A Guide for Healthy Living Without HCV

[flcyclist]

Following is a very good read many may have already seen and it may have previously been posted on this forum, but I just saw it for the first time.  It answers several commonly asked questions and would be a good resource to review if interested.  The total document (pdf) is about 10 pages and I only copied the forward.  The link to the article is at the end of this post.  

"The ideal outcome for hepatitis C (HCV) treatment is to have a sustained viral response (SVR). This means that HCV is non-detectable in the blood for at least six months after the last treatment dose. Approximately 80% of those who complete treatment will have this best possible outcome – a life free of hepatitis C (HCV). If you are reading this, presumably you were told that your HCV viral load was non-detectable. Congratulations. This is wonderful news.

Although your body is virus-free, you may still have questions and concerns about HCV. You may wonder, does this mean you are cured? Are you in remission? Does this mean you cannot infect anyone else? Can hepatitis C come back? Does this mean you can drink alcohol? What happens next? This guide addresses these and other common issues following a sustained viral response to treatment. Keep in mind that the study of HCV is still relatively new. Even less is known about what happens to those who have a sustained response to HCV treatment. We cannot provide concrete answers to all of your questions. We can pass along what we have learned from the experiences of others and ourselves. We hope it will provide a platform for you to build this next exciting stage of your life."

Lucinda K. Porter, RN
Writer, Hepatitis C Support Project
and HCV Advocate

Alan Franciscus
Executive Director, Hepatitis C Support Project
Editor-in-Chief, HCV Advocate

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/HCV%20Neg.pdf

[candyce1953]

Thank you for future reference!

[1swimmer]

Good info; certainly things I have not even thought about yet.

[MeWithC]

Yes thanks......I can add that to the collection

[Diane1186]

Great resource, thank you for sharing.

[2mlbb]

Great info. Thank you for posting....

[belle19]

i want to thank you so much for this post.  i found it very informative.  best wishes.  belle

[James10500]

Cool, I've never seen that. Thanks.

[BoceprevirGal]

Thank you for this post, I book-marked it, I'ma great believer in the power of positive thinking.
  The article brings up some good points, one being that we get used to having this identity: "the person with Hep C" etc.
   It's a very emotional time, when we decide to treat, while we are treating, and post treatment. We all have to remember to give our-selves lots of time to recover from this ordeal, and Ithink support groups are very important, in dealing with Hep C Recovery issues, etc.