I just wanted to say that coming on this board makes me get the warm fuzzies !!..

I used to come on the health board a while back ago for other reasons and always read this board. Yall are always SO friendly and welcoming no matter how many times yall have heard the same scenerio ....

Then this past April I found out while doing a blood test for employment that I have Hep C. ( I didnt get the position by the way)....So I came back to this same healthboards.com to try to learn about what it is I have and what the hell, ya know ??!!....And unfortunatly its NOTHING like it is over here !...I mean we go over there and ask questions about our diesease and there might not be an answer for a month and its really discouraging. Now "we" are the "dirty" disease that only drug addicts and homeless people with tatoos get. ( VERY slim that you get it from sex) ......
But I like to come over here and read how nice yall regulars are to the ones who are scared out of their minds. And theres no talking down to at all...Ya just talk to them like its the first time you have heard the question and scenerio ...

I just want to applaude yall for this and I hope that we on the Hep C board will get in the know and learn from yall how to give moral support if nothing else !...I guess also , Hep C is less talked about but no less serious , so people dont think about it or how its spread so that is why "our" board is really quiet.

I just wanted to let yall know that tho I have Hep C yall make me feel very important and welcome here.

Flower

Hello flowerchild :)
Thankyou for you're very kind words ;)
I myself have been coinfected with hiv and hcv for 18 years .
You know its not easy to accept the fact that you tested posative for any illness/disease of any kind but you do eventualy learn to deal with it and life does go on .
The important thing to remember is NOT to EVER let the disease define who or what you are .
Hcv is at its most dangerouse when you don't know you have it and luckily you found out and you are able to learn about and also understand how to take care of youreself in order to live a long healthy life .
One thing you need to understand is hcv is very slow moving depending on the circumstances ( meaning ) drinking , diet and also smoking.... All these factors have an effect on the stress and how much work the liver has to do .
The important thing is that you need to take care of youreself .
Unlike hiv where viral load is a key factor and the name of the game of the game is to keep it as low as possible to sustane healthy immune function , with HCV the viral load basicaly means nothing on the level of liver damage ( if any ) other then the actual fact of how contagous a person may be and also the chance of an autoimmune disease due to a high viral load .
Alt and ast scores can tell how well the liver function is doing but even still it will not be able to determine the actual damage ( if any ) that is being done and scaring to the liver .
The best way is to have a biopsy done once a year and that will determine ( if any ) how much scaring is actualy being done .
I use the term if any because hcv is manageable and the liver is a very resiliant organ and if taken care of can suffer very little or no damage at all .

Keep heart sweet woman :angel:
And most of all keep smiling because you do it so well !!!!!!!! :D
In good health ............
.......... Lost Spirit .................

DEarest Flower: thank you so much for very kind words and I would think we all appreciate a boost and moral support every now and then.

I am so glad that Lost Spirit answered you first. His is the kindest of souls and very knowledgeable about both issues.

Many years ago, I ran a stroke support group at a local hospital where I was the social worker. Well, this branched out and, however, this happened I was asked to facilitate an amputee support group. ANd then, a month or so later I was asked to facilitate a hepatitis support group. The people in the Hep Support Group were truly, of all the people with whom I participated, the most amazing people I ever encounter. More often, I felt as though I was there to turn on the lights, start the coffee, arrange the donuts and start the meeting. After that everyone took over. They were the most compassionate, the most knowledgeable and the most aware group of people ever. THis was all before I found out my HIV status and, no, I never did attend an HIV support group.

Hang in there and don't hesitate to ask you questions here. There are plenty of people who may be able to help and many of us who will get the answers for you. Blessing, chris

Lost Spirit: you OK?

Spirit , Chris....I wish I could hug yall right now !!! See thats what I mean !...Yall just proved what I said originally and I love yall for it !!


Spirit, I take milk thistle every day and drink lots of water. I quit drinking in JAN , tho I drank only beer , so thats a good thing.....Every once in a GREAT while I drink a beer or 2 ( or 3)...Yes I know I am doing what I should NOT be, but I blame that stupidity on stress and ****. And I drank beer EVERY day for the past , say, 8 years. ......And then just stopped JAN 1st. Didnt have a beer til July . ..

My alt was 31 and from what I understand that really doesnt mean a hill of beans. I dont have insurance and havent seen a doc since the blood test. ( I had the HCV RIBA3.0 , CNAT and the RNA ( whatever this is) too. This info came from the Blood Institute.

Hopefully Ill have insurance some day and go get the rest of the blood work done ( the geno type or whatever)

But I really appreciate yall being nice to me and welcoming me on here and letting me spew about the crap I have !!!



Flower

Flower you can google it and look up HEPATITIS C HOTLINES in you're area , just make sure you include you're state after HOTLINE .
They can direct you to orginizations and also free clinics that can perform the rite kinds of tests to see what is going on with you're liver and also liver function .
It is very important to get a liver biopsy done to see ( if any ) how much scaring may or may not have occured over the years and also where you're at with you're AST and ALT scores .
You are actualy at a very low score from what you have told us and it looks like you're function ( although a bit higher then non compromised liver ) is functioning very well .
We are all here for you and you are not alone ..... At all :angel:
Because you also share a disease that people all over the world work , function , have families and live with every day and have a normal every day life full of joy and happiness :)
Just remember ..... You're life is what you make of it and the direction you choose to take is entirely up to you and illness or not you are still the same precious flower you always were and always will be :angel: :angel:
......... Lost Spirit ..............

Hello my friend Chris :)
I've been having good days and bad days but I always seem to get by some how ;)
I hope all is well with you :D

Flowerchild a great source of milk thistle is to go to a healthfood store and have them order the milkthistle seeds .
When you get the seeds slowly simmer them for about 2 hours and make milkthistle tea that you can either drink hot or cool down and drink iced .
It is very inexpensive for the seeds and also the tea is naturely very sweet .
;)
Thinking of you both :angel:
......... Lost Spirit ............