viral load??

Got my blood work, and my viral load is only 5436, or 3.74.. can this be right?? I have never had treatment, and liver is stage three fibrosis.. Can these # be right?? I see on chart that this incredibly low.. This is a good thing right?? I asked the doctor, how I convert it to the high #, that is what I see the average as, and even a low load #.. She told me that # was in iu/ml, and was either really low, or a mistake..

[Indiana]

The Quantatitative tests are NOT FDA approved in the USA. Do ya know why? That test is "Not" all that accurate the way that they have to do it. They could take that same sample of blood and get a MUCH higher or lower result doing the same test. Your doc could call and have them test it again if you want(the same sample). It really is only useful to show a very general trend upwards or downwards during tx or over time if you are waiting to decide to save yourself.
Load means nothing as far as "potential" damage levels go. It DOES mean something as far as clearing the Dragon goes......less virus to fight.
That 3.74 is a "Log" number and takes a math wiz to convert to "real" numbers. I lost my math skills on tx and they never came back.....my ONE lingering side effect. Thats what I have "Willings" e-mail addy for.
It IS good news though.

[kennedge]

just got my 90 day post HCV RNA back....as some of you know...
1a, VL 2 mill pre tx, 48 wk tx, pegintron/rebetol, loss 30 lbs

the results....whoo hoooo

HCV RNA Not Detected



loud applause


6 month test here I come....put on the bbq...lets tip some cows

[tina b]

HOT DAMN!!! I just LOVE that good news! Keep it up!

[cuteus]

90 day post TX?  You are giving me hope...TY TY .   Celebration time....
I can't remember if you treated only once?



All: another person on alt tx (lloyd wright's) posted in the last thread.  suepalo.  second one posting all the way down this week.     And the doctors are going along with these things! amazing


litecloud;;where are you?

[Indiana]

I see nothing in the last few threads that say anything about alternative tx. What are you lookin at?
Lloyd Wright is an IDIOT. His plan is just another Nutball way for them to try to make money off of the poor folks that are desperately grasping at hope and are too afraid to do what needs to be done to finally end it. Not even ONE single person has EVER been "cured" by his "Plan". It is just a scam.
Show me the person or thread and I will "personally" go there and find out the truth. I have investigated many who have claimed "alternative" ways of actually clearing this.......it has NEVER happened. They either never had HCV or never had the proven tests to show that it's gone.
There is NO alternative method that will kill this virus. The interferon and Riba CAN........PERIOD!

[DonL]

Fantastic news. Since most relapse by now, this is really good. Congratulations.

[jonihs]

Way to go. The hard part now is waiting, but you'll breeze through, I just know it.
                       Love, Joni

[Indiana]

That person WILL be back......and in much worse shape than they were before. I have been around way too long to be fooled by "temporary" effects of the "alternatives". There is NOTHING that will cure HCV besides your own immune system. The ONLY thing that going to the proper levels is the current combo tx. Some will try to say different.....but if you follow them you will see that it does not happen.......and quite often gets worse due to the effects of those "alternatives".
Treat it right or live with it. Pick one if your goal is to just live. There is NO other way.

[honey1616]

Hey..I'm applauding!! Way to go...I hope your life is getting back to normal and you are enjoying...

Who is the heck is lloyd write and what is cs??  Alternative? If that is the case,,,I do know someone that was doing something on that order and I was keeping tabs on them but no luck for him.

[layla]

Hey, congrats! Glad to hear it. I hope your celebrating tonight! LL

[CCgirl]

Way to go!!! what a relief for you, hoping to have the same good results in 3 months, heck I havent even gotten my 24 week heptimax results back from Monday, think I am jumping the gun a little?? LOL. I think I am just sooo excited to be done with TX.. 8 more Ribas to Go!!

You guys are great, I have lurked the past 6 months due to fatigue but read all the posts!

Kennedge Keep up the good work!!

[lackalustre]

lloyd wright is indeed a scam artist.  been there done that.  i tried every natural thing there is for many years.  my liver was not getting better. finally took the cure and got cured in 2003.     lloyd appears to be very caring, will even give free samples of products to get you started on his herbal program.  but if you disagree with him or challenge him on anything he gets nasty pretty fast.   also his thymus frozen extract is  horrifically expensive and you wont get "well" without it of course.    beware

[honey1616]

Okkkkk....now I know who he is and yes if I remember right...That frozen thymus is very expensive..Did you order that and go through that?

[cuteus]

she posted in the last thread, the one on that herb Sho-saiko-to. i was looking for getting better who is on colloidal silver and found this suepaelo posting on HER alt tx.  Good Lord, I hope someone can convince them. come to think about it if they were so sure about their alt tx, why come here? If they want to announce the great news, why post all the way down.
   LOST souls that found a wolf in silver coating.

[cuteus]

Ty for trying to reach her also.  What a strange week. They are coming here because deep down, they feel that is not the right path.


I was thinking about the menses thing after you mentioned it.  mine was heavier in the begining, i believe because of the lowering rbc.  It is more normal now. and remember when ring posted that same problem way back when? BTW she went to some confernce on hcv in Canada.  I hope she comes here to post on it.
be well

[DH Bill]

Way to go, man!!!!!!!

[Indiana]

hahahahahaha   I know what you are saying. But I still see the mother instinct in you comming out to these maniacs. They are lost....at least until they wake up. They do not ask us a question....but rather try to impress everyone with the idea that they have found some here to fore "secret" CURE that nobody has ever seen! hahahahahaha  They are NUTS! There are a couple of BILLION people on this planet. Does any sane person really think that THEY are really gonna find something to cure any disease that the modern medical community hasn't already looked at? NOT LIKELY!
There is no saving people like that. They will try their "Cures"...and they will either die or get worse in the end. I see many come back here later whining about their load and damage levels......the rest are either dead ot too embarrassed to come back. Not even ONE has come back "cured". NONE!
On the other hand.....MANY on the current tx have come back SVR. It does work for most. But not all. It's a **** shoot....but the "odds" are in our favor now.
We are a patient to patient support forum. hose folks are NOT patients. They are simply individuals who have decided NOT to be "patients" but rather to become their own doctors. They usually quit posting after they realize that nobody with a brain agrees with their "Miracle Cure".
We need to focus on the folks that have decided to make a "rational" decision to try to save themselves. This includes the ones who want to try the "Healthy Lifestyle" route. I applaud them because they are more brave than I am. But I will do all I can to cheer them on. Most of them WILL live long enough to die of something else. I can olny wish them well. As they too are not patients on tx I end to discount most of their problems and info.
Our focus is just to get through our tx and be done with it......ok, I DID want to have sex again......but it's STILL about killig The Dragon.
Do tx once....Do it twice......3 times.....whatever it tales.
Kill the Ba$tard or live with IT forever. That is the REAL choice here.................

[madbyron]

Congratulations, Ken. It sure is great to hear that the all the hard work and sacrifice is paying off for you. I

[mikesimon]

Wonderful news Ken. I've got my fingers crossed real tight for you. Only the best my friend. Good luck. Mike

[GwithHepC]

Your comments are incredibly offensive to those of us who have decided to not treat - for whatever reason.  Both myself and my 13-year-old daughter are infected, and we have damn good reasons for not treating at the moment.  I find the self-righteous, pro-tx stance on the board condescending.  I thought this board was for people with hepatitis c and their struggles, whether treating or not.  Until this point I have stayed out of all the bulls**t on this board, but I am really sick and tired of reading all the smug, snippy comments.  Scott - your backhanded swipes at Thanbey are growing really old - get a hobby.  Indiana, the tone of your comment above sounds like you can't wait for people to come crawling back and say Indiana, you were right, I should have listened to you man. That may happen once in a while, but many more times than not I suspect it won't, and the person has made the right decision given their circumstances.  My doctor is a top hepatologist, and one who specializes in Hepatitis c, and he has advised that not only can I wait, but he recommended I do wait.  In this day and age of frivolous law suits, do you think he would would make this recommendation lightly?  He is the director of a research center in New York dedicated to Hepatitis C research - do you think he is an idiot?  

I agree with the comments on Lloyd Wright, but to copy someones posts from weeks ago into this thread, so they can be ripped  apart and ridiculed is reprehensible.    

I am neither pro-tx nor anti-tx.  I wish everyone luck in whatever path they decide to take.  But more and more the climate on this board is indifferent at best, and sometimes outright hostile, to anyone who, god forbid, has decided that hepatitis c is not an imminent death threat.  This is not, to my knowledge, a support board for only those people on tx, if it is, than that should be posted.  As one who is waiting at the moment, it definitely doesn't feel supportive.  

Someone asked about the possibility of a person considering tx seeing Thanbey's posts and deciding not to treat, and that this person may wind up becoming seriously ill from this decision - and that she would be responsible.  Well the opposite can very well happen also.  Someone considering tx can see the above posts and decide to treat and have permanent side effects from the tx itself and wish they never treated.    


Indiana, you just seem like you are on a mission.  Well missionaries turn me off. (no doubt you will turn this into an obvious joke about the missionary position) I don't appreciate your making such negative predictions about the future of those opting to wait to treat.  They are neither accurate nor supportive of those that can't treat, won't treat, or for those that tx didn't work.  

The one thing on this board lately that makes me reconsider tx is that some of those on it seem to have an incredible amount of energy to direct at meaningless bulls**t.  Conspiracy theories, digging up old posts from people who are using alternative means of treatment so they can be ridiculed, and the list goes on.  If tx gives you that much disposable energy, it may be worth a shot.

I'm off the bleachers now.  And it is personal.

G

[cuteus]

It is understandable that the way some things are expressed can be offensive to some and not to others.  some have the gift of diplomacy and some use the tough love approach.  there is a style for everyone.  some like Bob Hope, others like Chris Rock...and on it goes.

The post you refer to was not reprinted for ridicule, and it was not an old post (dated 3/26) it was placed in the thread under the 3/15 date, and found there by some of us that are concerned about those that are been misdirected. I am not sure why you felt it was hung out for ripping and I kind of resent that statement.

I always felt that this forum was for the support of anyone related to hcv, in any form it may come.
I am sure that you are living in some amount of fear for you and your daughter, I know I would, even if I felt I have made the correct decission about tx, fear would still be there because I don't know how the virus is attacking me and my loved one on a daily basis.  stats might show a positive side, but fear lingers regardless.

I do hope that once you have time to sort this out, that you will see that the benefit of the board outweighs the seldom downfalls.
If this board is not offering you any kind of benefit, then it is certainly understandable not wanting to get involved.
The best to you and your baby.

[GwithHepC]

Chevy:

Thank you for your kind words.  That is very sweet of you.

Cuteus:

If you truly believe this board if for everyone, why ask:

"...come to think about it if they were so sure about their alt tx, why come here?"

Why not come here?  If you truly believe this board is for all people, on traditional tx or not, I don't think you would have asked this.  Perhaps people who are not on tx still want to read and learn about this disease and share their experiences with others.

You then say:

"They are coming here because deep down, they feel that is not the right path."

Really?  Again, those of us not on tx can't come here for support from others dealing with the Hepatitis C virus and ALL the issues surrounding it, tx related or not?

You ask:

"If they want to announce the great news, why post all the way down."

Perhaps she posted all the way down because it was an appropriate topic and she was sharing her experience.  It makes perfect sense she posted there.  Why feel the necessity to make an issue of it?

You say you are concerned about her but then call her a "LOST soul..."  That smacks of condescension, not concern.

G

[cuteus]

These people are hcv positive and are engaging in a form of tx that has not been proven safe and effective and peer reviewed.
I am concerned that they are wasting time and money, and health. The statement, why do they come here, was expressed as meaning they are not sure it is the right thing and they are seeking justification by whatever mean that I am not aware of; by listening to our bad sides, the relapsers,etc. Or they want to verify there is nothing else. If indeed they are so positive that is the right tx for hcv, why not post their svr and cure?

Yes, in my opinion, they are lost and been directed by the opportunistic money maker.  If it sounds condescending...well, it is your opinion.  just as you felt the reprinting was for ridicule.

be well

[GwithHepC]

Honesty is not synonymous with beating people over the head continuously with your opinion.  Your opinion is patently obvious; you have stated it over, and over, and over, and over again, ad infinitum.  Trust me, we get it.  It seems you will not be happy until she stops posting.  Given the fortitude she seems to show, I highly doubt that will happen.  So are we then to have to read these little swipes at her peppered through-out every other post?  Do you really think this is productive?  All it does it add an element of hostility to this board that I think everyone can do without.  I have opinions about people, but I am not going to post them continuously under the guise of being Honest.  There is a point where being so called "honest" crosses a threshold into being obtuse; that threshold has been crossed in this instance a long time ago.

G

[crybabytoo]

It is fruitless to try to reason with closed minds. Riba induced or otherwise. Rest assured there are those who feel as you, just not so vocal. Continue to use the Forum to gain info, particularly from Thanbey, but also from all others (even Scott)...

[GwithHepC]

You are absolutely right.  Thank you.

G

[GwithHepC]

I have to apologize, I just saw the following in your post:

"We need to focus on the folks that have decided to make a "rational" decision to try to save themselves. This includes the ones who want to try the "Healthy Lifestyle" route. I applaud them because they are more brave than I am. But I will do all I can to cheer them on. Most of them WILL live long enough to die of something else. I can only wish them well. As they too are not patients on tx I end to discount most of their problems and info."

This statement on your part does ameliorate some of the strong pro-tx bias I have often felt and the exclusionary comments and doom and gloom predictions for those who choose not to tx.

G

[Indiana]

DAM.......I just HATE IT when I have to go to work and miss all the fun some days.
I got spanked and thrown into the missionary position and didn't even know it!
I must be gettin old.......

Is there a question anywheres in there or am I just missin it?

[Tallblonde]

GwithHepC has the integity to apologize for overlooking one of the points you made and all she's gets in return is more smart-alecky condescension.  Well, she may have erred to some extent, but her general point was right on target.  You do come across like a stone and brimfire preacher warning the "unsaved" about the damnation that inevitably awaits them.

Indiana, I read one of your rants back in October when I was first diagnosed.  At the time, I was completely ignorant about HCV and took your words VERY seriously.  I was ready to sign up for treatment the next day.  But then an interesting thing happened.  Two GI's in two different cities both gave me the exact same advice:  WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING BETTER COMES ALONG.  Thank goodness MedHelp has started issuing the disclaimer at the top of every thread.  Immediate treatment IS NOT the right approach in every case.  At least that's what my two GI's and the one GwithHepC goes to agree on.  

Here's some advice to you...be gracious and accept G's apology and while you're at it, tone down the doomsday rantings.

Susan