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Catch Me When I Fall
Catch Me When I Fall
Taking the First Step: Paul’s Hep C Recovery
Can resilience truly triumph over adversity? Paul Gill’s compelling story offers a resounding yes. Once challenged by homelessness and addiction, his journey through Hepatitis C recovery is a beacon of hope and courage. Joined by his key worker, Warren, and healthcare professional Gareth Leach, Paul reveals the power of unwavering support and modern medical treatments in reclaiming his life. Through candid conversations, we learn about the critical role that healthcare teams play, not just in treatment, but in transforming lives burdened by stigma and fear.
Listeners are invited to confront their own hesitations as Paul and our expert guests emphasize the life-changing importance of early testing and proactive healthcare. Through shared experiences and a concluding poetic collaboration, we aim to inspire action and champion perseverance. This episode is a heartfelt ode to recovery, shedding light on the myths surrounding Hepatitis C and motivating listeners to take vital steps toward wellness. Tune in to discover a story that promises not just survival, but thriving through the storm.
Welcome along to another Catch Me when I Fall podcast, where we explore powerful stories, resilience, recovery and hope within the world of drug and alcohol support. I'm your host, ben Fairless, and each episode we will be bringing you heartfelt stories for service users, insights from professionals and the important messages for our community. Now in today's episode is an inspiring one, as we sit down with Paul Gill, who has recently cleared Hepatitis C after living with it for years and attempting treatment multiple times. Hep C can be a daunting diagnosis and many people delay or avoid treatment due to the fear of uncertainty, but Paul's story is a testament of resilience and the power of our support. Along with us we have Warren, who is Paul's key worker, who has been here every step of the way, and Gareth Leach from our healthcare team, who will be providing professional insights on Hep C treatment, breaking down the myths and barriers that sometimes prevent people from accessing care.
Speaker 1:And whether you or someone you know has been affected by hep C, or if you just want to learn more about the journey of recovery and the importance of healthcare support, this episode is for you. We hope Paul's story encourages anyone out there who might be hesitant to take the first steps towards treatment and recovery. Without further ado, let's get on with it. So thanks everyone for being here. So hello Paul, are you okay?
Speaker 2:Everything's good, you know what I mean. Yeah, I'm better now.
Speaker 1:You okay, everything's good. Yeah, I'm better now. So obviously, paul, you're here today to just talk about your journey and a little bit about yourself. Can you just give us a bit of a rundown then on sort of like your journey before Inspire, like what were you doing before Inspire?
Speaker 2:I was homeless.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Heroin addict Basically, I just took anything when I was homeless. Okay, Heroin addicts Basically I just took anything when I was homeless. I would have taken anything You'd have to sleep, and that went on for years.
Speaker 1:What age are we talking here? Then we're going back a bit, aren't we? Oh yeah, 20 plus Okay 20 plus years. If we just go back a bit, are we? Well, yeah, 20-plus Okay 20-plus years, if we just go back a little bit then. So how did you find out that you were Hep C positive?
Speaker 2:Well, to be honest, I was skint. I was sat in here charging my phone and the hepatitis band was outside and I knew you'd get a five about you. So I thought, well, I'll try that. Then I went back to talking to my wife and the results came back.
Speaker 1:So you had no sort of I don't know medications or anything like that.
Speaker 2:Nothing at all. I did feel a bit grotty but living on the streets and that you do and that just kept putting me down to that.
Speaker 1:And obviously drug use, yeah, but living on the streets and that you do, and that just kept putting me down to that.
Speaker 2:I know it's drug use, yeah, but I did know I think something wasn't right, but I thought it was something else.
Speaker 3:But we've got rid of that now. But if I can also add as well, ben, is that, yeah, of course, with Paul at the time, obviously his life was, you know, a bit in turmoil and stuff and it's sometimes difficult to get people into treatment because of that reason. So it took a few times, didn't it Paul? Yeah, but on the last attempt to get Paul engaged magnificently, and we got on with the treatment and got him through it, which, to his credit.
Speaker 1:And how many times did you say it took you? Did you say about three or four times?
Speaker 2:It was at least three, wasn't it? It was at least three. Yeah, I was pretty much convinced they weren't going to give me the funding, so I knew this was the last chance I was going to get, and obviously I read up on it and then I Googled it for hours and no, no, you have to take the treatment. You have to. Yeah, yeah, something like that.
Speaker 1:And so when we go back then and you got yourself tested, did you find out there? And then, or is it like a week later?
Speaker 2:I think it came back pretty quick, a couple of weeks A couple of weeks. Yeah, yeah, a couple of weeks max, I think it was yeah.
Speaker 1:So you received. What a phone call. Or was it when you came in to the Inspire the next time?
Speaker 2:I think I got a phone call asking giving me an appointment, and I think I usually when I'm back down I miss the appointment.
Speaker 3:and then came in and was told then, and sometimes as well, ben, people don't have their phones or they've no fixed address, yeah. So sometimes we have to track them down, maybe at the pharmacy, yeah, you know, just, maybe just word of mouth, or you know if there's been an unscheduled appointment in Inspire. So at the time to track Paul down, we were glad to track him down and get him into treatment.
Speaker 1:Right. And so, Paul, if you don't mind me asking, when you were informed that you had Hep C, how did you take that diagnosis? How did that affect you personally?
Speaker 2:It scared the life out of me to be quite honest.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've heard about it.
Speaker 2:It was a bit of a shock hearing that. I felt a bit dirty. But most personally, I don't know how everybody else feels and I just thought I have to Google it. And then I just thought I've got to get got to get rid of it because I have other health problems that that would complicate.
Speaker 1:I can't get any real treatment, proper treatment, for other health conditions because of that and and it might be good for um some of the listeners to know then, gareth, because you are here in this podcast is could you kind of explain what Hep C is and some of the some of the issues that can can happen in later life in in terms of having hep c?
Speaker 3:yeah, with hep c, uh, basically being hep c, they basically silent killers, really. They affect all your organs, especially your liver, um, but your liver doesn't have any nerves. So, basically, if you have got the cirrhosis or you've got liver damage, you wouldn't know about it until, uh, your other organs start packing in. You could get jaundice, you could be fatigued, um, you could just feel, um, just not yourself, basically, um. So without having the the test, the bbv test that we carried out at inspire, um, you wouldn't know.
Speaker 3:So this is why we test everybody who comes into service. For that reason and I think as well which needs mentioning the treatment is very, very painless, with no side effects. It used to be quite abrasive in the past and it used to put a lot of people off and it had a bit of a stigma to it then, but this day and age we have fantastic hepatology nurses that come in. We'll get the blood types and we'll find the best treatment to suit that client around their health needs as well, and it's a three month treatment plan with a follow-up afterwards to check and to make sure they've got antibodies that protect themselves from further infection oh, brilliant.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I was going to ask you a little bit about um the treatment later on. Maybe we'll touch on it again, um, but so so what you're saying is as well is you could potentially be living with hep c for for years. Is that? Was that what we're saying?
Speaker 3:that's right, yeah, it's a blood-borne virus. Yeah, and you can also. Obviously you can infect other people as well if you're sharing any sharps or anything that's anything blood-borne. Basically toothbrushes, razors, hairdressers you know they need to be tested because they're using sharps. Um people who use cocaine, who share notes they've got blood traces that can last up to three months and and people sharing notes um razors again. So anything that's put on and imagine.
Speaker 1:There's a bit of a stigma around uh people, thinking that maybe hep c is only uh caught by, like people who take drugs, then isn't it, you're right. Yeah, that's right whereas you just said there, you know you could catch it through razors and you know people may share razors in households. I don't know. You know people with cold?
Speaker 3:sores or anything like that. But you're quite right, ben, in the sense that when we do test people, there is a stigma and they say listen, I'm not using needles and stuff, so you know, half the half the battle is getting that communication across, um to make them aware that you could be in any situation and be sharing things that could um possibly, you know be contaminated yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:So um back to you then, paul. So you mentioned, so we've discussed um, you know you, you got the news of having hep c. What kind of impact did that have on your sort of day-to-day life, relationships, mental health? Did it, did it, did it all impact, or did you just were you able to just erase it or carry on?
Speaker 2:I blanked a lot out, a lot of it out. I think the main thing for me was when the treatment there was, when they said it was a three-month treatment course. That was a big put off for me because it's a long time. Three months I mean when you've got nothing else to do, I mean get it done, but it just seems to be a long time. And that months I mean when you've got nothing else to do. I mean get it done, but it just seems to be a long time. And that's one of the reasons why I just thought I'd have to have a long time, one of the other health issues. I thought I probably won't be here then anyway, but yeah it's just a shock.
Speaker 2:A hell of a shock. A homeless as well, yeah, homeless when? Well, yeah, homeless. When you're homeless, you lose your tablets, you get your tents out on fire. Anything can happen, and you're not. You're pretty much at as low as you can get. And then you think I'm going to do three months of this and you just give up before you. You basically give up before you start.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So you've kind of already kind of told yourself you don't want to do it, don't you? Yeah, so something must have, something must have, like the penny must have dropped or something. What kind of led you then to just pursue with the treatment? Then these guys. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, honestly.
Speaker 4:I did start feeling sick. I was sick anyway with other illnesses but I was starting to get.
Speaker 2:I was waking up in the morning and thinking, oh I'm awake again. I wasn't expecting to wake up some mornings, but to be totally honest, I'm not a creep.
Speaker 3:And, in fairness to Paul as well, just like Paul said, he was concerned and he wanted to make a change and he did make a really, really significant change where he didn't engage. He worked with Warren, the key worker, and myself and the healthcare team and he put a lot of the work in, most of the work in and, like he's just said, he got himself better and, like he's just said, he got himself better.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there is no side effect at all. Even when you're told that people think you still think you're lying.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, I was going to ask you, I was going to ask you.
Speaker 1:So you know, you've been told right. Okay, you're doing this three months of course of treatment. At that time regardless of, obviously, what Gareth said there you know about being a non-invasive treatment program did you still have any sort of fears or sort of concerns about starting that treatment and, if so, what were they Just getting it done Because?
Speaker 2:obviously home was three months anything can happen, so this is going to go on forever. This.
Speaker 1:Yeah, did you say that you thought there might be some sort of side effects as?
Speaker 2:well, yeah.
Speaker 4:Is that?
Speaker 1:because you've heard of it before in previous hep C treatments.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I can guarantee everybody out there, right now there isn't any. No, you're just going to Take one tablet a day and I feel Well, I don't feel like A new man, but I'm getting on, but it's gone. Yeah, so I mean, if we talk, about Texts and phone calls All the time From the lads here Reminding me About appointments.
Speaker 2:Go and take your tablets. Nearly every time I went to the chemist. The pharmacist who I get on well with anyway would remind me that these guys had been in touch Everyone, and it's worth saying that we've got an amazing support with the hepatology team who will work around the client's needs, will go to their address.
Speaker 3:Drop medication off, check in yeah, see how they're feeling, as well as ourselves at inspire.
Speaker 1:Yeah to make sure that the treatment is as smooth as possible well, I was just going to ask about um sort of like for anyone who's listening, like what is if you could give us a bit of a rundown on what that process is. So can you talk us through the sort of experience of the treatment from you know, from referring in to the end course after support or whatever it is. Could you kind of give us a bit of a whistle stop tour?
Speaker 3:Yeah, the procedure would be. Obviously we would test the client. That would take a couple of weeks to come back from the lab. If it comes back where it's got a positive RNA, then of course we'd refer to hepatology. Then they would come to our service, take the four bloods to find the blood type, to find the right treatment, obviously discuss with the client the procedure that's going to be taking place over the next three months, making sure that the client's comfortable, understands the pros and cons. But again, the treatment these days it's moved on a long way. And then of course we do regular check-ins.
Speaker 3:The hepatology team again like, like I said earlier, they will make it as convenient as possible so they will see the client once a month to drop the month's worth of medication. If we need to just check in with the client, we can just call in and say you know how you're taking your medication, how you're feeling. In paul's case, paul's used to come in into service quite a few days during the week. So when he came in we'll have a five minute chat and just see how he's doing, he's taking his medication. So we'll just liaise with the hepatology team and then, once the treatment is complete, then there's a period of time where we have 12 weeks where we see if the antibodies have taken place, where it's protecting the blood and protecting the client, and then we will test them um, as and when, if they're putting themselves at risk.
Speaker 3:But it tends to be where, you know, the clients are in a good place, which is the reason they engage as well. So it's a team effort, um from the client who does mainly all the hard work. So we just try and facilitate it to make it as uh as well I won't say as pleasant as possible, but it isn't really, as Paul has probably said. You know, there was no side effects. No, no, I'm sure. So, yeah, it's not evasive and we're here to support.
Speaker 2:I was having nurses coming to me, coming to the house, just to check if I was alright. Yeah, and you know how the NHS at the minute has run off its feet. We had four guys in a van and a nurse Still come to your house Even a couple of days after they dropped them on Smeds off. How are you feeling? Are you alright? It's a confidence thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you've got to keep confident about it. Yeah, and I guess, warren, you were also included in Knowing the journey that Paul was on as well. It seems like everyone was involved somewhere or another along Paul's journey.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so just obviously to add what Gareth's already said, the collaboration between, obviously myself, the key worker, Paul, the service user, obviously Gareth and the team from healthcare, plus obviously the wider community with hepatology and every single person and we cannot highlight enough unbelievable team effort and, but most importantly, paul's been at the forefront of all that I'm saying about the includes. You know paul is you, he's got those decisions. We're not making decisions for him, but we've included him on everything. A brilliant team effort and you know to see Paul, especially after he's had like a few episodes of the treatment you know to actually complete and you know, get to the end and be Hep C clear is absolutely, it's a huge success and hence why we wanted to do this, because I still think Paul doesn't realise how much of a major success this is.
Speaker 2:I think you're right. I don't think it's shrunken.
Speaker 3:But we can see the wellbeing of Paul. I really don't think it has. Again, Paul, you've put all think it has it's an in-person Again, Paul, you put all the work in.
Speaker 4:No, come on. And you know, what I would like to highlight in there as well is, especially when somebody has been through multiple three, four, five, six times of treatment, the team will always still have that belief in that person. It doesn't matter whether it's the first time, the fifth time, the eighth time. We know that one day that person will complete the treatment and get clear. And you know there might have been sceptical people out there in different organisations that you know whoever was doing the funding might have said oh, mr Gill, you know he's on his eighth go again, but you know we had the belief. And you know, for Gil you know he's on his eighth go again, but you know we had the belief and pushed hard and for Paul to complete the treatment and to be absolutely clear, it's success.
Speaker 4:It's proper emotional as well, because it's just like you know, it's an amazing feeling for someone to you know have been positive for a number of years to now be cleared. It's just mind-blowing.
Speaker 3:It's a great reflection on Inspire as well. Yeah, of course it's nice, very focused.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I imagine there might be some people who have started the course of treatment and may have fallen off and maybe there's a bit of an embarrassment to come back and stuff like that. And obviously in Paul's case, you know you've, you have come back and yeah, you just got to put that.
Speaker 2:the experience is better, but you just got to put that out of your head.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm worrying, kind of outlined it upon you.
Speaker 1:we will, we will kind of, you know, give you that sort of motivation and and and keep progressing with that yeah, you know that's right I've never had any negative vibes of anybody yeah and that and that's that's fantastic, that um, and you're just, you're just um. A great example in this scenario as well. Uh, paul, advice for others then, and this can kind of go out to all of you really. So, for our listeners who may be hep C positive and a bit hesitant about the treatment, what sort of message would you say to them?
Speaker 2:Me Get the treatment. Don't be embarrassed. Get the treatment. There's no such, honestly there's no. I was 20 years on drugs, almost my life. Really, just get it done. You will be astounded by how you feel. I had some moments I didn't want to wake up and there was some moments I was annoyed. I woke up. Now it's all starting to fall back in place again. You've got to get the treatment guys. You've got to keep. Now it's all starting to fall back in place again. You've got to get the treatment guys.
Speaker 2:You've got to keep all the people safe as well.
Speaker 1:What is that first step, then? And that might go to you, warren or Gareth what would be that first step? Is it contact an insurer?
Speaker 3:Yeah, my message really is to any listeners who are concerned or have been putting themselves at risk or just really are curious maybe it could be something that's happened 10 years ago, it could be a bad tattoo or anything is that the doors are open in spite. You can come in. You don't need to book an appointment. Come and see the healthcare team or your key worker, come and get tested. It takes a few minutes, um, it's not, it's not evasive for anything like that. It's just a finger prick test and it'll take a couple of weeks, um, and it's just good to get an MOT anyway. Um, so we always encourage it and and you know we do really well here at Accrington and we do pride ourselves on on the testing and and again, like you said earlier, ben, the stigma. There isn't a stigma, really as far as it goes, when it comes to testing, so anyone can come in, so there's no appointment needed.
Speaker 4:And again, just to jump on the back of that as well, we went to an event last month at akerson town hall, um, and basically there was a gentleman I was talking to um on the side. He was a bit scared of potentially having the test and just jokingly he said what and one? And you, you have the test. So, um, one of the gentlemen did an instant test and resulted in 15 minutes. So I actually had the test, just to show that there's nothing to fear with the test. Um, and just just on the back of that, we've got a fly. We said we're a non-judgmental service. You will not be judged. Coming in, um, like I say on whoever's case, or all the listeners that are listening yeah, put your mind at rest, um, you know, go and get that test.
Speaker 3:Negative, positive, whatever it comes back, we will deal with it and you will get that care that you deserve and also just in addition to that as well, ben, we are testing for hep b, hep c and also hiv as well. Just to just to bear that in mind. We cover those three and if there's any other concerns, maybe sexual, sexual health, we can always get referrals. We can always get a member of team to find the right pathway for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it sounds like a real wraparound service there that we're offering. Oh yeah, it's really good. Well, I think you've kind of hit the nail on the head on everything there. First of all, I'd just like to say thanks very much, paul, for sharing your story. I'm sure it will inspire others to come in.
Speaker 1:I hope so and get themselves checked out, and obviously Warren and Gareth for the expertise on the other side of the table, so to speak. So thanks very much for listening and take care. Thank you, ben. Come and get tested. Come and get tested.
Speaker 4:That's it. That's it, ben, ben Ben. Just to finish on the end, can I just give a few words as well, just to finish yeah, yeah, yeah, just add it on. Yeah, yeah. So just to finish with, paul, gareth and I basically got creative this afternoon so we did our, for a bit of a laugh, a bit of poetic writing. So we just want to leave with these couple of joint quotes that we've done just to finish for the listeners.
Speaker 1:Yeah, fantastic.
Speaker 4:Perfect treatment equals a perfect result. Treatment means a longer life. Highlight exceptional prepare, conquer Fear. Trust accept, conquer, silence the doubters.