Advice on current condition

[DSG]

I'm a 58 year young male.Outside of being diagnosed with HCV 5 years ago I'm in excellent shape.I'm 5"10 190lbs with a 34' waist.I go to the gym 4 days a week and bench press close to 300lbs.While my endurance is not what it was that could very well be due to age.

Anyway,I'm a geno1 and had my first bio 5 years ago and it came back 0.I had my last Bio last week and I'm waiting for results.I eat very healthy,no alchohol,don't smoke,and little red meat.

Having said all this positive stuff my Viral load has gone from 1 million to 33 million in the past 18 months.My doc says there is not necesarily a relationship between my VL and degree of inflamation of the liver,hence my Bio last week.

Like most,I do not want to start meds at least until the results and side effects have improved alot.My doc says if the results of the bio are less than 2 then he would not recommend meds given my physical condition.

My alt and ast are slightly raised.

So,in advance of my results I'm hoping to get some thoughts as to what the board thinks I should do given the info I have provided and under various results from the Bio.

Thanks in advance..Dave

[cuteus]

NO, there has never been a reported case of hcv transmitted by mosquitoes. They are still trying to prove it with HIV. You can get it from dental tools and colonoscopies and just about any medical tool that is reused after "sterelization".

When I was treating and cleared, I was doing the Summer run series in the State park, I went to join the runners at the start line and went through the bushes as a shortcut. I got scraped by a branch and it cut through the skin causing some bleeding, many folks had already walked through the exact same spot and many more did after me. There are hundreds of people at these runs, who is to say it can't be transmitted by that pesky branch?  You just never truly know.

[GoofyDad]

Interesting discussion on the muscle atrophy. I'm on week 14/24 - and I used to swim 3-4 times a week before starting treatment. I've only lost about 3 lbs overall in 3 mos - but it's amazing how quickly my arms, chest and thighs got skinny. I guess it's all collecting around the waistline :(

So many people comment on my weightloss, but I guess it's just muscle shifting out of the visible areas.

Thanks fo the tip on prunes, Dave. I just had 3 bags for breakfast, and I'll do a few more for lunch and dinner. Hopefully that's going to make a big splash!

[couldn't think of a nickname]

My wife uses soy milk in her protein shakes every day, but she ordered this book on health and food, and it was very critical of soy in general. First, it says that Asians eat the right kind of soy, which explains their better health. Dr. Mercola says it is high in "antinutrients", and inhibits good digestion. He also says it contains hemaglutinin which can help blood cells agregate, goitrogens, which can affect thyroid, and phytates which prevent the proper absorption of magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc. Some are acid washed in aluminum tanks, which can lead to metal toxicity.

The name of the book is "Total Health", and we were quite surprised to see that.

[DSG]

Me too..I have used it for years and will continue.....Is there anthing in the world that someone cannot find fault with???The older I get the more I realize this.

[couldn't think of a nickname]

Yeah, then they ask the person who just turned 105 what their secret is, and they say they smoked cigars every day, and had a glass of brandy with their bacon and egg breakfast.

[NYgirl]

Dave

There are a bunch of people in here who don't know exactly where they got the disease.  When I was dx'd I went CRAZY trying to figure out where I got it until I realized it didn't really matter the only important thing was I found out I did.  How lucky is that, I mean I never had any symptoms or anything!

I used to drink quite a good share (mine and yours both in fact haha).  The thing that sticks in my mind now was seeing a picture that had the differences in Stages/Grades of liver inflammation/fibrosis.  Yuck. I was astounded!

I think you are VERY smart for realizing that right now your energies are best concerned for killing off this disease and fighting it every way you can.  

Lots of us in here have a LOT of physical things that have nothing to do with the disease (I broke my back in a car wreck in '93 when I was rearended while at a stop light for example).

Lots of people with different ailments and pains and tx doesn't make it any better for sure.

but I intend like you - to fight this fight with my whole being.  Maybe it's because I am a crazy New Yorker but...I am so pissed that it's inside me that I want it OUT and intend to kill as many of these suckers off that I can!  They have no right being inside any of us!

Death to the suckers!!!!!!!!!!   :)

Debby