Taking a Break from Chronic Illness

Hepatitis C is a chronic illness that, like so many other diseases and conditions, requires a great deal of time and attention: Doctors visits, lab work, medication regimens, medical procedures, research and more. I refer to it as my full-time job, which isn't far from the truth. Factor in the time required to review and resolve billing and insurance issues, and it's been a job-and-a-half.

Given the time, effort and stress related to my "job," it's important to take a break from time to time. And for the past six weeks, since I met with my heptologist, I've done just that. No labs, no conversations with my transplant team, no med changes.

Ahhhh.

Tomorrow all of that changes when I go to the lab and the vampires have their way with me and my poor worn-out veins. Then I'll nervously await a call from my transplant center with the results and we'll debate whether I need another liver biopsy now or if the condition of my liver seems stable enough to wait it out until one of the new Hep C meds is available this summer. A lot is riding on the outcome of these labs - yep, my break most definitely ends tomorrow.

Photo by Sinan Acar