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Posted 1/3/2007 10:38 PM (GMT 0)
hi to all i am a 34 year old female that was just told she had hepititis c i am scared because i dont know much about it i have more blood test then anything and they said i have to go threw home treatments for 6 to 12 months all my life i have dreamed of meeting the right man and when i do this happens he is wonderful as well as his 2 children that live with us but i am scared please can someone direct me some place to help me understand this disease better something to help me not so scared  we were supose to be getting married this year 2007 and i dont know with the treaments the doctors are tlking about if i will be able to walk down the alse i dont kow what to expect PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!!1

Posted 1/4/2007 2:09 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome 2scared. There's alot of great people on this forum who can give you some information about your disease. Unfortunantly I am not one of them. I don't know much about Hep C. I will be praying for you though. Take care of yourself. Pink Grandma
Posted 1/4/2007 7:10 AM (GMT 0)

2scared, welcome to HW. I do belong to a wonderful HepC support group, my husband has Hepc and cirrhosis and is too far advanced to do the treatments at this time. He is listed for a transplant. I do know the treatments can be rough, but not impossible. Everybody is different, with the side affects. I have been told that one should drink plenty of water during treatment and eat healthy. We have had many on this forum that have completed the treatment. Hopefully they will see your post soon.

Teresa

Posted 1/4/2007 7:51 AM (GMT 0)
2Scared, welcome to the forum.  I know you are frightened and have a lot of questions, but there are many here who can help you.  Also look at the Info thread at the top of this forum.

It is highly unlikely that you contracted the virus from your fiance.  Also, it usually takes years for hep C symptoms to develop.  Did you have both a blood test and a liver biopsy?  Have you found a hepatologist?  Please do look for one, as they are specially trained in diseases of the liver, including the various forms of hepatitis.

I have hep C, diagnosed per biopsy in '93.  (I know I got it in the late 60s.)  I tried treatment, which was Interferon at the time.  I was on it about 6 weeks, when my doc took me off due to very low white cell count.  I tried it again about 2 mos. later, but the same thing happened, so I took myself off the Interferon after about 3 weeks.  Aside from extreme fatigue, causing me to switch from f/t to p/t hours, I had  no other symptoms.  In March of '05, I was diagnosed with a huge malignant tumor in my liver that had metastasized to the inferior vena cava (a large blood vessel in the mid upper trunk.

The risks of untreated hep C (or nonresponder to treatment) are liver cancer and/or cirrhosis.  Thankfully, I do not have cirrhosis.  I underwent two different treatments for liver cancer, the second being a new study at Mayo.  These treatments worked so well on me that there is very little cancer remaining, and I am now operable...which I wasn't before.  The metastatic tissue is gone.  I got the green light to proceed with hip socket reconstruction, which had been put off for over a year while the cancer took precedence.  I had that surgery on 09/26/06, and am nearly healed from it.  I'm now awaiting an appt. with my oncologist to see what scans he will order, and whether I can still have surgery on my liver. 

In your situation, it's difficult to say how much you will be affected by side effects of treatment.  Everyone responds differently.  Some people have few side effects, while others become so ill they cannot work while under treatment.  Please do find a hepatologist and heed his/her advice.

Meanwhile, get as much rest as you can, eat healthfully, and do NOT drink any alcohol!  Also, come back here for support and info.

Hugs,

Connie

Posted 1/4/2007 1:06 PM (GMT 0)
hello 2scared and welcome to the forum!
My husband went through 7 mths of treatment but started having severe heart problems(NOT because of the treatment),,,but it made the treatment very rough on him ,so hes now on the newest treatment for hep b,,baraclude. There have been ppl who have very few side affects with interferon,so dont give up on the idea of walking down the aisle! A few hints for you after watching my husband go through it,,,,first of all,drink plenty of water and gatorade to keep your electrolytes up. Do NOT sit on the couch all day,,,,when you feel good,get up and move around,take a walk,and dont exclude your family and loved ones from your life. One of the things I noticed with my husband is,,,he withdrew from all who love him and his mental state of mind made the treatment worse on him. example,,:wouldnt go anywhere if he had to take his shot,,,fearing being sick before he even felt sick,,,,also,if you have any side affects,make sure to talk to your dr,as there are things that can ease the side affects for you...(one of the most important parts of this treatment is having a dr who is knowledgeable AND is willing to work with you to get you through this process) Im not sure what your viral load is,or the extent of your liver damage,but normally hep c takes many many years before the damage is severe. It is NOT normally transmitted through sex,so your husband to be should have no problem staying safe. As Connie has said ,,the most important thing for your liver is NO DRINKING ALCOHOL!!!!!!!!
good luck with this and I do hope you come back to the forum for great support and advice. None of us are drs but we have all been through ALOT with liver disease,,,,take care of yourself
Posted 3/26/2007 10:13 AM (GMT 0)

2scared said...
(replace this text with what was said)

I apologize for the late reply, but I just recently joined this forum. I'm not sure you are checking in to read replies, but I'll leave one anyway.

I have chronic HCV (Hepatitis C Virus), genotype 1a. I did the combo therapy (interferon & ribavirin) for 48 weeks throughout most of '06. I self-injected the interferon on Monday evening. I felt like I had the flu for several days each week, but it usually (not always) got better by the following weekend. Ribavirin is pills that you take twice daily. That caused a skin rash, some hair loss, anemia (which got worse over time), etc. It was no picnic, but I don't see any reason you shouldn't be able to proceed with a wedding. I think the worst that would happen would be be that you get very fatigued as the day wears on. I wish I could paint a rosier picture for you, but I can't.

You need to let us know if your liver has been damaged at all. If you are 34, chances are the virus has not done much damage & you should seriously consider doing the combo therapy. I've had HCV for probably about 30 years, wan't diagnosed until '02. Also, I assume you have been referred to a gastroenterologist. He/she would be very familiar with liver conditions & treatment, & would be able to relieve a lot of your anxiety. 

Doug

  

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