What did you go to the doctor for when you first found out?

[Diane12855]

Since there are so many extra hepatic manifestations of hep c I'm curious as to what you were going to the doctor for the day you found out you had hep c.

I was going for TIAs. Another friend on here told me she was going to the doctor for chest pains.

What about you?

Diane

[Trish77]

Had no physical issues, had always been very healthy.  Was confirming that my Hep B status was indeed immune and non-contagious and the doc threw in a test for Hep C without mentioning it, just added it to the list of things to get done at the lab and I didn't notice.  So a heck of a shock to come back with good news for Hep B .... and shocking news on Hep C.  My doc has always gone that extra measure and good he did.

[EyesofBlue55]

A routine pap and physical from my gyno.I told her I was tired all the time.She is the one that discovered the Hep c antibodies.I have been telling my GP for quite some time that I was tired all the time,you would think he would have picked up on it-Go figure !!!!I knew something was not right when I was called into her office.......

[mikesimon]

I had a major esophageal bleed and was rushed to the hospital. That's how I found out.

Mike

[Trinity4]

Blisters on my hands.  Turned out to be Porphyria Cutanea Tarda which is an extra hepatic manifestation of hepc.  Even with late stage liver disease I was very healthy and asymptomatic prior to diagnosis of PCT.

Trinity

[RobertBeWell]

Just a regular old physical. My diagnosis is a weird little chain of events though, that worked in my favor.

Just after New Year's, I returned to the gym with the usual New Year's resolutions. I overdid it, and was really sore the next few days - I mean almost unable to walk sore. Turns out my physical was a few days later, and my lab results showed my AST sky high from the muscle injury.

One thing led to another, and a few weeks later, the dx was confirmed.

So, a gym visit put the doctor on the track. Sure glad I went to work out that day. It may have added 20 years to my life. Ya just never know.

RBW

[GSDgirl]

Same as Trin, huge liquid filled blisters on my hands.

[spectda]

I was turned down for life insurance in 1998. they tested my blood and sent a letter saying I had a life threatening illness but not what the illness was. I had to threaten legal action to get the details.

[Boobert]

After quiting a 20+ years booze and drug habit was suffering and still do from chronic fatigue. I also had Porphyria Cutanea Tarda.

[carol411]

One day my heart started beating so hard and fast there was pounding in my ears and I could feel the beats in my neck, so I went to the hospital.  They kept me over night.  It wasn't a heart attack (still don't know what it was) but in all the tests they took high liver enzymes showed up so there were follow up tests.  

[RobertBeWell]

"I was turned down for life insurance in 1998. they tested my blood and sent a letter saying I had a life threatening illness but not what the illness was. I had to threaten legal action to get the details. "

Wow, I got a 20 year term policy in 2004, and I can't believe they didn't test me. I wish they had in a way. I still have the lab report and there is no anti-HCV test on there. You'd think these companies would operate in a similar manner.

Heh, at least I got the policy at "super-preferred" rates!

RBW

[Bali05]

Gastritis and 6 doctors to figure it out. Only one of them picked up on
ALT @ 59 and ran Hep panel. That was 1.5 years ago.
I am now on tx and UND for 5.5 months and still suffer from gastritis.

[James10500]

Fatigue. I had been extra tired for about 3 years.  I knew nothing about Hep and actually had an HIV test 3 years ago searching for answers. March 2010 I went back to the Doc asked him to run some blood tests, and ALT came back at 184. He then ran an antibody test I got those results 4/17/10. I was in total disbelief.  It seems like so long ago now.  I got lucky type 2b and shot 16 on Friday.  

Happy Thanksgiving

James

[paen53]

I donated blood during a local blood drive in Dec. 2003 and two weeks later received "the letter" in January 2004. Six years ago already but I remember reading the letter like it was yesterday.

[orphanedhawk]

My belly was swelling up. Turned out I had ascites from cirrhosis.
I was active, swimming, hiking living life, when my belly began to grow for no apparent reason.
The only other symptoms I had I thought were from menopause. They seemed to fit, tiredness, changes in sleep patterns, sweats, etc.

[Diane12855]

Isn't this something? For so many of us, an unpleasant problem led to our life saving dx. Just reinforces my belief that no matter how bad things get, they can lead to better things if we deal with the bad things.

I'm actually glad I had my TIAs. Another strange thing is that I haven't had another TIA since I got my diagnosis in January 2010. The sx from tx aren't any fun, but they are a whole lot less scarry than those TIAs.

Diane

[CoStudy]

A friend of mine that I did iv drugs with 20 years ago+ was turned down for an insurance policy. He told me he had Hep C. I scheduled a physical and told the Dr I wanted to be tested for Hep C. She called me 2 weeks later and told me I was psoitive. Funny thing is my friend in Geno 1A and I am Geno 2A. I did a large insurance policy in 1991 and was approved. I am sure they tested for it??? Shortly after the insurance policy I got some tattoos. Who knows where I got it.

[hcvJames]

I had a large red, fever filled, swelling on my calf, forgot the word for it. They took blood, later said Hep C was present, which had little meaning to me. Over a year later, finally had a biopsy and finally they decided to share what it means to have Hep C. Like stage 4, cirrhosis, ... ESLD. They specifically said ESLD, but I don't know really.

[nygirl7]

Doc wanted to test me because my xhusband had hcv in the early/mid 80s and she assumed I got it via sex. Well she was wrong about that part most likely but I did have it. None of her business how it might have been gotten I fired her shortly after when she first said I had no fibrosis - but I was stage 3. She also said my thyroid was fine but the endo sure didn't think so.

[vik97]

It was 5 years ago and I hadn't had a checkup for many years.  The doctor did a routine blood test, checked for hep C, and it came out positive.  If he hadn't done that, I probably still would not know that I had it today since I had no symptoms.  I am grateful for his diligence.

Vik

[burned74]

Life insurance rejection. 2004. Sent me the blood test results. I remember looking up hep C as I had never  heard of it before.
I had been rejected for life insurance in 1991 due to high ALT but I tested negative for hep c at that time. I know now that  they did not develop an accurate blood test for hep c until late 1991.
Most likely transmission IV drug use in 1974. I have never had any symptoms.

[Marcia2202]

After severe fatigue for 14 days, I thought that my blood pressure had hit rock bottom and that I was severely anemic. Anyway, that's how I felt.

Turned out that was not the case at all, but that my liver enzymes were high. The doc checked for hep b and c. The b came back negative and the c positive...

[Marcia2202]

Btw... I am SVR and my ALT is 14

[willbb]

Just a routine check   up  took alt &ast   saw they were Elevated    did them again   same thing    . Did all the  Heps  on a hunch and  Bingo.

[Upbeat]

Diabetes