new to hep c, living in Ontario, Canada

[andy_k]

hi,

do we have anybody here from Ontario, Canada?

i have got tested positive for hep c about 4 months ago, found a family doctor which set up for me an appt with gastro in Brampton for march 2011. it looks like they are very busy and 7 month is normal waiting time for ontario (i was told so). and it looks like gastro will accept the people by refferal only...

does anybody has an expirience with that system in ontario? or maybe you have any advise how to get an appt faster?

also, could you please advise any internet sites where i can find the info about who gets approval for treatment

i'm not really sure what stage of hep c i have. just the results of the test, that i have gen 1, 1.62e+6 viral load, and ALT 72

thanks a lot
andy
  

[andy_k]

thanks Trish!

by any chance, do you know how they decide who gets the treatment drugs covered by the gov or other organizations in ontario?

how does it work? if the the gastro/hepo doctor decided that you need a treatment, will be it covered somehow?  or it is just a start point and you have to look for a way to find the money?

i have the drug insurance at work, but i don't think that it will cover those expensive drugs.

[Bill1954]

That’s interesting, Trish. I suppose there is a wait to batch out large quantities perhaps? More or less the same here in terms of labs; Quest Diagnostics is one of our largest commercial labs here; I believe they only process PCR’s at their facility her in California. We probably do have a larger number of labs performing these tests, though. Typically, here in the states 10 working days is sufficient to turn NAT results around to the doctor’s office, and it often happens faster than that.

Good luck Andy, and keep reading; you’re asking the right questions—

Bill

[Trish77]

Bill...viral load testing in the U.S. might take a couple of weeks but not so much here in Canada, depending on where you're getting treated out of and where your tests are being sent.   There are only two labs in Canada that process PCR's ( I don't think that's changed since I finished treatment?) and those waiting for those results can be waiting 6 weeks or so often enough.  

Andy.....I'd say it's potentially a good thing you have to wait even though it's really hard not knowing.  It helped me alot to spend some time understanding all the in's and out's of treatment etc. and that helped me make good choices for myself as I went along.  You'll get there soon enough and then you'll get the ball rolling....but believe me, there will still be waiting time as you go through the process so just take it as it comes.  You'll do alright.

[andy_k]

Thanks a lot for answering, I really appreciate that!

I’m just trying to find the best way on how to deal with it.

i've read about new promising drugs that hopefully will be introduced next year, but at the same time kinda scared with all the stories about sx of tx

so, maybe it is a good thing that I have to wait and don’t need to make any decisions now. i don’t know…
  
Thanks again!
Andy

[willbb]

Sorry i didn"t get back to you however it looks like you are recv.lots of good advice.

Just to add to what Bill just said in regards to viral load, mine would be considered very high, and I have very min. fib.

All the best.   WILL

[Bill1954]

Hi again, Andy. No problem answering questions, that’s what this place is about. I see what you’re trying to do; establishing trends is often a good idea. However, viral load bounces around all over the place, and really doesn’t tell us much about disease progression.

Progression is defined by how much scarring has occurred to the liver; and viral load has little bearing on that. For instance, my viral load was tested many times, was never greater than 150,000 IU/mL, but I had developed very significant fibrosis.

Conversely, other patients in here have reported viral loads in excess of 50,000,000 and biopsy results indicated very little scarring to the liver. When a patient begins treatment, THEN viral load gains importance; at that point, it can determine how rapidly the patient is responding to the treatment drugs. If the response is slow, it might indicate the drugs aren’t working well, and additional action might be warranted.

I keep harping on this point because it’s a fundamental of HCV management, and important to understand.

Once you’re tied in with the specialist and in the loop there, test results can be had overnight; although some viral load tests can take a couple of weeks to turn around. If treatment isn’t deemed necessary right now, then usually testing every six months is the norm in order to monitor your disease.

Keep asking questions as they arise; I’m sure you’ll have plenty. It’s important to try to grasp the basics of the disease in order to make informed decisions regarding your health. And a little anxiety is normal, by the way :o).

Best to you,

Bill