My name is Valentina. I want to share my story with you. Something extraordinary happened in my life. In 1997, I found out that I had viral hepatitis C.

It was a death sentence on hold. People often call hepatitis C the “silent killer” because it was considered an incurable disease; it could remain dormant for a long time and then, unexpectedly, lead to cirrhosis of the liver. In fact, I think the virus entered my body much earlier, because I had been addicted to drugs since 1985 and used homemade injectable drugs.

So, every day until 2010, my liver was exposed not only to the virus but also to the poison of drugs. It was then that I successfully completed rehabilitation and eliminated the main life-threatening danger. Meanwhile, medications had already become available that made it possible to cure hepatitis C. However, treatment was expensive, and I had no money. Fortunately, social programs began to emerge, giving people like me a chance to survive. My carefree attitude let me down. Of all the illnesses I developed due to drug use, my liver bothered me the least. IT DIDN’T HURT! And I kept putting off and putting off treatment for hepatitis. My body was sending me signals through chronic fatigue, morning nausea, and a white coating on my tongue. Then, suddenly, I found myself in the ICU in critical condition—all yellow and swollen, like an inflatable doll.

They practically pulled me back from the brink of death. After an ultrasound, they diagnosed me with liver cirrhosis, even though there was no fluid in my abdominal cavity. My hip joint began to rot with septic necrosis; the infection entered my bloodstream, and reactive arthritis set in. All of this was accompanied by extreme pain and a fever that wouldn’t drop below 38.2°C. But my liver was in such a state that I couldn’t take any painkillers or fever reducers, and hepatitis can’t be treated either if there are other serious illnesses. It was a vicious cycle. One problem led to another. It took four months of intensive therapy and a strict diet for my liver to start functioning well enough to allow for the treatment of other flare-ups.

During this time, my condition worsened. My hip joint had to be removed. My immune system was completely compromised, and I developed bone tuberculosis. Another nine months of taking very strong medications. This was the price I paid for my carelessness. Because you simply cannot delay treatment for hepatitis C! It was a very harsh lesson for me. I started treatment in April 2019. But again, things weren’t simple. Some doctors were hesitant to begin treatment six months after the end of my tuberculosis therapy, fearing a relapse. I had genotype 3a. I was prescribed a three-month course of Egyptian medications, and I had blood tests once a month. After two months of treatment, my viral load was still very high, so I was additionally prescribed Ribavirin, and treatment was extended for another month. And then—victory! The virus was undetectable. I am very grateful to the “Hepatitis C Winners Club” and to Yuriy Voynalovich, who supported and inspired me, and helped me with a free hepatitis treatment program. 

I have been given another chance at a long and healthy life.