How do I read and interpret my labs?

I am new to this - diagnosed about 30 days ago and am being rushed into everything. How do I know what my viral load is -  which prothrombin time do I use on my tracker, etc? I want to track myself if I can figure out how to use the tracker. I should have called myself "Lost & Confused". Any help is appreciated.

[newleaf09]

Get a copy of all of the lab results from the initial screening work done by your doctor.  It should have the test that verifies that you do have hepatitis C, a genotype test, a PCR (which tells your viral load), a complete blood count, a liver panel ( may be part of a larger test...has AST, ALT, albumin, bilrubin) and some tests like AFP (cancer screening) and ANA (anti nuclear antibodies, an indicator of autoimmune problems).  There should be PT (prothrombin time) and PTT (partial thromboplastin time) to see how well your blood clots (slow clotting is a sign of serious liver damage).  

Look all of the tests up online and figure out what they may have to do with hepatitis.  Looking them all up helped the numbers make sense to me.  I did not use the tracker, but just made a big table that I added the numbers to when I got them back.  It was very useful to see the changes in the numbers and understand what those changes meant (ex: PT/PTT clotting time was too long (slow) until the end of treatment, when it normalized.  Made me know that my liver had repaired).

Go to the Janis and Friends website, a hepatitis C educational site.  It is one of many good sites about HCV and its treatment.  You will learn a lot about all of the tests on that site.

[Liz122109]

Thanks so much for the new website. I have done a lot of searching and had not seen that one.

[IMSHAKININMYBOOTS]

i took an std test that came back positive for hep c antibodies. could the test have been wrong and should i get more blood work done. that was several months ago and i haven't had any symptoms accept for this tightness in my throat thats been going on since maybe the end of october?

[epiphiny]

Firstly, it is advisable to get a PCR test done which will measure your Viral Load.  Sometimes you can test positive for the antibodies but you don't actually have the virus.  If you have no viral load then you have no virus.  The only way to know is to do the test.

Secondly, if you post your question as a new thread then you will probably get more responses as your question is likely to get buried here.

All the best!

Epi :)

[nygirl7]

Most of us never have any 'symptoms' until it already very, very late in the game and the liver has progressed to cirrhosis.  I had no idea I had the disease and by the time I got my biopsy done was stage 3 already.  It's best to make sure either way.  Get the PCR test it will let you know if you have a viral load if you do you have the disease if you don't then you have the antibodies meaning you were exposed and had the disease but your body fought it off while it was just new.

Liz - always get all of your test results asap.  If you come in and post them in here people will show you which tests we really monitor the most and explain what the numbers mean.  Some are more important to be critically monitored than others.