Saw Hepatologist a U Miami today

[sunqueen]

Trying not to post dissertations in the question section anymore. Did a journal entry to record a few details. Two things came up that I have an interest in researching more, now that I had the consultation:

1. cryoglobulinemia

2. Extended tx for g3.

All of the dirty details can be found on this entry.

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/21575

Any and all opinions or thoughts are welcome and appreciated.

[sunqueen]

Thank you for your reply!  The Hepa that I saw yesterday was doing a history and one of the main reasons I keep seeking medical help was because of progressively worsening joint pain. It was so bad that I was using a cane some days. That all lead to getting blood work and dx for HCV. I mentioned to him that this week, the pain has not been bad and that shocked me. That's when he said it sounded like cryoglobulinemia, a condition that attacks the joints in chronic hep c patients.

I appreciate your feedback and will certainly keep it in mind if they decide to do tests!

Take Care

sq

[eureka254]

My husband was given a requisition to have blood drawn by his hepatologist to check for cryoglobulinemia, but trying to get it done was an absolute nightmare.  He went to one Quest drawing station, and they kept him waiting for 20 minutes, only to come back and tell him that they didn't have the equipment required to do the test.  He went to a 2nd Quest station, and the phlebotomist there took the paperwork, looked through all kinds of books, stepped around a corner to talk to her supervisor, and my husband overheard the supervisor saying ..."... what, we don't?... can't you run home and get some aluminum foil ?... "

At that point, he high-tailed it outta there, leaving the paperwork behind.  When he went back to the hepatologist, the doc shook his head and said, "well, it's a pretty specific test... but don't worry about it, you don't have any symptoms." Apparently, he didn't have much faith in getting high rate of accuracy from the local labs either... and that was the end of that discussion.  Never got to learn much about it... but if you're getting tested for it, make sure the lab knows what they're doing (and that includes the phlebotomists!)

Hopefully someone knows more specifics about cryo and g3, as I'm not much help on either.  Wishing you best of luck on your tx.

~eureka