Lucinda Porter is a registered nurse who has become a full time advocate for informing Baby Boomers of the dangers of Hepatitis C, and why they should be tested for the viral infection. Porter contracted the disease through a blood transfusion was she was 35 years old. She is now 58 and living a productive life in Nevada County following treatment. As a nurse Porter spent 10 years at Stanford Hospital specializing in Hepatitis C and the liver disease it causes. She says Baby Boomers, those born between 1945 and 1965 are most at risk for carrying the viral infection.
Porter says there may be between 1,600 and 2,000 Baby Boomers living with Hepatitis C in Nevada County and they don’t know it.
Left untreated the virus can attack the brain, the liver and other parts of the body. It’s projected by the year 2020 there will be 1 million cases of cirrhosis of the liver just from Hepatitis C. Porter says the message is to get tested if you are a baby boomer.
Testing is available through your Doctor’s office and treatments for Hepatitis C are available. Porter has written a book “Free From Hepatitis C- A complete Guide to Healing Hepatitis C.” She says she is using this time to get the message out to get tested as May is Hepatitis C Awareness month.
Jeremy Engdahl-Johnson
Tough road ahead in treatment of Hepatitis C, a lurking epidemic that already infects millions. http://www.healthcaretownhall.com/?p=2891