Cindy

I’ve been living with hepatitis C for the past 4 years. I’m a 23 year old female, and I’m a recovering IV drug user. I found out I had hepatitis C when I went to detox in 2006. It was heart breaking to hear that I was positive for hepatitis C. Deep down inside I kind of felt I had it, I was careless when it came to using new needles, clean spoons etc. After I found out it was very hard for me to tell my family. I have a 6 year old daughter she is the love of my life and the core of my heart. When i told my mother she wouldn’t allow me to kiss my daughter on the lips. It broke my heart and my step father always told me to wash my own utensil and keep my bowls, plates and forks aside of everyone else’s.

It took me the longest time to accept the fact that I had hep C, I all ways felt like a walking disease that can infect anyone who walked by me. I’ve now been clean for over a year, yay me!

I’ve been looking into getting the treatment, I know a few people that went through it and they said it was a hard process but at the end of it, they said it was worth every second. I’m a peer educator in hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. I enjoy talking to youth and adults about the risky behaviours when it comes to safe injecting and safe sex.

Well I hope that my message is loud for those voices that are silent. I can now say I don’t look at myself anymore and think that I’m just a walking disease. I’m a SURVIVOR.