stage 4 of hep c

[tinerbiner]

my son just found out that he is in stage 4 of hepatitis c. I don't know what to do for him he is in jail until jan 10 2014 and they told him he is to far gone to do any thing no treatment...... Is that true? They told him his enzymes should be at 300 or below and that his are at 680.Can some one please give me some answers?

[timothy141]

Unfortunately, that would take a power of attorney. Of course they could, that is a decision they would have to make.
Also he will need:
Nevada state ID...valid
Birth Certificate.
Proof of residence.
With out these items there will be point in making an appointment. Its been my experience that after the initial contact with the office a person will have an appointment within two weeks, next make an appointment with a primary who should refer you to the Wellness Center/ HCV & HIV Dr.s  

[dontworry_behappy1]

I think Timothy gave some very good advice on how to get into treatment after prison.  

[ceanothus]

I wonder if the poster might be able to help her son start the social services application sometime in advance of his release? It would be worth looking into. He should try to arrange to have access to all his prison medical records so he doesn't have to wait long for those requests to be processed. I'm just trying to think of how he can best hit the ground running when he does get out and doesn't have another long delay at that point. Good luck.

[dontworry_behappy1]

I think it's 18 months you would have to have left on your term to do 48 week
treatment.  Also, you have to be on a list waiting first.  "hcvinprison.org" referenced above tells requirements.  Including state to state information.

[timothy141]

I just noticed you are in Henderson, I am right down the street. I started treatment by way of the Social Services office on Lake Mead & Burkholder. It is a process and yet well worth it. Once I started the process I was seen by my Hep C Dr. in 3 months and started treating in 5 months
Best Wishes
Tim

[timothy141]

If I read this right your son will be out Jan.10th 2014, simply put that is not enough time to treat. A person needs to have a year to dedicate to treatment, (48 weeks). But as soon as he gets out have him pursue Social Services and start treating that way, there are programs available to people who need them, and I would suspect coming from prison he would not have insurance nor the finances to pay for tx. Not to worry there are ways to get this handled.

[dontworry_behappy1]

You need specialized assistance.  "hcvinprison.org". If you end up on "Hide Host Seek" click on the highlighted blue link.  You will also see a contact email address where you can ask questions.  

[ceanothus]

Welcome to the forum. I'm so sorry about your son's illness. Unfortunately, this is not really enough info to go on. Liver enzymes indicate the amount of irritation and damage currently occurring in the liver but they do NOT indicate the stage of liver disease. To know if he is truly stage 4 he should preferably have a liver biopsy performed, the next best test is a fibroscan or MRI elastography, and the next best after that is fibrotest. If they haven't done any of those then they shouldn't even be trying to guess about his liver condition. Liver enzymes fluctuate a lot in response to drugs (Rx, OTC and street drugs) and alcohol. 

The normal range of values for AST (SGOT) is from 5 to 40 units per liter of serum (the liquid part of the blood).
The normal range of values for ALT (SGPT) is from 7 to 56 units per liter of serum.
When I was first diagnosed my liver enzymes were around 800 (I was on potent anti-inflammatory drugs plus occasional alcohol) but my biopsy showed stage 1. Eighteen years later my enzymes levels were consistently under 100 even though my latest biopsy showed I was then stage 4. Even if he truly is stage 4 that does not, in and of itself, mean he can't treat the HCV. I treated twice after reaching stage 4, and the last time it was successful, so I am now cured of HCV. Stage 4 is actually still a rather broad group that includes both compensated cirrhosis (meaning the liver still has enough capacity to perform all of its necessary functions) and decompensatef cirrhosis. Treating HCV is fairly common in compensated cirrhotics, although it requires a little extra watchfulness and should be managed by a hepatologist, not a general practitioner or even a gastroenterologist. Even in cases of decompensated cirrhosis a good hepatologist can sometimes manage to successfully treat the virus, although it is much riskier.

Almost everything I just wrote about this is possibly not relevant however, because without more test results we really don't know what your son's status is. If you have any more info please do post it!