http://disqus.com/by/darmorrow/enWed, 25 Mar 2009 13:06:43 -0000http://www.abbynews.com/news/41607312.html#comment-7497346<p>Dr. Farley is a real hero - he's been helping the hepc community for years. He will speak at community groups and donates his time in any way he can. I have known Dr. Farley for years and he is a kind and supportive person.</p><p>It is a real disappointment that this issue is still around. We talked about it back in late '90's. Someone tell me when it is okay for pharmacare to tell the doctors what is right? Often these are not medical people pulling rank on your physcian. It's about black and white. The rules say that the enzyme must be elevated to "x" level.</p><p>But what if my physician has been following that level and it has doubled recently. And it is NOT at "x" level. Clearly, for this patient, something is going on and needs to be followed up.</p><p>In 2003, I left the country to be treated. My liver enzymes were not high enough. Even though my liver biopsy showed that scarring was at a level of 2/4 I was not eligible for treatment. And Dr. Farley did not approach the subject of neutrophils which is a type of white blood cell. If that number is too low, people are usually excluded. But it has been shown that even though the count is low, the cells that are present are functioning well. The "x" number is set based on chemotherapy causing a reduction of these cells. That is an entirely different scenario.</p><p>So I had scarring of the liver, couldn't work, had much difficulty living - quality of life is the real issue. I went to Europe and was treated aggressively. I have been clear of the virus since 2004. Things are really different now and it is so sad that people are suffering, perhaps needlessly.</p>darmorrowWed, 25 Mar 2009 13:06:43 -0000http://happybirthdayleo.tumblr.com/post/57490438#comment-4061284<p>Have a great day, Leo. You're the best! </p>darmorrowSat, 29 Nov 2008 10:50:15 -0000