NO LIFE INSURANCE FOR ME

  I RECENTLY TRIED TO EXPAND MY LIFE INSURANCE COVERAGE AND WAS DENIED BECAUSE OF A POSITIVE HEP C INDICATION.  I HAVE NO SYMPTOMS THAT I AM AWARE OF EXCEPT MAYBE THAT I CAN NO LONGER GET BY ON 3-4 HOURS SLEEP EACH NIGHT AND THAT ALCOHOL SEEMS TO HIT ME LONGER AND HARDER THAN IT DID TEN YEARS AGO. I AM 44 YEARS OLD.  SHOULD I BE CONCERNED???  SHOULD I GET FURTHER TESTS??? WHO SHOULD I SEE IN THE LAS VEGAS AREA..  UNINSURED.
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Dear Randy,
Hepatitis C often causes long term inflammation of the liver with cell death.  Cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver occurs in about 20% of individuals with chronic Hepatitis C infection.  The increased probability of chronic disease is the reason for your difficulty in obtaining insurance.  Many companies will provide policies but increase the premium.  You may want to shop around because it is quite possible that you will find an agent that will be able to obtain a policy for you.
I strongly urge you to stop the use of alcohol.  Alcohol directly damages liver cells.  If you have chronic hepatitis C infection, the combination of the two insults will increase your chances of evolving into cirrhosis.  
Finally, you should consult a liver specialist for evaluation.  This is valuable for two reasons. First, the physician can determine whether you have active replication of Hepatitis C virus, by a blood test.  If you have active infection, he/she may initiate treatment with Interferon/ribavirin.  I would suggest that you contact the Division of Gastroenterology of the nearest medical school and arrange an appointment.
This information is provided for educational purposes only.  Always consult your personal physician for specific medical questions.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: hepatitis C, cirrhosis
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