suicidal depression.
And, oh yeah, that the one she loves more than life itself, the one she is going through the treatment for, will lie, cheat, steal her dignity and, with no sense of honor or respect, will abandon her without a word of explanation or a backward glance.
Oh, never mind. That last side effect was just mine.
 |
| Get Your Own Map | View Larger Map |