some help please

[WENDELION]

i was in a very abusive relationship that was basically just over street drugs.i fought my husband .we had a 3 yr old and a 9 month old.well one day/night i went thru our very dark hallway a needle uncapped went straight into my foot,to make long strory short,my children and i  left within days.within a month i had the worst flu and it took almost 2 weeks to be better.then i got a job that was doing a blooddrive.they took my blood and sent me on my way.then i received a letter about 1 month later stating i needed to have my blood checked again.i did, it was hep c,i was 20 yr old.i had also had blood transfusion @ 9 yr old.i am now 38,now its starting ,the pain in my legs and that very severe belly pain.i am scared.my current hubby does not know.my family dr thinks i am only after pain meds.he has not did any blood work at all.he says i look too healthy to have anything wrong w/ me.i go to him this tuesday what kind of bloodwork do i need to demand,but if he refuses i am requesting all medical records immediately.this has always been my secret but this is becoming a problem.i cannot take tylenol,it makes me very sick.i look very good for my age and do believe this is reason dr.wont do bloodwork.help someone!!!!!

[Dannyboi7]

Honesty is the best policy,fear of being judged will get  you nowhere but a pit of despair.Be honest with your doctor and family and you will get over the hurdles .

Best wishes

Dannyboi7

[Idyllic]

Blood drives/donation usually screen for HCV Antibody so it sounds as if at one point you presented with that however you do not mention if your follow through test was for HCV PCR. As a result I agree with BoGal and think you should ask for a PCR.

Saying you look too good to have HCV is sheer ignorance and unfortunately not uncommon.   HCV is known as the "silent killer" due to the complete lack of symptoms. Sure, some people may have underlying conditions associated or linked to HCV but even doctors frequently over look these things or do not make the connection.

"Routine labs" tend to vary but normally a CBC (Complete Blood Count) &
CMB (Complete Metabolic Count) done. Sometimes TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) but this depends. Ask your doctor about possible other labs.

☞ Ask for the HCV/PCR and a lot of people often go ahead and get tested for HIV, Hepatitis A & B (You might want to get vaccinated for Hepatitis A & B)

Tell your doctor what you told us. If you are uncomfortable your doctor ask for a referral to a liver specialist (Hepatologist or Gastroenterologist). Based on what you said your history is reason enough for any doctor to test for infectious diseases.

Leg and belly pain without context or any other symptoms on their own do not exactly sound related to HCV. But that is just it: you never know.  It truly is time to get some answers about where you stand with this disease. Carrying this secret around alone and for so long is no way to live. Worry alone could cause physical distress and you deserve the peace of mind if anything.

Best of luck and keep us informed. ♫

[ceanothus]

I'm sorry to hear of all this. BoGal is right about the tests - those are what should be done. A hepatologist would also order an Alpha-fetoprotein test if you do have active HCV.

You should know that about 15-20% of HCV-infected individuals are able to fight it off with their natural immune systems, and while they will always have the antibodies to HCV (and will always test "positive" in the HCV antibody test), they do not have the virus itself. This is the reason for having an HCV PCR test done, as it will measure the actual quantity of HCV RNA in your blood. If it finds any at all, then you do have active HCV. At this point it is still entirely possible that your symptoms are being caused by a completely different problem. All the above blood tests (except AFP) are basic ones done in trying to identify problems as well as in following HCV, so they are very good to ask for at this time.

HCV rarely causes abdominal pain unless the liver is swollen enough to cause pressure on other organs (the liver itself is considered incapable of feeling pain). When the disease has damaged the liver enough to cause cirrhosis, the cirrhosis can cause other problems which can sometimes be painful. If you do have active HCV, you should make every effort to see a hepatologist next. If you run into resistance from your insurer or your GP, do not settle for anything less than a gastroenterologist, and do try for a hepatologist. You want to work with someone who is well-trained and educated, and believe me, we see plenty of people on this forum who wish they had started with a better doctor! Best wishes, and welcome to the forum!

[BoceprevirGal]

  Well, you will want to ask him for a CBC that includes a platelet count. And a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel.  Also request a HCV RNA Quant PCR,  just to cover all bases,in caseit was only an Antibody Screening Test, used before on you.
  My Doctor has always done this blood-work on me, at my yearly physical, since I have had Hep C.  On the Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, and the CBC, you will want to look at any results that are out of range, and also, very important:  Get copies of all your past lab-work, and these current labs that you will be ordering, and keep these copies in a folder, and take them with you, when you get your refferal, to go to a Doctor who specializes in Hep C Treatment.  This would be a Hepatologist, ideally.