Acute or Chronic fighting workmans comp.

[mycoldfeet]

I'm HepC 1a and just finished 48wks of tx a couple of months ago, took my supposed viral load test and should have had results back but they screwed up and wrote qualitative instead of quantitative, so got to wait again. My question is im a paramedic and for 10 years been working for the same company. am 99.9% sure by what patient I contracted it from and have documentation. In fact patient died 2 wks later. I was Dx with Hep C 2 years later after giving blood. Viral count 2 million + but no liver damage at all. The insurance co is giving me grief saying I could have had it for 20 years or more, 1st I have no tattoos, non drug user, monogamus relationship 18 yrs, I never missed a days work on the peg/riba tx and its not like I'm trying to quit work or anything like that, its just that I have a limit on my blue cross who has been paying and I think they should be reimbursed by workmans Comp and all my co-pays and out of pocket expenses paid back. Sure I know I do a dangerous job but we pay an outragous monthly workmans comp payment monthly, makes me mad how they treat people. But back to my main question is it feasable for me to have had this disease for 10 years or more with no damage at all. You know Dr.s they wont commit to anything on paper. I just value yalls opinion as I have throughout this ordeal. Any related info I can give my lawer would be appreciated thx guys.

[cuteus]

they can test the hcv virus in both of you and determine if it is the same strain, subspecies, etc.
  this is how they check for transmission  in sexual partners with no other risks.   I hope you can get the info on his hcv strain.

[britgirl]

Many thanks. I'll still be on vacation, though. have a great time!

[ringeding]

goodmorning, sorry haven't been on til now to respond.  as i understand, at least in canada, (i am sure the US as well), everytime you donate blood, they MUST record,name,(with proof via I.D.since the early 80's) date, time, etc.  having that recorded than is valuable for you, whether or not you have kept those records yourself, it IS documentated in a central registry for exactly this reason!!! if there was/were any abnormalties with your blood you would by law have been notified!!, so it is then safe to presume NO you did NOT have hep c prior to that time!!! they , blood donar clinic, must provide that info,  without disclosing the originating donor infected with hep c,lengthy process. also is there someone much higher up at workmans comp. that you could talk to,....oh, it is frustrating, but not impossible, i am sure you have already tried everything and are fed up and frustrated, as anyone would be. but please let us know how this continues to unfold okay.

i know here in canada, at least for Ontario, where i had recieved 3 transfusions, 1974,1976,1984...once i submit a claim, they then go back and access the originating donors file, test them, and if any of them test positive for hep c my claim is then substantiated. but it is a very slow process. 18 months. my heart goes out to you, what an amazing, nurturing, caring job you do as a paramedic, a job i imagine that attracts very kind and giving souls.

wish you all the best, wish i had a magic wand to wave.  i so admire you for managing to continue to work through tx with out missing a beat.....wow!!!!

take good care of you
kimmy

[jevs2]

Hi Britgirl
The Hep C conference is run by the UK Assembly on Hep C.
I don't have a phone number or address at the moment but will try and find them for you.
It is called '3rd National Hepatitis C mentoring conference'.
Thursday 10th June at the Oval Cricket Ground.
It is being supported by:  The Dept of Health, Roche, Shering-Plough, Mainliners, The Haemophilia society, The Yuan Clinic, The National Hepatitis C Resource Centre and Vernoncarus.
Free entry for individuals with Hep C, carers are charged

[britgirl]

There are two tests: the antibody test, and the qualitative RNA/PCR test. You will always be positive for the first, but will be negative for the second when/if the virus has been killed off. Believe me - I've done it!

[mycoldfeet]

yes I have given blood previously several times within that ten year span, and I have documentation from 5 people (deputy, firemen, 1st responders, and my partner on the ambulance) that the patient spit bloody sputem in my face and eyes. Not his fault he was in end stage cirrosis and brain full of uric acid which made him uncontrollable without restraints. P.S. I have gotten a statement from hosp. as cause of death due to complications of hep c and liver failure. Only problem is I lost the cards the blood bank gives u for your family in case of emergency in a fire. And with the hipa act and all that trying to get a doners name is impossible for me so far. But thank u for your input I appreciate it muchly.

[mycoldfeet]

from what I was told the qualitative test only shows you have been exposed to the disease and the core antibody for Hep shows up, and will the rest of your life, and the same test they use when u give blood. Well I knew I was exposed and diagnosed a year ago so the qualitative test is worthless when you want to know if the meds have rid your body of the actual virus. The quantitative test is the one the send out to the hepamax machine or whatever to make an actual count of the virus. If im wrong let me know.

[ringeding]

sorry, meant to say, you can have this disease for decades, or at least a decade with no apparent liver damage, no symtoms.

[britgirl]

A qualitative test is perfectly all right. It will tell you whether or not you have the virus. That is all I have ever had. Was it positive or negative?

[ringeding]

hey there, sorry for the stress this is causing you.  but to answer your question, yes it is entirely possible to have this virus for decades with no symptoms, or, with symptoms being attributed to other things, and hence missed completely.  my question for you is was there a time that maybe you donated blood prior to the last time, that could well substantiate that you did not have hep previously?

also, regardless of all that, if the patient you came in contact with died of hep c can you get documentation of this?.....was there any accidental slips where you may have come in direct contact with his blood? even using universal precautions, there are accidents, ripped glove etc. if that were to be the case, you can directly establish a link to him.

hope this helps, good luck with this.