Aa
treatment
For the group! We know so little about each other and yet we share so much of ourselves here. I was just interested, if anyone is will to share, about what brought you to treatment. How long did you know you had hep c before deciding to treat. How did you make the decission, was it a hard one to make. Your biggest fears before hand, durning and after (if you have gotten that far).
I'll start I am 48 known I have hep c for over 20 years. I ignored it for a long time because I had no effects from it. Had a liver scan a couple of times over the years which was fine (now know ow meaningless the liver scan is). Primary kept suggesting I see a liver specialist put it off for years and then wham had one carzy year. Starting with a cooking accident that lead to me finding out I had diabetes that fiinally pushed me to see the liver specialist and to have a biopsy. Once i got the results it was a no brainer for me.
Got scared by what I read about possible side effects, but figured I had to give it a shot. I went into this knowing there was a good chance it may not work for some reason that doesn't freak me out. The possible side effects did.
would love to hear other peoples stories. It was cool for me to read in a previous post that someone knew who the b**twh**le suffers where now I know I an truly not alone on this ride.
I'll start I am 48 known I have hep c for over 20 years. I ignored it for a long time because I had no effects from it. Had a liver scan a couple of times over the years which was fine (now know ow meaningless the liver scan is). Primary kept suggesting I see a liver specialist put it off for years and then wham had one carzy year. Starting with a cooking accident that lead to me finding out I had diabetes that fiinally pushed me to see the liver specialist and to have a biopsy. Once i got the results it was a no brainer for me.
Got scared by what I read about possible side effects, but figured I had to give it a shot. I went into this knowing there was a good chance it may not work for some reason that doesn't freak me out. The possible side effects did.
would love to hear other peoples stories. It was cool for me to read in a previous post that someone knew who the b**twh**le suffers where now I know I an truly not alone on this ride.
Sorry to hear about the job. The injustices in this world leave me so saddened and ANGRY. The perfect job will come along.
Glad to hear you have kicked this thing and are moving on with your life. Look forward to hearing about your expanding family when the time comes :)
Glad to hear you have kicked this thing and are moving on with your life. Look forward to hearing about your expanding family when the time comes :)
Hi. i'm 40/female. contracted hepc through drug use probably 18-20 years ago. Stage 2/grade 1. 1b w/ 10 million copies pre-tx. Am on week 9/48. Sx's have been tolerable. Getting a little "bluer" lately. No rescue drugs YET. No ad's or sleeping pills 'tho i'd love to have a few of the later sometimes. found out Oct. '05 and started treatment Feb. '06. No insurance so learned alot quickly about how to go about getting med's etc. Drank alot, (owned a blues/jazz club until '03) i found out and quit that day. am convinced it led to quicker progression in my case. have 2 sons, one @ home, and a wonderful husband who turned my entire life around. felt like i had to treat no matter what. would do it again in a heartbeat. SVR dreams to us all.... tracy
Well, I was diagnosed back in 1995.. I was like 17 years old or something, and it went in one ear, and out the other. My father looked into tx, and told me about the horror stories. Told me how the tx was worse than the disease. Never really did anything.. In 2004, I was resently married, and my wife and I where getting ready to start a family. As part of that, we where having all kinds of check ups and physicals done on each other. During a routine physical, the virus showed reactive.. This was a suprise, because a few years earlier I had major complications during a nose surgery, and i was tested for just about every know blood disorder known, and negative for them all. I specifically asked about HCV, and was told it did not show up.
So after this reactive findings, I figured I would check into it. I went to a GI center, and had Viral load and genotype done. Biopsy, and Ct scans.. Thats when reality hit hard. At 26, I was stage 3, and geno 1a.. My wife wanted me on tx immediately, so I started unprepared, and completely unready.. My first tx lasted ONE week before I was ordered off the meds. SEVERE, severe, sx's and Doc believed me to be allergic to meds. After this episode, got struck with major depression, and did not attempt tx for another six months.
Then, jumped back on the tx band wagon full of knowledge, and prepared for just about anything. Went 32 weeks without any noticable sx's, and finished up tx in Sept. 05..
As of now, I'm still undetectable, so looks like I obtained the SVR status..
Never had ANY HCV symptoms or problems..Was 100% healthy, and only thing that concerned me and pushed me to tx, was biopsy findings. Thats why I am such an advocate for a TRUE needle biopsy!!!
So after this reactive findings, I figured I would check into it. I went to a GI center, and had Viral load and genotype done. Biopsy, and Ct scans.. Thats when reality hit hard. At 26, I was stage 3, and geno 1a.. My wife wanted me on tx immediately, so I started unprepared, and completely unready.. My first tx lasted ONE week before I was ordered off the meds. SEVERE, severe, sx's and Doc believed me to be allergic to meds. After this episode, got struck with major depression, and did not attempt tx for another six months.
Then, jumped back on the tx band wagon full of knowledge, and prepared for just about anything. Went 32 weeks without any noticable sx's, and finished up tx in Sept. 05..
As of now, I'm still undetectable, so looks like I obtained the SVR status..
Never had ANY HCV symptoms or problems..Was 100% healthy, and only thing that concerned me and pushed me to tx, was biopsy findings. Thats why I am such an advocate for a TRUE needle biopsy!!!
Hey Lurker, or is it Lunker.... give us an update on the job application... I KNOW how slow the government wheels turn, you heard anything yet? Got a woman about your age that works for me, engaged to a border patrol agent. He's trying to get on at the FLETC in artesia (he's in corpus now)... rumor has it they are hiring 25 GS 12/13 instructors, and they intend to hire 75 more. best of luck to you, and for all of us here this has a whole new meaning " to your health",
Hi goldyn!
Good to see you around here :) Yes, if your child had the antibodies to hep c, it would have shown up very early on. They actually wait 6 months after birth to test for antibodies because the infant has so much of the mother's antibodies before that time. After 6 months of age, if your child comes back as antibody positive, it is recommended to do a PCR test. My daughters PCR test came back positive at that time. The specialist we see said she had about a 30% chance of clearing the virus on her own by the age of 3. If she has not cleared by the age of 3, it is unlikely she will clear on her own.
This opens up all kinds of questions for me that I asked her specialist and pediatrician, and of course no one could answer! Primarily, it makes me wonder about breastfeeding. I opted not to bf because of the unknown risk of transmission. It is unlikely that the virus would be passed through the breastmilk, but I had more concerns about the bleeding cracked nipples etc. etc. On the other hand, I wanted information about whether she would be more able to fight off the virus if I did breastfeed because she would get my antibodies through breastmilk. Of course, no one has studied this issue and I find it so frustrating! I guess those of us who fall into the less than 5% vertical transmission aren't a big enough chunk of the population to make it worth studying. grrrr. Sorry to go off on a tangent :) Just thought i'd share some thoughts. lol
Hope you are doing well! You haven't updated for a while. Please do when you have a minute and feel up to it! :)
Good to see you around here :) Yes, if your child had the antibodies to hep c, it would have shown up very early on. They actually wait 6 months after birth to test for antibodies because the infant has so much of the mother's antibodies before that time. After 6 months of age, if your child comes back as antibody positive, it is recommended to do a PCR test. My daughters PCR test came back positive at that time. The specialist we see said she had about a 30% chance of clearing the virus on her own by the age of 3. If she has not cleared by the age of 3, it is unlikely she will clear on her own.
This opens up all kinds of questions for me that I asked her specialist and pediatrician, and of course no one could answer! Primarily, it makes me wonder about breastfeeding. I opted not to bf because of the unknown risk of transmission. It is unlikely that the virus would be passed through the breastmilk, but I had more concerns about the bleeding cracked nipples etc. etc. On the other hand, I wanted information about whether she would be more able to fight off the virus if I did breastfeed because she would get my antibodies through breastmilk. Of course, no one has studied this issue and I find it so frustrating! I guess those of us who fall into the less than 5% vertical transmission aren't a big enough chunk of the population to make it worth studying. grrrr. Sorry to go off on a tangent :) Just thought i'd share some thoughts. lol
Hope you are doing well! You haven't updated for a while. Please do when you have a minute and feel up to it! :)
Fish....Not so good news on the job front. HCV infection was DIRECTLY questioned, and I had to have Doc write letter, include a complete medical and treatment history, etc. Government is soooooo damn ignorant, and beyond in times it amazes me. Though I included a one month old PCR, stating undetectable on the Heptimax, all they where interested in was a antibodies test.. That is all they care about, whether or not you test positive for antibodies.. Well, we all test positive if EVER exposed.
Long story short, didn't get the job.. HCV, and old back injury held against me. Even though the same Doc that examined me for Physical, signed off on my workers comp claim stating that I had NO limitations or restrictions.. Talk of hypocrisy?
Honesty is NOT the best policy!!
Mommy.....Congrats on being undectable at week 4, as that is a GREAT accomplishment. Being younger, we have a better chance of SVR, as our immune response is thought to be stronger. I'm 28, will be 29 in a few months.. Geno 1a, and obtained SVR.. I was also infected at birth, but via my mother during a home birth.
Funny, as back in 95' Doc told me that tx was worse than disease, and 10 years later I was told that soon I would be chirrotic. I too am looking forward to putting this all behind me and starting my own family, s my wife says that she has waited long enough!!! LOL. Best of luck to ya!
Long story short, didn't get the job.. HCV, and old back injury held against me. Even though the same Doc that examined me for Physical, signed off on my workers comp claim stating that I had NO limitations or restrictions.. Talk of hypocrisy?
Honesty is NOT the best policy!!
Mommy.....Congrats on being undectable at week 4, as that is a GREAT accomplishment. Being younger, we have a better chance of SVR, as our immune response is thought to be stronger. I'm 28, will be 29 in a few months.. Geno 1a, and obtained SVR.. I was also infected at birth, but via my mother during a home birth.
Funny, as back in 95' Doc told me that tx was worse than disease, and 10 years later I was told that soon I would be chirrotic. I too am looking forward to putting this all behind me and starting my own family, s my wife says that she has waited long enough!!! LOL. Best of luck to ya!
hi there how have you been glad to see your on your way to being tx free...i neededto ask you a question was your child tested for hcv anti bodies only , im preety sure all mine were tested for antibodies only my youngest was 2and 1/2 at the time do you think he was old engough to test for antibodies as of that time they were all clear...and do the doctors think that your child will spontainously clear the virus?
lesson learned. next time you check NO, and see what happens.... stupid is out there, at every turn... remember my hubbies philosophy in life: the moment you assume the people around you have their head out of their @ss, your F**king up. Tough break, but keep on applying...
Hi! This is a great post :)
I am a 29 y.o. female who learned after donating blood in 1995 that I had hep c antibodies. I didn't give it much thought, nor did any of the docs I went to. At that time, they felt as though I probably only had the antibodies and if I hadn't seen any repercussions by now, I wouldn't. I believe I contracted it from a blood transfusion at birth. I have no other risk factors. I pretty much put it on the back burner, went through college- including my share of drinking since I didn't think I had anything to worry about. It was always in the back of my mind though. I met my now husband, and decided I needed to be tested again to see what the deal was. As it turns out, I had the active virus not just the antibodies. I learned that in 2001. It took me 5 years, this board, and one child who got this diseas by vertical transmission to WAKE UP and get over my fears of treating. I had a starting vl of over 5 mil and was clear at week 4. I have opted to stop at 20 weeks based on studies indicating that shorter tx is ok for geno 2's clear at week 4. I am petrified of stopping but sooo looking forward to moving on with my life, and continuing to build my family :)
I am a 29 y.o. female who learned after donating blood in 1995 that I had hep c antibodies. I didn't give it much thought, nor did any of the docs I went to. At that time, they felt as though I probably only had the antibodies and if I hadn't seen any repercussions by now, I wouldn't. I believe I contracted it from a blood transfusion at birth. I have no other risk factors. I pretty much put it on the back burner, went through college- including my share of drinking since I didn't think I had anything to worry about. It was always in the back of my mind though. I met my now husband, and decided I needed to be tested again to see what the deal was. As it turns out, I had the active virus not just the antibodies. I learned that in 2001. It took me 5 years, this board, and one child who got this diseas by vertical transmission to WAKE UP and get over my fears of treating. I had a starting vl of over 5 mil and was clear at week 4. I have opted to stop at 20 weeks based on studies indicating that shorter tx is ok for geno 2's clear at week 4. I am petrified of stopping but sooo looking forward to moving on with my life, and continuing to build my family :)
Hey time, my story is probably a familiar one to many.. I am 50 last month, started dancing with the ugly woman (H) when I was 15, stopped when my first son was born (22), went on, and had a good life. Taught a biology class to nursing majors in 1994, and gave extra credit for people to give blood. I had not donated in a while, but used to all the time. Gave blood, got a nastygram, positive for virus and antibodies. (one student also positive) Have had normal ast and alt up until 2004, but I had moved new doc didn't bother to mention they were just slightly out of range. I had a biopsy in 95 and one in 99, both 0/1 (can man keeps me straight on that), "mild chronic triaditis". I am 1A, so I have just sat back and waited until better drugs came along. I was going to start treatment fall of 2003, but moved out of state for 2 years, moved back in nov last year, started feb. 10.
Biggest fear: I need my brain for my job. My job is very important to me, and the impact on my work is my biggest worry. Its sunday, so let me say a big thankyou, to my family. They carry so many of our burdens, and I for one am blessed.
Biggest fear: I need my brain for my job. My job is very important to me, and the impact on my work is my biggest worry. Its sunday, so let me say a big thankyou, to my family. They carry so many of our burdens, and I for one am blessed.
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