dianosed

[janie67]

went to hospital with side hurting done test then told me i have hep C with enlarged spleen
what happens now?
thanks alot

[Vic1967]

Hi Janie,
You are not alone.  There are a lot of people, myself included who will never know how we ended up like this.  I never had been hospitalized, wasn't a drug user or had tattoos when I found out.  I gave blood and I got a letter from the red cross saying to go get further checked.  I thought for a long time that I probably didn't have it, just the anti bodies.  But I kept on eye on it and took good care of myself.
If you are relatively healthy and don"t drink or take drugs most people live with it for a long time before they develop any serious damage.  There are those who get liver damage faster. My Dr. said you can go 20-30 years, I went at least 17.  After I had kids and waited for them to get a little older I finally decided to get my head out of the sand and deal with it.
You will get a viral load test, but that can fluctuate a lot. He will check the geno type of the virus, and your Dr. will keep on eye in your Liver function tests, (which also go up and down) and when you are ready, a liver biopsy.  The biopsy which is painless is really the only way to determine the status of your liver.

I had mild to moderate damage and a high viral load when i decided to treat.  I was really scared because I had heard all the horror stories, but I made it.  I finished up last month and feel pretty good.  Tx can be hard on some and not too bad for others.  I had good days and bad days.  It was hard but I never felt as sick as I imagined.
It is important not to drink alcohol with Hep c.  You will progress faster if you drink.. Regular Tylenol is o.k.  Just don't over do it.
It is scary not knowing but the more you learn the better informed you will be. First of all know that you are probably, statistically,  not going to die from this.  You need to watch it and take good care of yourself. Most people have it for years without any symptoms. Others end up with Cirrohsis.  
There are a lot of folks who have been on the new drugs with much success.  Ask your Dr. about them.  They are in Clinical trials and are supposed to be available next year.  They work with the current treatment (tx), but make them much more effective.
Post as you find out more details about your status.
Keep asking questions!.
Vic

[janie67]

hi vic
thanks for taking the time to talk to me
i have been scard to death and angry ever since doc told me that i have HCV
i was afraid i diddnt have long to live but i have been reading this forum and have realized people have lived with HCV for along time, so now i have hope
i was very angry when doc told me what i had , couldnt understand why i would have this kind of disease , im never used needles diddnt understand how u get HCV
doc said i probilly got it from blood transfusion when i had surgery at 14 yrs old
im 43 now
my brother was a bad drug user cooked,needles the works
i was so mad that i had hepc , i couldnt understand why me, i wasnt a saint in younger days ,but never done needles
maybe talking to people will help me get rid of some more anger

thank you for listening            janie

[Fmulder]

Spleen is probably a seperate issue, You get a liver biopsy (no big deal), Analyze the results, Decide if your liver is damaged enough to warrant treatment?