Willie Nelson Speaks Out About Hepatitis C

[slowsouthernstyle]

Sunday, March 20, 2005

LUCK

[goldyn]

Mind you i know nothing about the stock market, but as of right now it seems to be at a all time high,i cant believe it keeps going up and up...and im for sure not reaping any benefits,and niether are my friends and co workers either, and now paying 2.79 a gallon for gas...I guess someone is profiting but its sure not anybody in my money bracket.....

[beamishboy]

hey buddy!!!!! you got me singing the silver-tongued devil song by kris..i got 2 copys of that album on vinyl..gonna play it tonite-thanks for the good thot,BE WELL..Hurray for willie(too bad about that transmission statemnt)..i got tatoos at big iron&ink tatoo festivals-The Armory in Albany-75 needles buzzing,lots of piercin goin on;people wait in line;my son&i chose an artist from jersey w/ real nice assistants& a good style..i got a little indian motocycle logo in black ink,but he went back to a jar to fill up his resevoir?...even at the time,pre hepc awareness,i was critical of this practice,besides which there was such a madhouse of biker mayhem..it's sponsored byEasyrider magazine...lots of gangs&booze...heck lots of  really fun,crazy people to see altogether(i got some great photos:they like to pose),but Not a very safe,sanitary place to expose your blood system ...seems to me,that tatoo protocol should be examined nationally..as of now it's a state by state deal and mitey loose..

[amberank]

Good to hear someone spread the message.
I am not a junkie myself. I am a christian wife and mother, studying to be a nurse. However in my young and wild days I experimented with coke only a few times. I believe I got infected through sharing straws. A small but stupid mistake I am paying for now. Hope to start treatment in the near future.....

[NYgirl]

My dad thought I was a complete degenerate until his friends WIFE came down with hcv - I felt bad for her but it really covered my "I must have gotten it during my transfusions" story that I said to them (not like they don't KNOW that I used to use...I mean have you ever seen an addict and really not thought hum I wonder if they are on drugs LOL hahaha).  ;)

I know what you mean though.  Believe me - why do you think I told the people at WORK that I have "blood cancer"? I don't care what my FRIENDS know but at work I just can't take the chance (although the bosses know but were told it happened in the transfusions two years ago, they remember I had them so it works).

Too bad I've had this 25 years and not TWO years though.

It is a hypcritical world. If any of the down lookers got it...they'd be right in the boat with the rest of the world. I'm sorry I made mistakes when I was a kid and they caught up to me now but...let it go you bigots!

[goldyn]

Im from Austin Tx and im proud to say i love willie, good for him,cant wait to see the comm.

[Forseegood]

I'm with Goldwyn, I love Willie too, from his pro-farmer stances to his environmental awareness, this just gives me one more reason to revere him...I'm so glad they are doing *something*, thanks so much for posting this...

[new-sojourn]

Farm Aid is still a yearly event.  It now has expanded its focas to the organic food movement.  and we all know organic is better for everyone b/esp. for hep c victims.

[dyce]

Morning , I agree , if any1 can get this out in the public spectrum , Willie can . I always listened to his music , the outlaws waylon , willie , john and kris . He is for the american farmer , environment and common folf like myself . I still like to strum his tunes and always liked crazy .

            There is more showin up in the show biz world with hcv thease days it seems .David crosby had a transplant due to hcv , Naomi judd, pam andersen and thease are ole news . Bet if there is more awareness , you'll see many more in the music and showbiz with hcv dx coming forward .

            Goldyn , how are you today ?

[Rogirl]

This is fantastic!  Thanks so much for sharing the news.  This illness is in the shadows and needs more exposure.  I agree Willie Nelson is the person to help heighten the awareness.  More research is needed.

[friole]

The fact that WIllie has done this is great.  I had heard rumors about a year about a year ago that something was planned but thought maybe it had been derailed.  This should do a heckof a lot more than that poxed faced man on the magazine commericals.  Thanks for sharing -- can't wait to see this.


On another note, a couple of days late, but this news....

"Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise
was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying
12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera
Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the
great ship after its stop in New York.

This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.

The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo."

[NYgirl]

Ah I am glad he's going to lead a fight - it makes me happier than Pammie but as long as they get more and more people to explain how COMMON and UNDIAGNOSED this is........

Just reading today how they are thinking of mandatory HIV tests made me say why NOT do the hep test too since there are so many MORE people who have contracted it than AIDS - while you've got the blood there why NOT test it anyway to help!

[MissMiss]

I heard about the mandatory testing for HIV too.  And have some pretty strong feelings about the mandatory part.  I agree that everyone needs to know and that this will help get these things more under control but unless we are ready to provide easy access to treatment for everyone testing positive, I am afraid it will only create a larger wall between the haves and the have nots.

Not to mention how many folks testing positive will not be able to obtain medical insurance, life insurance, etc.  The way things are now, it will permanently close some doors in some folks lives.  

BTW, has anyone looked at the form your doctor had to turn in since this is a reportable disease?  It was an eye opener for me.  How many sex partners I have had and whether they were male or female is noone's business but mine.  Now don't take that the wrong way, lol!

I also have strong feelings about being required to give any of my blood to anyone ever.  Just my thoughts here.

miss

[ohgreat]

We lost Randy 'Biscuit' Turner here in Austin last year.  We have lost a lot of people down here in Austin Texas because of this.  I know a LOT of people down here with it.

I remember sitting on my porch downtown listening to Willie play at the Auditorium shores.  It was wonderful.

This is a good sign for hope.  More people know and talk about this the better.  I think if the gap between the have/have nots happens more often then your going to see people coming out against it.

I would not be surprised if they dont start doing huge concerts for it and stuff.  That would be awesome.  

I used to be on the other side with the haves.  I used to be covered with insurance, thinking about buying a house, have a paid of fancy car.  I got caught off gaurd for a year and now I find myself on the other side.  Now I eat sandwhiches and save my dimes for doctor appointments and hopes of medication.  I moved all my stock into HEP C companies to do my part in funding them.  Whatever.  I think of that poor kid with flesh eating virus on his face, or all the little cancer kids and it kicks me out of my self pity. (I need a TON of kickin!)

But yeah, I dont think they can do mandatory testing for HVC unless they want to screen for all sorts of other things.  Frankly I dont think the USGov cares much about HVC.

[NYgirl]

It will ALWAYS have the stigma unfortunately because in all truth it IS how it's gotten I'd expect the majority of the time.  It's almost impossible via sex and blood is very thoroughly tested since the early 90s. So it doesn't leave many avenues.

Now it's not that anyone has to think or say or anything that they DID use drugs - considering the facts and odds of getting it via a razor or something are nil...people will ASSUME it anyway.

While I agree and first thought too he isn't the perfect poster child we need (aka George Clooney hee hee) he's better than nothing.

People's bigoted little minds aren't going to change that much. Look at AIDS nobody CARED when it was gays and prostitutes but as SOON as the wives of the Senators USING the pros started getting it............yowza then the $$$$$ flew in and it became an "anybody can get it" disease media frenzy.

Ya know?

[amirtracy]

to get back to main article click on the link at the bottom of the page....

[can-do-man]

I agree with you. But i like whats on my doc's office posters.

Has a young girl with a nose piercing. Then under it says

THINK YOU CAN'T HAVE HEPATITIS C? THINK AGAIN

ever had a blood transfusion?
tatoo?
Piercing?
Blood to Blood contact?


Anything is better then nothing, Its just if it was HIV would they say Ever been gay? Then people would say nope, so it can't be me. When we here know better.

[can-do-man]

tracy, thanks for the links. I didn't know some of them had/have it.

Nygirl, To me it doesn't matter how anybody got it. Just like what two adults do behind closed doors. None of my business.

What quipes my butt is neither party R or D have much to say. You don't suppose its because a few of them have it?

No couldn't be as we know their all perfect.

[NYgirl]

I am a Christian and a divorced mother. However in my 20s I really enjoyed coke and my doctor believes that I did get it via a straw. It wasn't until much later that I tried IV drugs and the years totally don't match up if I've had this 25 years.

I don't know ANYONE who didn't make ANY mistakes in their 20s when they thought they knew EVERYTHING.  My God what little babies we really were and of course we thought we were all grown up...and knew it all.

I thought I was cool.  Imagine that? Yup a disgusting thing like a drug addiction and man I thought we were THE END. Well now that I look and see how many of my old friends are DEAD I realize it WAS the end.  I can only be GRATEFUL that if I had to get a disease it was one with such wonderful people around for support.  Otherwise I would have sat in my bedroom feeling like the biggest loser/degenerate/loner in the world.

But these guys made me realize...it's OK.  And just knowing I wasn't ALONE and there were these totally AWESOME people supporting me...changed my life. For real.

I pray the best for your hubby.  The more he learns (via you) the less scared he might be. I'll pray for it.

Debby

[can-do-man]

While i'm a huge willie fan, when people here with about 80 percent of people being exposed through needles contaminated by someone with hepatitis C. There goes the message and in comes the junkie. Which i feel sends just what we don't need. Like my Doctor told me that has posters up to be tested for HCV. I asked him wheres the junkies? He said if that was on there people would say, oh can't be me. Or they asked for it.

Don't get me wrong i'm glad willie is doing this. Just the stima grows. And 80%? i don't think so.

[goldyn]

Hey Dyce glad to see your an old willie fan too...i tell you what that last shot i did on friday wiped me out i think thier making it stronger and not tellin us,just started feelin a lil right today...and hows things treatin you?

[dyce]

Not to bad goldyn, just tired as heck . It's gettin harder to make a livin with everything goin up in price and it's gettin tenser here at home because of it . All I can do is get up everyday and keep goin , Tx or whatever . The shots seem to be gettin harder and my family aren't very supportive . They think the dyce is a machine or sumthin.

[amirtracy]

hey i just wanted to let you know i'm sending good thoughts your way. i'm struggling too financially and i'm sick of worrying about bills on top of everything else. i hope things turn around for you soon.   tracy

[can-do-man]

Not sure if your asking me. I think everybody knows willies drug of choice.:) My point was when its said that 80% with HCV is junkies. People seem to tune out the rest. I have it, never did iv once. Not that it matters, frankly don't care what people think. Its just until this junkie stima goes away we'll be looked down upon as a bunch of nobodys.

[amirtracy]

list of celebrities w/ hepc and lots of other links/articles

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/special_packages/hepatitis/7190080.htm