"RBWH Brisbane saved my life"

I caught hepatitis c from a blood transfusion in 1982 when I was a pre-teen. There was no cure, nothing could be done, I was told it won’t bother me until I get old. I was advised I must never drink alcohol or ciders or foods high in fats or let anyone near my spilt blood! If I did bleed other household members were instructed to stay away from it because a strict cleaning method is needed.

My life flashed past my eyes like a magician fluttering a deck of cards from hand to hand, there were good times and bad times. Over the decades I started to feel the disease encroach on my stamina, vitality and other well being indicators. I started becoming fatigued and isolated spending most days in bed sleeping. In the last ten years I could barely eat a morsel without throwing it up, clean low fat cows milk was all I could stomach, with a sprinkle of hospital grade sustagen. I felt constantly dehydrated no matter how much water I drank it just wouldn’t absorb, I would soak my body for hours at a time in a steaming shower, my eyes had sunken in and turn a ghastly dark yellow I was a walking skeleton.

When friends would come around I would put clear eyes eye drops in my eyes and totally fake being well and as soon as they left I’d be sliding down the back of the door totally drained, dying. My hair fell out, my nails became brittle, I broke bones, my teeth suffered, all this went on for years! 

One day, after many possible treatment combination announcements, (which I believe my Doctor wouldn’t let me take because the side effects were permanent and debilitating), she texted me and said, you must come in for an appointment ASAP I’ve got something exciting to tell you! They’ve found a safe cure, that’s suitable for my genome type 1A. She referred me to RBWH gastroenterology and liver clinic.

I met the professor and we talked and she said how exciting this cure is for her career and, I believe, the ability to cure so many people! She briefed me on all the important things I needed to know first. The only catch was the treatment is very expensive and approval from Canberra is required, she called them up gave them the diagnosis & confirmation and gave me a secure medicine purse with the scripts in it! I took them to my local pharmacist (who said he has a good supply and he popped them in his safe). I then started the program, one tablet everyday at the same time for 90 days.

At first it was really, really bad. The war that erupted inside me was nothing less than horrendous! After a week I was seriously considering stopping I was so very, very ill! It felt like steel wool was being pulled through my veins, vascular system, if you can imagine that! I phoned my family members and told them what I was going through and they all said trust the process it will become easier. I did, and it did get easier as my body started to overcome the well established disease. I was seriously on deaths door and I knew it!

The RBWH Staff I encountered, all of them, were amazing! They took fantastic care of me every step of the way, everything was explained in a way I could understand it and I feel very safe when I go there. I still have to keep going back on a regular 3 & 6 monthly schedule for sonic liver scans, cancer & blood surveillance and each time I find them to be amazing!

It’s been a year now my health has improved dramatically, the feeling of “I’m definitely dying” has gone away completely! The deep mortal fear that living things suffer before they die. I’m just so happy & beyond thankful for the professor and all her staff and all the other components that make up the RBWH hospital was able to save my life. I believe it literally took the resources of a city to cure me (RBWH looks like a mini city, I just wish there were more trees and plants at the front entrance). Thank you to all the staff there! Their passion and dedication & endurance for helping people just boosts my faith 100%.