Hi musicman, just wanted to say hi welcome to this forum i joined a few weeks ago just before i started treatment (tx) I was also scared worried anxious its like nothing i ever felt before!! i left it a couple of years before starting tx for many reasons, but i felt like now was the right time. I heard this Alot before starting but its really not as bad as you think or imagine!! Of course if the reason you found out is because you were trying IVF you want a family in the future and you can still have that,im a single mum with 2 kids and its not easy but believe me when i say im the biggest wimp going if i can do it you can too. I havent told many people just family really.I hope you have a good support system around you?
take care missy xxx
James10500 said
Mar 2, 2011
As far as insurance goes. I guess it depends on the policy. For me I paid $125.00 for the drugs a month. To see a specialist it cost $40.00 per visit. I had to pay a % of all the procedures, liver biopsy, sonogram. The meds really didn't take to long to come once my doc wrote the scrip, I think they called him to verify as it is pretty expensive stuff.
You're on the right track.
James
BJ said
Mar 2, 2011
Gidday Musicman,
Welcome to the Forum mate, it's a mixed bunch of people like you waiting to start, some on tx and others have finished. It's a good place to find out heaps about the virus and getting treated, not a bad bunch of misfits here as well, I guess I'm one of them.
Its a tough place, where you are at now, wondering what's going on, what's going to happen to you now that you've got a virus - a month ago you prob'ly had never even heard of before. We've all been there in the beginning at one point. and you have the added problem of dealing with the cost of treatment to worry about as well.
Many people on here that have done the treatment and beat the virus, were in the US like you and did it because their insurance paid for it. You may need to speak to some of those guys from the States about exactly how, but from what I can gather it's not real fast, like on most occasions, these insurance companys hate parting with your money to pay for treatment, but they do seem to come across and let them do it. I guess it depends on the type of insurance and who it is with, but I'm sure a member from the US who did it that way, will be along sooner or later, and they can explain the detail. I'm in Australia, where it's a lot different, so I can't help with US insurance matters. Some were also able to get on trials for HepC drugs, that the companys run in the US from time to time.
I have finished treatment (tx) now after a long haul, and I am in the recovery stages, but before I started tx the disease had progressed to the point that it was affecting my life quite a bit and I was slowly getting worse. Fortunately, I got started on tx and am now clear of the virus at this stage, so it's a bit like being reborn, not complaining mind you :)) I wish you the best as you begin your search for a way to get into tx. Hopefully your insurance company IS cool about it, and you can get started fairly quickly, although there's a few tests that they need to do to work out yor genome and other things, and they take a bit of arranging sometimes.
Be patient and try and learn as much as you can about the virus, and keeping yourself healthy as well, while you are waiting for tx. I'd suggest you find out about the insurance here before asking your own insurance company, or they might just knock you back for a reason you can avoid.
Anyway, best of luck with it all and whatever happens, just keep going forward and fight like hell. If I can beat this virus, anyone can.
Cheers,
Brendan.
Mano said
Mar 1, 2011
hey dude im in the UK and thank God NHS pays for it cause i sure couldnt afford it. im here still tryin to figure out how to pay for rent in case i cant work (well basically i have to work capable or not)
MusicMan said
Mar 1, 2011
Thank you for the responses. From what I've been reading, it appears that I'm in for a roller coaster. From here there's nothing left to do but embrace it and get better.
Is this something that insurance usually helps out with? I guess that is another concern of mine.
I will keep you posted with results of things. It's nice to know I have support here.
MusicMan
James10500 said
Mar 1, 2011
Hi,
Welcome to the forum. Treat it ! If you think treatment is bad, it's nothing compared to end stage liver disease.
You're still pretty young treat it get rid of it, and move on. If you are G1 you may take into consideration the date of May 23 2011. The FDA will be making a decision about Telaprevir.
You're not alone,
James
Mano said
Mar 1, 2011
Hey MusicMan i hear you.. im on the same boat.. just been diagnosed. dude u gotta be strong and face it, it is hard but at least there is a treatment. u will find a way. think there are people out there kids who got it and they go through treatment, we have an obligation to set the example on being strong ;) let us know how the bloods and genotype went.
suzir said
Mar 1, 2011
hi there, i bet your head is all over the place, mine was, im 8 weeks into my treatment now 24 weeks all together, i had a good genome, i hope you do as well, just try and take 1 day at a time, i know what you mean about telling people, iv just bein telling every one iv got a virus in my liver, people need educating bout this virus, badly, be strong, big hugs, x
MusicMan said
Mar 1, 2011
Hello everyone. I've enjoyed reading your posts. I suppose I will just dive right in.
I didn't know I was infected with Hep C until my wife and I were trying to have a baby through IVF. Apparently my blood test showed the anti-bodies and now my world has been turned upside down.
I have a factor 8 deficiency in my blood. Which really just means that it takes a little longer for my blood to clot. Anyway, when I was a kid I had a lot of blood products because I was a complete and total klutz. (prior to 1987)
Now I'm 32 years old, and just finding out about all of this.
As I type this, I am about to go have a liver ultrasound and also blood test to determine my genotype. I have no knowledge of liver damage as they haven't performed a biopsy.
My insurance is through a private company and does not really cover anything, let alone Hep C. I am also scared of the costs for all of this.
I don't even know what to say. I haven't told anyone I work with because I don't want to be treated differently. Only a small group of people know.
If I end up going through the treatment I want to be as much under the radar as possible. I feel like I can't vent to anyone and even though people close to me might be sympathetic, it's in MY body! Obviously, I can not escape it.
I'm scared of treating it, and I'm even more scared of not treating it.
I realize this is probably a common post. I just really wanted to get this out and I know that it is going to the right audience.
Thanks for listening.
MusicMan
-- Edited by MusicMan on Wednesday 2nd of March 2011 01:50:56 AM
Of course if the reason you found out is because you were trying IVF you want a family in the future and you can still have that,im a single mum with 2 kids and its not easy but believe me when i say im the biggest wimp going if i can do it you can too.
I havent told many people just family really.I hope you have a good support system around you?
take care
missy
xxx
Gidday Musicman,
Welcome to the Forum mate, it's a mixed bunch of people like you waiting to start, some on tx and others have finished. It's a good place to find out heaps about the virus and getting treated, not a bad bunch of misfits here as well, I guess I'm one of them.
Its a tough place, where you are at now, wondering what's going on, what's going to happen to you now that you've got a virus - a month ago you prob'ly had never even heard of before. We've all been there in the beginning at one point. and you have the added problem of dealing with the cost of treatment to worry about as well.
Many people on here that have done the treatment and beat the virus, were in the US like you and did it because their insurance paid for it. You may need to speak to some of those guys from the States about exactly how, but from what I can gather it's not real fast, like on most occasions, these insurance companys hate parting with your money to pay for treatment, but they do seem to come across and let them do it. I guess it depends on the type of insurance and who it is with, but I'm sure a member from the US who did it that way, will be along sooner or later, and they can explain the detail. I'm in Australia, where it's a lot different, so I can't help with US insurance matters. Some were also able to get on trials for HepC drugs, that the companys run in the US from time to time.
I have finished treatment (tx) now after a long haul, and I am in the recovery stages, but before I started tx the disease had progressed to the point that it was affecting my life quite a bit and I was slowly getting worse. Fortunately, I got started on tx and am now clear of the virus at this stage, so it's a bit like being reborn, not complaining mind you :)) I wish you the best as you begin your search for a way to get into tx. Hopefully your insurance company IS cool about it, and you can get started fairly quickly, although there's a few tests that they need to do to work out yor genome and other things, and they take a bit of arranging sometimes.
Be patient and try and learn as much as you can about the virus, and keeping yourself healthy as well, while you are waiting for tx. I'd suggest you find out about the insurance here before asking your own insurance company, or they might just knock you back for a reason you can avoid.
Anyway, best of luck with it all and whatever happens, just keep going forward and fight like hell. If I can beat this virus, anyone can.
Cheers,
Brendan.
im here still tryin to figure out how to pay for rent in case i cant work (well basically i have to work capable or not)
Is this something that insurance usually helps out with? I guess that is another concern of mine.
I will keep you posted with results of things. It's nice to know I have support here.
MusicMan
i hear you.. im on the same boat..
just been diagnosed. dude u gotta be strong and face it, it is hard but at least there is a treatment. u will find a way. think there are people out there kids who got it and they go through treatment, we have an obligation to set the example on being strong ;)
let us know how the bloods and genotype went.
I didn't know I was infected with Hep C until my wife and I were trying to have a baby through IVF. Apparently my blood test showed the anti-bodies and now my world has been turned upside down.
I have a factor 8 deficiency in my blood. Which really just means that it takes a little longer for my blood to clot. Anyway, when I was a kid I had a lot of blood products because I was a complete and total klutz. (prior to 1987)
Now I'm 32 years old, and just finding out about all of this.
As I type this, I am about to go have a liver ultrasound and also blood test to determine my genotype. I have no knowledge of liver damage as they haven't performed a biopsy.
My insurance is through a private company and does not really cover anything, let alone Hep C. I am also scared of the costs for all of this.
I don't even know what to say. I haven't told anyone I work with because I don't want to be treated differently. Only a small group of people know.
If I end up going through the treatment I want to be as much under the radar as possible. I feel like I can't vent to anyone and even though people close to me might be sympathetic, it's in MY body! Obviously, I can not escape it.
I'm scared of treating it, and I'm even more scared of not treating it.
I realize this is probably a common post. I just really wanted to get this out and I know that it is going to the right audience.
Thanks for listening.
MusicMan
-- Edited by MusicMan on Wednesday 2nd of March 2011 01:50:56 AM