Table 2.

Lay Management Goals

	Respondents N = 42	Narrators N = 79	Discussants N = 264	Illustrations from the Data
Fight HCV	10	32	51	The Dr. said there was nothing more they could do for me. It was then and there I decided there was more I could do more me. [N2151]
Strengthening the Body
Boost immunity	5	12	13	I started taking Garlicin to help build up my immune system and Ginseng to improve my energy level. [N2008]
Stay healthy	17	13	66	I am living healthier than I ever have before. This body that I have abused and ignored is now a temple that I treasure. [D2170]
Healthy Liver	11	14	51	Milk thistle is the most helpful thing we can take to give our livers a chance to regenerate and to prevent further damage from occurring. [D5268]
Minimize Stress	2	5	4	The doctors did recommend some things, you know, like they gave me folic acid and told me to keep my stress level as low as I can because that can elevate my enzymes. [R35BT]
Managing Consequences of HCV
Manage symptoms	13	49	64	I’m scared of not drinking enough fluids. I can never drink water a lot. I hate water but that’s something that I needed to learn how to start drinking more of every day. Basically, I’m scared every time my urine is yellow or dark or whatever. [R801OJ]
Manage Treatment side effects	12	18	18	They said… the side effects of the treatment will be far less if you drink water and it seems to be true because I’ve gone days not drinking as much and I don’t feel as good. [R61RJ]
Learning to live with HCV	3	33	17	I guess the trick is to be sensible and practice moderation in everything. Eat healthy, give yourself some “me” time to relax if/when you need it, and exercise. [D5243]
Avoid Infecting Others	13	10	3	I used to go to the bathroom take a leak or whatever, I didn’t always wash my hands. Now since I knew I had hepatitis C… I make sure that every time I go to the bathroom I wash my hands. I make sure that everything’s pretty neat with me. [R145RL]