Untreated for 38 years and scared to death !

[v eggie dip]

I am 54 years old and last week was told I tested positive for Hep C antibodies.......I was not a drug user but did have a blood transfusion 38 years ago.......I am terrified !  I haven't slept, or been productive since...I have been doing research on the net and feel confident I have the virus but I am not able to get any answers about the time involved...My gut feel tells me it's pretty serious that I have had this for so long and it went un noticed and un treated...Can anyone tell me what their thoughts are on the level of the virus going this long without being treated and how long can a person live with this going untreated....

Any input would be much appreciated...

[trolleater]

  Have had this for thirty plus years (blood transfuion) i have not been real smart about this , 4yrs ago went to dr. found out had it , had all kinds of systems , muscle ache , headache, fatigue, and then did the full monty , biopsy, all work up etc... had not active with little scarring .... so did nothing about it as the hep dr told me the treatment could be as bad as the disease
and in the following years there working on a cure........ lived life as normal..
four yrs later --- ka blam -- it hit me hard went active and now im very sick.
dont know what im going to do now waiting to see dr   again ..., my suggestions for all, is to take this very seriously and start treatment right away do not wait, dont do what i did , quit any alcohol use immed. before it is too late, i have been reading alot about this and i have been such a fool
please learn from my mistakes ...... will follow up with my story when i have more to add.

[suezeeque]

When I was diagnosed with T1 diabetes, I had to learn how to inject myself with insulin.  My nurse saw how freaked out I was and said, "There's a FOUR YEAR OLD BOY next door doing the same thing you won't do."

Perspective.

Without needles, I'd have been dead in 1992.

[mykids247]

so many things about treatment scared the life out of me BEFORE I started treatment. Its the fear of the unknown. whats behind door #1. The shots are WELL after the first one are no big deal. The first one is tough I will not lie. Cried, sweat, freeked out but did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And it did not hurt. The only time I have had an ouch is when I didnt let the alcohol dry on my tummy before injecting. Life is worth a little sting and some hair shedding. I'm just telling people I got a new dog. :) dont let the fear of the unknown scare you. It is worse than the reality of treatment.

[nygirl7]

Good luck o you then. Many all of us were scared of taking injections but after finding out that our livers were severly damaged by biopsy decided not to pretend the disease did not exist and wasn't hurting us.

Oh and veggie DID do treatment after finding out herbs were hurting her liver three times more than just the virus which does it all by itself. As far as I know she is cured. She was a nut :)

If you are so sick you can't get out if bed, perhaps that should motivate you to do something rather than pretending to be an ostrich. It's your life but it sounds very debilitating to me and I'd be more scared about what that might mean than a silly tiny needle.

[Flixflix]

Hi I have had hcv for 16 years first time I went for treatment they lost 6 bottles of my blood so I never went back didnt trust them!! I get treated like a leper when I go to the dentist had to lie to be able to get a job 5 years ago and say I had.nothing wrong with me as benifts forced me into work after I bought my 3 boys up who are now teenagers so all that time I gone untreated I am now 40 years old ssssooooo tierd find it hard to get out of bed let alone go to work were I on my feet constently . I will not have a.biopsy!!!!!!! Or so called treatment I have total fear of needles !!!!!! I dont.take drugs I dont drink I think my hcv getting worse and scaired but I just cant inject myself so I carry on       .but I do believe if I not treated I not being a gini pig !!!!!!!

[Tallblonde]

I remember feeling the same way you do now when I was diagnosed back in October 2003.  I remember being convinced that I wouldn't be around the following year to plant my garden and do all the things that I love.  I truly believed my life was over.  Those were very painful days, weeks and months as I waited to find out just how serious my case was.  Waiting for the biopsy was the worst because I didn't know if my case was mild, or if I had cirrohsis.  I expected the latter.  

There's no easy way to relax when you're playing the waiting game.  We've all been through it and we know it's pure hell. The best thing you can do is try to keep busy and distract yourself with other things.  

By the way, my garden is looking awesome this year!

Susan