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Hepatitis C

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Is there anyone out there that has Hepatitis C that I can talk to? I need to talk to anyone that is living with this disease...I have fears, questions, please help

19 replies

I,too , have been diagnosed with hepc. When I was first told, I freaked out. I just knew it was my death sentence. My doctor got all over me ; told me I was not going to die; that I have lived a long and good life so far and there was no reason to think I was not going to live a long and good life now. My best advice is to educate yourself about hepc. It is treatable. I have not started treatment yet, but, look to start soon. I am waiting for my genotype and viral load results; then comes the liver biopsy; then treatment. My doctor has given me 2 classes to attend. Please, do not sit there and do nothing; there is help out there. Please get started. I am not an expert by no means, but, I have learned enough to not be afraid. I , also have high blood pressure and hyperthyroidism. God bless you and stay in touch.

Hi, My name is Karen.I can help you if you are going through Hep C questions. I am 48 and just found out last year that I have Hep C. I just started my treatment to try rid myself of this horrible disease.Feel free to contact me at knkhorob@nccray.com if interested.Thanks, Karen

Yes, You can get help with your Hep C.I just started treatment . I found out in Jan of 2006 that I had it.I had no insurance. Then I got insurance and played the waitng game for the 1 year waiting period. My husband and I have 2 children and don't make a lot of money so my Doc said to call the Roche Pharmacutical Company the ones who make the Interferon and Ribavirin tablets and fill out the paper work to see if I qualified for free meds and we did. They then sent me a 3 week supply and I will be on it for a year.they said they would pay the whole years worth.Here is the Roche company's number 1-866-247-5084.Please fell free to e-mail me back or call me at 1-701-570-2631 with any questions on the medication.Karen

Hi, I'm Helene and I just came onto this site. T he very best advice that I have seen is what NannaX2 just gave out with the phone numbers. I lost mine. I've been on the treatment since Jan07 and I'm down to my last shot. THERE IS HELP OUT THERE AND THE NUMBERS nannaX2 gave you can get you started. Knowledge is power and you need all you an get.

I'm still sick from the interferon and the Ribavirin tablets, but my internist has assured me i'll start feeling better soon. If I can do anything more to help, I'll be happy to answer any of your questions. God Bless you, Helene

Hi Nan, You sounded very worried and please know that you are not alone by any means! I think about my own troubles living wiyh Hep C and i am very worried also.Not only am i worried,i'm scared too. Those are just some of the feelings i experience while dealing with Hep C. The disease has only been around for a short while.It was discovered sometime around 1990 and about 4 million have Hep C ,however many more millions have some other genotype of it. I am not an expert on the disease,but know alot about how it effects my life and those around me.I do want to share with you what i have learned,but this space would not be big enough. I just want you to please not worry because help is never very far away.This is the first time i have been to this site so i will try my hardest to find a way to reach out to you if you like.I just don't know how to do this at the moment.I am very willing to share my thoughts and discoveries with you and will be here for you if you need me.If you respond to this comment i will reply.In the meantime keep taking care,Yours truly,Ken

Just write anytime, I've had it for a long time I'm Told, Some say the symtems are all in your head. and others will call you just about anything they can. but just write if you want to O. K.
You can also go to Everetneedsaliver.com and read all about me.

smile I wrote a small hand book and feel asleep and deleted it. Hep C has been round since 1940 abd before .The first test for Hep C was 1992 and all the genotypes combined equal 3-5 million people with hepatiitis C and most do not know it. The rate of 1's clearing is still roughly about 40-50 %, 2's and 3's that are taken for 24 weeksm the 1's duration of tx is 48 weeks and they are about 80 % sustain rate. I really was so an great infomation roll. I am going to post some usualble information instead. If you need to know more you can find me at Seeker's Hepatitis C Support on Delphi .com. WE can teach you all about hep C.

I50 Ways to Love Your Liver

http://forums.delphiforums.com/hepc/chat

1. Avoid taking unnecessary medications (Too many chemicals can harm me).

2. Don't mix medicines without the advice of a doctor. (You could create something poisonous that could damage me badly)

3. Street drugs cause serious damage and scar me permanently.

4.Don't drown me in beer, liquor or wine. (If you drink alcohol, have two or fewer drinks per day) .

5. Never mix alcohol with other drugs & medications.

6. Be careful when using aerosol cleaners. I have to detoxify what you breathe in, so when you go on a cleaning binge, make sure the room is well ventilated, or wear a mask.

7. Bug sprays, paint sprays and all those other chemical sprays you use can harm me too. Be careful what you breathe.

8. Watch what gets on your skin! (Those insecticides you put on trees and shrubs to kill bugs can get to me right through your skin and destroy some cells.) Remember, they're serious chemicals.

Hepatitis B & C - contagious viral ifections that cause chronic liver disease

9. Use caution and common sense regarding intimate contact (Hepatitis viruses live in body fluids, including blood and seminal fluid).

10. The hepatitis B virus also lives in saliva and, unlike the AIDS virus, can be transmitted through this fluid with relative ease.

If you were stuck with a needle used by a person with AIDS, you'd have a one in 2,000 chance of picking up the AIDS virus. But if that person had hepatitis B, your chances of picking up the virus increase to one in four!

11. Hepatitis C, spread primarily through direct blood contact, can be transmited through contaminated needles used in tattooing, body piercing, or IV drug injection.

12. Untreated, chronic hepatitis B and C can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer and is the most frequent reason for liver transplants.

13. Many infected people do not have symptoms until liver damage occurs, sometimes many years later.

14. Teach your children what a syringe looks like and tell them to leave it alone.

15. Never, ever, touch a discarded syringe or needle.

An insidious Disease
Over 5 million Americans have hepatitis B or C, resulting in an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 deaths annually. Yet many people do not know they are infected until serious liver damage occurs because they have few, if any, symptoms. Who's at greater risk of contracting hepatitis B or C? How do you find out if you're a carrier? Here are the answers.

16. If you or your family has immigrated from Africa, Southeast Asia, Mediterranean countries, or the Caribbean, where hepatitis B affects up to 15% of the population, you should have a blood test to determine if you are a carrier. Your doctor can arrange this for you.

17. If you received a blood transfusion prior to 1990, you may have hepatitis C. As many as 300,000 people may have been infected in this way before the test for hepatitis C was developed.

18. If anyone in your family or a sexual partner tests positive for the hepatitis B virus, ask your doctor to test you for the virus. if the test is negative, your doctor will vaccinate you against the virus. A simple series or three vaccinations over six months will protect you against the virus for many years.

Who else should be tested for hepatitis B and C?

19. Users of intravenous drugs, particularly those who share their needles.

20. Men or women who have multiple sexual partners.

21. Health care (including ambulance) workers.

22. Staff of institutions for people with developmental disabilities.

23. Firefighters, police officers, mortuary attendants or daycare workers.

If you test positive for hepatitis B or C...

24. Consult your doctor. He or she will determine whether you have liver disease and if you need referral to a specialist.

25. If you have hepatitis B, have your family tested. Those who have never contracted hepatitis B should be vaccinated.

26. Ask your doctor to screen for liver cancer in order detect tumors while they are still small and treatable.

27. If you are a pregnant, hepatitis B-infected mother, you can pass the infection to your infants around the time of birth. More than 90% of this form of transmission can be prevented by vaccination of the baby.

Eat for health
Since everything we eat must pass through the liver, special attention to nutrition and diet can help keep me healthy. Here are some tips on eating for health healthy liver, healthy you!

28. Eat a well balanced, nutritionally adequate diet. if you enjoy foods from each of the four food groups, you will probably obtain the nutrients you need.

29. Cut down on the amount of deep-fried and fatty foods you and your family consume. Doctors believe that the risk of gallbladder disorders (including gallstones, a liver-related disease) can be reduced by avoiding high-fat and cholesterol foods.

30. Minimize your consumption of smoked, cured and salted foods. Taste your food before adding salt! Or try alternative seasonings in your cooking such as lemon juice, onion, vinegar, garlic, pepper, mustard, cloves, sage or thyme.

MEAT, FISH, POULTRY & ALTERNATIVES PROVIDE:
protein, vitamin A, iron, vitamin B12, niacin, fiber, thiamin

BREADS AND CEREALS PROVIDE:
carbohydrates, niacin, thiamin, iron, riboflavin, fiber

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PROVIDE:
vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, fiber, folacin

MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS PROVIDE:
calcium, riboflavin, niacin,folacin, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D

31. Increase your intake of high-fiber foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, rice and cereals. A high-fiber diet is especially helpful in keeping me healthy.

32. Rich desserts, snacks and drinks are high in calories because of the amount of sweetening (and often fat) they contain. Why not munch on some fruit instead?

33. Keep your weight close to ideal. Medical researchers have established a direct correlation between obesity and the development of gallbladder disorders.

34. If you are dieting to lose weight, make sure that you are still getting all the vitamins and minerals your body - and I! - need to function properly

35. A regular exercise routine, two or three days a week, will help keep me healthy, too.

TROUBLE SIGNS...
Here are some signs of liver trouble. If you experience anyof these symptoms, please contact your doctor:

36. Yellow discoloration of the skin or eyes.

37. Abdominal swelling or severe abdominal pain.

38. Prolonged itching of the skin.

39. Very dark urine or pale stools-, or the passage of bloody or tar-like stools.

40. Chronic fatigue, nausea or loss of appetite.

What to do if you have liver disease...

41. Follow your doctor's advice on food, exercise and other lifestyle guidelines. Learn about liver disease and understand how your diet helps you. Learn what and how much you can eat and drink.

42. Contact the American Liver Foundation for a listing of chapters near you. join the chapter -talking to other people who are also affected by liver disease will help.

43. Invite family and close friends to attend chapter meetings or any learning sessions your local chapter may hold.

The limitations of transplants...
While transplants are not the answer for eliminating liver disease (We need to find cures!), transplants are the only hope for survival many liver disease patients have. But there just are not enough organ donors to meet the demand.

44. Consider donating your organs in the event of your death. You can sign the organ donor card on your driver's license if your state has such a program or obtain an organ donor card from the American Liver Foundation. Be sure to discuss your wishes with your family and your family doctor.

45. Edited due to content!
46. Edited due to content!.

47. Edited due to content!.

48. If you can spare just a few hours a week, consider becoming a volunteer for the American Liver Foundation. Our office can tell you about all the ways in which your time can help us.

AND FINALLY...

49. See your doctor for a check-up on a regular basis. Remember, prevention is always the best medicine.

50. Take care of yourself in everything you do. Be a healthy "live"r - keep a healthy liver.

NO matter if they call it a cure. YOU get a PCR or viral load yearly. It comes back and it is nor reinfect either.

if you want great information to hep C, I will send accurate and helpful information through Yahoo and files. You can add me to Yahoo, heart_feltone . This is my handle. It says I am posting to many alphaneumeric letters, Or write to me

seekingmichala@yahoo.com
I promise you the facts and this is not fatual. No disrespect intended. Forgive me , Ken your sats are wrong.

aring for Your Liver

Basic Liver Care
Diet and Your Liver

Basic Liver Care
Your liver depends on you to take care of it . . . so it can take care of you. It serves as your body's engine, pantry, refinery, food processor, garbage disposal, and "guardian angel." The trouble is, your liver is a silent partner; when something's wrong it does not complain until the damage is far advanced. So it needs your help every day to keep it healthy and hepatitis-free. To do that, you need to eat a healthy diet, exercise, get lots of fresh air, and avoid things that can cause liver damage.

What does my liver do?
Sadly, people generally have little knowledge of the complexities and importance of the thousands of vital functions their livers perform nonstop.

The liver is about the size of a football – the largest organ in your body. It plays a vital role in regulating life processes. Before you were born, it served as the main organ of blood formation. Now, its primary functions are to refine and detoxify everything you eat, breathe, and absorb through your skin. It is your body's internal chemical power plant, converting nutrients in the food you eat into muscles, energy, hormones, clotting factors and immune factors.

It stores certain vitamins, minerals (including iron) and sugars, regulates fat stores, and controls the production and excretion of cholesterol. The bile, produced by liver cells, helps you to digest your food and absorb important nutrients. It neutralizes and destroys poisonous substances and metabolizes alcohol. It helps you resist infection and removes bacteria from the blood stream, helping you to stay healthy. Arguably, your liver isn't just your silent partner – it's your best friend.

Three things to avoid for liver health:

1 Avoid excessive alcohol.
Most people know that the liver acts as a filter and can be badly damaged by drinking too much alcohol. Liver specialists suggest that more than two drinks a day for men – and more than one drink a day for women – may even be too much for some people.

One of the most remarkable accomplishments of this miraculous organ is its ability to regenerate. (Three quarters of the liver can be removed and it will grow back in the same shape and form within a few weeks!) However, overworking your liver by heavy alcohol consumption can cause liver cells (the "employees" in the power plant) to become permanently damaged or scarred. This is called cirrhosis.

2 Avoid drugs and medicines taken with alcohol.
Medicines – especially the seemingly harmless acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol and other over-the-counter medications) – should never be taken with alcoholic beverages. Many prescribed and over-the-counter drugs and medicines (including herbal medications) are made up of chemicals that could be potentially hazardous to your precious liver cells, especially taken with alcohol.

If you are ill with a virus or metabolic disorder, liver damage may result from the medications you take. In such cases, you should ask your physician about possible liver cell damage.

3 Avoid environmental pollutants.
Fumes from paint thinners bug sprays, and other aerosol sprays are picked up by the tiny blood vessels in your lungs and carried to your liver where they are detoxified and discharged in your bile. The amount and concentration of those chemicals should be controlled to prevent liver damage. Make certain you have good ventilation, use a mask, cover your skin, and wash off any chemicals you get on your skin with soap and water as soon as possible.

Diet and Your Liver

Overview
Poor nutrition is rarely a cause of liver disease, but good nutrition in the form of a balanced diet, may help liver cells damaged by hepatitis viruses to regenerate, forming new liver cells. Nutrition can be an essential part of treatment. Many chronic liver diseases are associated with malnutrition.

Watch the Protein
To quickly determine your daily protein in grams, divide your weight in pounds by 2. Too much daily protein may cause hepatic encephalopathy (mental confusion). This occurs when the amount of dietary protein is greater than the liver's ability to use the protein. This causes a build up of toxins that can interfere with brain function. Protein is restricted in patients with clinical evidence of encephalopathy. However, controversy exists regarding the type of protein a diet should contain. Vegetable and dairy protein may be tolerated better than meat protein. Medications, such as lactulose and neomycin, may be used to help control hepatitis-related encephalopathy. Due to the body's need for proteins, protein restriction should only be undertaken with a doctor's advice.

Watch the Calories.
Excess calories in the form of carbohydrates can add to liver dysfunction and can cause fat deposits in the liver. No more than 30% of a person's total calories should come from fat because of the danger to the cardiovascular system. To figure out your daily calorie needs, you'll need a minimum of 15 calories a day for each pound you weight. Watch the Salt Good nutrition also helps to maintain the normal fluid and electrolyte balances in the body. Patients with fluid retention and swelling of the abdomen (ascites), or the legs (peripheral edema), may need diets low in salt to avoid sodium retention that contributes to fluid retention. Avoiding foods such as canned soups and vegetables, cold cuts, dairy products, and condiments such as mayonnaise and ketchup can reduce sodium intake. Read food labels carefully as many prepared foods contain large amounts of salt. The best-tasting salt substitute is lemon juice.

Watch Vitamins A and D
Excessive amounts of some vitamins may be an additional source of stress to the liver that must act as a filter for the body. Mega-vitamin supplements, particularly if they contain vitamins A and D, may be harmful. Excess vitamin A is very toxic to the liver.

Beware of Alcohol
You'll need to stop drinking completely to give your liver a break - a chance to heal, a chance to rebuild, a chance for new liver cells to grow. This means avoiding beer, wine, cocktails, champagne, and liquor in any other form. If you continue to drink, your liver will pay the price, and if your doctor is checking your liver function tests, it may be hard to determine if a change in a test means there has been damage to your liver due to the disease itself or because of the alcohol.

Beware of Alcohol and Acetaminophen
Acetominophen is an ingredient in some over-the-counter pain relievers, and is contained in many over-the-counter drugs used for colds or coughs. Taken with alcohol, these products can cause a condition called sudden and severe hepatitis which could cause fatal liver failure. Clearly, you should never combine these two substances. If you have any doubt about what medicines to take simultaneously, ask your doctor.

Beware of "Nutritional Therapies"
Herbal treatments and alternative liver medicines need to undergo rigorous scientific study before they can be recommended. "Natural" or diet treatments and herbal remedies can be quite dangerous. Plants of the Senecio, Crotalaria and Heliotopium families, plus chaparral, germander, comfrey, mistletoe, skullcap, margosa oil, mate tea, Gordolobo yerba tea, pennyroyal, and Jin Blu Huan are all toxic to the liver.

hcspFACTsheet• Hepatitis C Support Project • www.hcvadvocate.org
a series of fact sheets written
by experts in the field of liver
disease
Liver
Biopsy
Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief
The liver biopsy is considered by many experts to be the most specific diagnostic tool used to assess the nature and severity of liver diseases such as hepatitis C. Liver biopsies are important for many reasons, such as accurate diagnosis or ruling out any coexisting liver disease, staging and grading the severity of liver disease, treatment decisions, patient and provider reassurance, and as a bench­mark for gauging future disease progression.
Before the Procedure
Prior to the liver biopsy procedure, some blood tests will be performed to determine how well the blood clots. It is important that all medications that could potentially increase the risk of bleeding be stopped prior to the procedure – your medical care provider will advise you on the length of time needed to be off any medications prior to and after the procedure.
The Procedure
A liver biopsy is usually performed in an office or hospital as an out-patient procedure. The most com­mon type of biopsy is a percutaneous (through the skin) needle biopsy. Ultrasonography is sometimes performed before the biopsy to identify lesions in the liver and pinpoint the exact location at which the needle will be inserted. Some people prefer light sedation before the procedure to alleviate the fear of possible discomfort. However, a person must be fully conscious during the procedure to avoid potential complications.
There are three different types of needles (suction needle, cutting needle and spring-loaded). The area around where the needle is inserted is numbed with a local anesthetic before the actual insertion of the biopsy needle. You will be asked to take a deep breath (to move other organs out of the way) and the needle will be inserted. The actual procedure is accomplished in a very short period of time – generally one-tenth of a second. The specimen can vary between 1 and 3 centimeters in length and 1.2 and 2 millimeters in diameter, which represents 1/50,000 of the total mass of the liver.
After the procedure is completed you will have to lay on the right side (where the needle was inserted) to prevent possible bleeding. The amount of time that people are required to lay on their right side is between 2 – 4 hours. Your blood pressure and other vital signs will be moni­tored.
Side Effects and Complications of a Liver Biopsy
The most common side effect of the biopsy is pain – an estimated 30% of people biopsied experience mild to moderate pain during and after the procedure. More un­common is the person that has severe pain as the result of the liver biopsy.
Complications from the procedure are another area of concern but are generally uncommon. It is estimated that 3 biopsies per 1,000 have serious complications; 3 per 10,000 result in death.
Role of Liver Biopsy
Liver biopsies are performed for a variety of reasons from diagnosis to treatment issues. Diagnosis of other coexisting liver diseases is of prime importance in the management and treatment of hepatitis C. For instance, the diagnosis of hemochromatosis, occult hepatitis B and Nonalcoholic Steatosis can only be made by a liver biopsy and can have an important impact on the treatment and prognosis of hepatitis C.
HCSP • VERSION 2.0 • February 2006
1

The most important role of the liver biopsy is the abil­ity to accurately stage the extent of liver inflammation, injury and fibrosis. We know that the amount of HCV RNA (viral load) does not correlate with disease progression or severity. Testing alanine aminotransferase levels or ALT is widely used to monitor patients with hepatitis C, but ALT is a non-specific marker of liver injury and levels of this enzyme do not accurately reflect the damage caused by HCV. In fact, approximately 30% of people with hepatitis C have normal ALT levels. Most people with normal ALTs have minimal fibrosis and their rate of disease progres­sion is reduced compared to those with elevated ALTs. However, an estimated 3-5% of people with normal ALTs have on-going disease progression.
There are other biochemical markers used to assess the severity of HCV liver disease: ALT/AST ratio, platelet counts and prothrombin time (PT). However, in one study 20% of cirrhotics did not have these specific markers and the diagnosis of cirrhosis would have been missed if a liver biopsy had not been performed.
Grading and Staging
There are a variety of ways to interpret a liver biopsy. The most common scoring methods include Metavir and Knodell. It is important to remember that the length of the liver specimen and the knowledge of the professional reading the biopsy can affect the outcome of the report. For more information see HCSP’s Grading and Staging a Liver Biopsy.
Next Steps
Properly staging the degree of damage to the liver is important in determining the rate of progression. Many people can estimate when they were exposed to HCV by assessing risk factors such as blood transfusions or injec­tion drug use. Duration of HCV and current disease sever­ity can give you a good idea of the rate of future disease progression. For example, someone who believes that he or she has been infected for 20 years and has been grad­ed with stage 1 liver fibrosis may be fairly confident that the rate of progression is slow. This can be confirmed with serial biopsies every 3-5 years. On the other hand, if someone believes she or he has only been infected with HCV for 2 years and the biopsy shows stage 3 fibrosis a more aggressive approach may be required. This informa­tion can be a comfort to the patient and physician and is another tool used to manage HCV.
Decisions about medical therapies can also be driven by information obtained from a liver biopsy. HCV treatments can have moderate to severe side effects and the liver biopsy is a good tool for helping physicians and patients make intelligent and appropriate healthcare decisions. This is especially important for people infected with genotype 1 since response rates are lower, ribavirin doses are higher, and treatment duration is longer compared to genotypes 2 and 3.
There is much research looking at various blood tests that can replace the biopsy in measuring the amount of in­flammation and scarring of the liver. However, until these tests are perfected the percutaneous liver biopsy will be considered the standard of care both for assessing the health of the liver and for managing hepatitis C.
For more information about hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HCV coinfections, please visit www.hcvadvocate.org.
•hcspFACTsheet•
A publication of the Hepatitis C Support Project
Executive Director
Editor-in-Chief, HCSP Publications
Alan Franciscus
DesignPaula Fener
ProductionC.D. Mazoff, PhD
Contact information:
Hepatitis C Support Project
PO Box 427037
San Francisco, CA 94142-7037
alanfranciscus@hcvadvocate.org
The information in this fact sheet is designed to help you understand and manage HCV and is not intended as medical advice. All persons with HCV should consult a medical practitioner for diagnosis and treatment of HCV.This information is provided by the Hepatitis C Support Project • a nonprofit organization for HCV education, support and advocacy• © 2006 Hepatitis C Support Project • Reprint permission is granted and encouraged with credit to the Hepatitis C Support Project.
2
HCSP • VERSION 2.0 • February 2006

hello, I have hep-c and so does my 3 year old. I took treatment for 48 weeks, it is not very fun to say the least. I finished the treatment 04-02-2007 . My number went down and my Doc thought I had beat it. Last night I started treatment again. I have had this a very long time. Treatment sucks , but it is better than nothing. After about 4-6 weeks I was getting back to myself. Now I am back on the roller coaster again.

Good luck to all with this ........

Not sure what they will do for my Daughter yet. Prayers for all...God Bless, Brenda

I don't know how that seminal fluid got on #9, but there is no proof that this is sexually transmitted disease. That is incorrect. I suppose if there were blood in he seminal fluid It could be. It is so rare and there are other vectors that make this happen. It is BLOOD TO BLOOD transmission.

Nanny, if you would like to talk you can email me or add me to your yahoo. Yahoo messenger is easy to use if you don't have it.

If you do choose to dwld it.. my email is seekingmichala@yahoo.com

my yahoo messenger is heart_feltone

you and anyone needed help may contact me/ Pleae let me know what your handle here is and where here is. As in I am nannyx from usnews site. If you sign up and use a different email

I will even give you a cell number i use and or I will call you. I have been teaching and reaserching hep C for 9 years and my room is that old. I have treated myself and I am in a medical field. I am married , mother of two. Happily!! so you can trust me. I am just a caring person doing my part to try and eradicate and educate.

Talk with you soon I hope

Hi Brenda, I am so sorry you have to treat again and I can't imagine what you must be going through knowing your daugher has this. I hope you both have had A& B vaccines. You know Brenda, the liver regenerates. As it gets ill, it regenerates up to a point. Your daughter will probably be fine. I know a 14 year old, no he is 18 now, wow , time passes , but his mother had hep C and he got from her. It is actually rare. Has she been subtyped to see if it came from you?
The young man I mentioned is fine. I think to get sick you have to compromised your immune systems and get into a weakened state for most part. Your best chance for her is to make sure her diet is great. Low sugar, salt, low fat, . I wish we could email each other from here. I have been teaching this for 9 years. I will help you. mail me or add me to yahoo and tell me where you met me so to speak at..heart_feltone is my yahoo and add yahoo.com to that for mail. I would really like to help you.

Sincerely,

Michaela

I have hep c to found out in 1999 I got help from the be in charge program 1-888-437-2608 they are in with the sherring comp. If you qualify you can get the meds for free you need a doc to prescribe them for you I had no insurance either and didnt start the peg and rebetol treatment till this year there are side effects the above named profram can give you more info GOOD LUCK keep positive and GOD BLESS

I also have hep c,but i went through the treatment and by the grace of God, my viral load is undectiable. (my viral load was very high 21 million) Anyways, feel free to email me, we can chat about treament and everything that comes with it. My Prayers r with u.

I was diagnosed with hep c back in 1992. I had gone to donate blood for my 2nd back surgery and thats when they found it. Back then it wasn't even called hep c. It was called non A non B and I was told not to worry about it. Within a yr I was very sick. I really thought I was going to die. I went thru 6 months of the original interferon, taking shots 3 times a week and I'll be honest with you, it was pure hell! But, 17 yrs later, I am still here and their is no trace of it in my blood. If you follow the dr's orders, eat right, and don't put any kind of alcohol or drugs into your system, you should be fine. I'm here if you need to talk...

Had it fo years been in treatment twice. Just enjoying life trying to live a healthy life these days and liviing like I will not be here tomorrow...

Hello Nan, I found out I had Hep C in the late 90's and have undergone the interferon and ribavarin treatment. I contracted the Hep C in about 1974. I am pleased to say that the virus is now in remission. Prior to the Interferon treatment I was treated by a TCM doctor with Chinese Herbs which also helped a lot. I just wanted to say you are not alone and there is a book called the Hepatitis C Handbook you might find helpful. The treatment lasted 6 months and was tough going, but I got through it and and feel a lot better than I did before. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Now my goal is to eat healthy , lose weight and exercise. Good luck and best wishes.

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