The Road's My Middle Name

Well, not exactly. It's Eve and I'm leaving today from San Francisco to begin my solo cross-country camping trip. This trip is a celebration and exploration of what it means to no longer have the hepatitis C virus. Having an incurable disease that slowly eroded my liver has been psychologically noisy. As my brother's health declined due to end stage liver disease, my fear, anxiety and denial of my own situation was worsened. I always imagined hepatitis C as an evil gargoyle who nonchalantly stalked me, reminding me that I would surely die prematurely. Now that there's a cure, people will not have to suffer in this way. It's as simple as educating the general public as well as healthcare providers, dispelling stigma, getting tested, treated, and cured! No more worry.

Along this journey, I'll share my adventures. I plan to reach out to church communities as I travel to speak to them about hepatitis C. I want to take the pulse of America to gauge the educational needs of the people. This will be fun and exciting and a great learning experience that will hopefully bloom into a national outreach initiative. A nurse can dream, right?

So, for now, this brief note is to say- I'm off- like a herd of turtles!

Til we meet again!