HI MY NAME IS RACHEL, I'M 30 SINGLE WITH NO KIDS.

I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HEP C IN AUG. 2000. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN. BEFORE AUG. 2000 MY LIFE WAS GOOD. GOOD JOB, GOOD GUY, GOOD FRIENDS AND GREAT FAMILY. NOW WHEN I LOOK BACK, I HAD IT ALL AND LIVING "THE AMERICAN DREAM", AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT.

WELL NOW MY LIFE HAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND NO HOPE FOR A NORMAL PATH TO STROLL.

IN JUNE, JULY AND AUG. OF 2000 I WAS GOING BACK AND FORTH TO THE DOC. BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HAD SOME KIND OF VIRUS OR SOMETHING THAT WAS MAKING ME FEEL VERY TIRED, PUUKY, AND CONSTANTLY HURTING IN MY RIGHT SIDE AND SHOULDER. FOR 3 MONTHS THERE WAS NO ANSWERS FOR MY SYMPTOMS AND NO MEDS SEEM TO WORK.

AS I WAS GOING THRU ALL THIS, MY MOM HAD WATCHED DATELINE OR SOME SHOW LIKE THAT AND THEY WERE SAYING ANY ONE THAT HAD A BLOOD TRANSFUSION BEFORE 1992 NEED TO BE CHECKED FOR HEPATITIS A,B, AND C. SO FINALLY AT MY MOTHERS PERSISTANCE I TOLD MY DOC ABOUT IT AND THAT I DID HAVE A BLOOD TRANSFUSION IN 1988-89. HE WAS NOT TOO THRILLED ON THE IDEA BUT WENT AHEAD AND GAVE ME THE BLOOD TEST. IT CAME BACK POSITIVE. THE ONLY REASSURING WORDS I GOT FROM HIM WAS "AT LEAST IT'S NOT AIDS". THERE WAS NO INFO ABOUT THE DISEASE OR NOTHING. WELL TO SAY THE LEAST I WAS NOT AMUSED AND I LEFT HIS OFFICE SO FURIOUS THAT I WAS CRYING (i never cry) AND THINKING WHO HAVE I HAVE I PASSED THIS TO IN THE 11 YEARS THAT IT WENT UNDETECTED. ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS HIDE, I HAVE NEVER FELT SO UNCLEAN.

WELL I HAD TO TELL THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO ME TO GO GET CHECKED, SO I COULD SLEEP AT NIGHT. THEY DID AND THEY'RE ALL FINE (thank God).

IT'S GOING ON TWO YEARS NOW AND I STILL HAVE NOT GOT IT ALL BACK TOGETHER THE WAY IT WAS. NOW I AM A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSON, AND IT SADDENS ME TO KNOW THAT I WILL NEVER BE THAT HAPPY, CAREFREE PERSON THAT I USED TO BE. THE DOCS THAT GIVE ME THAT TAINTED BLOOD IN 1988-89 MURDERED ME AND THERE IS NOT A DAMN THING I CAN DO ABOUT IT. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE, I'M LEFT TO LINGER AND SUFFER; WHILE THEY ARE MAKING THE BIG BUCKS AND LIVING THE GOOD LIFE THAT WAS ROBBED FROM ME BY THEIR ACTIONS. THE ANGER JUST OVERWHELMS ME.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR STATE BUT IN MY STATE MY DOC HAD TO TURN MY NAME OVER TO INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL. THAT IS NOT A GOOD FEELING WHEN YOU GET THAT LETTER IN THE MAIL. MAYBE ONE DAY I WILL COME TO TERMS WITH ALL THIS, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, I AM HAPPY BEING PISSED!!!

PLEASE E-MAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR STORY, I'M A GOOD LISTENER.

RACHEL rayla8771@aol.com

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