What is the objective here?Life? Or life and more abundantly?

[kettyboo]

My name is carol Ive had hepc10+ yrs.I also am a recovering addict,I have always liked to drink and in 1986 I went to work in a factory as a extrustion operator, lifting 55lb bags repetative basis was a must I was the only woman in the company as they said a woman could not perform the duties of this job WRONG! drivng a fork lift,climbing in and out of 2n3 story silos for cleaning purposes loading and unloading raw materials fnished goods on and off  trucksetc.1996 I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis a had back surgery 2x,became disabled from the surgery and "crippled"from the pain killers not understanding opiates at the time,and reconizing the addiction! I started drinking very heavily to fill the void I was left with every time I ran out of pills.And became "and alky"in and out of rehab 11 times time  11 a addictionoligist caught the problem! I have been sober 2+ yrs and clean going on 6 months.I have to take suboxone possbly the rest of my life.Now that I have taken care of these problems its time to take care of this hepc.When  went to the doctor ten yrs ago after being diagnosised geneo type 1.I was told if  quit drinkng I would possibly live a good 20 30 yrs.I was also told if ,I took the treatment it would buy me 20 yrs.I did the math and came up with 20 yrs either way.My question being when the treatment is over will I feel better? is there a signifacant difference in the way you feel after treatment IF it works?Or does it merely kill off to keep from spreading into liver cancer or whatever comes next?In 1999 when I was diagnosed my viral count was 648,000 I contnued to drink,and drugs for several years in and out of rehab trying to control it failing,fighting the wrong addicton.Now that I am sober my viral count went down from 7.5000.000-to 489,000 less than when I was diagnosised.How ever what I feel now is the virus t self not elevated liver whatever because of alcohol and drugs.If you follow what I am saying.I feel tired all the time.I can barely swallow water at times it all comes back up.Somethng n there is swollen or not opening? also cramps and muscle pain is unbearable and I wondered if may my nutients are not beng distibuted as they should from liver failure?I had ask some of these questons on another site but since then my brother has had a quadruple bypass and my parents had to be accompined to see him 100 miles away with stay over twice,and night before last mother had to go to er with admittance herself for low sodium and blood exaustion from the heat as the heat index down n charlston sc was 117 todaysin a row.And then last night I was at er with yeast nfection in throat and also bronchitus so my doctors appt with the gastro dr is on the 3rd.to set up for treatment.What can I expect?First off now that I waited 11 yrs to take the treatments I wonder if it will still by me 20 yrs? I hear this stuff is kinda rough on your liver it self? what are major side affects etc? my letter i does not work so well so over look spelling please.

[kettyboo]

Good morning! I hope you feel all right this morning.Your Dr's report appears to be the same as mine. Theres acute hepc,chronic hepc,Cirrhosis,an liver cancer? right? My doctor was againist me taking it right now because theres treatment in the works and he said I would be better to wait as the Interferon is really bad on your other organs as well?If you dont mind me asking how did get it?For me I am not sure But think it was my last husband I got it from.I was cleaning out drawers and found a letter from red cross telling  him not to donate any more because his blood was tainted with hepc and his iron was up as well,I didnt even know what it was.I had never heard of it before.But after I found out he had it I learned our town is swarmng with it.Why did your doctor want you to take it so early with the other meds coming out soon?That was back in 1999 when I found out I had it.Wow I am so sorry once again your picture of you and your husband is a wonderful picture with alot of happiness showing through your smile, I do hope you will be fine after this treatment.I heard you say you work?Im disabled from work and have been for 15 yrs.

[Diane12855]

I drive to Ballantyne to see my doctor. All of the doctors in my town devide themselves between here and some other town and aren't available more than 3 days a week. Since I'm doing the Pegsys/ Ribavirin treatment, I needed somebody who is available incase something goes wrong. So far so good.

I think we have all done things in the past that we aren't proud of. There isn't anything we can do about that, but we can do something about today and tomorrow. I really don't know anything about Suboxone.

Diane

[kettyboo]

I hope I got your number behind your name right,Man am I glad to hear from you.I sent you a note however I am new at this and everything I have learned on this laptop has been on my own and I dont have a clue how to send a email  had you notsent me that note I would not have known you could do that also I cant type very well so it takes for ever.Anyway I have a hard time getting back to where I have been,Had you not sent the note I would not be here cause my meds cause me to forget on a daily basis anyway I am gonna pay attention to where I am and see if I can get back here.I need someone to talk to Im am very lonely however a  bunch of people on opiates is not gonna be them I am on medication because of opiate addiction and am not real proud of it.I had a bunch of surgery as I mentioned before,and no one bothered to tell me it was addictve when I started and when I became addicted I didnt know because I didnt what withdrawls were.Drugs have never been a bigthing to me.I have experienced with different stuff over years just as other people have however,I ended drinking and doing quite a few things I would have done had I not done the pills or had been warned about the possibuilty of being crippled from taking them.Anyway me and a guy got in quite a little heated conversation over it, he was talking about transplant and I knew he was on suboxone which is maintenece thearpy drug for opiate addicts.And I said yea thats what I was worried about as I was expecting the same thing.So I mentioned the fact of buprenorphine being the 2nd most powerful opiate in the surgical feild in the world and he thought I was lying and questioned it and then someone else chimed inand said something to the effect of it beng pretty much street redrick like I was some kind of idiot and I just think not! Anyway I through the DEA report out so they could pul lit up and see I was telling the truth,And then he went to calling it crap this and that saying they didnt know this and that. And its quite obvious that they were saying the numbers as for Instance ya know.They used morphine to express the fact that it was infact as strong as it was because he new everyone knows that was the strongest  at one time.And they said 30to50 tmes stronger to also give it 20mgs flexibulty anyone that drugs would know this.There is no comparison between buprenorphine and morphine as they are to totally different  substances and have totally different effects period anyway I wish I had not said anything at all.I been back and forth with him every since  and its some tme now and am done talking about it you would think that anyone addicted one opiate would check another one out before taking it I know I did it took me awhile to decide what to do in situation,And I dont like it and am certainly not proud of it how ever I gtta do what I gotta do. anyway enough  of all that its really depressing for me and I came to get away from some depression?I hope you are having awonderful day I am! Outside of my back killing me.Its been sometime since ve been over your way pretty country over there.How are the doctors there? We dont have any support of any kind for hepc.And know knows anything here about Suboxone at all.None of the doctors here write prescriptions for it.So I feel stressed out for this reason all the time,if you dont what suboxone is it is and opiate blocker of sorts you cannot feel any type of opiate taking it.So I was real nervous about getting those test results back ya no?anyway Ill wait for your response my back is killing me I need to lay down a while. Carol

[nygirl7]

Just take it one day at a time Ketty - even though that is an AA slogan it's very relevent when you have a disease like HCV.  Im very glad that you are sober - that is about the best thing you can do to help yourself AND that liver of yours.  It is important and special so treat it just like gold :)

[Diane12855]

Your biopsy results don't look too bad. That's good news. At least you can afford to wait until the new drugs come out. So far they are still using interferon in combination with the new drugs though.

Are you still drinking? That is the worst thing that you can do when you have hep c from what I have read. I know it is hard to stop, but your health is worth it, if you haven't already.

Check out the web sit www.hcvadvocate.org  and look under "Extrahepatic Manifestations of Chronic Hepatitis C". There are a couple of things mentioned that could explain your source of pain.

I hope things go well for you,
Diane

[kettyboo]

Oh yea I had forgotten about the swellng in my throat he done a endscopy and found that I had Esophagitis,prescribed prilosec  20 mgs 1 a day.I just didnt think it had anything to do with reflux because it doesent burn.And also it never seems to get far enought to encounter any acid.Really that shocked me to I dont know how much of my story you have read.But at one time I drank extremely bad and on Sundays when I couldnt get a drink I would drink Isopropal Alcohol,perfume,lysol which I dont think even has alcohol content after I read it,straight vanilla,etc just whatever trying to fill this empty void, I along with everyone else' thought' was alcoholism that turned out to be and opiate addiction theres been times I have thrown up what appeared to be my guts really looked like chittlens in  the store and if nothing else I assumed ulcers or something to that effect.          Anyway have a blessed day.

[kettyboo]

Sorry it took so long to respond.I am so sorry you have to go through this.I do wish there something someone could do about this situation,over all.I did go the doctor on the 3rd of this month because I like you thought with the way my bodys reacting it must be getting pretty bad.He ordered a ultrasound biopsy and endoscopy.I had already gave up on living,I would not and will not later take interferon.My doctor has been in bussiness for 29yrs hes from India studied there,Was assisting professor in harlem at one of there gastroenterolist schools.also professor of gastrolgy at university of S.C at Columbia S.C.etc been  in private practice since 2000.Anyway results are.I have chronic hepc Geno type 1a stage 1-2 Have minimal Inflamation,with fatty liver detected.On a scale from a to z  I am a, d-e from cirrhosis. My viral load is 6.222.My enzemes are well with in normal Range.I was shocked! And had he not given me a  copy of my records on my way out I cant say as I would have beleived it.These pains in my legs are horrible and the spasms all over are really bad.As far as anything else goes I am good.I had three factors to deal with.1-hepc 2-Alcoholism, drug abuse,3- I am over weight a good 100lbs and I fixin to drop it like bad habbit.He said there coming with some other med theripin or something to that effect. Take care.

[Diane12855]

I'm on shot 17 today and my sx so far don't sound as bad as what you are already experiencing. 10 years ago they didn't know nearly as much about hep c as they do now, so if I were you, I'd forget what that doctor told you and get a biopsy to find out the exact condition of your liver today. You were led here for a reason... could it be because now it the time to do something to protect your future?

Diane

[mikesimon]

Right!

Mike

[kettyboo]

I am just getting to these messages I have had,thanks for considering me in your morning N.Y is a really different place from where I come how ever I see we have some of the same problems one being people getting Jesus Christ and some little troll they call a lepracaun mixed up you see one you get cookies from and one you get blessings like you and I from sounds like you had it pretty rough to for him to have to step up to the plate he dont come unless you ask, life must have gotten pretty devastating for you at some point I know it did for me.I ran away to the Bronx when I was 11 yrs old  was being molested at home and had to leave when I realized what was going on then I started getting threatened  on top of it,so I left I can promise you its Know luck that I still around clean and sober.I give him all the credit that way I can make it over the next mountain coming up,cause He knows I love and Im thankful for all he does.God bless have a beautiful day.Carol

[nygirl7]

I've been on suboxone for about seven years and just now am trying to taper down to get off of it. I treated for 72 weeks and have been cured over 3 years.  I write this to tell you to be encouraged - many of us have been through ordeals like you and somehow we've made it out the other side on not only treatment but drugs too.

As everyone has stated - start by finding a good doctor, have your biopsy and see where you stand as far as how badly damaged your liver is. Once you know and understand it makes it much easier to decide if you need to treat now or if you have time to wait to see if/when the newer drugs pan out.

I was already stage 3 when diagnosed (4 is cirrhosis) so I did not feel I had any time to wait.  I never had any symptoms and my diagnoses came as quite a shock but it usually comes to everyone that way!

Good luck!

[child24angel]

I'm sorry I got your name wrong:(

[orphanedhawk]

I think the answer to your question has can't be answered without knowing what condition your liver is in. If your liver is diseased, then, yes you will definitely feel better after treatment if it works, of course.
If your liver is in good enough shape, I'd advice waiting for the new meds to become available before doing treatment.
Good luck,
OH

[child24angel]

You might want to find a good hepatologist in your area and go from there. Maybe your
next appointment with your gastro can help.
There are sides....yes, some people sail right through and others have
substantial problems.  I don't understand why your doctor said it would only
buy you 20 more years, once you rid the HCV virus, it's gone.  

You may never be able to drink again, however, you might rid the virus.

Unless I've missed something..you need to get a biopsy and go from there.

I wish you the very best possible outcome.
Elaine