In October 2012 I
accidentally ‘stumbled’ upon a weekly support group for sufferers
of Hepatitis C in Swindon. Here I met others
covering a wide spectrum of experience, some with the disease
awaiting treatment, others who had been through treatment and either
cleared or not cleared the virus. There were carers of sufferers
(like Vivien) and last but not least, occasional visitors from
various branches of the medical profession with an interest in
Hepatitis C who wanted to learn more about the disease from patients
actually suffering from it, so hats off to them.
We are a voluntary group
with our own website http://www.hepcpositive.org.uk/
please do visit the website and take a look at what we’re doing. The group is run by a
rock musician who came through years of addiction himself and lost
most things of value in his life along the way. He’s been ‘clean’
for 7 years now and it’s his experience that drives this group
forward. Many agencies working in related fields are now coming to us
to learn more about what we’re doing and how we do it. There is a good mix of
people here, others like me who experimented with drugs in the late
60’s/70’s, finished and moved on, only to later find the disease
had lain dormant in their bodies for 30 – 40 years before jumping
out later to bite us in the ass.
There are many ex drug
addicts too, most of whom are currently going through rehab and doing
all it takes to get clean and reclaim their lives (not easy).
Virtually all the drug addicts I have come into contact with suffered
some sort of abandonment or abuse as kids, whether mental or
physical, and drugs became their escape from the nightmare.
Wrong choice?
Whose fault?
It is for these kids I go
to the weekly meetings and participate in this blog, hoping to
‘debunk’ some of the misconceptions surrounding the disease and
those who have it, and to help in any way I can anyone people
suffering from it and looking for advice/information/support. We all make personal
choices for various reasons based on our own unique experiences at
the time we experience them. For young kids who turned to drugs to
help them deal with their issues, and have now made a commitment to
change their lives, I believe they deserve every chance for a route
back into society and all the help they can get.
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