NEW: NATIONAL HEP C AWARENESS WEEKENDHave a loved one who has passed on due to hep c/liver failure? Add their names to the memorial wall, and have them be apart of a yearly candle lighting in washington dc..
Go here for more information/form:
http://march-on-dc.com/Memorial/CyberWall1.aspHep C national awareness weekend information:
http://march-on-dc.com/National/News/coverpage.htmpress release for national hep c "movement for awareness" weekend:
http://march-on-dc.com/National/News/2005/PressRelease.htmTh
is was a space created in honor of the trials and tribulations my father had gone through to fight for his life. My father passed away on august 16th, 2007 at 6:15 am due to a failing liver due to hepatitis C, still fighting and waiting for his liver transplant, which wasnt in time to save his life.His failing liver, due to hepatitis C, was procured from a diseased blood transfusion after a car accident when he was about 21 years old. After about a year of attempting numerous treatments, his only option was to get this transplant, which never came.
While I would like yo give heartening news, of miracles and better health, I am here to represent the truth.In and out of the hospital every week or more, my husband and I were told on august 3rd that he would not live out the weekend, and so off we rushed back to home to texas, where because of a stubborn resistance, and a fighting spirit, he held on for two weeks longer than any of us ever expected.He died because of the lack of livers donated.While before this site was to offer a revenue of relief finanacially and mentally for him and my family, it is now a site to still spread the word about liver transplants, and the dire need of all organs to be donated to help save lives. People die because of these lack of organs.While this statement may be shocking, it is not without hope, thus this sites name:
I originally created this page to offer awareness of not only my fathers plight, but of all others out there suffering from this life threatening disease, and to provide a revenue for any help that any of you feel benevolent enough to provide. Now, I have attempted to provide various information on ways to donate blood, and expecially, organs and healing energies and prayers for those fighting for their lives. All are equally important to help saving lives.While prayer and sending healing energies their way may not seem like the most important way to help, it is no less important than anything else.Anyone can be a Light of Hope for smeone, why not you?As with all life threatening diseases, the failing liver is not the only thing that was threatening him. Severe loss of blood platelets (meaning, in laments terms if he gets a nose bleed in a severe loss, he could bleed to death), from such astoundingly high amounts of ammonia levels, that he is often completely uncomprehensive, even going so far as being unable to recognize his wife, or his daughter, me. Constant fluid build up between his skin and muscle, meaning he swells up to a painful level, having to literally drain his fluids out on a regular basis just for a day or so of comfort through a needle and out. These are just a few of the symptoms which he had suffered.I've decided to add some universal information for acute liver failure due to Hep C. to better validate the severe circumstances my father, and all others with this disease, have suffered:What Is Hep C?
Most people who are infected with the hep C virus go on to develop chronic hep C. The infection becomes chronic (long-lasting) because the body's immune system is unable to fight it off.You might think that such a condition would make you feel sicker and sicker over time. However, for many people, hep C is an asymptomatic condition—which means they may not experience symptoms for many years after they are infected. No one can tell you now whether or not you will have symptoms in the future.Here's the tricky part: a lack of symptoms does not mean that hep C stops attacking your liver. The virus can stay active in the body without producing recognizable symptoms. In fact, some people experience no symptoms that they are aware of until significant liver damage has occurred.How Can Hep C Affect My Liver?
The liver is the largest organ in the body. Located in the upper right side of the abdomen, it acts as a filter to remove toxins (harmful substances) and waste products from the blood. A healthy liver filters blood at a rate of about 1.5 quarts per minute. That's 540 gallons of blood a day!The liver also stores nutrients, such as certain vitamins, minerals, and iron, and plays a role in making and controlling the amounts of certain chemicals and proteins in the body, such as cholesterol, hormones, and sugars. It helps the body digest food by producing a substance called bile, which is stored in the gallbladder.Hep C and Liver Damage
The hep C virus attacks liver cells and uses them as a host to reproduce itself. When the body attempts to fight the virus, it sends lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) to the liver, which results in inflammation (swelling). This inflammation is a normal response to infection, but over time this process, and certain chemicals released by the lymphocytes, can damage liver cells.When the liver cells are damaged, they cannot function well and may die. Some of these cells may grow back, but severe injury may lead to fibrosis (a buildup of scar tissue on the liver). Fibrosis slows down the liver's ability to circulate blood and remove toxins.Treatment may help prevent further damage or reduce progression of the condition. However, the longer treatment is delayed, the more likely significant and permanent liver damage will occur.Over time, hardened scar tissue can replace large amounts of normal liver tissue. This condition, called cirrhosis, seriously impairs the liver's ability to function. As a result, blood that cannot pass freely through the liver may back up into the spleen, and this may lead to the destruction of healthy blood cells. In addition, the liver may not be able to produce enough bile to aid in the handling of nutrients, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, and most fats.What's acute liver failure (ALF)?
Acute liver failure or fulminant hepatitis is a rare but potentially fatal disease. Mortality without supportive management and/or liver transplantation is in excess of 80% (note: he is beyond this point, without a liver transplant, he will die). Adult definitions of fulminant hepatic failure, which include the development of hepatic necrosis and encephalopathy within 8 weeks of onset of liver disease do not apply to acute liver failure, in children particularly if secondary to autoimmune or metabolic liver disease.
Acute liver failure (ALF) occurs when many of the cells in the liver die or become very damaged in a short period of time. This causes the liver -- a vital organ that has many important functions -- to fail to work normally, and it causes the brain to not work properly. Because this condition develops so fast, getting care quickly is critical. Acute liver failure usually develops extremely quickly; it can develop over days or weeks. When acute liver failure is caused by drugs or toxins that are consumed, it can develop within 48 hours from the time they are consumed.For more information on Accute liver failure due to Hepatitis C, please visit:Hepatitis C Outreach ProjectOr:Janis and friends support/informative website!
