how long ago could I have beenn infected?

[BRUCE1662]

i am 53 m happy with a 7yo, had a hep c test pos for anti body, how long ago could I have been infected,
he VA says lots lot Vetnam Era vets ( I was a Medic and saw pleanty of blood) have hep c then I worked in heath care fsurgury tech for 4-5year could I have had this in my system since the 70's-80's ?
is my liver shot by now, I feel fine.

[newleaf09]

It took 38 years with no prior symptoms to seriously damage my liver.  Was very healthy like Trish, then began to have minor signs after such a long chronic infection.  Please follow up to be sure you still have the disease (it is possible that your immune system defeated it after exposure but only happens to about 20% of those infected) and speak to a gastroenterologist, or better yet, a GI with hepatology certification to recommend the appropriate course of action for your situation.

[Trish77]

What Bill said.  The HCV RNA test will tell you if you have any viral load, which means a chronic infection.  You're testing for antibodies which means you had it at one time and might have cleared it but the only way to know is to get an HCV RNA test to find out if you have more than just antibodies - an active infection as Bill says..

Feeling fine is no indication that you don't have Hepatitis C.  Most of us who are reasonably sure we were infected some 20 years ago or so hadn't experienced any symptoms - I'm reasonably sure I had Hep C for some 20+ years when I was diagnosed and I've been healthy as a horse my whole life.  Best way to find out your status is to get the next test done.  

Good luck.

Trish

[Bill1954]

Yeah, you could very easily have been infected in the seventies or eighties. That would put you in company with the majority of folks in here. If you recently tested positive for anybodies, that implies that you were exposed at one point. You should follow up with an ‘HCV RNA’ test to check for active infection, and go from there. Most of us that are infected are either asymptomatic, or are dealing with minor problems like fatigue.

Best to you—

Bill