Hi there...Glad you finally got the elusive PCR we have been all waiting to hear about :)
You wouldn't be the first nor the last of us to be apprehensive about marching into the lab to find out you possibly have a chronic condition.However..2 things...one.... you very well may not have it ,so getting tested would let you get on with your life right now and forget this ever happened. or two.. you may have a silent disease that ,,to be blunt is harming your liver and doing nothing at all about it when there are cures avail with 80% success rates.
You owe it to yourself and others to find out and do what you can to get cured..
It:s like the old saying "what we don"t know won"t hurt us" but in this case unfortunately what we don"t know could hurt us and others terribly.
Go and have the PCR ...we have all done it here and we will support you..
Best ...
Will
I did have it done today. And I walked out of the lab in tears
facing your fear was a big step in taking action for a long healthful life ahead! way to go!
ditto his 3707 .. ...... good for you.!
I'm right there with you.
after my pcr done at the hospital I never went to get the results
eventually the ID doc consulting on the case finally mailed me a copy (certified).
but the sooner you face it, the sooner you can come to terms
and the sooner you get treated
and more importantly the sooner you can get on with your life.
ultimately, you are much better off knowing than not
and better sooner than later
best luck,
ray.
Hi,
I think denial is normal and possibly the way many would respond if given the same news. You need more info though infojunkie99. You need to know for sure that you have it and if so consider additional testing. Then you can make an informed decision about treating it or not. If it is there and you decide not to deal with it or treat it then that is your decision to make. What you don't want is to do is wind up with some of the very serious things that can happen if it is there and further along than you know. In this case, what you don't know can hurt you. Even if you do have it it may be something that can wait, or just needs to be watched. I am proud of you for getting the labs. This is a lot to deal with. I am glad you are on ADs. Hang in there. Take care and keep posting.
G
Knowledge is power. Good luck no matter the results.
You're not alone. I don't think there is such a thing as a stress-free PCR - before, during or after tx. Nope. But what it does give you is valuable information about your health and whether or not it will be a "player" in your future. Knowledge is empowering.
Hope you get your results back quickly - the wait was always the hardest for me.
Hang in there, Pam
Thank you everyone. I knew I could find encouraging words here:) the lab tech said 3-4 days because it needs to be sent out. If the medical world works like the business world that means Monday or Tuesday of next week. Since I believe I've had HCV for about 10 years and my liver fx is normal I'm very curious as to the results. And worried as well ..... So where is the corner that I cry into?
When I went in to have mine I cried my eyes out the whole time they were drawing blood, they were so very sweet and gave me hugs and tried to perk me up. It is so very hard to deal with.
Two great steps in the right direction - a new PCP who sounds MUCH better than your other one and facing your reality head on. Denial doesn't change or stop what's going on inside of you but it could kill you, to be blunt. Glad you found the courage to get the test done. Try not to worry, it won't change the results. Just tell yourself you'll deal with whatever comes. Hang in there.
Trish
Results are in but waiting for the doc to call back!!! Ahhhh
Get a copy. If he gives results over the phone, pay attention carefully and write what he says. Some docs who are not close to HCV testing seem to get confused with the results of a PCR.
Undetectable viral load!!! I'm assuming that is good news
That is good news. You don't have HCV.
i was and am still in denial about having hcv. however, i went ahead and got into clinical trial ( i have no insurance). it's the best i could have done for myself. after one week i went from a viral load of 748,000 to 10,300. i'm positively happy as could be right now. i see a light flickering at the end of my long journey. hopefully i'm in group 1 and could be done with tx by week 24.
hang in there and try to stay positive. it helps!!
belle
Nothing sweeter than hearing that! Congratulations!
belle.....I don"t believe infojunkie nedds a trial :) Good luck in yours tho ..you are beating it down.
infojunkie....well there you go !! Congrats! Enjoy !
Will
With a neg Pcr, you are virus free. Not many clear this without treatment.
What was your exposure 10 years ago? If i were you, I would ask for the 'Riba'
antibody test. There is a chance you are neg for Hcv antibody as well as negative
for Hep c virus. Riba is VERY specific for Hcv antibody. the screening test is VERY
sensitive for all antibodies and can give a false pos result.
So that's it? Sweet! But y did I come up pos
One of two reasons for your positive antibodies....either a false positive or you were exposed to the virus at one time and your own immune system cleared it(that happens in 15 -25%% of cases) Either way you are good to go....Enjoy !
Will
If your screening test was a 'weak pos' there is a chance it is a false pos.
Weak pos is defined as a signal of <3 on the screening test. If that is your
situation, ask for the 'Riba' confirmatory antibody test. This is VERY SPECIFIC
for Hcv antibody. If the Riba is neg, then you never were exposed to hcv.
The screening test, which is VERY SENSITIVE, can sometimes cross react with
antibodies other than Hcv and give a 'false pos' signal.
I mention this only because not many are able to clear Hcv without treatment.
maybe you were one of the lucky few. I believe it is more likely that your
screening test is a false pos and your Riba will be neg.
Just a suggestion.