I manage to keep a positive attitude for the most part with this HCV, but sometimes it just gets to me and I become overwhelmed with fear and grief.
Just to recap what I have already shared. I have had this virus for about 15-17 years from experimental drug use as a teenager, I decided against treatment at this time, I am geno 1a, suffer from chronic anemia (iron defficient) and low lying deppresion, which I have been treating effectively with SAM-e.
I have not had a biopsy, my current Dr. thinks it is not needed at this time , all my liver functions are normal, except for a slightly 2-3 point elevation in my AST. I dont drink, and have only drank maybe 1-2 glasses of wine a week in the past before I was diagnosed, and I dont smoke, I try to eat well, but have a bit of a problem with sweetd which I am trying to overcome. I am the mom to 4 great kids ages 6,8,10 and 16 none have been tested yet, but I plan on having them all tested at some point. Almost did yesterday when 2 of them had dr's appointments for annual physicals but they both started crying and begging me not to make them, and they had been poked and prodded enough for the day, I decided to spare them, and to be hinest I am feeling way to vulnerable right now, and dont think I could handle anymore bad news. My husband tested negative but for some reason has elevated ALT (he doesnt drink or take any meds) so there is some doubt there, he had the HCV RNA QUANT test. Anyway my children are suffering emotionally because of this virus. My 10 year old has been having panick attacks, and suffering from depression requiring counseling, and last night my 6 year old daughter said to me "mommy I dont want the blood test because I may have hep c like you and die just like you are going to" I spent an hour with her trying to reasure her that I am not dying, BUT How do I really know? I mean I could be close to end stage disease and not even know it! I am doing alternative treatments right now, and have watched my enxymes normalize and my viral load drop down to 60,000, that gives me hope, but there are times I just become overcome by fear. I do have symptoms including fatigue and brain fog.
Anyway tahnks for listening, I really appreciate having this forum to visit for support.
God Bless
Amy
The short answer is you can gain certainty through a biopsy. But, if you and your doc are convinced that you will not do this, a sonogram can at least detect the most extreme conditions--normal liver at one end, diseased, very bad liver at the other. It's not sufficiently good for determining the stages in between, which is why biopsy is so preferred. And, its of course non-invasive.
BUT, and double but, there is almost no chance you have anything at all to worry about. Your numbers are great, your background is ideal for avoiding aggravating this thing, you have no symptoms to speak of. I've made it more than 35 years with hepc with much worse numbers and mild symptoms, and I am not anywwhere near what could be called "liver disease," never mind end stage anything.
There is NO reason to suspect a worse case for you. Your self description, in fact, is reassuring.
Nonetheless, if you cannot reassure yourself (which is what it will take to reassure your children) then insist on a biopsy, or a sonogram at the least. YOur doc should not be criticized for advising that these tests do not seem needed in your case--'cause you don't present much worth worrying about and we test too much for too little reason in our system--but I doubt he'd fight you over it. Surely not over the sonogram.
Let us know how it turns out.
In the meantime, go see a movie. read a book. take your mind off your liver. Out livers are very boring, really; there is much else more worthy of obsessing over in this world.
and of course you should have the kids tested--for their peace of mind and yours. You can't ask a child's opinion of whether they want to get a needle or not--of COURSE they will object, even cry.
Do it anyway.
ASAP, in fact.
my opinion as a parent. (at least I have qualifications in that aread--on liver issues I'm just a stupid hepper like any other.)
Sean, thank you for the reply, every bit of encouragement helps so much! I have had a sonogram and it was normal.
I do plan on having the kids tested, I just feel like I cannot handle the results right now, I think I will in January after the holidays. I didnt ask them if they wanted to get tested, oh I know better than that, I just think they reacted to it yesterday because we were in the office for over an hour and it was just too much for one day, also my husband was'nt there with us and my daughter totally flipped out when they pricked her finger for blood, I swear you would think they were cutting her finger off! So I didnt feel it was the best time to draw blood!
Anyway thanks again for your support.
Whoops, of course you know about kids and shots! My stupidity, sorry.
Anyway, a result of "normal" on a sonogram equals "excellent,"or as good a score as can be recorded from a sonogram. Mine, for instance, shows "slight irregularities"--annoyingly vague. my biopsy showed stage 1, grade 1 at the time (I am due for another, but it was just re-scheduled--probably next month). So, I'm gonna guess that your liver's condition is even better than stage 1 grade 1--a guess I have absolutely no medical authority to support, you realize, just my guess.
In other words, it seems to me you are one of the lucky many who get the virus but might go through your whole life, without anything like hep "disease."
In need of support 
Linear Mode
