Hi Donald, welcome to the discussion group. Here’s a link to the acronyms and abbreviations we use like alphabet soup around here:
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Hepatitis/Common-Hepatitis-C-Acronyms/show/3?cid=64
This page is also available in the right hand side of this page, down near the bottom in a box called ‘Most Viewed Health Pages’. If you have questions about any of this, please feel free to ask; most of the folks in here that have dealt with it for any time are familiar and will be happy to help if they can.
HCV *can* be serious for some of us, but it’s important to understand that only around 5% will succumb to it directly; the rest are likely to live a full life and die of other, unrelated causes. The problem that arises is that we can’t predict in advance who might be seriously affected by it at some point down the road.
A lot of us have dealt with depression and HCV too; they often go hand in hand, particularly for those that develop long term, significant issues like cirrhosis. The drug we use to manage the disease, interferon can exacerbate existing depression and anxiety in some individuals; but certainly not all. Have you been hospitalized for your depression? Often, getting balanced out with an antidepressant in advance of any treatment is all it takes.
Have you had a liver biopsy yet? Has one been discussed? Do you know what genotype, or strain of HCV you have? These are questions that are likely more important than liver enzymes at this point.
It’s not always critical to undergo treatment, either. Some patients with little liver damage (fibrosis) opt for a ‘watch and wait’ program, in the hopes of better, more patient friendly drugs in development.
Good luck to you, let us know how the appointment goes, and take care—
--Bill