Redefining Your Life With Hepatitis C Different people respond to illness and treatment in different ways. That may seem obvious, but the reaction of some of the people in your life may show that they are expecting you to act in a particular way. If you talk with nurses and doctors who treat a lot of hepatitis C patients, they will tell you that each person's experience is unique. However, they also recognize some general responses.

The following phrases don't represent rigid categories of people, but rather common feelings that patients express at various times in their treatment:

• "I Just Want the Facts"
• "Helping Others Seems to Help Me"
• "I'm Not Sure I Can Handle This Alone"
• "I'm in Control of My Condition and My Treatment"

"I Just Want the Facts"

We would certainly say that some people focus more on "reason" than "emotions"—that they tend to think through problems rather than discuss them or focus on how they feel about difficult situations. There may be times when you want to focus on the facts about hepatitis C and your treatment. You can read through some of the material written about this subject—information from the simplest level all the way through advanced medical journals and textbooks. You can ask healthcare professionals about percentages and probabilities. When you talk to people who have had treatment for hepatitis C, you can focus on the factual details rather than on the more personal aspects of their stories.

This is the way medicine is supposed to be, right? Yes and no. Certainly medical research and theory should be firmly rooted in the facts, and your healthcare team will be making decisions based on the evidence they receive from your test results and your reactions to side effects. However, as a patient, you should also tell your doctor about the different emotions you are experiencing. Emotions have physical components—involving chemicals and hormones—and your doctor and nurse will want to monitor all of your reactions as you go through treatment. Make sure to report your mental state to your healthcare team. It can have an effect on the success of your treatment plan.

When you want just the facts, make sure you are getting reliable information:

• Is your source reliable?
• Is your source an expert in the field?
• Are government statistics, the results of valid clinical trials, or other solid evidence used for support?
• Might your source have a personal or financial or political interest in giving you his or her views?
• Is there another side to the story?

If you are interested in the facts, make sure the people you listen to have mastered those facts themselves.

"Helping Others Seems to Help Me"

Sometimes we just want to connect with people who are facing the same challenges that we are. We feel better when we help others, and the power of mutual support can lift everyone up. Perhaps you have been through a treatment plan before and want to mentor others during their first time through a similar experience. People with hepatitis C are very active in support groups, especially on the Internet. Because having hepatitis C may leave you feeling isolated from other people in your life at times, offering and receiving support from others may help.

So how can you best help others? There aren't any official rules about how to offer support, but here are some important topics to consider:

• When you give out fact-based information, is it from a reliable source like your healthcare team or other good places to get facts?
• Are you giving medical advice that should really come from a healthcare professional involved in that person's care?
• Are you giving too much of yourself? Recognize that your own challenges can be rough on you. You can only provide support if you are standing on a stable foundation!
• Make sure that if you need help, you don't expect to get it exclusively from your support group. During very stressful times many people need professional counseling. If hepatitis C treatment is one of those times for you, or for someone you are helping, don't use conversation as a substitute for professional help.

"I'm Not Sure I Can Handle This Alone"

You're not alone! Everyone feels this way sometimes, but remember that millions of people have been treated for hepatitis C and medical experts have devoted their careers to the condition. There are people in your life, and people you have not even met, who are ready to help right now.

Here's where you can start:

• Your healthcare team: Are you using your healthcare resources to the fullest? Ask a doctor, nurse, or physician assistant for help and advice. (For specific questions about PEGASYS and COPEGUS^® (Ribavirin, USP), nurses are available at 1-877-PEGASYS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.)
• Your friends and family: Hepatitis C and its treatment can strain relationships and make communication difficult. Make a list of the people in your life from whom you would like to get support. Then come up with communication strategies to let them know how you feel and what you need.
• Support networks: There are many support groups and resources, both on the Internet and in your community. Look at the member directory on this site to find people who want to talk with others who are sharing their experience.
• Reading about others: Many hepatitis C patients, often working as co-authors with doctors, have written books about their experiences. While not everything you read will be useful day-to-day, you may feel a connection to a larger community.
• Keeping a journal: Writing down your thoughts and feelings each day or each week may help in several ways:
  • Writing can be a conversation with yourself—by putting your thoughts into words, you may be better able to respond to them.
  • When you are feeling good, you can look back on the times you wanted to quit and feel proud of your progress.
  • When you are feeling bad, you can look back to see how you got through these times before—or look back at your good days and anticipate their return.
• Treatment management tools: Have a place to record the details of your treatment plan, lab results, and the progress you have made toward completing treatment. When you have all these aspects of your treatment organized, you may feel more in control. Pegassist.com has a Calendar that can help.

"I'm In Control of My Condition and My Treatment"

Sometimes we feel like we are on top of every situation and can handle anything that comes up on our own. It's good to have this confidence—to know enough and to feel positive enough to be the leader. But there's more to leadership than confidence, including:

• A sense of partnership: This is especially important with your healthcare team. Leaders don't need to know everything; they rely on their experts to give them information and advice. You're fighting a disease—don't leave your medical team behind! You also have partners in other aspects of your life: friends, family, even coworkers. Keeping those relationships strong is part of being on top of things, too.
• The ability to recognize your own needs: Nobody can truly say that they don't need anything from anyone. (You've always needed people to fix your car or cut your hair.) During treatment, you will have many physical and emotional needs. Of course you need your lab tests analyzed and medications prescribed. But you will also need advice about handling symptoms and side effects, people to talk to about how to stay mentally and physically strong, and sometimes help with day-to-day activities.
• A willingness to accept support: How can you ask for this sort of support and be in control? Easy. You're in control because you know what you need and have the right people in the right places. Building a team establishes your leadership. Asking for their support shows that you know how to get the most out of that team. Accepting that support shows that you are secure in your leading role.

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