In some ways I am afraid to communicate regarding my disease as I feel it might make it more real and in other ways its better to confront it and not run away from it.

I was diagnosed in 1996 May because I had to go to the hospital to have my stomach drained. Have two sons Dylan and Jonathan, 23 and 16, living with me my only family whom i love dearly, we are the three musketeers.

I am in a lot of pain usually not always because of the hep c but because of spinal pain, pain med's make my liver hurt, only way to not to hurt is not to move, not possible for me to not move.

The docs at USC want to redo my spinal fusion, take bone from my hip put it where there is no bone in my back and add more screws afraid this will really traumatize my liver and don't know what to do.

I live in Tujunga, California outside of Los Angeles and am currently not working, on welfare. I worked for 25 years last job earning 33k a year, trying to get social security disability for 4th time!

I am 51, 4'8" tall, polish and Irish father dead 49 years ago, mother dead in 70s brother dead, lived in foster home until the age of 17. Anyway, I live a pretty simply life in the foothills.

Cant wait to get more connected with this group and help as much as possible. Don't know how my liver is doing will find out in couple of months, the hmo i go to does not offer any kind of programs for liver at all.

Reading through all the emails I will get a lot of info and use it to talk to the docs and find a good hmo.

My best regards,
Mary
mars for short