black spots????

is the neuropathy related to the liver disease?

pray for the day it is 0 liters a day... but hopefully hell be able to progress... Sandia......

I am cheering your hubby on! Sending positive thoughts that this is the time he DOES IT!

thank you emma!!xx
wow, thanks m.l; i have been wondering about hep c for a while but no one has tested him for it. he has never injected drugs but has tatoos and quite a colourful past. i had the tests as a standard when i fell pregnant and it was clear, does this mean he wouldnt have it or just that i dont have it? all v.confusing! should i suggest to my sis in law that she asks g.p. to test for it?.
my head spinning this week, found out today my middle child has hyper mobility, guess thats a whole other forum eh!.xxnatasha.xx

thank you again emma, youre a star!. the g.ps here will tell you nothing of these things as it adds to their spending and for someone like my hubby they see it as good money wasted!. i will tell all this to my sis in law and when he goes back next week she can ask about it all. xxnatasha.xx

very true emma, though untill now he hasnt even wanted to give up and without that starting point from him, they see it a lost cause! hopefully, now he is really making an effort, they may be a bit more willing to help out a bit more. fingers crossed. i will keep you up dated with any developments, thanks again emma.xxnatasha.xx

Natasha, Tattoos were a big problem some years ago and many folks were infected before more stringent practices were adopted by that industry. There was a time where they shared needles and even when they stopped that, they put the NEW needles into the USED paint. So transferring blood was easy to do. Hep C can linger in the blood for many many years before becomeing a problem such that you would test for it. Mike was infected in 1970 and had some sick times along the way, but wasn't diagnosed until the late 90's and it didn't make him REALLY SICK until recently! So 40 years of simmering. Of course it could have taken longer but for that he continued to drink alcohol until 6 months ago.

Tattoos among prision populations, where tattoos are sometimes of the "homemade" variety, continue to be suspect.

In addition, shared straws when using cocaine can also transmit the virus as the tissues of the nose can become inflamed allowing for the sharing of blood.

So it is not just IV drugs.

Many Hemophiliacs contacted either or both HCV and HIV from their blood products prior to some laste 90's year I forget.

And many contacted Hep C from life saving transfusions before blood was routinely screened for HCV.

I have been tested routinely and am negative for the Hep C Virus, though my lesions were biopsied for Lichens Planus and were positive! They gave me some cream and they went away, but have recurred from time to time!

no apologies for not knowing. i think many of us had no knowledge of the subjects discussed on this forum until life situations brought us to a place where we had to know. educate yourself. knowledge is power. check out Dr. Melissa Palmer's book, "Dr. Melissa Palmer's Guide To Hepatitis and Liver Disease". you can get it for a reasonable price on amazon.com

emma

thanks emma, i will try to get the book.xx
sandia, i will ask about the tests i had and if i need any more. thank you.
sis in law called me this morn said hubby in a bad way today so she is taking him back up the g.p. surgery this afternoon. not sure whats going on myself yet so will let all know later.xxnatasha.xx

While Hep C is not labeled a STD or sexually transmitted disease... due to transmission through blood to blood... it is possible to pass it during sex ifthe sex is rough and there is blood to blood contact... David explained this in his post also.. it is unlikely to pass it... this way but possible... a condom is recommended when one is positive and the other is not...

I found this from the CDC     http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2010/hepC.htm

"Most scientific evidence demonstrates that although HCV can be transmitted sexually, such transmission happens rarely. Because incident HCV has not been demonstrated to occur in heterosexual partner-pairs followed over time (452–454), condom use might not be necessary in such circumstances. However, heterosexual and homosexual persons, especially those with concurrent HIV infection or with more than one partner, should protect themselves and their partners against transmission of HCV, HBV, HIV, and other pathogens by use of male latex condoms. Condom use is especially important for HIV-infected men, who might spread HCV to other men though unprotected sexual activity (464–466)."

"To reduce the risk for transmission to others, HCV-positive persons should be advised to 1) not donate blood, body organs, other tissue, or semen; 2) not share any personal items that might have blood on them (e.g., toothbrushes and razors); and 3) cover cuts and sores on the skin to keep the virus from spreading by blood or secretions. HCV-positive persons with one long-term, steady sex partner do not need to change their sexual practices. They should discuss the low but present risk for transmission with their partner and discuss the need for counseling and testing. HCV-positive women do not need to avoid pregnancy or breastfeeding."

I am in a new relationship and do use condoms (to protect myself as well) but if I was still with my husband I would not have started using condoms with him.

David, how is that show?  I've been thinking of getting it from Netflix, but not quite sure.

Hugs,

Connie

OK David.... Mitzi.... the gal on the block is Sandi now..... my id is arneeb... but the name I am using is Sandia.... cuz Mitzi done stole mine... I never wrote arnee or arneeb at the end of my posting... phzt Sandia