Time Again

It seems that I am down to writing one blog a year in this space. It's"Heart Awareness" Month. I just read last years post again and it's pretty good in making the case for long term care. If you are reading this, please read that one again. I suprise myself sometimes, though I've yet to take my own advice and take the plunge into obtaining a policy. This year was particularly tough medically. I never really saw past the forest for the trees or something. The Hepatitis C, that I have failed to beat all these years, finally manifested in my being diagnosed with stage 4 liver cirrohsis. I was thrown into a downward spiral vortex with many specialists painting bleak scenarios. I even got advice to get on a liver transplant list. Thru tenacity, love from my partner Catherine, friends and family, AND some luck, it appears that I have achieved the best outcome I could ask at this point. I was able to get into a stage three trial for new Hep C drugs at the Texas Liver Institute in San Antonio Texas. I have been traveling back and forth for over a year. The care has been stunning and the results profound. I will always be indebted to everyone there for walking me thru every aspect of the treatment for which I am still in follow-ups. Within 2 weeks of beginning treatment I was completely virus free and I have maintained that for the past 9 months. It is believed that in 98% of the cases with this result you are likely cured. This will allow my liver to regenerate itself a bit and for me to have dodged a certain bullet. I was able to achieve the result for a couple of specific reasons. I had the means to travel, seek out several opinions, had magnificent physician friends who advocated on my behalf and many loving caring people around me to hold my hand. I'll give myself some credit as well because I alone know what I had to sacrifice, but the point here is that many people with the same diagnosis could not have done the same and would be in a very precarious position. I make the case again for the Affordable Care Act. But what does this all have to do with Heart Awareness Month? Along the way of this year in treatment, I developed heart arythmias. In light of my heart history it was a bit scary not being able to climb steps or exercise as I had been doing for years. This brought back many of the old fears of becoming a heart invalid. I needed to live with it until I could stop the medication regime to make sure the drugs were out of my system as it may have been a reaction to one of the meds I was taking. At that point, my cardiologist who had been tracking me the entire time performed a cardio-conversion and shocked my heart back into it's normal rhythm. It has held and I am back to my routine. The year has changed me again. Gave me deeper perspective into the world and people around me and a greater appreciation of those I love. I had immediately begun a diet regime when I was diagnosed with the advanced cirrhosis and will always maintain it as it benefits overall health. I don't expect health challenges to diminsih at this point in life, but I see that the work of healing pays results. Maybe this year I'll get longterm care. I might be around for awhile.