People are very open-minded about new things - as long as they’re exactly like the old ones. ~ Charles F. Kettering

So often, the rationales for my actions are simply, “that’s the way I’ve always done it.” When I was a child, my mother applied hydrogen peroxide when I cut or scraped myself, so as an adult I used the same remedy. When I went to nursing school, I learned that hydrogen peroxide is incredibly drying, and thus it may delay healing. Now I don’t use hydrogen peroxide on wounds.

So, it is with our hepatitis C and our general health. How many times do we act out of old facts and habits? We may even quote these facts to others, not realizing that there is newer, more accurate data to guide us to better actions. There are those who were told in 1995 not to worry about having hepatitis C. Now in 2013, more people die from hepatitis C than from HIV.

In this information age, one can be easily overwhelmed by data. I don’t think we need to be experts--I just think we need to be open-minded. If you take medications or dietary supplements, do you know why you take them? If you self-prescribed these, have you looked at the most recent data on what you are taking? Is what you are taking still a good choice? What are you telling yourself about hepatitis C or other medical conditions? Do you know that hepatitis C is a curable condition and that the treatments around the corner are easier to tolerate?

How open and flexible are you willing to be?