Until recently, hepatitis Cwhich infects 170 million people throughout the worldwas always fatal. But today there is finally a remarkable cure.
Elizabeth Rains describes how she was likely infected with hepatitis C during her wild hippie days, how she was diagnosed more than four decades later, and how she became one of the early patients to be cured, including the obstacles she encountered in gaining access to the $100,000 drugs. She describes the symptomsand non-symptomsof hep C, the stigma that still accompanies a diagnosis, the grueling interferon treatments that many hep C patients have had to undergo, and the new antivirals that have exploded onto the pharmaceutical market and that provide a cure but at a tremendously high price.
Because most people who have hepatitis C have no idea they harbor the disease, Rains’ riveting account will compel readers to get tested for this silent killer.
Elizabeth Rainsholds a masters degree in journalism and teaches university courses in writing and editing. She regularly writes feature articles for magazines and newspapers in North America
Elizabeth Rains bravely journeys into her adventurous and sometimes scary past seeking the source of her infection, while increasing her deep knowledge of this complex virus and the possibilities for cures with all their outrageous costs and sometimes painful side effects.
—Brian Brett, author of Trauma Farm and Tuco
Rains weaves a tale that is personal and socially relevant. She doesn’t just tell you her story; she shows you everyone’s story.”
—Lucinda K. Porter, HepMag.com