| Dear Lloyd, My name is V.S. and my husband L. 
                    has hepatitis c...genotype 1a.  He was diagnosed in February 
                    2002 and then only because a friend in the insurance 
                    business happened to ask us if we had either one ever had 
                    a blood transfusion.  Yes, we had.  L. had surgery 
                    in 1978 and the following year during his annual physical 
                    he had high level liver enzymes. which he continued to have 
                    every year thereafter when he went in for his annual check-up.  
                    EVERY DOCTOR said "nothing to worry about." I had adult acute lymphocytic leukemia in 1990 and had several 
                    transfusions of washed red blood cells and platelets.  
                    After our friend told us about type c hep we felt alarmed 
                    and when we went in for our physicals told our PCP we wanted 
                    to be tested.  His response was, "you guys?  
                    You aren't drug users."   Well, no we aren't 
                    except a little peace pipe now and again. (We are 60's people...both 
                    nearing 53)  We insisted on being tested anyway and L. was positive whereas 
                    I was negative.  We then had to wait from February until 
                    the following Sept. to see a hepatologist at UVA in Charlottesville, 
                    Va.  The "exam" showed no swelling or enlargement 
                    of the liver, the labs showed a viral 
                    load of 725m. Next we had an ultrasound and biopsy.  During the biopsy 
                    the Dr. "missed" and had to go in again.  My 
                    husband is 6' 3 and weighed about 250.  He's a John Wayne 
                    kind of guy... big chested and muscular and has always been 
                    healthy as a horse.  He came out 
                    of that biopsy in excruciating pain which to this day has 
                    never gone away.   Three Dr's said oh it could 
                    be anything ....... they probably hit a nerve... it will go 
                    away eventually.  It didn't and after a month they ordered 
                    an ultrasound which only revealed one large gallstone which 
                    was nowhere near the duct. Next, in order to get ready for the BIG DAY when he could 
                    begin Pegasys and Copegus we had to see a shrink.  We 
                    see this resident young Muslim "boy' who asked if my 
                    husband had any hobbies and was he ever depressed.   
                    Well, yeah we've been depressed, heart broken and devastated 
                    though functional and coping since June 28, 1994 when a drunk 
                    driver murdered our 19 year old youngest daughter.  And, 
                    yes, my husband drank too much after she was killed but walked 
                    our eldest daughter down the aisle a year later and have since 
                    welcomed two grandchildren while coping with our son becoming 
                    a major pothead and drug abuser.   Wife survives 
                    cancer, daughter killed, son screwed up over losing sister, 
                    eldest daughter pretending to be okay but she's not and now 
                    Daddy might die from hepatitis. Fortunately, I am a rock, very spiritual, and have held everyone 
                    together with band aids and prayer but I am now at my maxed 
                    out breaking point.   After seeing the shrink boy and 
                    leaving with a script for paxil we were about to face the 
                    holidays and decided to start "Daddy's Cure" the 
                    first of January.  Thus we did. The night of my husbands first injection 
                    I sat and literally watched him do a Jeckyl/Hyde number.  
                    That entire night was HELL.... as you well know.  Interestingly, 
                    prior to the BIG DAY I had done some research and had him 
                    on milk thistle and aloe juice, vitamins c, e, b12, selenium, 
                    and pygnogenol plus every prayer chain across America.  
                    Did this from Sept. til Jan. when we started the poison. His viral load prior to treatment 
                    was now 340m. I asked the Dr. if the vitamins and herbal 
                    stuff could be healing him and I believed totally that the 
                    prayer was working.  No, he said, the viral load numbers 
                    mean nothing.  Eight weeks later 
                    we had zero viral load. We were ecstatic and thought okay, this is hell taking this 
                    shit but it's working.  Shortly 
                    thereafter L. began to experience major side effects.  
                    His whites and platelets were dangerously low ( I monitored 
                    everything) but they didn't take him off the treatment.  
                    He was covered (legs, arms, hands, abdomen) with a rash that 
                    itched in spite of sarnel or anything else recommended.  
                    Hair started falling out, profuse sweating, weight dropped 
                    50 lbs, heart palpitations, blurred vision, high blood pressure, 
                    and he had developed hyper thyroidism (which is now permanently 
                    hypo).   I am very psychic and from day one did 
                    not want him to do the treatment but after 6 months I felt 
                    in my spirit that if he continued he was going to die.  
                    It was killing him. Now we have an endocrinologist plus our hepatologist. (We 
                    kicked the shrink out of the melting pot)  
                    Also, my gentle teddy bear husband became a true psycho and 
                    had thoughts of throwing me across the room and, in fact, 
                    for the first time in our married life became physical with 
                    me in the form of violence by slamming me down on the couch 
                    and told me he could, "take me out."  
                    After 24 weeks he agreed on the anniversary of our daughter's 
                    death to stop treatment. Four weeks ago he went in for labs 
                    and guess what.  "IT'S BACK! !!!!!!  SHOCK!!"  
                    He can't see well and has never had anything but reading glasses 
                    so now we have an eye Dr. appt.  The Dr. told us there 
                    are 2 or 3 other new and exciting treatments in clinical trials 
                    1 to 2 years away and since we are at inflammation level 1 
                    and fibrosis level 3 we're cool.  Just kick back and 
                    take your vitamins and we can start you back on the interferon 
                    in a year if you want.  Is he F.........kidding?????? I had ran across your website a year ago, mentioned it to 
                    L. and the Dr. who said you were just a lot of "hocus 
                    pocus" trying to scam a buck with your pharmacy.  
                    This past Friday night I had a dream and in the dream were 
                    the words Wright, Natcell Thymus, and dandelion.   Then 
                    I saw Barnes and Noble bookstore in the dream.   
                    All day Saturday I could not figure out what the dream meant 
                    and then while watching an old I Love Lucy rerun it hit me.  
                    I fled to the computer, found you, bought the book at B&N 
                    on Monday... began reading getting angrier by the minute and 
                    called your # yesterday. I talked to Nastaja today. I have called our Dr. and asked for an order for labs and 
                    then I am going to get with the program.  We are in financial 
                    distress, had to refinance our house and borrow on it because 
                    our medical bills have been staggering and my husband is a 
                    commision salesperson.  We are still paying monthly payments 
                    on these bills.  Our life is turned upside down but like 
                    I told your little gal on the phone I am a fighter and can 
                    be tough as nails. I will find a way to get the money to do your treatment and 
                    we ABSOLUTELY want to get involved 
                    in your class action suit as do a D. and P. in Florida. I 
                    have some connections and I want to work with you on getting 
                    this out in the media aside from Naomi and Pamela.  It 
                    isn't talked about enough, people don't know they have it, 
                    and when they do they think they have to be sheep lead to 
                    the slaughter with pharmeceutical poisons. Let's talk.  I am a get things done kind of gal and 
                    a major cause person.  By the way I went to UCLA and 
                    was once a California girl. THANK YOU FOR YOUR BOOK AND WHAT I HOPE AND PRAY WILL CURE 
                    MY PRECIOUS HUSBAND. Warmly in Gentleness,Vicki S
 Sorry if this is a bit rambly. I am very 
                    tired and it's late here. 
 A touching ture life story. Do you really want to use interferon?Lloyd
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