I contracted Hepatitis C from a car accident when I was 17. The virus had been slowly destroying my liver but because I have dedicated the entirety of life for the past 25 years to the study and practice of Dharma, I never had the funds required for a thorough check up of my liver. By the time I was diagnosis with liver cancer the virus had scarred about 80% of my liver leaving me with stage 4 (the most severe) liver cirrhosis.
After the ablation of 3 tumors (see previous post) in the spring of 2012 I had another surgery and then began chemo. After a few weeks of chemo the doctors decided to try and treat the Hep C. This was extremely challenging physically. I nevertheless continued teaching and working on translations. After nearly 3 months my liver began to fail and, concerned that I may die quite suddenly, the doctors took me off the treatment before it was complete. It was ineffective in clearing the virus. I had to have another surgery to have several new tumors removed and then, after only three weeks, 4 new large tumors appeared therefore I had to have another surgery. At this point they decided to take me off the liver transplant list due to the aggressive nature of the cancer. I began another course of chemo and after a multitude of constant changes in my health, here I am.
I have left out one very important part: the profoundly positive effect it has had on my…
You were sort of one of my heroes before, and now you have moved even higher up on my hero lost.