Correct health contacts/doctors in Niagara.

I want to speak with C folks in Niagara Falls & St. Catharines as they will know who to avoid in medical. A learned curve. Also persons focused on nutrition.

In 8 years I still do not have a doctor, met lots of liver killing pill pushers. I do have upcoming appt's.

Currently distracted with pneumonia, antibotic (antibiotic) working on the pain issues, time will tell with lungs & liver.

Like I said 'meet knowledge', not discuss myself in forums. Email is handy thereafter.

Advice to newly diagnosed : IT'S YOUR NUTRITION. YOU.

I've found 2 books helpful. Don't recall doc names, both are women doctors in USA. Liver diseases : In most libraries. Forum ref, "a great doctor with poor bedside manners". The other is nutrition, out of Minnisota, owns clinics for the uncurable. I think the title is "28 days to sobriety". You will learn nutrition to your circumstances. I'm outdated, so I expect more from this doctor.

Memory is disabled somewhat. A future to all.

A senior.

[BoceprevirGal]

I'm sorry to hear about your pneumonia, and I certainly hope it clears up, from the antibiotics. I am from Northern California, so I cant help you out too much, with you reputable Docs in yr area.
  I have been focused on my nutrition, since my Hep C diagnosis, 20 yrs ago, so I will tell you my favorite nutrition book: "Healing With Whole-Foods" by Paul Pitchford.
  To treat lung problems, I like to make a big pot
of vegetable soup, and I use tons of cabbage, carrots, celery, and any other veggies that you love. The cabbage is particularly good for the lungs, good luck!

[remindme]

Hi Gal, Pneumonia is just a reminder. First thought is loose some weight, no appettite maybe 10 days.
I'm not handy in the kitchen, so do snacks & V8, way too much bread. No fat, no salt, no cholesterol, bla-bland & boil. No-fat yogurt, etc. Swear by oatbran once or twice a day. 5 fruits everyday, usually forget & gorge in the evening. Yep I read nutrition labels, so nothing boxed. I do slide but not for long, days.

So I'm healing, urine changing back to near normal, 2 days of blood cell turnover, dark but clear , so livers/kidneys working. This seems quick, fever is less now, never went over 101.7. Right now a normal temp but sweating. This the 4th day of antibiotic, Mylan-azithromycin, 6 pack of 250mg. I've had few antibiotics in my lifetime, usually late.

So I have 2 sets of blood work in-hand, 2 months apart. Sort out & nail shortcomings with nutrient. A theory.

Are you in good shape 20 years later?  Are you coast or forest there? Tired now, later.

[orphanedhawk]

There's a link to doctors recommended for hep c treatment in my profile but there aren't any in your area.

You could try this site to find a doctor for hep C treatment.

http://www.hcvcme.tv/cme_faculty/index.cfm

Good luck,
OH

[remindme]

I should have posted Ontario, thinking St. Catharines eliminates any
NY ref. Fever & low oxygen error. Thanks for posting.

[remindme]

I found the titles to good books for liver & nutrition health.
Dr. Melissa Palmer's Guide to Hepatitis & Liver Disease. Covers all L. disease & diet.

"Seven weeks to sobriety" by Joan Mathews Larson. A powerful book, cuts right thru your guilts, the chemistry of brain dysfunction, what failed between your stomach & mind. ( the RELIEF of that understanding opens the door to self healing)
Poor nutition causes all chemical addictions, booze/drug/tobacco. A healthy brain does not like impairment. The hurtle that trips your recovery, crawl over this & quick.

My memory was way off on title name, I'm a victim of anti-depressant seritonin poisoning. Laugh it off or it kills you.

[BoceprevirGal]

  Glad your feelin better, the Azythromycin is usually very effective, for Pneumonia and even Whooping Cough.
   You diet sounds pretty good, and I eat way too much
bread also. The Oatbran works great, and I took it, mixed with flax-meal, in my yogurt, when I was in Treatment, this past year.
  My Hep C didn't start bothering me, until I stopped
having babies, and went into menopause. Then it flared right up!  My liver biopsy last Dec, had me at a Stage 2, but with grade 3 inflamation (inflammation). My liver enzymes (ALT/AST) became 10 times more elevate dthan normal, and my platlets began to slide, they were below normal (120(000) for several months, which points to the fadt that I was heading towards cirrhosis, along with 2 other blood tests that indicated the same thing ( I also had a FibroSure Test done, whichindicated I did have cirrhosis, but my Doctor chose my biopsy)
  All in all, I would guess I was at Stage 3. My white and red blood cells also began to get low. I had always had normal lab work, until I turned 49 yrs.
  I did do well during my 28 wks of Treatment, with
Inteferon shot (once wkly) and I also had to take 18 pills a day: 12 Victrelis pills, and 6 ribaviran pills.
   The fact that I was educated on nutrition totally
helped me get thru the Treatment, I feel. I will find out if I am cured, around right before Valentines Day, we have to wait 6 months after Treatment ends, but I cleared the virus at 4 weeks, and my liver enzymes went back to completely normal. That was a first, in 20 yrs!
  I am in the S.F Bay Area, the coast, but we have forest at the top of the hills, as well. You are in Canada then? Make sure to come back and run your labs by us, when you get yr results.
  

[orphanedhawk]

Yes, it helps to know where you are.

From this thread :
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Who-is-your-good-doctor-/show/1715783

willb posted this:

For those in  the Province of Ontario Canada.. The Liver Clinic at the Toronto General Hospital  (Western Division ) is  considered   "Top Notch"
Many knowledgeable Hepa's there with decades of experience with all liver diseases .
Involved in many of the current HCV trials.

[remindme]

Its obvious no one local to me is active on this forum. Thats all I'm here for. Toronto may as well be on the moon, at least it would be visable.

Toronto is 84 miles from me, no access. Hamilton Mcmaster is the transplant center, thats 45 miles.

I don't need a group to manage my nutrition. My problem is stonewalled by doctors for 8 years. I have no need to discuss my health details in public forums. I have little to share, done that above.

I need to find Ontario C groups, TO find locals to me. From this I can track some folks & look into my source of C. I was a traveller, met lots of fine women. Do I tell everyone, or be prudent & contact by time line.You see my issue?  Good diet keeps organ symptoms at bay, what about others I may have infected, however slim them odds.

If I was in treatment, I would share that experience with the same, support others.

Organized groups here go thru/into aids meetings, no thanks. Told a few years ago there is no funding for C.  

NA groups is a logical approach...populated with guys my age & the young/vunerable needing help. They do not get nutritional help...buy yer pills?...none...sex for a pill?...wanna sell?. Sicko predators...good place to empty a clip EACH visit, get back to the basics of help. I spoke to an old contact, said he ran a meeting..."really only go to take $5-10 for gas money"...creep.
Nutrition discussion is not wanted...only more victims. I had a child to cure awhile back...nutrition worked, 10 years gone bye. NA was handy for social distraction in the early stages. Today its mostly the court ordered & the predators, welcome to the future of poverty.

There was an internet group based out of Oshawa, "fighting the dragon" ring any bells?

[orphanedhawk]

Please remember that we are trying to help.

Your source of hep C is probably the least relevant thing about having the virus. Many people have no idea how or when they got it. What is important is what you do with what you know NOW.

I traveled f over 100 miles to see my hepatologist the first time I did treatment. We all do what we have to do and make the choices that seem best to us. I was seeing a GI who was closer, but switched to a more qualified hepatologist even though he was further away and it was the best decision I ever made.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
OH

[maybe368]

45 miles? In phoenix 45 miles gets you half way across town. The people here are very nice and helpful and only have intentions to help. Also, as said, how you got it doesn't really matter, it's how you gey rid of it..Mark

[rk2761]

I'm not sure how the medical system works in the US, but in Canada, you can't see a specialist, like a hepatologist or GI guy or oncologist or dermatologist, without first being recommended by your general practitioner. They function as gatekeepers to the world of the specialists.

So even if Remindme goes to the clinic in Toronto - he won't be able to see a specialist without a recommendation.

At least that's how it is in Alberta. Remindme, is it like that in Ontario? You say you are being stonewalled by your doctor. I assume you mean your general practitioner won't refer you to a specialist?

If that's the case, start with another GP and get a referral to a specialist. If you have Hep C, you need to see a specialist.

And don't think TO is too far away. You won't have many visits. I've seen my hepatologist twice in a year and my nurse two or three times. I usually just telephone for my lab results. If there's a problem, the nurse makes recommendations for dose adjustments, phones prescriptions to my pharmacy, or lines me up with other specialists (like dermatologists).

So you can do this at a distance. I was once considering going to Chicago for treatment (a four-hour international flight), because it was taking so long to get into a hepatologist here (7 months). The doc in Chicago said it was easy to treat at a distance. But I changed my mind when the Chicago hospital gave me an estimate - they wanted a downpayment of $150,000 USD. Yikes! Lucky for me I got into the liver clinic here a couple of weeks later.

Good luck with it.