Aa
Should I treat?? Advice please
hello,
this is my first posting here + hope you don
this is my first posting here + hope you don
This can be a little like theatre in that we all have our parts to play. I'm sure everyone believes that they are helping to explain the disease and treatment plans (from their own perspectives) and maybe we can just look at these boards as one way to put all our opinions in one cache so we can fine tune our own opinions and find out what the other guy is doing. Also, it's wonderful support.
In my view, this board is mostly pro conventional treatment, which is good, coventional treatment is the only therapy right now that can free us of the virus. There is so much to know about treatment and it's a really good place for info on that. Of course there are going to be some people who might fall into the "watchful waiting" category for a number of reasons that have already been explained. On this board there seems to me only a handful of people who are taking herbs and supplements who are in the "watchful waiting" category.
I wonder if many know there are other boards who mostly deal in exchanging info on herbs and supplementation to bolster the immune sytem in dealing with this disease? Where there are only a handful of us here, and our stories might even seem farfetched and beyond the pale compared to so many other personal experiences here, you go to those boards and you find many, many people with similar experiences to our own. And yes they are ancecdotal, there aren't a lot of studies on this subject, (though that's beginning to change) but when you have a good outcome with these regimens, you'd like to be able to be validated sometimes and exchange info about the regimens with other like minded people.
One thing you find with many of these people, they are talking about consistent number values in terms of the alts (indicating inflammation.) My numbers only spiked when I went off my regimen from the low 40's (a little elevated) to 78, got back on my regimen and they have consistenly stayed in the low 40's once more. This is over months and months. Along with my numbers going back to where they were, many of my symptoms were alleviated, as to where they were before I stopped taking the regimen. My lifestyle had remained the same throughout, I always had a good diet and exercised. Nothing else changed except the fact that I went off my regimen and that's when the spike occured. I am not the only person that this has happened to, there are hoards of us out there. And yes, there are many who have also lowered their viral loads as well, but that is more insubstantial, at least to me.
Put yourself in my shoes, if I know this to be true for myself, and for many others, what do you think I feel when I hear of a person who has been a 2 time relapser and is a grade 3 biopsy and has just been told to wait for the better treatments. They are saying they are feeling sicker and sicker. What would you do in my shoes? Would you not want to tell them of your positive experience? Forget the sustained lowering of the enzymes, how about possible symptom relief? That's enough to try them. Would you not suggest to them that they at least try these regimes under expert advice? Also, for the people with little or no liver damage who have been told to wait? They could possibly keep their enzymes low, there is that possiblity, until they decide to treat or get the new drugs.
Now for the people who have had bad expereinces with these regimens, I'd really like to know "how" they went about it. What did they take? What were the dosages? (Could be too small, could be too much for them.) Did they titer up? (Meaning you take a minuscule amount of the substance, then slowly take more and more, to check for allergic reactions?) I've talked to people who have had a not so good experience with chinese herbs, their alts actually went up over a sustained amount of time. Then they tell me, well that alternative stuff isn't for me. I ask them, well, did you maybe try just high oxidants and a single or double herb regimen, with perhaps a few vitamins? Naw, I don't want to take any of that stuff anymore. They now paint everything with the same brush. There is more than one way to go about this. It takes some study and trial and error.
But when you have a good result it's worth it. I'm sure you can see the frustration we feel when we are invalidated out of hand because it's "anecdotal." Usually by people who havent' gone about it the right way or who have not ever tried it! (Though there are some who seem not to benefit.) When we know that there are sick people out there who could be benefitting. It's very, very frustrating, though I can see where the naysayers are coming from, to a point. Like my friend, "the maverick" who took his alts from consistenly being in the 300's, for years, to now being in the mid-30's, for years, and he feels much better, he just doesn't care and continues to take his regimen. What does he care about what the naysayers think? Maybe that's just what I should do and not talk about it anymore to anyone, except on the boards I was talking about...it's just hard for me to do that. I do try to see both sides of this issue, but you can see how hard it would be for me.
In my view, this board is mostly pro conventional treatment, which is good, coventional treatment is the only therapy right now that can free us of the virus. There is so much to know about treatment and it's a really good place for info on that. Of course there are going to be some people who might fall into the "watchful waiting" category for a number of reasons that have already been explained. On this board there seems to me only a handful of people who are taking herbs and supplements who are in the "watchful waiting" category.
I wonder if many know there are other boards who mostly deal in exchanging info on herbs and supplementation to bolster the immune sytem in dealing with this disease? Where there are only a handful of us here, and our stories might even seem farfetched and beyond the pale compared to so many other personal experiences here, you go to those boards and you find many, many people with similar experiences to our own. And yes they are ancecdotal, there aren't a lot of studies on this subject, (though that's beginning to change) but when you have a good outcome with these regimens, you'd like to be able to be validated sometimes and exchange info about the regimens with other like minded people.
One thing you find with many of these people, they are talking about consistent number values in terms of the alts (indicating inflammation.) My numbers only spiked when I went off my regimen from the low 40's (a little elevated) to 78, got back on my regimen and they have consistenly stayed in the low 40's once more. This is over months and months. Along with my numbers going back to where they were, many of my symptoms were alleviated, as to where they were before I stopped taking the regimen. My lifestyle had remained the same throughout, I always had a good diet and exercised. Nothing else changed except the fact that I went off my regimen and that's when the spike occured. I am not the only person that this has happened to, there are hoards of us out there. And yes, there are many who have also lowered their viral loads as well, but that is more insubstantial, at least to me.
Put yourself in my shoes, if I know this to be true for myself, and for many others, what do you think I feel when I hear of a person who has been a 2 time relapser and is a grade 3 biopsy and has just been told to wait for the better treatments. They are saying they are feeling sicker and sicker. What would you do in my shoes? Would you not want to tell them of your positive experience? Forget the sustained lowering of the enzymes, how about possible symptom relief? That's enough to try them. Would you not suggest to them that they at least try these regimes under expert advice? Also, for the people with little or no liver damage who have been told to wait? They could possibly keep their enzymes low, there is that possiblity, until they decide to treat or get the new drugs.
Now for the people who have had bad expereinces with these regimens, I'd really like to know "how" they went about it. What did they take? What were the dosages? (Could be too small, could be too much for them.) Did they titer up? (Meaning you take a minuscule amount of the substance, then slowly take more and more, to check for allergic reactions?) I've talked to people who have had a not so good experience with chinese herbs, their alts actually went up over a sustained amount of time. Then they tell me, well that alternative stuff isn't for me. I ask them, well, did you maybe try just high oxidants and a single or double herb regimen, with perhaps a few vitamins? Naw, I don't want to take any of that stuff anymore. They now paint everything with the same brush. There is more than one way to go about this. It takes some study and trial and error.
But when you have a good result it's worth it. I'm sure you can see the frustration we feel when we are invalidated out of hand because it's "anecdotal." Usually by people who havent' gone about it the right way or who have not ever tried it! (Though there are some who seem not to benefit.) When we know that there are sick people out there who could be benefitting. It's very, very frustrating, though I can see where the naysayers are coming from, to a point. Like my friend, "the maverick" who took his alts from consistenly being in the 300's, for years, to now being in the mid-30's, for years, and he feels much better, he just doesn't care and continues to take his regimen. What does he care about what the naysayers think? Maybe that's just what I should do and not talk about it anymore to anyone, except on the boards I was talking about...it's just hard for me to do that. I do try to see both sides of this issue, but you can see how hard it would be for me.
Hi Cin, hope you're having a wonderful day! It's colder than a well diggers butt here today...
I saw a documentary on TV regarding the intelligence of felines...It said the average cat has a vocabulary of 15-25 words (of which some can be multiple word phrases, such as "who wants dinner" lol)well, the Siamese breed has a vocabulary of 45 words!!! It's supposedly the smartest breed of felines...*smile* spoken like a proud mama hehe...
Mr. Miyagi drinks out of the faucet too! He waits about a minute or so before he drinks though, let's it get nice and cold...
If I can't see him around the house I will call "Yagi where are you", he does one of those loud Siamese cries and comes to me..Pretty smart eh!
He also likes to rat out on the other cat...lol If she sits on my dining room table he comes to get me to tell me..lol..But he has one bad trait, he's a thief!!! He takes "things" off my husband's desk and hides them...I found Bob's passport in a wicker basket in the laundry room..LOL I tried to tell him it is not appropriate to steal, after all he is a cop's cat!!! LOL
*the dipperoo*
I saw a documentary on TV regarding the intelligence of felines...It said the average cat has a vocabulary of 15-25 words (of which some can be multiple word phrases, such as "who wants dinner" lol)well, the Siamese breed has a vocabulary of 45 words!!! It's supposedly the smartest breed of felines...*smile* spoken like a proud mama hehe...
Mr. Miyagi drinks out of the faucet too! He waits about a minute or so before he drinks though, let's it get nice and cold...
If I can't see him around the house I will call "Yagi where are you", he does one of those loud Siamese cries and comes to me..Pretty smart eh!
He also likes to rat out on the other cat...lol If she sits on my dining room table he comes to get me to tell me..lol..But he has one bad trait, he's a thief!!! He takes "things" off my husband's desk and hides them...I found Bob's passport in a wicker basket in the laundry room..LOL I tried to tell him it is not appropriate to steal, after all he is a cop's cat!!! LOL
*the dipperoo*
Beth,
I don't take garlic (I can't stand bad breath). I have recently started taking tumeric, though. It's supposed to be very liver-friendly and has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
I've had no problems with the SAM-e. It's been a godsend for my joint pain. Only 400 mg. daily and...poof...no pain. I haven't heard of breathing problems associated with it.
BTW, thanks for your support, Veggie.
Susan
______________________
Ivette,
You bet I still have my monkey-chasing stick! You never know when it might come in handy!
Susan
I don't take garlic (I can't stand bad breath). I have recently started taking tumeric, though. It's supposed to be very liver-friendly and has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
I've had no problems with the SAM-e. It's been a godsend for my joint pain. Only 400 mg. daily and...poof...no pain. I haven't heard of breathing problems associated with it.
BTW, thanks for your support, Veggie.
Susan
______________________
Ivette,
You bet I still have my monkey-chasing stick! You never know when it might come in handy!
Susan
AH! the monkey anecdote! those were the days! you STILL got that stick? never mind...I see it.
did you ever experience shortness of breath or slight wheezing from milk thistle? I am lately, and can't pinpoint it to anything, except maybe the milk thistle..Also, you mentioned garlic...I was taking garlic caps and a couple people on here said that the capsule form is not liver friendly, what do you take...
PS..Please don't stop telling your story of vitamins...I may or may not have to treat, and if I do or don't I still am a naturalist and need to hear your experiences on vitamins and supplements...Thanks Susan
Big smiles for the tall gal *s*
Beth
PS..Please don't stop telling your story of vitamins...I may or may not have to treat, and if I do or don't I still am a naturalist and need to hear your experiences on vitamins and supplements...Thanks Susan
Big smiles for the tall gal *s*
Beth
Nah...you weren't that bad! But I may have to get out my stick and chase this new monkey up a tree ;)
My next appointment for bloodwork is December 1. I hope the results allow me to continue with many new ancedotes.
Hope you're still basking in the afterglow of your SVR news. You earned it, my dear.
Susan
My next appointment for bloodwork is December 1. I hope the results allow me to continue with many new ancedotes.
Hope you're still basking in the afterglow of your SVR news. You earned it, my dear.
Susan
You write: "The only number that matters to me is Fibrosis level, and the half-stage difference Tallblonde mentions in my opion isn't clinically significant in terms of a blood marker test."
Hey Jimbo, I've got news for you...this board ain't just about what matters to YOU.
A few of us do care about enzyme numbers and viral loads. You may think you're the "resident expert" here on all things HCV, but it's pompous and condescending of you to incessantly imply that these newbies must be protected from "Tallblonde's anecdotes."
Take Ina's eariler advice and go to a movie or something (aka: get a life!).
Susan
Hey Jimbo, I've got news for you...this board ain't just about what matters to YOU.
A few of us do care about enzyme numbers and viral loads. You may think you're the "resident expert" here on all things HCV, but it's pompous and condescending of you to incessantly imply that these newbies must be protected from "Tallblonde's anecdotes."
Take Ina's eariler advice and go to a movie or something (aka: get a life!).
Susan
somebody took my spot!! was I that bad? gave you that much grief? ;-] Probably, since I had been at it longer than jm.
I hope I got better, now that I moved on to someone else. (mischievious smile)
ALL:
We are all just sharing our own personal experiences with things and hopefully folks are savvy enough to note that this is all that is offered here, opinions and anecdotal experience, that none of us are experts no matter how smart we might sound.
Susan
when are you going for another PCR and blood work?
I hope I got better, now that I moved on to someone else. (mischievious smile)
ALL:
We are all just sharing our own personal experiences with things and hopefully folks are savvy enough to note that this is all that is offered here, opinions and anecdotal experience, that none of us are experts no matter how smart we might sound.
Susan
when are you going for another PCR and blood work?
Veggie,
The "Healthy Liver" supplement has the Milk Thistle, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Selenium, NAC, etc. in. To me, it's a cost-effective way to get all these supplements.
I also forgot to mention that I take SAM-e daily.
___________
Jim,
As ususal, I'm not sure what to make of your comments. We all know you're suspicious of herbs and supplements. Well, my experience is vastly different from yours and I don't plan to stop telling my story to folks who are considering watchful waiting.
Nothing I take is potentially harmful to me or to anyone else, so I don't think it's irresponsible of me to offer my perspective. Do me a favor...please stop this "Point/Counterpoint" stuff with me. I'm not interested in defending, justifying or explaining my position to you everytime I bring up the subject of alternative treatment approaches. You do a disservice to newbies (who might actually learn something from my experience) when you subtly imply that I'm some sort of snake oil purveryor. How insulting.
Susan
The "Healthy Liver" supplement has the Milk Thistle, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Selenium, NAC, etc. in. To me, it's a cost-effective way to get all these supplements.
I also forgot to mention that I take SAM-e daily.
___________
Jim,
As ususal, I'm not sure what to make of your comments. We all know you're suspicious of herbs and supplements. Well, my experience is vastly different from yours and I don't plan to stop telling my story to folks who are considering watchful waiting.
Nothing I take is potentially harmful to me or to anyone else, so I don't think it's irresponsible of me to offer my perspective. Do me a favor...please stop this "Point/Counterpoint" stuff with me. I'm not interested in defending, justifying or explaining my position to you everytime I bring up the subject of alternative treatment approaches. You do a disservice to newbies (who might actually learn something from my experience) when you subtly imply that I'm some sort of snake oil purveryor. How insulting.
Susan
thanks for asking :)
I'm as ready as ready can be...The Hospital where they are doing it is about 38 kilometers from my house, maybe half hour with traffic...I got the blood work done yesterday that Dougie Howser "said opps I forgot" so hopefully it will be available prior to the "harpooning"...
*the dipster, soon to be speared*
I'm as ready as ready can be...The Hospital where they are doing it is about 38 kilometers from my house, maybe half hour with traffic...I got the blood work done yesterday that Dougie Howser "said opps I forgot" so hopefully it will be available prior to the "harpooning"...
*the dipster, soon to be speared*
Hi Susan, hope you're well...
Question; you didn't mention taking milk thistle in your daily regimen, was that an oversite?
Just curious, your story is an inspiration to me and wanted make sure that I should be taking milk thistle...
Also, what genoptype are you?
Thanks Beth :)
Question; you didn't mention taking milk thistle in your daily regimen, was that an oversite?
Just curious, your story is an inspiration to me and wanted make sure that I should be taking milk thistle...
Also, what genoptype are you?
Thanks Beth :)
Hey Cin don't we all talk to our animals like they're people.
Missmoneypenny you have been by far the most popular new post ever, you've gotten enough good advice to make you even more confused than you were before you got here. So I won't even add my 2 cents. Good look on your decision
Food for thought: I was reading about maintenance tx, and seeing how the changing doses of interferon would alter the viral load. Patients that became undetectable, then when their dose was cut, the viral load came back.
Perhaps this plays a role in what we talking about earlier with relapse and hiding virus. Perhaps what has to happen after we are off tx is our own immune system must take over to keep the virus at bay. If that's the case then whatever we do to strenghten our immune systems would help.
By taking a supplement regimen that also targets the immune system can only help at keeping the virus at bay. And whatever we can do to relieve inflammation, probably the most important thing; will give our liver new life. Peace
Missmoneypenny you have been by far the most popular new post ever, you've gotten enough good advice to make you even more confused than you were before you got here. So I won't even add my 2 cents. Good look on your decision
Food for thought: I was reading about maintenance tx, and seeing how the changing doses of interferon would alter the viral load. Patients that became undetectable, then when their dose was cut, the viral load came back.
Perhaps this plays a role in what we talking about earlier with relapse and hiding virus. Perhaps what has to happen after we are off tx is our own immune system must take over to keep the virus at bay. If that's the case then whatever we do to strenghten our immune systems would help.
By taking a supplement regimen that also targets the immune system can only help at keeping the virus at bay. And whatever we can do to relieve inflammation, probably the most important thing; will give our liver new life. Peace
I respect Tallblonde's personal approach to "watchful waiting" and confess I have no knowledge of either of the herbal formulations she's taking. The vitamins and fish oil supplements seem fine.
As I've done before, I continue to question anecdotally stories like Tallblonde's, not to make it personal, or stir up any old controversies, but simply to further discussion and learning, especially to new members who haven't had the benefit of these discussions before.
First, I believe a healthy lifestyle is very important. and I'm just guessing (I'm sure I'll be corrected if wrong) that Tallblonde also eats well, exercises regularly, keeps close to an ideal weight, and probably doesn't smoke or drink very much. To me, this is the "first line" approach of watchful waiting. Get your lifestyle in order.
As far as herbs, it's an area I'm interested in, also an area I had a personal bad experience in, where my enzymes went so far the wrong way, it was almost an acute infection.
But back to Tallblonde's story which on face can seem very impressive. The only number that matters to me is Fibrosis level, and the half-stage difference Tallblonde mentions in my opion isn't clinically significant in terms of a blood marker test.
I also have been able to alter my liver enzymes by diet alone. Whenever I went on a very low fat diet, my enzymes became normal. Whenever I went off the diet, they became elevated. I would like to believe that lower enzymes mean less fibrosis progession but there's just no evidence of that. What it does probably mean is that your liver isn't working as hard, which is good.
As far as viral counts are concerned, mine went from over 30 million to 16,000 during a two year period. I was taking no vitamins or supplements during that time. Then three months later, it jumped from 16,000 to 1.5 million. This is the nature of the beast. Viral loads can fluctuate wildly. To suggest we can control our viral loads with herbs and/or vitamins needs more proof than an anecdotal story.
Hopefully, more funding will be made available to further study vitamins and especially herbal formulations. I certainly hope they will find something that offers a path to regress or even reverse fibrosis. But right now it's still premature to draw the conclusion that vitamins/supplements can slow or reverse liver damage. And for anyone who takes this approach, I strongly suggest "reality checks" in the form of a Fibrosure test every year and a biopsy every 3-5 years.
Taking vitamins/supplements/herbs is a personal decision with no "right" or "wrong" in my opinion. Just do your research, take account of anecdotally stories like Tallblonde's, but also keep in mind anecdotal stories are just that, and the main thing that matters is whether you liver is getting better or not which can only be determined by biopsy or tests like Fibrosure.
-- Jim
As I've done before, I continue to question anecdotally stories like Tallblonde's, not to make it personal, or stir up any old controversies, but simply to further discussion and learning, especially to new members who haven't had the benefit of these discussions before.
First, I believe a healthy lifestyle is very important. and I'm just guessing (I'm sure I'll be corrected if wrong) that Tallblonde also eats well, exercises regularly, keeps close to an ideal weight, and probably doesn't smoke or drink very much. To me, this is the "first line" approach of watchful waiting. Get your lifestyle in order.
As far as herbs, it's an area I'm interested in, also an area I had a personal bad experience in, where my enzymes went so far the wrong way, it was almost an acute infection.
But back to Tallblonde's story which on face can seem very impressive. The only number that matters to me is Fibrosis level, and the half-stage difference Tallblonde mentions in my opion isn't clinically significant in terms of a blood marker test.
I also have been able to alter my liver enzymes by diet alone. Whenever I went on a very low fat diet, my enzymes became normal. Whenever I went off the diet, they became elevated. I would like to believe that lower enzymes mean less fibrosis progession but there's just no evidence of that. What it does probably mean is that your liver isn't working as hard, which is good.
As far as viral counts are concerned, mine went from over 30 million to 16,000 during a two year period. I was taking no vitamins or supplements during that time. Then three months later, it jumped from 16,000 to 1.5 million. This is the nature of the beast. Viral loads can fluctuate wildly. To suggest we can control our viral loads with herbs and/or vitamins needs more proof than an anecdotal story.
Hopefully, more funding will be made available to further study vitamins and especially herbal formulations. I certainly hope they will find something that offers a path to regress or even reverse fibrosis. But right now it's still premature to draw the conclusion that vitamins/supplements can slow or reverse liver damage. And for anyone who takes this approach, I strongly suggest "reality checks" in the form of a Fibrosure test every year and a biopsy every 3-5 years.
Taking vitamins/supplements/herbs is a personal decision with no "right" or "wrong" in my opinion. Just do your research, take account of anecdotally stories like Tallblonde's, but also keep in mind anecdotal stories are just that, and the main thing that matters is whether you liver is getting better or not which can only be determined by biopsy or tests like Fibrosure.
-- Jim
If you decide to postpone treating, I suggest you begin a regimen of herbs, vitamins and supplements to protect your liver while you're waiting. Many of us "watchful waiters" are doing this and most have had impressive results. I was diagnosed two years ago and according to my latest Fibrosure test, there has been no progression of fibrosis. In fact, I've gone from a Stage 1, to a Stage 0-1. My liver enzymes are half of what they once were and and are almost within a normal range. My viral load has gone from a high of 24,800 IU/mL to 714 IU/mL.
You should research everything before putting it into your body, but here are the primary things I take daily:
Centrum Silver Mult-Vitamin
Health Liver Version 2 (from Vitacost.com) 6 capsules
NuLiver (a proprietary Chinese herbal blend) 6 capsules
Vitamin C -- 1000 mg.
Vitamin E -- 400 IU
Tumeric -- 900 mg.
Fish Oil - 3 capsules
I also drink a lot of white tea and Rooibos tea (both from Celestial Seasonings. The latter has been found to prevent cirrhosis in rats. Good enough for me!
Whatever you decide, good luck. It'll take some time, but eventually you'll come to discover that this diagnosis isn't the end of the world and doesn't have to be the entire focus of your life. Be grateful that you have little or no liver damage. Many people aren't so lucky.
Susan
You should research everything before putting it into your body, but here are the primary things I take daily:
Centrum Silver Mult-Vitamin
Health Liver Version 2 (from Vitacost.com) 6 capsules
NuLiver (a proprietary Chinese herbal blend) 6 capsules
Vitamin C -- 1000 mg.
Vitamin E -- 400 IU
Tumeric -- 900 mg.
Fish Oil - 3 capsules
I also drink a lot of white tea and Rooibos tea (both from Celestial Seasonings. The latter has been found to prevent cirrhosis in rats. Good enough for me!
Whatever you decide, good luck. It'll take some time, but eventually you'll come to discover that this diagnosis isn't the end of the world and doesn't have to be the entire focus of your life. Be grateful that you have little or no liver damage. Many people aren't so lucky.
Susan
Isn't that funny that the cats come running when the phone rings! Animals are so smart, my one cat likes to drink from the bathroom faucet and I can't close the door if I'm in there, he will scratch it up so I have to say 'Are you coming?' before I go in there and he comess running from wherever he is...My husband is always saying I speak in sentences too long for the animals to understand but that scenario pretty much shut him up...I tell my puppy to 'finish eating' and point to the bowl and she does...or 'get in the house' and she does...plus if the other dog is outside and I have forgotten to let him in, Sonia will come to me and whine and start running towards the door like 'let him in! let him in!' My older dog used to rat on Pooh Bear (now deceased) when he would eat the cat food...Chaco would come in the living room and dance around and whine until I realized Pooh was eating the cat food again the weazel...I would have horses if I had the barn and cleared space, I have 3 acres but it's woods and rocks...anyway...gotta go to work!
Cin
Cin
I cannot add much to the above comments. All great advice. This is a choice you must make alone; take your time and learn. I could not "get it out of my mind" and that is one reason I decided to treat. So far (week 18) it hasnt been too bad for me. I am still able to do everything, just a bit lighter/slower.
You are young, healthy and with a really low viral load. I Kind of like Jims idea of trying for 4 weeks, doing a PCR and if negative, going for SVR. The odds are pretty good. But that is what this whole game is: just odds.
Best to you and keep us posted.
You are young, healthy and with a really low viral load. I Kind of like Jims idea of trying for 4 weeks, doing a PCR and if negative, going for SVR. The odds are pretty good. But that is what this whole game is: just odds.
Best to you and keep us posted.
Cin:
No, I don't breed them, just love the breed...They are very intelligent and loving cats...Mr. Miyagi, my male sleeps in my arms at night, literally in my arms...He loves to be hugged like a baby...and Miss Kitty sleeps on my shoulder, she's not as affectionate but has to be "on" me at night...
I love all animals and would have cats, dogs, sheep, goats, horses, you name it, I'd have it if I could, but husband is not "as" much an animal lover as I...lol.. Although, when he's on the road he does call home to say hi to the "babies" hehehe, they come running when the phone rings and I say come say hi to Papa...
Beth
No, I don't breed them, just love the breed...They are very intelligent and loving cats...Mr. Miyagi, my male sleeps in my arms at night, literally in my arms...He loves to be hugged like a baby...and Miss Kitty sleeps on my shoulder, she's not as affectionate but has to be "on" me at night...
I love all animals and would have cats, dogs, sheep, goats, horses, you name it, I'd have it if I could, but husband is not "as" much an animal lover as I...lol.. Although, when he's on the road he does call home to say hi to the "babies" hehehe, they come running when the phone rings and I say come say hi to Papa...
Beth
You know I went on a tear a while ago trying to find out just how "infectious" this disease is, looking at studies, etc. like everyone else. From everything I've seen, I don't see instances where parents infect their children with this disease, or a lot of incidences where partners infect each other, sexually and otherwise.
In all the questionaires that various agencies have gotten, people who became infected with this disease got it from blood to blood contact: Health practiontioners getting needle sticks, etc. or blood transfusion or intravenous drug use - or "rough sex" where blood to blood contact could of taken place. There seemed to be some evidence of various "first responders", fireman, police, etc. getting it after being pretty banged up themselves with badly injured hep c patients. But even these incidences were relatively rare. You do have to factor in that there are many who are deeply ashamed of having experimented with drugs in their youth, etc. so you might not always get the most honest responses as well.
Not that I'm advocating that we take some "overly relaxed" attitude toward people we share our lives with, of course not, but I'm just saying that as long as we are pretty careful there isn't any huge chance that we will pass this on to our loved ones. Just to keep this in perspective.
I remember going to some hep c support groups, some rather large, and being struck by how many married couples were there, having been married for a long time...and only one partner had tested positive. This when the couples hadn't known for many years that one of them had even been positive for this virus. I go and have gone to many hep c boards and I don't think I've ever personally talked to anyone who even said they got this disease sexually.
If anyone has any evidence to the contrary, that I might of missed, I'd really be interested to see it, because that's all I've gotten so far.
In all the questionaires that various agencies have gotten, people who became infected with this disease got it from blood to blood contact: Health practiontioners getting needle sticks, etc. or blood transfusion or intravenous drug use - or "rough sex" where blood to blood contact could of taken place. There seemed to be some evidence of various "first responders", fireman, police, etc. getting it after being pretty banged up themselves with badly injured hep c patients. But even these incidences were relatively rare. You do have to factor in that there are many who are deeply ashamed of having experimented with drugs in their youth, etc. so you might not always get the most honest responses as well.
Not that I'm advocating that we take some "overly relaxed" attitude toward people we share our lives with, of course not, but I'm just saying that as long as we are pretty careful there isn't any huge chance that we will pass this on to our loved ones. Just to keep this in perspective.
I remember going to some hep c support groups, some rather large, and being struck by how many married couples were there, having been married for a long time...and only one partner had tested positive. This when the couples hadn't known for many years that one of them had even been positive for this virus. I go and have gone to many hep c boards and I don't think I've ever personally talked to anyone who even said they got this disease sexually.
If anyone has any evidence to the contrary, that I might of missed, I'd really be interested to see it, because that's all I've gotten so far.
Glad to know I am not the only one that thought of this! We seem to be on the same page on things. That's good to know your baby is ok, I had a half Himallayan once and she was a real pistol...would run out of the house to chase a dog to kick a**. Do you breed them then? I love cats, I have 2 fat boys...one has to be part Maine Coon, I dont know, he was a stray, two old ladies captured the litter when they were 4 mos old or so...he was wild and I tamed him but he has an eating disorder...can't get enough food...probably because he was homeless as a child...he is afraid he will not have food...he won't go outside either...probably afraid he won't get back inside...I love my babies.
Cin
Cin
I go for my 4 week test tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm waiting for my 2 week test results. Soon as I find out, I'll post my numbers.
Sounds like we're alike in terms of being the glue that holds our families together. As a stay at home mom, I'm expected to tend to every little household chore like cleaning, cooking, laundry, taking kids to school, bill pay, etc. For me, it's been about finding a nice ebb and flow in terms of balancing my household chores. If I don't get to something today, then I try to tackle it the next day.
Two other things that influenced my decision to treat: 1) hearing that people with little liver damage had an eaiser time with sides and 2) that very uncomfortable feeling of having to get a physical so I could work at my son's school. Luckily the doctor was in a rush and didn't ask too many questions so I was able to skirt around my hep status on my physical form. I know it was a crappy thing to omit but you know how sensitive (or paranoid) parents can be about their children. As long as I've been at the school, I've never seen anyone bleeding so I'm sure I'll be okay. But, I don't think I can handle parents treating me like a lepper or avoiding my children b/c I have this disease. Anyway, having to get that physical reminded me that I was very different from other parents and that unless I did something I was always going to carry this ticking time bomb.
You have found a great board for suggestions, advice, sympathy and knowledge. Read posts as often as you can. Also, check in every once in a while and let us know how you're doing.
Sounds like we're alike in terms of being the glue that holds our families together. As a stay at home mom, I'm expected to tend to every little household chore like cleaning, cooking, laundry, taking kids to school, bill pay, etc. For me, it's been about finding a nice ebb and flow in terms of balancing my household chores. If I don't get to something today, then I try to tackle it the next day.
Two other things that influenced my decision to treat: 1) hearing that people with little liver damage had an eaiser time with sides and 2) that very uncomfortable feeling of having to get a physical so I could work at my son's school. Luckily the doctor was in a rush and didn't ask too many questions so I was able to skirt around my hep status on my physical form. I know it was a crappy thing to omit but you know how sensitive (or paranoid) parents can be about their children. As long as I've been at the school, I've never seen anyone bleeding so I'm sure I'll be okay. But, I don't think I can handle parents treating me like a lepper or avoiding my children b/c I have this disease. Anyway, having to get that physical reminded me that I was very different from other parents and that unless I did something I was always going to carry this ticking time bomb.
You have found a great board for suggestions, advice, sympathy and knowledge. Read posts as often as you can. Also, check in every once in a while and let us know how you're doing.
Cin:
I have 2 Siamese cats (my babies)and in June my little female was due to be spayed...They did a blood panel on her prior to surgery and believe it or not her liver enzymes were elevated...As you can imagine I totally freaked out...They did not do the surgery and did another blood test for all liver functions...It came back normal...They said she is just one of those animals that does not fall in the "normal" range of enzymes and that she would be fine...I never speak of my HCV to anyone, but I did tell the Vet that I am HCV active and could my little sweetie get that from me...She said NO, felines can get hepatitis (inflamation)but not the virus...Thank God!
Hope this stops your worries, but it was a feline, not a dog...Call your Vet if your still concerned...
Beth
P.S. Miss Kitty has gained full adult weight now and is sassy and healthy :)
I have 2 Siamese cats (my babies)and in June my little female was due to be spayed...They did a blood panel on her prior to surgery and believe it or not her liver enzymes were elevated...As you can imagine I totally freaked out...They did not do the surgery and did another blood test for all liver functions...It came back normal...They said she is just one of those animals that does not fall in the "normal" range of enzymes and that she would be fine...I never speak of my HCV to anyone, but I did tell the Vet that I am HCV active and could my little sweetie get that from me...She said NO, felines can get hepatitis (inflamation)but not the virus...Thank God!
Hope this stops your worries, but it was a feline, not a dog...Call your Vet if your still concerned...
Beth
P.S. Miss Kitty has gained full adult weight now and is sassy and healthy :)
Foreseegood, you are not an idiot...if you are, I am too...and we can't all be idiots...just of a different opinion and you know what they say about opinions...
Anyway, can dogs catch this? I'm not being funny, I really want to know...my puppy is in 'drag stuff outa the bathroom garbage can' stage and she had a razor in her mouth this morning...I checked for cuts but she seemed ok, I think she just chewed on the plastic end....but jeezzzeee ya know? makes you think about every little thing...
And as far as the effects of these drugs on your system goes, see below quoted directly from the pamphlet:
'Ribavarin may cause severe birth defects or death to the unborn child if taken during pregnancy: therefore if you are pregnant, you must not take ribavirin...Female patients and female partners of men taking ribavirin must use 2 forms of effective birth control methods during treatment with ribavarin and for 6 months after stopping ribavirin therapy.'
YIKES! 6 months after stopping the meds you can still kill your unborn child? wow...gotta make ya think...
Cin
Anyway, can dogs catch this? I'm not being funny, I really want to know...my puppy is in 'drag stuff outa the bathroom garbage can' stage and she had a razor in her mouth this morning...I checked for cuts but she seemed ok, I think she just chewed on the plastic end....but jeezzzeee ya know? makes you think about every little thing...
And as far as the effects of these drugs on your system goes, see below quoted directly from the pamphlet:
'Ribavarin may cause severe birth defects or death to the unborn child if taken during pregnancy: therefore if you are pregnant, you must not take ribavirin...Female patients and female partners of men taking ribavirin must use 2 forms of effective birth control methods during treatment with ribavarin and for 6 months after stopping ribavirin therapy.'
YIKES! 6 months after stopping the meds you can still kill your unborn child? wow...gotta make ya think...
Cin
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