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Colorado
Hepatitis C Support Groups
For individuals infected with hepatitis C and family members affected by hepatitis C. Free and confidential. New members always welcome.
Metro-Denver
Aurora - 900 Potomac, 1st Floor Staff Cafeteria, 1st Tuesday 6:30 - 8pm, Consuelo (303) 343-3894
Englewood - 1000 Englewood Pkwy, 4th Tuesday 6:30 - 8pm, Deidrea (805) 444-0046
Lakewood - 11500 W. 20th, 2nd Tuesday 6:30 - 8pm, Betsy (303) 237-1150
HIV/HCV Co-infection - 1660 S. Albion, 4th Tuesday 5:30 - 7pm, Kim (303) 862-0407
Statewide
Boulder -
YWCA 2222 14th Street, EDGE Classroom, 2nd Wednesday of the month, 6 - 7:30pm, Carrie (303) 875-2568
CO Springs -
825 E. Pikes Peak Ave., 5th Floor Dining Rm, 3rd Thursday of the month, 7 - 8:30pm, Dave (719) 440-0025
Ft. Collins -
2809 E. Harmony, 3rd Floor, Last Wednesday 6:30 - 8 pm, Jerry (970) 214-2912
Grand Junction -
515 28 3/4 Road Bldg A, 1st Wednesday 5:15-6:45 pm, Rainy (970) 208-4507
Pueblo -
Main Pueblo Library 100 East Abriendo Ave., Rm 211, 3rd Monday, 6 - 7:30pm, Dave (719) 440-0025
For information regarding national support groups, please call our HelpLine at 800-522-HEPC (4372) |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the December 2009 edition of Connections!
Happy Holidays! The month of November just flew by at Hep C Connection as we were busy with our annual event and lots of activities.
In this month's edition, we invite you to learn about the successes of Drop To Stop, the safe needle disposal community project, and Dessert & Delights. Help yourself to some additional knowledge with our Doctors & Science articles. Connect with our personal story written by Bruce. Also, learn how you can help Hep C Connection Take The Challenge.
Enjoy the season!
We want to hear from you! To comment or contribute interesting news and information about hepatitis, please send us a note at info@hepc-connection.org. The deadline for news postings December 20th.
Please share our newsletter with others by simply forwarding it to others, or by using the forwarding option at the bottom. Thank you! |
| 2009 Desserts & Delights |
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Desserts & Delights lived up to its name! Now in its 4th year, this annual fundraising event for Hep C Connection celebrates the inner child in all of us. We were honored to feature hand-crafted chocolates from Robin Chocolates, cookies from Gateaux Bakery, brownies from Pajama Baking Company, whoopee pies from Fuel Café, petite desserts from A Grande Finale Patisserie, toffee from Enstrom's Candies, and pies from Whole Foods Bakery.Getting hungry???
Reggie Rivers, author and former Bronco football player, masterfully emceed the event where we honored the members of the 2008-09 Joint Budget Committee. Shawn Hagler (really, that's his name) was our live auctioneer and he got the crowd energized and bidding.
We are grateful to our corporate sponsors: CPR Inc., TR Barge LLC, Health One, Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado , Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, Investment Realty, Suncor Energy, r2 Advisors LLC, South Denver Gastroenterology, University of Colorado Hospital, University Physicians, and New West Physicians.
We hope you will join us next year.
Above: Joint Budget Committee Members, Senator White and Senator Keller, were acknowledged and presented with awards of appreciation during the event. |
| November's Drop to Stop Week |
Hep C Connection sponsored the fourth Drop to Stop needle disposal event the week of November 2nd through November 6th. Drop to Stop week encourages individuals to properly dispose of their used syringes to prevent blood-borne infections (such as hepatitis C) from spreading. Whether syringes are used by acupuncturists, veterinarians, diabetics, or injection drug users, all needles need to be disposed of properly. If needles are disposed of in the wrong way, many people such as trash collectors, police officers, parks and recreation workers, and even children risk being accidentally stuck by those needles that are improperly disposed of. Here is the history of Hep C Connection's Drop to Stop events: ˇ May 19, 2008 - 237 used syringes collected ˇ November 19, 2008 - 1,601 used syringes collected ˇ May 11 - 15, 2009 - 11,737 used syringes collected ˇ November 2 - 6, 2009 - 4,639 used syringes collected Five agencies throughout the state participated in November's Drop to Stop week, including the Harm Reduction Action Center (Denver), Northern Colorado AIDS Project (Fort Collins), Project Safe (Denver), Urban Peak (Denver), and Western Colorado AIDS Project (Grand Junction). With the used syringes collected during this week in November, 4,639 possible new infections of hepatitis C, HIV, or other blood-borne infections were prevented. Thank you to all of the agencies that partnered with us on this event and watch for advertisements for our next Drop to Stop disposal week in May of 2010. If your agency is interested in participating in the next Drop to Stop event, please contact Laura Ginnett at (720) 917-3960 or lginnett@hepc-connection.org. |
| Hep C Connection Phone System Update |
Hep C Connection is converting it's phone system from digital to analog as a cost saving measure. You may experience problems reaching us by phone during the weeks of November 23rd- December 5th 2009 while we make the switch. We apologize for this inconvenience.
You may email "info@hepc-connection.org" with questions or to request a phone call from us as a temporary measure until the phone transition is complete. |
| Doctors & Science |
Posttransplant Metabolic Syndrome: An Epidemic Waiting to Happen
Metabolic syndrome is an "epidemic waiting to happen" among liver transplant recipients, largely as a result of their increasing likelihood of survival, a review shows.
Posttransplant metabolic syndrome prevalence was 43% to 58% after 12 to 18 months, compared with 24% in the general population, according to Arthur J. McCullough, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues.
The consequences also appeared more serious in liver transplant recipients, they reported online ahead of print in the December issue of Liver Transplantation.
To read the full article, please click here. NVHR: New Data Finding Fewer than 1 in 5 Hepatitis C Patients Receiving Antiviral Therapy is 'Wake-Up Call' for Washington to Act
University of Michigan Researchers Call for 'Increased Public Health Efforts' Sandt: Current Hepatitis C Virus Detection & Surveillance Efforts 'Wholly Inadequate,' Challenges Congress to Act on Honda-Dent Legislation to Support State-based Programs
Washington, DC-New peer-reviewed data finding that fewer than one-fifth of the nearly 4 million Americans infected with chronic hepatitis C virus have received anti-viral therapy in recent years should be a wake-up call that Congress needs to move urgently on bipartisan legislation to support new state-based detection, research, and surveillance efforts, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) said today.
The NVHR warns that without congressional action, millions of Americans infected with chronic hepatitis C virus - particularly African Americans - are at serious risk of developing cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure and will add billions of dollars in unnecessary costs to our health care system every year.
To access the entire press release , please go here. |
| Personal Story |
I was first diagnosed with hep C in 1998. It was determined that I had genotype 1a. I was given a 10% chance of clearing. I started the "cocktail" that same year. At that time there was only one company making the Interferon/Ribavirin for hep C. Everyone got the same amount of Interferon; a shot three times a week and six Ribavirin pills a day. There were no weight ratio standards as there are today.
For me, getting the health insurance company to cover my treatment was an experience in itself. Since the "cocktail" was new and the only option, I found myself paying for most of the cost out-of-pocket. I spent forty-eight weeks on therapy. At the end of the forty-eight weeks the virus was still there, no better or worse.
Soon other drugs came to market; however, the chance of remission still was very low, between 10% and 16%. About a year ago I went to the VA (I am a veteran) for some health issues. At that time I began going to a local hep C meeting from time to time. One of the speakers at the meeting had said that the VA hospital in Palo Alto, California was at the "front", and working with Stanford University and, "on paper", offered a greater percentage rate of success.
The Palo Alto VA hospital happened to be the provider hospital for the area I live. I made an appointment with the liver specialist. Unfortunately, at the time, I was also having some other health issues and was told to resolve those issues and after six months of stability I could again approach the hep C program for treatment. After six months of stability I was right back in the liver specialist's office. I started the Pegasus program in June of 2009 and am currently at the halfway mark of forty-eight weeks. From week four my viral load dropped to zero. Because I had done this ten years ago, I kind of knew what to expect, or so I thought.
All I can say as that there must have been a lot of refinement with both the Interferon and the Ribavirin, because the side affects have been very minimal. Anemia had charged in on me, however my VA provider started me on Epoetin Alpha to raise the red blood cells and things have been really great. I have more energy, tire-out less, and have a near-normal life. Yes, I have the occasional week that I just feel "blah", but for the most part I can enjoy life. My first time on treatment in 1998, I lay in bed, lost more than forty pounds, and was "sick as a dog" the entire time. I feel very fortunate to experience this therapy that, for me, has been much kinder than the first "generation" of treatment.
Bruce H.
California |
| Take The Challenge |
The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado is pleased to have awarded Hep C Connection with a $3,000 grant through our Healthy Families funding area. This grant challenges you to support Hep C Connection and have your donation doubled, giving you a direct opportunity to expand the organization's work.
We believe that Colorado will become a stronger, healthier state when all people have access to the educational programs and support services they need to lead healthy lives. We recognize the value of the work of Hep C Connection in educating the public about hepatitis C and providing the resources and support for those affected by the virus. And we heartily applaud those who have fought to keep public funding in place to increase awareness, education, and testing for hepatitis C.
But there is so much more work to be done to put a stop to hepatitis C. We urge you to help Hep C Connection substantially multiply its resources by taking advantage of our challenge grant. Learn more about the Gay & Lesbian Fund at www.gayandlesbianfund.org.
To make a donation to Hep C Connection and help match this grant contact Nancy Steinfurth at 720.917.3965.
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| A Very Special Thanks! |
Desserts & Delights could not have happend without the generous support and financial sponsorships that were provided to make this annual event successful.
The Desserts & Delights planning committee recognizes the following donors. Thank you for your support!
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| Requesting Your Personal Experiences |
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If you have a personal story that you are willing to share with our monthly e-newsletter readers, we want to hear from you. Stories can include personal experiences from you or someone that you know and support in their endeavor to cope, manage and/ or care for themselves while living with hepatitis C.
The purpose of sharing a story is so that folks can learn from others' experiences. Examples might include; what went into your decision to go through treatment, or to bypass treatment, how treatment effected you during or after, what worked and what didn't, talking with your medical provider, family and friends, etc.
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| Find A Cure Panel - REPEAT |
Hep C Connection is excited to announce an affiliation with Find A Cure Panel where people with hep C can participate in quantitative online research designed specifically for them. For every survey completed by those who register, Find A Cure Panel will donate a minimum of $25 to Hep C Connection.
You can complete the two minute profile, by clicking the logo below:
Please note that the registration profile is only used to send the specific surveys to you. FACP doesn't ask for your street address and has no offline contact with you. If you don't want to give your full name then you can use initials. For example, if you are Robert John Smith, you can sign up as "RJ Smith".
The data provided in actual surveys is completely anonymous. All the clients will see is a 16 digit number like this: 40010-1234567890. They will not know who that respondent is. This is a great way for you to impact the development of future treatment for hep C while supporting Hep C Connection. Check it out! |
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