AEROSMITH Singer Reveals Hepatitis C Battle

[estranged4life]

ITV.com (www.itv.com) has issued the following report:

AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler has been battling hepatitis C for three years and wants to raise awareness of the disease.

He explained the infection is "non-existent" in his bloodstream after a year of interferon treatment.

The rocker said: "I've had hepatitis C for a long time, asymptomatic.

"Hepatitis C is the one that, of all the people in this room, at least three have it and don't know it. It's the silent killer. I may go on Oprah and talk about this."

Hepatitis C is a serious viral infection of the blood that can lead to chronic liver disease.

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Bassist Tom Hamilton Joins AEROSMITH Onstage In Boston

The following review is courtesy of Jed Gottlieb from BostonHerald.com:

Apparently there’s a big difference between the walking wounded and the rockin’ wounded. The juxtaposition of AEROSMITH’s Steven Tyler and MÖTLEY CRÜE’s Vince Neil made that all too apparent at last night’s Tweeter Center show (in Boston, MA). Even with a litany of ailments - and a decade more of hard living than Neil - Tyler made the Crue frontman look over the hill. Both Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe have had their fair share of health problems. Drug and alcohol addictions aside, the two bands could still fill an appendix in the physician’s desk reference. Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars has struggled with a degenerative bone condition called ankylosing spondylitis since the ’80s and needed a hip replacement because of complications from the illness.

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton is recovering from radiation treatment for throat cancer. And Tyler recently disclosed he’s been battling hepatitis C and, earlier this year, he underwent experimental surgery to repair a popped blood vessel in his throat. But where Mötley Crüe sounded ill, Aerosmith sounded better than ever.

From the opening song, 'Toys In The Attic,” to the closer, 'Walk This Way', Aerosmith rocked like men half their age. They came out with Gibson guitars a-blazin’ and, for the first hour of their set, played only their best ’70s material, along with a few classic blues standards.

The night’s highlight came when Tyler stopped the show to ask the fans if they knew how Hamilton was doing. Before the crowd could respond, Hamilton walked out on stage with his bass to a euphoric cheer. “I got a message from Steven today,” he said. “He told me, ‘Why don’t you get yourself out of bed and play.’ ”

The band then launched into a very emotional version of 'Sweet Emotion' before Hamilton left the stage.

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Wish Steven Tyler well with his health issues. Really sad to hear that Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton is battling throat cancer at this time.

[BTFLCHLD]

WOW big news...thanks Brian.
steven and rest of them



steven tyler
berklee school of music
dreamon

[Rickypt]

Hep C a big silent killer. I have two uncles with the disease and my partner died of Hep B/liver cancer.

I have learned a lot about it recently. Apparently Willie Nelson has done a PSA urging people to get tested and stations won't run it because they know Hep C is associated with drug use. It's like HIV, stigma and ignorance get in the way of public health.

Interferon is a very tough treatment to tolerate and severe depression is often a side effect.

[jannieC]

I'm so happy he made it through the Inteferon treatment successfully. Steven is a really nice person, along with being a major talent. Hopefully he can move on with his life, and live a healthy one. He has really paid dearly for his lifetime of substance abuse. I applaud him for being public about it.

[GODDESS6]

Originally Posted by jannieC

I'm so happy he made it through the Inteferon treatment successfully. Steven is a really nice person, along with being a major talent. Hopefully he can move on with his life, and live a healthy one. He has really paid dearly for his lifetime of substance abuse. I applaud him for being public about it.

my step-ma has hep C & went thru the same treatment as steven, i am glad he did the treatment, it can be hard on a person~

[estranged4life]

AEROSMITH Singer Praised by International Patient Groups In Advance of World Hepatitis Awareness Day

The following press release has been issued by PR Newswire:

As one of 180 million people affected by hepatitis C around the world, Steven Tyler, lead singer of AEROSMITH has received praise from international patient organisations for talking openly about his battle with hepatitis C. The announcement from Steven Tyler comes just days before World Hepatitis Awareness Day 2006.

Muriel Colinet, President of the European Liver Patient Association (ELPA), expressed her gratitude to Steven Tyler, saying that "Steven Tyler has taken the important and brave step to reveal his hepatitis C status, a move that is vital if we are to succeed in our battle to combat this devastating disease." She added that "only by talking openly about the disease and by encouraging people who might be at risk to get tested can we begin to tackle this global problem."

Steven Tyler adds his name to that of a number of celebrities, including Sir Bob Geldof, who are attempting to raise awareness of hepatitis B and C, diseases that affect almost 600 million people worldwide. Speaking in a pre-recorded message at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe on Tuesday, Sir Bob Geldof explained that "stigma, shame and fear can suffocate awareness. These barriers prevent people from getting tested, getting treatment and clearing themselves of the disease."

Sunday, 1 October 2006 marks the third annual World Hepatitis Awareness Day. The theme for this year is 'Get Tested' and people at risk from the disease are encouraged to do just that - Get Tested. For more information regarding activities around the world please visit www.worldhepatitisawarenessday.com.

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by GODDESS6

my step-ma has hep C & went thru the same treatment as steven, i am glad he did the treatment, it can be hard on a person~

I hope she's okay now. My husband tested positive for hep C but never had to go through Inteferon because he ended up testing negatively several times after the first positive result. But we had looked closely into Inteferon and it didn't seem pretty at all.

[DavidMn]

I'm glad to hear hes getting the proper care. Aerosmith is a band that is approaching 40 years together like Fleetwood Mac. You are pretty damn good if youve been around that long.