Hepatitis C: You Are In It to Win It

One of the first things I had to do after being diagnosed with hepatitis C was to change my mindset to moving forward. I had to change my perspective from loss to gain. When I began my hepatitis C treatment, I was determined, I was in it to win it. A determined spirit will get you through hepatitis C. Do you get scared, experience setbacks? You sure do, it is part of it, but you will get through it.

Your mental shift helps

You may be dealing with obstacles to get treatment. Know this, it is not a matter of if, but when you will get treatment. Shifting your mindset to ‘when’ helps fuel your actions that lead to winning! When leads to winning. ‘If’ leads to the possibility of losing.

If you are doing treatment, you may feel bogged down by side effects. Remember, side effects are temporary compared to the rest of your life. You are in it to win it! Do not give up!

Your mental outlook affects you physically

Your mental outlook determines how you take care of yourself physically, which in turn affects your liver and aids your treatment. Positive, uplifting thinking helps keep you from depression and anxiety. A healthy mindset helps relieve stress and keeps your mind clear. Being goal focused fuels your determination.

Tips to help your outlook

There were days when I was in treatment that I felt I was in a tug of war between having a good day or a hard day. These tips helped fuel my mental outlook to a ‘win’ mentality.

• I labeled my box of treatment meds “Big Guns”. By doing so, I shifted my mental attitude to fighting mode with every pill. With each dose, I said to myself, “Over the lips and through the gums, look out, hep C, virus here it comes!”
• I celebrated every time I finished a box of treatment meds. I chose something special to eat or a place to go to celebrate because finishing a box of treatment meds meant getting closer to the finish line.
• I did not focus on the long haul of treatment. I chose to focus on what I called "Mile Markers". The first day I began treatment was a Monday, so each Monday became my Mile Marker day. I only focused on getting through each day at a time to my next Mile Marker day. I checked off each Mile Marker day and suddenly treatment was going by faster.

Remember, you are in it to win it! You can do it, my friend!