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[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm Cheri and I just joined your group! I am 53 and have had hep C for

about 30 years

but this is the first time I have ever joined a hep C group. I have had

autoimmune

problems, fibromyalgia and fatigue, muscle weakness, nerve pain and shingles

outbreaks

since I was 18, predating the hep C by about 6 years.

I am also very chemically sensitive and react to most medications, some herbs

and lots of

foods. I have never done the " treatment " since I am so afraid it will make me

worse. My

type is 1a. I had a biopsy done ten years ago and they said level 2, no

cirrosis. My liver

enzymes have never been elevated since that time (I had reduced the inflamation

with

glutithion and SAME supplements under the direction of an environmental MD) I

take

Eurocel to kill the virus and stay with the vitamins, glutithione, lipoic acid,

etc. My viral

level is around a million but it can go up to two million or down to 1/2...BUT a

few years

ago I developed type three mixed cryoglobulins and then began passing MEGA

amounts of

protien in my urine. A Kidney biopsy revealed that the kidney damage was NOT

from the

cryoglobulins but the type of damage done by hep C (among other things)...CD4

and CD8

were low too...well, my nephrologist and pcp are onto me to do " the treatment "

and I am

balking...(I think there is more going on then Hep C) ...so that is where I am

at.

Oh yeah, I'm a mom with three big kids (the youngest is 16) and a Hubby who has

been

here thru it all. I have been on total disability for 30 years from failed back

surgery (when

I recieved the tainted blood). I am often totally bedridden from my illness and

weakness

and deal constantly with severe pain. I have to be extremely careful of any

meds I take,

anything going thru the P450 detox part of the liver will send me into a

horrible neuro

attack (it is suspected I have an accute porphyria, which is a missing detox

enzyme) So

that is MY story. Any suggestions? advise? I'm open here to hearing your

thoughts.

Looking forward to meeting all of you!

Hugs, Cheri