Just Like My Mother

"You have Chronic Hepatitis C" - words I never thought I'd here. Words that changed my life. My name is Emily Feikls and this is my Hep C story.

Initial symptoms

A few years ago I began to get really sick with odd symptoms that no one could figure out. It took me two years of searching for answers and advocating for my health before I finally received my diagnosis; it was chronic Hep C. While the news itself was a shock, I had also been prepared for it. In 2010 a doctor using patient needles infected my mom with hepatitis C. She received treatment and 'cured' it but at some point, I must have come in contact with her blood. I had been told I had hep C antibodies all throughout my teens ... I just never imagined that I'd actually be diagnosed with it. Let alone diagnosed with it in the chronic stage when my body was already falling apart.

Physical and emotional impact of hepatitis c

Upon receiving the diagnosis, I felt a flurry of emotions. Relief that I finally had an answer and a hopeful treatment plan. Grief that I was experiencing the same condition as my mother (who later passed away). Confusion as to how exactly I got it and why it stayed dormant in my body so long. And last of all, fear. Fear of what others would think of me; fear of what this meant for my future; and fear that treatment wouldn't work. I found myself struggling to not only live with the physical symptoms of chronic hep c but with the mental and emotional weight of it too.

My hepatitis c treatment experience

Months passed and I held hope that treatment would work. I'd always been health conscious but in that time especially I focused on whole foods, gentle movement, meditation, and anything I could do to feel better. Eventually, I received the news, treatment had worked!

I felt immediate relief but also trepidation. What if it came back? What if this was just a temporary fix? These are still fears I face today but thankfully I've developed coping skills to help work through any anxiety on the topic.

Hepatitis c & community

I now share my story and wellness-focused lifestyle through both Instagram as well as my podcast to support others in this journey. No one should have to walk this road alone and I only hope to be there for others. Each journey is different and unique but at the end of the day, we can always find comfort in knowing we aren't alone.