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Infected 45 years and still only F1? Is it possible?
Hi, guys. It's me, Mike the forum lurker, back again with another mind-twister question that will no doubt cause dissention and get me into trouble, but here goes:
Has anyone here ever heard of someone having HCV for over forty years and still being only at the F1 stage of liver fibrosis?
This is the story (I say "story" for lack of an adequate censor-passing epithet) that my hep MD has been feeding me for a year now. He says that from my medical history I probably got infected from contaminated blood when I had a motorcycle accident at the age of nineteen (I am now 65) and was transfused at the hospital that treated me for concussion.
Personally, I think this story is a lot of self-serving hooey, and that in reality I was infected by a bad dentist here in Argentina just a few years ago.
My biopsy six months ago showed F1-F2 fibrosis, but my blood markers and GGT have been going steadily upwards in a continuous progression through eight blood tests over the past 14 months, and I definitely do not have the energy I had even one year ago.
So, my hep MD thinks that I was infected 45 years ago and am a very slow progressor, and I think that I was infected a coupla years ago and am progressing rapidly.
This is not an academic question. My hospital is postponing treatment based on their diagnosis: they think I can wait a few years for a better tx. Whereas I think I may have cyrrhosis before they ever get to my next biopsy.
What say you all? Is it possible to be F1-F2 after forty-five years of HCV?
Mike
Has anyone here ever heard of someone having HCV for over forty years and still being only at the F1 stage of liver fibrosis?
This is the story (I say "story" for lack of an adequate censor-passing epithet) that my hep MD has been feeding me for a year now. He says that from my medical history I probably got infected from contaminated blood when I had a motorcycle accident at the age of nineteen (I am now 65) and was transfused at the hospital that treated me for concussion.
Personally, I think this story is a lot of self-serving hooey, and that in reality I was infected by a bad dentist here in Argentina just a few years ago.
My biopsy six months ago showed F1-F2 fibrosis, but my blood markers and GGT have been going steadily upwards in a continuous progression through eight blood tests over the past 14 months, and I definitely do not have the energy I had even one year ago.
So, my hep MD thinks that I was infected 45 years ago and am a very slow progressor, and I think that I was infected a coupla years ago and am progressing rapidly.
This is not an academic question. My hospital is postponing treatment based on their diagnosis: they think I can wait a few years for a better tx. Whereas I think I may have cyrrhosis before they ever get to my next biopsy.
What say you all? Is it possible to be F1-F2 after forty-five years of HCV?
Mike
Have his MDs said that a 12-week course of the new DDAs w/o IFN is contraindicated for his present treatment?
Mike
Mike
No problem about the hijacking. I'm happy that an old thread turned out to be useful again. I think we all learned something here.
Regarding Bali05's post, that's a psychologically comfortable position to take, and trusting the MDs and labs implicitly the way you seem to do may give you peace of mind, but telling people not to be vigilant or scientific or objective isn't such a good thing to do, is it?
Nobody knows yet what the full extent of the consequences of infection are, and won't for many years? And how can you have such total faith in what the drug companies say, when they are in competition for cure rates?
Total reliance on a 24-week post-Tx blood PCR is just a pleasant illusion, in my opinion. It suits everyone (MDs, drug companies, insurance companies, etc.) except us.
Best to rely on one's own vigilance, don't you think?. I don't believe in magic bullets, myself. I hope I'm wrong, but. . .
Mike
Regarding Bali05's post, that's a psychologically comfortable position to take, and trusting the MDs and labs implicitly the way you seem to do may give you peace of mind, but telling people not to be vigilant or scientific or objective isn't such a good thing to do, is it?
Nobody knows yet what the full extent of the consequences of infection are, and won't for many years? And how can you have such total faith in what the drug companies say, when they are in competition for cure rates?
Total reliance on a 24-week post-Tx blood PCR is just a pleasant illusion, in my opinion. It suits everyone (MDs, drug companies, insurance companies, etc.) except us.
Best to rely on one's own vigilance, don't you think?. I don't believe in magic bullets, myself. I hope I'm wrong, but. . .
Mike
Thanks so much for your suggestion. My husband unfortunately has another serious complication that the pathologist says is also responsible for his new cirrhosis. He has extensive bilary tree damage caused by a hepatic artery blockage found two months post transplant. Because of this, I doubt he would be a good candidate for this trial. He has been through hell so he just wants to stick with this treatment recommended by his doctor.
We are both looking forward to the day we hear he too has reached SVR.
But I promise when we do, we will remain vigilant! Everything he has been through these last three years won't let us be anything else.
Nan
We are both looking forward to the day we hear he too has reached SVR.
But I promise when we do, we will remain vigilant! Everything he has been through these last three years won't let us be anything else.
Nan
Nursehepc..."Your post has been hijacked (how did that happen? Grin)."
That's OK, the thread is 5 years old...:). Besides your post was great. Suzy all I will say is I hope Hep c doesn't end up biting you in the backside like it has so many of us. Trust me the CURE is much better then what can be the end results... Good luck
That's OK, the thread is 5 years old...:). Besides your post was great. Suzy all I will say is I hope Hep c doesn't end up biting you in the backside like it has so many of us. Trust me the CURE is much better then what can be the end results... Good luck
Your post has been hijacked (how did that happen? Grin). I will now slither back into the shadows again. Joanne.
You inferred that you understand that the virus, irregardless of how pure ones' lifestyle is, can and will progress to ESLD for many. This is not disputable, but is also not predictable. Some folks are lucky (consider yourself lucky - I hope your luck continues). Some people live a lifetime with no ill effects, and some progress to ESLD, some clear the virus with treatment and some don't (hopefully that is changing-it seems so),
No one doubts or disputes that a pure and healthy lifestyle is essential to not aggravate whatever the virus, on its own, will do.
Please do not use accusatory language (illustrated by all CAPITALS) that infers that those who have not been as lucky as you may not have not been living a healthy lifestyle. Its insulting and ignorant.
Many of us are choosing to live a healthy lifestyle AND seek treatment to erradicate the virus. Its a wonderful thing to have choices.
Good Luck. Joanne.
No one doubts or disputes that a pure and healthy lifestyle is essential to not aggravate whatever the virus, on its own, will do.
Please do not use accusatory language (illustrated by all CAPITALS) that infers that those who have not been as lucky as you may not have not been living a healthy lifestyle. Its insulting and ignorant.
Many of us are choosing to live a healthy lifestyle AND seek treatment to erradicate the virus. Its a wonderful thing to have choices.
Good Luck. Joanne.
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