Hello everyone! My name is Dan Quisenberry I'm 43 and live in Springhill. Fl. One day I was at the Supermarket and there was the blood mobile, I had never given blood and felt like I was helping somewhere (little did I realize it was going to be me) so after some time I got a letter from the blood bank. Wow, I really didn't understand and so when I read hepatitis and I thought, ok go get a shot - done! So after going through the doctors and the blood test and starting to realize what HepC was, all I could think about was my daughter, my ex-wife (who had just recently gotten married), and friends that may have been in contact with this. To my happiness nobody had it!

So I went back to my doctor a few times, great doctor that was very worried about the emotional part especially since there was no support group in my area. He was not going to start me on the treatments until he felt I was ready. So I had sometime to think and look around. The one warning he gave was not to go searching on the Internet and to stay with the Liver Foundations and such………so I went straight home and started reading patient Journals, the doom and gloom was way to much. To say I had scared myself was an understatement; I started working on my Will, letters to my daughter, who is 6, and basically flipped out. There was nobody to talk to, and I didn't want to worry anyone more than they were worried. I got through it and started the treatment………the shot was too easy after going through the amazing anxiety I had for the prior 2 weeks.

Now let me explain the "Guy Thing" I have always been the very motivated, positive, work alone I'll do it on my own guy. So if I ever got sick, leave me alone and I would go to my room and get better. I didn't want a pity party or someone hanging.

So I started treatment, I started getting the headaches, the pains… and told myself we can work through this, stop whining. It got worse and was calling off work and was having problems concentrating and remembering things. I was bad when trying to speak with people, and those who get to know me will find I like to talk. I had to leave the work force, something I loved being a workaholic. So when I was feeling ill…. I did "The Guy Thing" and went to my room, 2 months later I was still in my room getting better. I found I was pushing away the people that were my support; I didn't want to talk or be around anyone!

It was my Ex-wife and her husband (Thank you guys, you've been the greatest) that woke me up. She explained that I was not Superman and that I needed to have others help….ya ya ya..just let me sleep was my attitude. So after watching a couple movies and crying all day (thank God Old Yeller wasn't on) It started sinking in, so I did what I was never going to do…. search the web for something, I just didn't know. I don't know how I found HepCnet but believe me it was a lifeline from God. I didn't realize it at the time but I was slipping into that Dark Side, I felt so alone and was starting to give up. I spent the next 3 days almost non stop watching the most compassionate but stern people (no pity parties allowed) helping others, their family and friends…yes I had forgotten that they needed the support as much or more than me.

I have always believed that God has a way of testing us, I also believe that there is a reason I have HepC……That I believe is because I can't shut up and continue to talk to everyone about. There needs to be more awareness and education to stop, slow down, and get rid of the stigma that so many people have! In some way I hope that this will help someone that feels alone and starting to slide, a family member, a friend.

As a friend once said: May you sleep with the Angels…I know mine are here!

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