consider treatment?

[chaiyoda]

so many questions? !  Diagnosed in May 2010, geno 2b, liver biopsy  on 9/3/10 stage 2.  Need to make appt with GI MD to consider tx.  Scared to death.  58 yrs old, recently divorced and living alone.  Good insurance, however.
This blog is soooo informative.  Would appreciate any input, advice, well wishes ....

[Bill1954]

Feel free to ask questions and someone here will try to help you. Most of us are or have undergone therapy, and many of us have been successful with it. Are there any specific issues you want to address now?

Bill

[chaiyoda]

Thank you so much.  This has really been overwhelming.  I have done alot of reading and am so grateful for this blog.  It's nice to know I'm not alone.  Hep C has such a stigma attached to it that nobody wants to talk about it. Including me, but I'm getting better.  I am not looking forward to treatment but I will do whatever it takes.  I do plan to check in with updates and get encouragement (and give encouragement) through this whole process.  Thanks again, Bill.   One day at a time....

[Bill1954]

Hi there, and welcome to the discussion group.

Boy, struggling with decisions huh? It looks like you’ve done a pretty good job gathering info so far, and perhaps done some reading and thinking about this too.

Okay, in your favor is genotype 2; with that, you’re all but assured of success. Roughly 85% of genotype 2 patients are responsive to therapy the first time with the current drugs. Additionally, it currently requires 24 weeks of therapy, vs. 48, 72 or ? for more stubborn genotypes.

You’re 58, not getting any younger, and also have good insurance? All good points in favor of jumping on the treatment wagon and getting this behind you. There are other, more efficacious drugs currently in late stage clinical trial; at least one of these might be released as soon as 2011. However, with a success rate of 85%, I don’t know how these drugs will positively affect your genotype, or even if they will be made available to genotype 2 patients initially.

Of course, the treatment drugs have their drawbacks; they can make us feel crappy, we can lose some hair, stuff like that. Nearly all the side effects are temporary in nature though… what are your concerns so far; perhaps you can share them and others will address them with you.

Good luck and take care—

Bill