a little advice

[californiaguy641]

so from what Ive seen most of you have had HCV for a while and have been through the treatment and I need some advice. so since last year Ive been in the Delayed entry program for the Marines and am supposed to leave for bootcamp the 25 of this month, but a few days ago I found out I have HCV and told my recruiter who told me that I should be quite about it at my physical with the military doctors and when I go get my blood tested they will see that I have it and treat me once im in the military starting at bootcamp, what I want to know is, based on your experience with the medication do you think this is a good idea? and is it a really complicated treatment that I shouldn't entrust to half *** military medical staff? any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Wilful1]

Dear californiaguy,
As others have said, don't believe anything the recruiter tells you.  My son is in the military and has been since high school.  For him it was a great decision, and he has done many different things in the military and being a recruiter was one.  They lie and I was a guidance counselor at a high school and recruiters lie!!!  Don't get me wrong, I'm very patriotic and proud of my son.  He has been to Iraq, Somalia, Afganistan, South Korea and is going back to Iraq this fall.  His medical care and the care of my grandsons has been very good; however, Odin makes a great argument for getting all your information before making any decisions.   Best wishes to you, sorry about the hep, and proud you want to serve!
Wilful1

[Odin999]

No problem. Good luck.

[californiaguy641]

ok ill keep what you told me in mind thanks you've been really helpful.

[Odin999]

Some people clear HCV on their own but still test positive for antibodies. Others don't develop significant symptoms or liver damage. If you do need treatment, the timing is something you want to research carefully. The treatment available right now can be very unpleasant, and it isn't effective in every case. There are other treatments under development which may be able to clear the virus in a shorter space of time.

If you can wait, then it might be the best approach. However, you can't make that decision without seeing a specialist and checking all the variables. Your HCV strain - "genotype", age, BMI, race, existing health conditions, and heredetary predispositions can all affect the outcome of treatment.

There are lots of reasons that people decide to undergo treatment at a particular time of life. The condition of your liver should be the primary one. Take your time, find out all you can.

[californiaguy641]

ok thanks a lot for the help what,  but you said I may not need treatment, in what instances would someone not need treatment?  my recruiter said if I tell them I have HCV I would be disqualified for a year and six months after the end of my treatment so I could still join later. but as expected he was very much against that route...

[Odin999]

The recruiter is talking rubbish! Good move checking out his advice first.

I don't know anything about U.S. military procedures, but I can tell you this much - doing military bootcamp while on IFN/RIBA combo treatment sounds like a ridiculous suggestion. Sounds like that recruiter doesn't know anything about HCV and it's treatment. For a start, the treatmeant requires 1-2 years of your life including recuperation time.

You may not need treatment right now (or in fact ever) though. Find that out before making any big decisions. Whatever advice you get, check that out independently too!

If you do need treatment now and have insurance, I would carefully compare your options before starting. You need a specialist who focusses on HCV treatment. Many people recommend seeing a Hepatologist. You may not have a choice of specialist when doing it through the military. If you don't have insurance there are some other options. Drug trials can be free.

I don't know whether the military would still hire you with HCV, but logically I would expect it to be a problem. I have heard of a Web site that deals with veterans medical care issues. Someone posted a link here within the last few months. That might be a good source of info for you regarding those questions.

[FlGuy]

The first piece of advice that I will give is never, ever, in a million bazillion years believe what a recruiter says. The second piece of advice is don't lie about it if you are asked in person or on a questionnaire, unless you are in training to be a recruiter.