Why the 3 peaks ?

Hepatitis C treatment can be very demanding to say the least, the term  "moving mountains " seems quite apt. So using the real things to raise awareness, that firstly, there is a treatment for hepatitis c & secondly highlighting the many ways HCV is transmitted & also to recognise the 100,000+ people who have fought, are about to fight &  fighting their way to the top of their own personal  summits of HCV treatment, to me seems very fitting. The mountians are the ultimate metaphor.

Many like myself failed HCV treatment the first time, yet tried again, some even 3 times. I have a friend Ian who is now on treatment after a liver transplant, he will have finished treatment by the time we go on July 28th, he is currently virus undetected. He's climbed his share of mountains & in turn proves that anything is possible, if your able to cope... Good luck Ian.

The three peaks has always been a goal of mine, my niece did it many years ago & my childhood friend Peter has done it many times.

During treatment I walked & I walked, some days I only made it round the block, it became an essential part of the treatment process... I'd feel much better after a walk, it would also help my appetite but most important of all, the amount of walking I did after failing treatment would set me up, ready to try again 9 months later. You must push yourself to get out, without overdoing it at the same time. You'll know within the first 100 steps how strong your body is that day... Listen to it.

[ I will add a link here to my top  tx tips, yet to be written]

I walked up Kinder Scout with my challenge partner Leroy last week, at over 2,000 ft above sea level it put things into perspective... Mount Snowdon is over 3,000 as is Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis is over 4,000. This is not going to be easy at all, yet that's just why I chose it. Treatment gave me an immense focus, which left a big hole in my day to day life after treatment had finished. Now I have such a focus once more...

Climbing the 3 peaks is fitting for so many reasons, a new focus, getting to level of fitness my newly uninfected liver has never known before but most of all it is fitting that my story of life with Hepatitis C ends with me paying it forward, at which point I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the Hallamshire Hospital Sheffield for everything it has given me, every scan &
test you can name, two lots of treatment, our NHS is truly something to be proud of.

To all the staff of the hepatitis clinic & E floor, especially Dr Alicia Vedio, who goes above & beyond for me still ! Forever in your debt.


Peter