Questions for Doc who says, 'Wait-n-Watch'

[miked]

Background: 1b diagnosed April 2004; Started tx in May with 3M copies; 3log drop @ 12 weeks but stopped @ 36 weeks because viral load increased(partial responder).

Referred to Dr.Kwo, Chief Hepatologist & HCV clinical trials @ IU Med. Center.  Bx says less than Stage 1 & no inflammation.  If I choose, Dr. Kwo will offer me daily INF+RBV,or IDN-6556.  His advice is to wait-n-watch.

March 30th is my next appointment I'd like to ask the right questions with a wait-n-watch approach:

1.)Does viral load matter?
2.)High iron was what led to my diagnosis.  It went normal with tx but will it rise again?
3.)How ofter should ALT/AST be tested?  What if they rise?
4.)What's the stats for fibrosis progression?  I'm 47.
5.)Any CAM recommendations?
6.)What if tx "angered" the HCV demon and it goes nuts?

Do you guys have additional questions that I should ask or comments on the above?  Any opinions about a wait-n-watch approach?

Thanks for all of your support and help.

Mike

[cuteus]

i got to change the font size in my mac, lol, i am having a hard time reading what i write, pardon moi.

[Tallblonde]

On the thread below titled: "Dealing with the Crazies" you wrote last week (in message C25):

________________________

Laika wrote:

"Have you noticed how sleepy this forum has been lately? A little drama wouldn't be so bad."

________________________

Is that what this is about, Laika?  Using someone's benign joke to  stir up a little drama?  Very interesting.

Susan

[Laika]

I am deeply offended by the nasty joke about the French.  I am not French, but don

[scruffy]

Susan,my friend-oops. (did'nt seem that bad at the time did it?)LOL frank

[ellissg]

I know a friend in Tennessee, a non-responder twice, who has a Viral Load of 30,000,000, almost no fibrosis, and normal ALT and AST. However, she does not feel well, and has a problem with fatigue.

[honey1616]

Maybe the French know something more then us. We have been very fortunate as Americans,,,to not have fought a war on our homeland. Where France and the European nations have fought many. A friend of mines,,,his father was telling me just 2 days ago about his experience in World War 11,,,,that one thing he never had to worry about was his family at home,,,he always knew they were safe.  However,,the europeans fighting a long side of him,,,never knew if their family was safe or if they even had a home to come home to.