The Ten Commandments for Hepatitis Survival
1. Thou shalt regard the word, "Hepatitis", as exactly that: a
word. Nothing more, nothing less. For its original meaning has
changed mightily over the years, as have such words as Smallpox,
TB, and Polio, all once dreaded ailments, now non-existent as
maladies. And thus shalt go thy Hepatitis. The answer shall come to
those who shall be present to hear it. Be present when it
comes.
2. Thou shalt love thy interferon, and thy other treatments even
as thyself, for they are thy friends and champions. Although they
exact a toll for their endeavors, they are oft most generous in the
favors they bestow.
3. Thou shalt participate fully in thy recovery. Thou shalt
learn all the details of thy ailment, its diagnosis, its prognosis,
its treatments, conventional and alternate. Thou shalt discuss them
openly and candidly with thy hepatologist and shalt question all
thou do not comprehend. Then, thou shalt cooperate intelligently
and knowledgeably with thy doctor.
4. Thou shalt regard thy ailment as a temporary detour in thy
life and shalt plan thy future as though this detour had not
occurred. Thou shalt never, at no time, nohow, regard thy temporary
ailment as permanent. Thou shalt set long-term goals for thyself.
For thou WILL verily recover and thy believing so will contribute
mightily to thy recovery.
5. Thou shalt express thy feelings candidly and openly to thy
loved ones for they, too, are stricken. Thou shalt comfort and
reassure them for they, too, needest comforting and reassurance,
even as thou doest.
6. Thou shalt be a comfort to thy fellow-Hepsters, providing
knowledge, encouragement, understanding and love. You shalt give
them hope where there may be none, for only in hope lies their
salvation. And by doing so, thou providest comfort for thyself, as
well.
7. Thou shalt never relinquish hope, no matter how thou may
feelest at that moment, for thou knowest, in the deep recesses of
thy heart, that your discouragement is but fleeting and that a
better day awaits thee.
8. Thou shalt not regard thy ailment as the sum total of thy
life but as merely a part of it. Fill your life with other
diversions, be they mundane, daring, altruistic, or merely amusing.
To fill your life with your ailment is to surrender to it.
9. Thou shalt maintain, at all times and in all circumstances,
thy sense of humor, for laughter lightens thy heart and hastens thy
recovery. This is not an easy task, sometimes seemingly impossible,
but it is a goal well worth the endeavor.
10. Thou shalt have enduring and unassailable faith, whether thy
faith be in a Supreme Being, in Medical Science, in Thy Future, in
Thyself, or in Whatever. Steadfastly sustain thy faith for it shall
sustain thee.
Swiped and edited from The Ten Commandments for Cancer
Survival: by Paul H. Klein 72773,2241 (Compuserve)
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