FOUR years ago, Hazel Murray* was on the verge of starting an exciting new chapter of her life.
The 38-year old mother-of-two had just completed a degree in Community Education at the University of Edinburgh and hoped to begin a rewarding career
in youth work after years spent bringing up her children at home.
Already involved in running courses for young people, Hazel, of Fairmilehead, was looking forward to a career which would make a difference in the community.
The only thing that was holding her back was her health. For the previous 20 years, Hazel had been plagued by symptoms of exhaustion. Unwilling to complain, she put her feelings down to her packed schedule as a full-time single mum.
"My boyfriend and I broke up when my daughter was two," says Hazel. "I looked after the kids alone for the majority of time. It was hardly surprising I was tired."
But just as Hazel was looking forward to the next stage in her life, her health deteriorated further. "I thought for a while that I had ME," she says. "I was always so tired and had constant flu-like symptoms."
Hazel found herself unable to find the energy for even the simplest of tasks. The joy and excitement of scouring the job papers each morning was replaced with a crushing depression.
For the first time, she realised that there was something terribly wrong with her. But nothing could prepare her for what she was about to discover. Hazel's life changed overnight in the summer of 2004 when blood tests revealed she had Hepatitis C.
"At first, I didn't really know what it was and I thought I would die," remembers Hazel. "But in some ways it was also a relief to finally get a diagnosis."
Hazel's first thoughts were for her children, James, now 15, and Anna, now 11. There is a five per cent risk of passing Hepatitis C on to your child.
"As soon as I was diagnosed I was desperate to find out exactly what it would mean for my children. I had them tested straight away and, luckily, their results were clear. The thought I might have accidentally infected them was horrifying to me."
Equally worrying for Hazel was the fact that she had no idea how she'd become infected. "I was an ordinary mum, I had no idea how those things related to me," she says. But, as time passed, Hazel began to put together things in her past that might have led to her being infected - a blood transfusion, a tattoo, as well as a brief spell experimenting with drugs in her youth.
"There were mistakes that didn't relate to my life now," she says. "It could have been any of these things, to be honest."
Earlier this year, Body Shop founder Anita Roddick was diagnosed with the Hepatitis C, which she contracted through a blood transfusion in 1976. She has since campaigned to raise public awareness about the virus.
Hazel stresses that people need to be more aware of the symptoms and causes of Hepatitis C. "There is definitely a lack of information about Hepatitis C. If people knew about it, there would be less of a stigma and hopefully more people would get tested."
She adds: "When I explained I had Hepatitis C, one friend assumed that it was almost the same as being HIV positive. In the end I decided to keep my diagnosis a secret. I told the important people in my life - my parents and close friends - but that was it."
But while many Hepatitis C sufferers can't be cured by treatment, Hazel was lucky. After combination anti-viral therapy of Pegylated Interferon Alpha and Ribavirin, she was given the all-clear.
The treatment was not without its hardships, though. While fighting the virus, the drugs boost the immune system but they also attack the liver.
Side effects of the treatment can include hair loss, severe depression and debilitating exhaustion.
Hazel finished her treatment in December 2005 and has been officially clear of the Hepatitis C for six months. However, she is still recovering from the physical and psychological strain of the intensive treatment course.
"A lot of people do not even realise that it is a treatable disease," she says. "But many people can recover completely or partially from the virus."
Looking to the future now, Hazel wants to finally put her hard-earned degree to use. "Now that I finally have the energy to work, I want to help others who are infected with Hepatitis C.
"Support group C-Plus in Edinburgh was a great help to me through my diagnoses and treatment, and I want to support their work in the future if I can.
"The main thing is to raise awareness about the virus. People need to know that they can catch it from blood-to-blood contact in any situation and that it really is a virus that anyone, from any age group or social circle, could contract. The stigma has to be removed so people don't feel that they have to keep it a secret like I did."
* Name has been changed THOUSANDS OF CARRIERS IN THE DARK
HEPATITIS C is an infectious blood-borne virus which can seriously damage the liver.
NHS figures from 2005 show there are more than 1600 people with Hepatitis C in Scotland and almost 250 of these live in the Capital area.
However, the Hepatitis C Trust believes these figures are just the tip of the iceberg and there are many more who are unaware they are infected.
The symptoms can be similar to flu and can include frequent headaches, fatigue, depression and liver pain.
The Hepatitis C Trust is running a campaign called What Not To Share to educate people about how the virus is contracted.
Information can also be found at
www.hepccentre.org.uk. The helpline is 0870 242 2467.
