Personal Stories
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A Tribute to Audrey Lamb
On Thursday 6th March 2008 we lost a true champion of the hepatitis community in Australia. Audrey Lamb, founding President and Life Member of the Hepatitis C Council of NSW and recent recipient of the Order of the Medal of Australia for her work on behalf of the communities in Australia affected by hepatitis C. Her wisdom, passion and vision shaped the nature of the hepatitis community sector.
Audrey died on Thursday 6th March, following a short and very intense battle with cancer.
In 2007 Hepatitis Australia interviewed Audrey Lamb and Professor Geoff Farrell about their friendship and work over 15 years. Their hard work in the early 1990’s helped pave the way for the establishment of hepatitis councils across Australia. A special friendship grew based on mutual respect and the shared value of helping others wherever they can.
For many years Audrey had been experiencing tiredness, vague nausea, irregular bowel habits, and a poor functioning liver. In September 1990 Audrey was finally diagnosed with hepatitis C.
Unaware of exactly what hepatitis C was, Audrey’s situation was made all the worse by the lack of hepatitis C support and knowledge in the medical community. One doctor told Audrey it was a “good thing you have antibodies in your blood – that means you’re now immune to the disease” while another said it was “a very serious disease leading to cirrhosis and possible death through liver cancer”. With a first grandchild due in the December, Audrey was desperate for some basic information on how this virus was transmitted, and how infectious it was, but no information or support was forthcoming. She was told to try and get an appointment to see Dr Farrell who was leading research into the hepatitis virus at that stage.
Dr Geoff Farrell (now Professor) was working at that time at the Westmead Hospital in Sydney. The two decided that something needed to be done about the inadequate state of hepatitis C information, care and support, and together they were instrumental in creating the first Australian hepatitis C support group.
Along with others, Audrey wrote the first hepatitis C information booklet in Australia, coordinated a national network of volunteers from the affected communities and organised a 4,000 signature petition to NSW Health Minister, delivered in May 1993, calling for the NSW Government to initiate an anti-discrimination focussed community awareness campaign and for resourcing and support for the tens of thousands of people in NSW already living with hepatitis C.
An information helpline was established, but with no office space, the number was directed to Audrey’s own home, where she stayed up all hours answering calls and providing information. Geoff was always ready to provide the most recent research information and help any way he could, and so was formed a strong friendship.
In the following years as that friendship grew and developed, so did the support groups, until today when hepatitis councils are established in every state and territory providing people with information, education and support services.
Professor Farrell is now Director of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at The Canberra Hospital, and Professor of Hepatic Medicine at the Australian National University Medical School.
Audrey Lamb was fittingly honoured during the 2007 Queens Birthday celebrations, receiving an OAM for service to public health and to the community.
Our heartfelt condolences go to Audrey’s close and wonderful family, and our sincere thanks, respect, love and goodbyes go to Audrey Lamb, the strong, forthright woman who placed hepatitis C so firmly on the Australian map.
Observe The Changes
by A. Survivor
Thirteen years before the Doctor said to me, “Go home and get your affairs in order because there is nothing further we can do for you”, I was already aware that a problem existed.
Blood had started showing up, infrequently and in small amounts in my stools. I’d kept this information to myself, mainly due to embarrassment and the possibility that it may only be haemorrhoids, something most people would pass off as not worth the hassle.
Time passed quickly. Blotches started appearing on my skin, barely noticeable at first but becoming larger and more numerous and pronounced as time progressed.
I’d been an I.V. drug user some years before and had always been partial to a drink or two.
My wife had by this time found other interests and moved along saying that I had developed alcoholic dementia. I knew these words were plain cruelty on her part and dismissed them, however I was aware that after maybe even two drinks I did have to stop and think before I spoke as my mind was easily addled.
My liver was trying to tell me something, I did not acknowledge to myself that I may have had something seriously wrong going on in there.
Some eight years ago I received a call from my ex. saying that she had had a full set of blood tests done and that she had hep C and I should hurry along to the pathologist and have our young son and myself tested. I proved positive, my son, thirteen at the time, negative which was a relief to me.
Time moved along and I found it more difficult each day to go to work. I have always been a self-employed builder.
My quoting skills have been beyond reproach, but when one needs to have 3 or 4 breaks during the working day due to nausea, fatigue and sleepiness, the battle to complete a job within budget becomes impossible.
I was at this time regularly coughing up morning blood, an indication of swollen veins (varices) in the oesophagus and stomach. Nose bleeds were a daily occurrence. I lost two building jobs in a row which financially crippled me, being a small, hugely independent operator due directly to my illness.
I cannot work now but am trying to keep my house and am battling to leave a little something for my son, as I write this.
I am classified as having inoperable, terminal, liver cancer. Last week on this day I was in a Brisbane hospital having an embolism. For me it entailed sliding a catheter up through a main artery in my groin area into my liver and shooting a toxic chemotherapy drug into the blood supply feeding the tennis ball size tumour inside my liver.
This procedure was a last ditch kind of, throw caution to the wind and try anything style of medicine. My doctors may not embrace this description of their work but they were all skilful, caring and very importantly friendly to me.
I have perhaps gained at least 6 months, but I am positive, my diet is structured and I look to the future.
As soon as the pain and bruising subsides I will be back at the local pool every morning doing my 40 laps.
Early detection is one thing; doing something about it is another. It’s up to the individual.
In September of this year I put something like 4 litres of blood on my kitchen floor in a series of violent convulsions over a 2 hour period. I was, for all intents and purposes alone. I survived, I was lucky.
A smarter man than me would have avoided the drama by doing something about his hep C earlier. Like in my case 8 years earlier.
If you find you have just been diagnosed with hep C, no need for panic or for blame or for any self flagellation, just get yourself a good solid plan. If it is caught early enough and you are clever enough to accept that potentially it gets very bad (which is the chair I now sit in) you may quite honestly only have to make minimal life style changes.
Good luck, I hope my little story helps somebody.