Diagnosed with hepatitis c, feel alone

Flicka, welcome to our forum. You have nothing to be ashamed about. Who diagnosed you and how? Are you having any symptoms? Is the doctor you are seeing this week a gastroenterologist or hepatologist? You definitely need to go, as these doctors are specially trained in liver disease and can answer your questions.

There is something called autoimmune hepatitis where the liver turns against itself.

There are cases of people having been exposed to Hep C or B, but their immune system threw it off. These people have the antibody, so they still test positive.  This is my case with hep B, though I do have chronic active hep C.

How I handled it is by feeling all that you are feeling now, and then going on to do whatever the GI doc recommended next --liver MRI and biopsy, followed by Interferon (this was in '93.) I also learned as much as I could about the disease, and joined an online support group (not this one.)

You are not alone. Millions of people are living with hep C. A small fraction of them are here--and they are some of the most caring and knowledgeable people I've come across. So please do post again and know that we are here for you.

Connie

Post Edited (hep93) : 11/4/2006 11:42:09 AM (GMT-7)

welcome flicka,first of all,as Connie has said,antibodies in your bloodwork may mean you have been exposed to hep c ,but your body has fought it off,and many drs do NOT understand hep and the bloodwork enough to give you an accurate diagnosis,,,,,so please dont panic until all the tests are in and your specialist has diagnosed you,,,as far as support groups,there are none in my town either,,which is how i ended up here at HW,,and I am so glad..this has been a source of strength for me,and trying to help others has taken my mind off of my own problems and has been very rewarding. My husband has active chronic hep b,,which he didnt know about til 2 weeks after we were married and i was hospitalized with a severe case of acute hep b(my body kicked it after 6 mths with no treatment),,my husband was tested and found to have cirrhosis,and active hep b,,,,and probably has had for 15 to 20 yrs. during that 15 to 20,,he did NOT lead a good lifestylye,,drinking,drugs,,ect,,,so think about it this way,,,,,,if you DO have hep c,,,that does NOT mean you can not lead a long life,,,just you may have some serious lifestyle changes to avoid damaging your liver,,including no drinking,over the counter meds,and your cript meds will have to be closely watched my a good GI or hepatologist,,,for now ,though i know its hard to do,,,,,try to relax,,,wait and see how things turn out,and under no circumstances should you feel guilty,,,I have seen a few ppl on here,,that dont want to tell anyone they have hep,they want to keep it in the dark from family,coworkers and friends,,,,but that is exactly why there is a stigma about hep related diseases,,,,everyone is keeping quiet and not educationg others or themselves,,,,,and the disease is spreading,,,,,personally i tell most ppl i come into contact with our story,,,,,because even though theres no cure for hep b,there is an immunization from it....and i have encountered nothing but support and greatfulness,that I have educated them about this,,,,,as far as why there is no support groups,,,maybe no one has pushed to have one started,,,maybe,if you do in fact have hep c,,,you could focus on starting one so that others will have a place to go,,good luck and please let us know how the drs appt goes,,,,my thoughts will be with you

you are possibly being started on interferon? combination therapy? My husband was on inferon for about 7 mths to treat hep b,,he was supposed to be on it for a whole year but his heart caused alot of problems for him this summer and he couldnt handle the treatments anymore,,,they made him sick ,weak and he didnt eat very well...he found a new GI and has been started on the newest pill for hep b only,,Id suggest when you start on the treatments,,get plenty of rest,drink ALOT of water and gatorade(to keep electrylytes up),and for a couple of days after taking the shot,dont make big plans..also make sure to keep getting out of the house and dont isolate yourself,,as sometimes these treatments cause depression(my hubbys was bad),,and if you do experience depression,dont hesitate to ask you dr for help. also make sure your dr is doing bloodwork on you about once a month,,one reason my husband changed drs is his GI said,take for another six months,see you in jan.,,,,which was unacceptable,,you may take the treatment and only have minor problems,but you MUST be watched closely as there are some pretty nasty side affects with some people,,good luck and hope this helps some,,feel free to ask questions or just talk,,we will try to help you as much as possible.

Well I must say your dr is serious about keeping an eye on you,that should make you feel somewhat better! Having a good dr is the key to making it through this flicka,,,without the treatment,you will eventually develop cirrhosis,,or other complications,,,,please listen to you dr and follow their treatment plan,,I dont even know her and I am impressed that she is so serious about keeping tabs on you during your treatment. I know this all sounds scarey to you,but the affects of no treatment could be even scarier. You can do this hon!!! make sure to inform your friends and family members of what you might be going to go through,prepare them that they made need to step in and help you at times,even if its just to keep your spirits up. keep reading all you can and keep yourself informed,as knowledge makes you less scared and more prepared,,good luck and please keep us informed ,:hugs: again,,,,,YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! take care