Hepatitis C Support Group

Hi. My name is lauren and I'm 26 years old. I just got the call that my bloodwork just came back for hep c and I need to see a gastro doctor. I have a appointment on Tuesday and extremely worried. Just a little about myself. Well when I was 19 I started using iv drugs and then got clean when I was 20 and had a beautiful baby girl. (Who's almost 5 now) when I was pregnant and after wards I repeatly got tested and everything came back good. I relapsed in october of 2010 and got clean again on may 14 2011. (Almost have a year sober now) well two weeks ago went to gyn and she wanted me to get bloodwork taken since I relapsed. Well the hep c came back positive and I'm extremely nervous. I have been reading all over the internet freaking out. Also I got my daughter checked but won't know anything until Thursday or Friday. Can someone please give me some insight what I can expect at my first dr appointment on Tuesday. It will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you lauren

I've been on treatment for 18 weeks now doctor said the Hep C is clearing up the treatments for me was alot of side affects but the meds work you will find you may not have any side affects at all,Just stay positive the meds work and you're getting better each day I'm up for a liver transplant because I got the Hep C in 1975 blood transfusion at a Hospital but back then they didn't screen for blood ,so you'll be fine

Thank you...just worried.

Also my GYN advised me that I have a high viral load. can someone please advise what this might mean?

PLEASE HELP! I am going crazy.. My gyn doctor told me that my viral load is 158,890 ML quanitive. Please someone tell me what this means?

Dont worry so much just make sure to take very good care of yourself from here on out. viral load only means how many copies of the virus you have in your system and that is all. Now a fibrosure test (which most gastros are opting for now) or a standard biopsy (which has always been considered the golden standared, but it is only as good as the sample they get what if they pull from a none effected area you stage one what if they pull from full affected area your stage 4) any way this is the only way to know if you have any damage.

It sounds like you're saying a biopsy isn't very reliable, so it would be no big deal to go without one, right?

I am not saying that at all, I am just saying that it is only as good as the sample they draw (if they draw from an area that is in stage 4 you are stage 4 or if they draw from a good area you have no fibrosis.

However the new fibrosure test is a simple blood draw, that goes by the biomarkers in the blood and pretty darn acurate. Less invasive. Here is a good read on that. http://www.touchbriefings.com/pdf/2073/poynard.pdf

First of all I'd like to welcome you to the group! You have done the best first step in your journey... you have reached out for support, and this is a great site to begin. You are not alone with your fears and questions. It is a normal reaction when facing the unknown. Therefore, I'd like to encourage you to give yourself time to read as many posts on this forum as possible. There is a wealth of knowledge shared by those who have gone through it all, and they are generous with their support.

My best advice is to get hooked up with your doctor and get you started with treatment. The longer you wait the worse damage it will do to your liver. Guessing by your age and when you were using the drugs, there’s a good chance you caught the disease early enough to treat it with a really good results. By the way congrats on your year of sobriety.

As for the biopsy, eif and mommypat, my husband Danny had his biopsied in 2006 and they told him he was only stage 2, but this year after a CT scan (for something else) the liver showed up cirrhosis. Doctor later said the biopsy must’ve cut the only good part of his liver that was left.

My husband and I are both doing treatment together. It’s not fun, but it’s very do-able. It’s kind of like having the flu. Not fun, but not meant to be.

So anyway Lauren, don’t let yourself get freaked out. Breathe. Read. Get talking to someone about what treatment you are to start, and DO IT.

God bless you.

Great example!! I had heard that from the new doc I see in Louisville and now reading from first hand experience. Thanks for sharing that. It is very painful to have to go through and then be wrong.