my daughter

[mc721]

My daughter was just informed that her blood tested positive for Hep C.  She is only 20 yrs old.  Has had a history of drug use, but has been clean for a year...  She is in a positive place now and this news is devestating for us!  We have an appointment with a specialist next week.  WHAT is in store for my daughter???  How liveable is this disease?  What does treatment look like??  Thanks for reaching out to us!

[Isobella]

Sorry if I caused confusion with my comment about my daughter.  I was meaning to relate more to the worry we have for our kids being sick with HCV.

I am adjusting to green tea versus coffee in the morning- I need extra caffeine!  That's a weak excuse I know.

My daughter will be tested only b/c I don't know when/how I got this bug.  Hopefully my VL was too low to pass to her 19 years ago.  But we will see.  Either way, with the information I have learned so far, I am, oddly enough, more comfortable with the treatment plan I have for her than I have for myself!

I do hope this day and all the new information you are learning is bringing you some peace.  :-)

Izzy

[Rosebud41]

The best advice I can give is that you get a doctor with lots of experience treating HepC.
The person should be a hepatologist preferably highly recommended.

I got a recommendation from the primary care doctor I had at the time and she didn't know what she was doing when she sent me to the doctor I had.  Because I ran into some difficulty he did not anticipate my treatment was cut short and I will probably have to start over again later.\

SO THE VERY BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU IS GET A GOOD HEPATOLOGIST WITH LOTS OF EXPERIENCE!!!

Rosebud

[jmjm530]

While anything is possible in terms of transmision, your daughter's previous IV drug use (if I read your posts correctly) would appear to be the most likely reason. Of course, you could have yourself tested -- no harm -- but this would not be the norm, nor do I believe that many here with a history of IV drug use have suggested that their parents be tested, although I stand to be corrected on this.

-- Jim

[FlGuy]

Mother-to-child (known as vertical transmission) is possible.  There are a number of people in this forum who have infected and been infected in this manner.  Still, it's not a huge percentage of those infected.  If this is the route, that would mean that the mother also has chronic hcv.  That aspect should be tested as well.  Sexual transmission is also possible, but not to a great extent.
As Isobella indicates, lots to learn about hcv.

[jmjm530]

I agree with the other posters who suggest your daughter will probably have minimal liver damage because of her age and what I assume is a relatively recent exposure. Depending on the type (genotype) of Hepatitis C she has, they may also want to do a liver biopsy to make sure how much damage she has.

I do disagree, however, with what I believed may have been a suggestion that someone treating early (with little or no liver damage) has a better chance of getting rid of the virus. In fact, a recent study shows that liver damage is not a factor in predicting a successful treatment, unless the person has stage 4 (cirrhosis) which hopefully your daughter decades from.

I say this not to be negative, but to be positive. Currently, standard treatments for genotype 1's are 48 weeks with around a 50-50 chance of success. Already, a new drug in trial is showing around 60 per cent chance of success with only 24 weeks of treatment. Hopefully, treatments will get even more effective (and shorter) as the years go by. What this means, is that those with little or no liver damage have the reasonable option to wait on treatment, for better treatments, while at the same time monitoring their liver with a good liver specialist (hepatologist). It's called a "Watch n' Wait" approach, and hopefully your doctor will discuss this as one of your daughter's options.

All the best,

-- Jim

[mc721]

How could you have passed the virus to your daughter??  I was under the impression it was passed only through blood.  Are you thinking this may have occured when she was inutero?  From what I've read it isn't that easily passed that way or even sexually.  Maybe I am misinformed...

[Isobella]

You will very soon find that this is what the term "hurry up and wait" is all about. Dr appoints, blood work....waiting for results.  I was diagnosed in January and am still trying to decide whether or not to treat or enter a trial, wait for new drugs, new information.  Fortunately I found out by accident-as have many here-before symptoms appeared, so I have no liver damage and time to decide what to do.

Use the time to learn as much as possible.  Also, make sure you get copies of all her test results

I know you are worried about your daughter.  Because I have the virus, my daughter will have to be tested.  She is 18 and leaving for college this fall.  It is hard to imagine I may have passed it on to her, so I can relate to how you feel.  

Your daugher is young.  I don't know the circumstances of her being tested, or, but she has youth on her side.  Keep her healthy, watch for depression-probably for you as well.  HCV can really play with your head because we all are scared of the unknown.  Eat right-lots of advice about that here.  Educate yourselves and get in with a good hepatologst.  

Please keep us posted!

[mc721]

That is the news I have been hoping to hear!!!  It will be great to be able to share that with her!  That's what I keep thinking... HOW could there be THAT much damage??  BUT I am naive and just beginning my journey with her.  She developed endocarditis due to using needles and had to have OPEN HEART SURGERY this past November.  She is recovering beautifully!!  Her energy is good and her head is in the right place.  The future seemed so bright and now we hear this...  Thank you so much for giving us hope!
MC

[Trinity4]

Because of her age and if indeed she has the active virus, it's unlikely she will have any significant liver damage due to the hepc.  Many different factors contribute to the level of liver disease.  She is young and her doctor will do all the necesarry testing to determine the best course of action.  Many of us here have carried this disease around for years and years and never knew.  That is the primary reason we end up with liver damage.  Of course it's unfortunate if she is infected but on the hand lucky to discover this early on.  If treatment is recommended a young person with minimal or no liver damage has a much better chance or irradicating the virus.   I wish you the best and try not to worry.  This is a step by step process and the waiting can make you a little crazy so try to keep your head in good place.
Take Care
Trinity

[mc721]

Thanks for writing!  The blood tests freak her out most of all!  She is so anti-needles now....after abusing herself for three years!  I will surely have lots of questions for the doctor next week...  Thanks for your support

[Isobella]

Sorry,  I hit the wrong key.

The docs may suggest a liver biopsy.  This sounds worse than it is, and it is the bes way to detemine liver damage.  

This disease is very liveable.  It is by no means a death sentence.  Treatment is doagle and there are promising new drugs on the horizen.

Best thing to do is educate yourself and this forum is a wonderful resource.  Take a deep breath and read thru the forum and archives.  

Many here will be able to articulate all this better than me, but it is early in the day and I wanted to reach out as soon as I saw your post so you wouldn't have to wait too long for a reply. :-)

We are all here to help each other. As you learn more, it will get better.

Love and support to you!!

Isobella

[Isobella]

Good Morning mc721,

I am sorry to hear of your news.  All of us here can relate to the feelings you have now and what you are going thru.

You are on the right path with seeing the specialist next week.  They will do more blood work to determine her viral load.  This will deterime whether she was merely exposed and developed antibodies or actually has the active virus.  For example my VL is 2 million.  Sounds really high, but is not so bad considering many here have viral loads in the tens of millions.  They will also determine the genotype.  The most prevalent in the US is genotype 1.