Let me officially introduce myself. My name is David Mazoff (Dr. C.D. Mazoff) from Montreal. I recently completed my doctorate at McGill University, despite the fact that I started presenting symptoms about two years ago. Other than my intellectual pursuits (moral philosophy, social justice, semiotics and discourse analysis), I used to be a very active recreational triathlete. I have also done graduate work in theology and published 1 book, and numerous articles, on Canadian literature; but my concerns are much broader than literature. Some of my heroes are Kenneth Burke, Theodore Roszak and Noam Chomsky.. Scott Peck is also a voice. My illness has affected me to such an extent that I am too dizzy to cycle and too tired to run any more than 15 min. every other week--if I am lucky. I sold my hand-made Italian road racer as a result. To a bike lover, this is indeed very sad. I can still weight lift, but am down from 4, 2 hr sessions a week, to 2, 15 min. sessions--if at all. I swim when I can and watch my diet. Endurance is gone by 60%? and intensity by an equal amount. I've been into diet for years; but when my hep does its thing, forget it. Lotsa gaz, lotsa bloating, bad breath, nausea, diarrhea, etc. Unfortunately, the gym is just about all I can manage. At 46, my career is seriously in question. My main symptom is fatigue--a fatigue which effects my ability to concentrate--and prevents me from doing the usual reading and writing necessary for my profession. (I have an offer for another book on the table, but as I cannot do the revisions, I am pretty sure I will have to let it go.) As well, last year (94-95), I was only able to teach 1 course per semester. I am presently on leave from my department, but am seriously considering a total lifestyle change. (Here's where I need direction and support. I must learn to manage my energy resources realistically.) I was on Intron-A, first at 3 million, and then at 5. The side-effects were horrendous. My doctor decided to discontinue treatment when it was noted that my ast's had climbed back up to the 60s. Now I have to accept the fact that I will not be getting any better, and it's very hard. I was divorced recently, and I am feeling rather lonely, unlovable and useless. Reading the e-mail proves interesting, if not always uplifting. There's a lot of sad stories out there. PS: We have a small English support group here in Montreal, as well as a larger French one. UPDATE The book got finished but they might still want a few revisions; I don't have the energy. My Doctor recently informed me that although I am a long way away from a liver transplant (my liver function tests are very good, due probably to my diet) I have a symptomatic form of the illness and the symptoms will never go away. Right now I am much too tired to go to the gym and am in danger of becoming a shut-in. As well, the liver pain is increasing both in intensity and duration. I do not know how I got Hep C, we all know what the risks are. Let me say that there is an equal chance that I might have contracted it when I shared a toothbrush with a girlfriend of mine who was a surgical intern, and frequently came home covered in blood, or from a small town dentist, when I lived in a small town where I was involved with a new university.. O yeah: I could have contracted it doing something a bit more "racy" but why tittle someone's imagination. The odds are the same.
