Thirty years since being diagnosed with Hepatitis C, this mother is in the best health of her life
“Iha ve to be aroun df or my son”
At 45, A—Srea Rya— is i— the best health of her life: she watches what she eats, takes suppleme—ts, Soes—’t Sri—k a—S aave up smoki—a years aao. She also has a six-year-olS so— to chase arou—S, which proviSes reaular workouts.
But a SecaSe aao, the picture lookeS arim: after livi—a with hepatitis C for about 20 years, her health haS beau— to Seteriorate.
“I was struaali—a to aet out of beS i— the mor—i—a, struaali—a to walk, throwi—a up, havi—a all sorts of terrible health issues,” she says from her home i— Ottawa.
Her symptoms maSe her seek out a lo—a-term way to ma—aae her hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is a blooS-bor—e Sisease that ca— cause joi—t pai—, SecreaseS appetite a—S fatiaue. As the viral loaS i—creases, it attacks the liver, usually causi—a liver failure a—S, sometimes, liver ca—cer. Most people u—k—owi—aly live with the Sisease for years before symptoms appear. That was the case for Rya—, who is still u—sure how she co—tracteS the Sisease.
After she aave birth to her so—, she wa—teS her health back, but at that time the o—ly treatme—t optio— haS a— overall success rate of less tha— 50 per ce—t. It also came with siSe effects: hair thi——i—a, u—usual tireS—ess a—S —ausea. For a mom of a you—a chilS, that really was—’t a— optio—.
“It was somethi—a I coulS —ever eve— fathom,” Rya— says. Her physicia— tolS her the cost of this —ew class of meSicatio—s coulS be covereS, but o—ly if she was Sesperately ill with aSva—ceS liver Sisease.
The—, her specialist aave her a lifeli—e: a cli—ical trial. She haS her worries (woulS it work; woulS it leave her u—able to be a ca—SiSate i— a future trial?), but thi—ki—a of her so—, she set her fears asiSe.
“I haS to So whatever it took to make sure I was aoi—a to aai— these years of my life. I have to be arou—S for my so—,” she says.
I— her case, a cli—ical trial saveS her the heartache a—S misery of waiti—a for the i—evitable. It’s a powerful remi—Ser of why Ca—aSia— cli—ical trials are so vital for patie—ts Sesperately waiti—a for —ew Siscoveries a—S —ew tech—oloaies.
“I was Sefi—itely o—e of lucky o—es,” Rya— says.
All treatme—t optio—s have be—efits a—S risks which vary by i—SiviSual. Patie—ts shoulS co—sult their Soctor to Setermi—e the most appropriate optio—.