Aa
hep c
Getting my blood work back tomorrow, I'm scared as hell. No one messaged me when I posted last. I'm new to this so...i hope I'm doing I right. Ha! If I did things right I guess I wouldn't be here. They already said I was positive trying to find out how bad. I'm very bloated, but insides hurt so bad. And then when I push its hard as a rock...i wouldn't be surprised if I'm full of cancer at this point. They want me to go for another sonogram...why? The last one they blew off what they saw. I feel so sick I wish
Hi E..Welcome to the community. You have so many great people here all with very helpful information.
Flyinlynn, Mama, and Pat have given you some great advice, please consider their suggestions to start your way to a healthier new year..
Good Luck & Best Wishes
Deb
Flyinlynn, Mama, and Pat have given you some great advice, please consider their suggestions to start your way to a healthier new year..
Good Luck & Best Wishes
Deb
I can't say it any better than Lynn and AMama did. Just wanted to say
Welcome to the Forum.
Please know that we are all here to comfort, support advise and answer you questions so that you will know what to ask your doctor.
All of us were jarred and, once we could think, scared when we found out. But IF you, indeed, have HepC, the treatments are excellent now, and with no or mostly mild sides ( Sx or Side Effects). This is, indeed, the time to get diagnosed (dx'd) as tx used to be from 24 - 72 weeks of a med with very bad sides for so many people - not the case anymore. Some people who have beeno treated before (some multiple times) or who have Gt3 (me) may be treated for 24 weeks, but generally tx is now 12 weeks and that time is growing shorter as more research is done.
Also, hepc is a slow developing disease, so you do have time to think things through and make sound decisions about treatment, when the time comes.
It doesn't hurt to start now on eating a liver friendly diet, drinking a lot of water - most people don't drink nearly enough as it is - cutting down on or cutting out sugars, sodium, redmeats. Water-standard recommendation has always been 8 8oz glasses per day for adults but for heppers it is usually 1 oz water for each pound of weight up to 1/2 your body weight, per day. One of the additional benefits of that much is that it does seem to help w/symptoms on tx.
IF you use alcohol and/ or smoke, then stop or start stopping those activities. Same with recreational drug use.
On here, no one cares where the hepc came from (AGAIN, IF you have it.). All we care about is getting rid of it. The health tips above are to keep from damaging your liver as all those things directly affect you liver, so they are good to do even if you don't have hepc.
As Dee said, get you tests done and get the results (ALWAYS get copies of you Lab results so you can keep them to look back on and compare) and then you will be able to get info and answers here, if you don't already have them from your Dr.
Good Luck! And again, welcome. Pat
Welcome to the Forum.
Please know that we are all here to comfort, support advise and answer you questions so that you will know what to ask your doctor.
All of us were jarred and, once we could think, scared when we found out. But IF you, indeed, have HepC, the treatments are excellent now, and with no or mostly mild sides ( Sx or Side Effects). This is, indeed, the time to get diagnosed (dx'd) as tx used to be from 24 - 72 weeks of a med with very bad sides for so many people - not the case anymore. Some people who have beeno treated before (some multiple times) or who have Gt3 (me) may be treated for 24 weeks, but generally tx is now 12 weeks and that time is growing shorter as more research is done.
Also, hepc is a slow developing disease, so you do have time to think things through and make sound decisions about treatment, when the time comes.
It doesn't hurt to start now on eating a liver friendly diet, drinking a lot of water - most people don't drink nearly enough as it is - cutting down on or cutting out sugars, sodium, redmeats. Water-standard recommendation has always been 8 8oz glasses per day for adults but for heppers it is usually 1 oz water for each pound of weight up to 1/2 your body weight, per day. One of the additional benefits of that much is that it does seem to help w/symptoms on tx.
IF you use alcohol and/ or smoke, then stop or start stopping those activities. Same with recreational drug use.
On here, no one cares where the hepc came from (AGAIN, IF you have it.). All we care about is getting rid of it. The health tips above are to keep from damaging your liver as all those things directly affect you liver, so they are good to do even if you don't have hepc.
As Dee said, get you tests done and get the results (ALWAYS get copies of you Lab results so you can keep them to look back on and compare) and then you will be able to get info and answers here, if you don't already have them from your Dr.
Good Luck! And again, welcome. Pat
I hope you get good news, but do your research as if you do have it now is the best time in the world. There are better drugs and much much easier to take. Everyone on here will help you. I got some wise advice from hectorSF who has been thru it. Don't waste your time on worry and how, just turn it toward how do I get rid of it. Most of us have treated over and over again, some of us have cirrhosis (me), some have had transplants (Maybe me), some have had Cancer, but get yourself educated about everything you can find, get a good hepatologist if possible, get nutritional support, and jump right in. My first treatment was in 2000, I got the virus best I can determine in 1990, I treated 3 times and waiting to see if last treatment worked. If not, I will do it all over again. Best advice, find out potential toxins to hasten liver disease and get rid of them. Good luck to you and don't hesitate to ask. Someone will answer you.
Oops also I am reposting this second comment it doesn't look like my post made it for some reason but now it will probably show up
Anyway welcome and glad you found your way here! Just wanted to let you know that hep c is not considered to be an STD it is a blood borne infection that requires blood to blood contact but there is a slight risk especially as you said in your other post your boyfriend had HIV.
So when you said you have hep c have you had the antibody test or the test for the virus itself the HCV RNA test?
If you have ever been exposed to hep c you will test positive for the hep c antibody but that doesn't necessarily mean you are currently infected with hepatitis c. About 25% of people beat the virus on their own. The only way to know if you are currently infected with hep c is the HCV RNA test which is done after a positive result on the hep c antibody test.
You said sonogram I am not sure what that is could you mean abdominal ultrasound? What were the results? Have you had a liver function blood test to see if you have elevated liver enzymes ALT and AST?
If you could let us know more about what you know so far we may be able to help you sort it all out
Good luck
Lynn
Anyway welcome and glad you found your way here! Just wanted to let you know that hep c is not considered to be an STD it is a blood borne infection that requires blood to blood contact but there is a slight risk especially as you said in your other post your boyfriend had HIV.
So when you said you have hep c have you had the antibody test or the test for the virus itself the HCV RNA test?
If you have ever been exposed to hep c you will test positive for the hep c antibody but that doesn't necessarily mean you are currently infected with hepatitis c. About 25% of people beat the virus on their own. The only way to know if you are currently infected with hep c is the HCV RNA test which is done after a positive result on the hep c antibody test.
You said sonogram I am not sure what that is could you mean abdominal ultrasound? What were the results? Have you had a liver function blood test to see if you have elevated liver enzymes ALT and AST?
If you could let us know more about what you know so far we may be able to help you sort it all out
Good luck
Lynn
Oops
Anyway welcome and glad you found your way here!
Just wanted to let you know that hep c is not considered to be an STD it is a blood borne infection that requires blood to blood contact but there is a slight risk especially as you said in your other post your boyfriend had HIV.
So when you said you have hep c have you had the antibody test or the test for the hep c virus the HCV RNA test?
If you only have hade the hep c antibody test that only means you were once exposed to the virus but could have gotten rid of the virus on your own about 25% of people do. The only way to know if you are currently, actively infected with hep c is with the test for the virus itself which in normally only done after a person tests positive for the hep c antibody.
You also nentioned a sonogram not sure what that is do you mean an abdominal ultrasound? Have you had a liver function profile blood test to see if you have elevated liver enzymes ALT and AST?
Please let us know more of what you know so we can give you more guidance
Best wishes
Lynn
Anyway welcome and glad you found your way here!
Just wanted to let you know that hep c is not considered to be an STD it is a blood borne infection that requires blood to blood contact but there is a slight risk especially as you said in your other post your boyfriend had HIV.
So when you said you have hep c have you had the antibody test or the test for the hep c virus the HCV RNA test?
If you only have hade the hep c antibody test that only means you were once exposed to the virus but could have gotten rid of the virus on your own about 25% of people do. The only way to know if you are currently, actively infected with hep c is with the test for the virus itself which in normally only done after a person tests positive for the hep c antibody.
You also nentioned a sonogram not sure what that is do you mean an abdominal ultrasound? Have you had a liver function profile blood test to see if you have elevated liver enzymes ALT and AST?
Please let us know more of what you know so we can give you more guidance
Best wishes
Lynn
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