Doctor Inexperience

[bunkywoo]

Wanted to share this funny/irritating story about my dr who treated me for 6 months. Doctor returned my call yesterday (while I was at work) about my Heptimax and SGOT results. He said he had the SGOT results & asked me what the other test was. I told him Heptimax and I swear I had to repeat myself 3 times because he didn't know what I was talking about. When I first requested the Heptimax test 6 months ago he had never even heard of it so I faxed him some info from Quest's web-page and then he wrote my script. Being at work and not wanting to blurt out exactly what it was, I had to say HEP C under my breath. It just blew me away that this guy still didn't know what the Hepitmax test was, even though he should have had the previous test results in my chart and he sounded totally clueless as to what this test could possibly be for, even though HEP C was the only thing he ever treated me for.

I guess my point in posting this is to tell everyone that some dr's do not know all and if you can help educate them from information you gather from other sources, the better it is for you. My doc is a GI and I would have hoped he would stay current with research, meds and tests. My whole tx I had to monitor my blood counts and request Neupogen to stay on tx when by WBC got too low. And not once did I ever hesitate to keep calling for my test results if they didn't call me first. I figured this is my life and if they get pissed off at me for calling so much - so be it!

Test results weren't in anyways so the wait is still ongoing...

Feel Good --- Laurie

[Indiana]

Keep on pushin for the answers Val. The qualitative Pcr is much more accurate than the quantitative. Since the qualitative is simply testing for the presence of the virus it is just a yes or no answer. Get that baby back negative a few times and you can sure feel pretty safe about things.
Happy Easter to you and yours. I have the Egg Hunt all ready to go. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. I'm still findin eggs from the Hunt I set up while on tx. I forgot to make a map and then forgot where they were all hidden. I will not make THAT mistake again.
Take Care.............

[valger]

Thanks!  I guess that's the thing I don't know, I know that the specialist took a qualitative, and a quantitative, that were both negative, and then I had a quantitative at another doc's office that was negative, and then the negative Heptimax.  I know the Heptimax is very sensitive, but I don't know if it's a qual or a quan.  So, I just hope these neg's mean that I am truly negative because I also have a problem with fatty infiltration of the liver (seen on sonogram) and that combined with HepC could be bad, I think.  He seemed to say at the end of the Heptimax coming in negative, that I was HepC negative, and that the elevated enzymes were due to fatty liver.  He didn't go that far the other day on the phone, acting like he had to look back at my records to make sure, but he did say that fatty liver can also have serious consequences.  
   I know there is some anger towards thanbey, and I'm not sure why, but the reason I was nervous about that is because she seems to make me feel better, like saying that I'm probably negative with those test results, and I hope she is right.  I do think sometimes you get better attention and info from people on here than your own doctors, but I do also know that I verify everything with the doctors.  That's why I'm trying to consult my specialist with all of this info.  I think the frustrating thing is that I went about a year thinking I was ok, only to have this start again and have some doubts.  
     Anyway, thanks again for the information, and I hope you have a good Easter Egg hunt!!  I just got back from Wal-Mart, and I'm lucky to be alive!  The place was a mess, all of us last minute shoppers!  Thanks again!  Val

[Is_This_Real?]

Just a quick comment as to your questions regarding which test is more sensitive, and which type of test is the Heptimax.

As others have noted above, the Qualitative test is MORE sensitive than the Quantitative.  Now the differences today are not that great ... when the quantitative was first introduced, it only tested down to about 500 or 600 I think ... which is not very sensitive at all.

However, now the tests are much improved.  The Quantitative as order by my doctor (ordered from Lab Corp) tested down to 10 IU.  I was 'undetectable' at 8 weeks, but all that really means is less than 10 (of course, ZERO is less than 10!).  I go in for twelve week tests on Monday, and I intend to insist on the doctor ordering a Qualitative this time .... Lab Corp has a test called "UltraQual" that tests down to 2 IU.

As for the Heptimax, do a search on Google or some search engine.  I did once, and as I remember reading the information I found about Heptimax, that it is actually a COMBINATION Qual and a Quan test.  As I remember it, it first does a Qualitative to see IF there is any HCV virus (as I remember, it has a sensitivity of 5 IU), and if the Qualitative returns a 'positive' result, then the test kicks into Quantitative mode to measure how much of the virus is there.

So, IF you tested negative on a normal PCR, negative on a Qualitative, and negative on a Heptimax, then I would definately think that you need not be concerned, you are negative.  If you are still worried, get another Qualitative and if it says negative .... then forget it!

[tina b]

what is your iron and ferritin levels? have the docs checked them?

[valger]

Thank you guys so much for that information!  Very reassuring!  I tested negative on a qualitative and a quantatative, those were the ones that the specialist ordered, I just know that is what they said, I'm not sure of the exact test.  Then, I tested negative on the Heptimax.  I don't know if that means PCR or not.  And, to answer that other question, I don't think I have my iron or ferretin levels, they might be included in the blood tests that the specialist gave me, and I should be getting those next week (copies from over a year ago).  Yea, I thought the Heptimax page said something like that, it was like, there was not sufficient RNA to do a quan, and that there was none detected or something like that.  I know I probably should do another qual, but it makes me very nervous, since a mistaken (we think) blood test is what put me in this nightmare in the first place.  Anyway, you have been so much help, thanks so much!!  Val

[tina b]

There was an anticel in the news a few weeks ago, I think it is here,

http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20040319-111131-3362r.htm

about a lab at a hospital messing up several thousand  HIV and HCV tests and sending out wrong results. Labs do make errors. Sorry, you will have to copy and paste it.