Hi Everyone, I got my results today and I'm stage 1/ grade 1, minimal liver damage with minimal Fibrosis. I was diognosed July 9th this year and now I finally know my liver stage. The Dr that did the biopsy said I was a good candidate for treatment, so I guess I'm going for it, but now I'm not into much of a hurry. I had to tell everyone my news and I think this is a pretty good Christmas present to me. I'm going out of town for the holidays, so I wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season...

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Jeanie

Jeanie-
That is good news when one is faced with the fact he/she has hcv, I am happy for you that it is minimal, that gives you a lot of time to decide when/if you do treatment, with all the research going on there may be new user freindlier treatments in five years, you have time to wait/or decide.
Are you genotype 1A? regardless you are a good canidate for the Pegasys mono if you so choose,your odds are great for being a responder.

Good news is always welcome this time of year huh.
be well +

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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

Thank you Neil, I'm a 2a/2c geno type, and the only treatment the VA's offering me is the combo of Peg-Intron and Ribavirin. I'm not going to let them push me into starting treatment until I'm ready. I quit drinking the day I was diognosed and now I've quit smoking for 4 weeks. I still have other matters to take care of before I start, but I hope I'm ready when they are...Bye...

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Jeanie

Jeanie-
first congrads on quitting smoking, that can be a hard one, but now that your into the fourth wk, it shows you are strong minded and it will get much easier, also you will start feeling the effects of NOT smoking, its amazing how much better you feel.

From everything I have researched a 2A/2C with stage 1 would be the perfuct canidate for the Pegasys mono or Peg-Intron even mono, its the Ribavirin that can be quite hard on some and you may not even need it, why take it if your chances are very high for a responce without the Ribavirin.

Regardless, being a 2A/2C stage one, you have lots of time to decide what is right for you,you are right on not being pushed into treatment, within five years they say reseachers think that they may develop much more user freindly treatments, in my non-medical,non professional opinion I think if you decide to wait, and take good care of yourself, five years, stasticaly will not progess to a serious health problem.

In any Case I wish you the best in your decision,
Be well Jeanie +


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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

Thanks Neil, I was out of town for the holidays and this the first chance I've had to check my email. Well I'm going to do whatever the VA's going to prescribe for me and the nurse said on day one that the VA was treating HCV patients with combo of Peg-intron and Ribavirin. I guess I really don't have much choice except to be treated or not to be treated, that is the question...They're gonna do what they want to do with me and I'm gonna do it just to get through with it...Anyway when I do start treatment, I'll try to post often and update my status...Thanks for your reply and sorry to reply so late...Bye...

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Jeanie

The Va can prescribe Pegasys if that is your choice.

I work closely with the Va and have for years. Pegasys is definitely an option. If the clinic staff give you a problem, talk to advocate at the VA.

I hope this helps,

thanbey
www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)

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www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)
preapproved by moderator1

Thanks for the advice thanbey. I will look into it on my next visit to Augusta VA, on Jan 13th. I just hope they don't plan on starting treatment that day. They do inject my 1st shot. I talked to the clinic nurse, after the Pegasys FDA approval and she told me the VA in Augusta, Georgia was not using Pegasys, even though on my 1st visit to this clinic, she said that the VA was using the latest treatment for HCV patients. I figure they must have a package deal with the Peg-intron and the only option they'll give me is this treatment now or not at all. I'll know more on my next visit, my only fear is that I start treatment and have to stop because of unforseen complcations, but I have a positive attitude, so I'm not worrying about that now. I am a vet and I will fight for my service connected disability for being infected with this disease probably from a transfusion while in military in '80...Thanks again for info...

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Jeanie

I wrote the first service connected disability for a Navy Corpsman in 1992. It was successful on the first try, and he has since been granted a 100% disability rating because we stayed ion top of it.

Besides the medical benefoits, there are other benfits, depending on the rating you receive, so this is really worth doing.

If you work with a DAV or the American Legion, be sure they know what they ar doing with regard to the hep. Not all of them "get it" quite yet, and some are just plain lazy.

Have you submitted your application yet?

thanbey
www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)



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www.hcop.org (http://www.hcop.org)
preapproved by moderator1

Jeanie-
Hope your holidays were the best, would like to see you post often and update your status, Thanks
Be Well +


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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

Thanks thanbey, I do have a good VA Rep in the local area. He's a DAV and he's also associated with the American Legion and the VFW. I just have to get every medical record I have together and present it to him. I have the military records, as far as my discharge medical records are concerned. I don't have my active duty military records and any records I will accumulate on my HCV and even previous VA records. I do have one problem and thats probably going to be with my military records. I transfered out from one base to another 30 days after being released from hospital, so the 19 days that I spent in the hospital never made it into my military records. My medical discharge records has what I put into it and it states I had a c-section, transfusion and a blood clot and if the VA doesn't believe me, I have a child to prove it...But in answering your question, it's yes and no. Ten years ago I had surgery at different VA actually twice '92 and '93 and I started to apply for service connected disability and thats why I have my discharge records...I'll keep you posted on my progress...and you too Neil...Bye and thanks again...

meanjean - You are lucky to have type 2a. Type 1a does not respond to treatment as well as other types. I completed 48 weeks of interferon only to relapse. I am now 28 weeks in to the Peg Interferon program. I have been quite lucky regarding my ability to continue my normal daily life, working, traveling, etc. The first treatment was very tough during the first 3 months but soon I was somewhat back to normal. This second experience was even tougher as I was prepared for the same physical effects. This time I spent almost 16 weeks feeling quite poorly and constantly questioning my decision. After that I began to feel a little more like myself. Now I only suffer the headaches and an occasional anxiety attack from too much stress in my day.

My original biopsy found stage 2 with signs of fibrosys. I have recently learned that the medical community is discovering some regeneration of damaged liver cells after HCV treatment along with a lifestyle change. Note: this only occurred in cases where damage to the liver was caused by Hep C, NOT by alcohol.

Good luck on your treatment. My research in the pass 5 years has shown the chance to rid yourself of type 2A is in the 70% range now. Of course this information has been provided by my Doctor and statistics announced during 'Infectious Decease' conferences. Thanbey is a great source for this type of information.

Good Luck!

[This message has been edited by EJ (edited 01-07-2003).]