and I thought I would post about my mother. She was infected with Hep C about 25 yrs ago from blood tranfusions. She discovered the Hep C about 3 years. She has been through treatment twice. It helped but didn't put the Hep C in remission. She is now to the point where the treatment is no longer helping her and her liver is severly scarred. I am trying to get her dr. to recommend her for a liver transplant. I was wondering if anybody has any info on a liver transplant. Any help would be appreciated.

It's unlikely your mother is anywhere near needing a liver transplant.

People whose liver is still "compensating" and who can try the treatment are not candiddates for a transplant.

I am concerned that you are under the impression that hepatitisC cannot be managed. That tells me that you have not been told that hepatitis C CAN be managed, treatment IS a choice and that people do quite well if they change lifestyle issues that can cause damage: smoking, drinking alcohol, poor nutrition, poor activity level and high BMI (overweight, which leads to a fatty liver)

What did you mother's biopsy report show? That is the gold standard for determining the level of damage to her liver and her prospects for a long and healthy life managing her hepC.

Most people do live a normal lifespan and do die of something other than hepatitisC.

There is a lot of information in past posts here at heathbords, and on the website below my name (www.hcop.org), that can give you more information.

If your mother truly would qualify for a transplant, her doctor would have brought up the need for a transplant evaluation. You might want to ask about this.

I hope this helps,

thanbey


HepatitisC Outreach Project
www.hcop.org

...all information is intended for general information and is not an attempt to speak to the specifics of any one person's medical situation or decision...........

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My mother has been on the peg shots and ribavirin pills 2 different times now. Her viral count is 24,000 which is great considering when she started she was in the millions. Her doctor says, however, that another round of treatment would not help her. The treatment is hard on her. She gets real anemic and has to take shots weekly for that as well as the Hep medicine so she prefers not to take the treatment anymore. The doctor has taken several liver biopsies and says her liver is extremely damaged. He says it has developed into cirrhosis. She has changed her lifestyle. She doesn't drink, she quit smoking 4 yrs ago. She has a little weight on her but not alot. She quit taking her arthritis meds b/c pain relievers affect the liver. She has really watched watch she eats and so forth. Her count will continue to go up however as the Hep cells reproduces itself so what else should she do? I'm looking for other people's experience. It is nice to be able to post on a board where people know about Hep C because I am just learning. THanks for all the help.

Agree with Scott. Its not clear if your mom is on whats called a maintenance dose of peg-intron (no riba). The purpose is to control or limit ongoing liver damage as much as possible, since she is not a candidate for full-blown treatment. Ask the doc about this and Good Luck ...

Hi Ladybug,

Sounds like your mom is trying hard. There is still one other interferon approach she and her doc might consider. Consensus interferon (cifn) is the standard of care for re-treatment for folks who have failed to respond to other ifns. It is not yet out in pegylated form (as far as I know. Maybe in clinical trials.) But, even in non=peg form it is usually preferred for RE-treatment, rather than going through the same interferon/riba again (yes, I know this is what was done with your mom, I'm just surprised, that's all).
I think it worth researching this option a bit, and then taking whatever you learn to the doc.'

Good luck, and keep us posted, please.

sean

for all the advise. Mom's dr. appt is the end of this month and I've got a lot of research to present to him thanks to everyone. Will stay keep everyone updated. Thanks.

Hello! i am new to this board also. i have hep c, and have known for about 6 years. my mother also had it, and she was on a list for a transplant. [ removed ]

. I was just wondering if you mother ever received a liver and if so what she had to go through. [ removed ] Thanks.

I've had my hepatitis C since 1967 but just recently found out. It has taken my body well over 30 years to progress to stage 2, therefore my doctor feels there is no hurry to treat. I feel as long as I take good care of myself and keep up on research there is a lot of hope. Even if a cure is not around the corner for me, the possibility of keeping it from progressing is looking good.

alice