Thank you Jill, as always I will try to continue to be upbeat.

Artie

Thank you Malcolm for your kind words of encouragement and I will continue to butt heads with

Thanks JoAnne, I will be seeing my family physician tomorrow for another referral possibly in Huntsville at least for a biopsy. If he won't refer me to someone else, I will go back to the Hematologist at Clearview Cancer Institute and get him to refer me since he's on the board at UAB, maybe he can help. I'm trying not to be discouraged but its hard to stay positive with so much of this virus coursing through my body.

I understand what you`re saying, Artie, and it`s perfectly reasonable and also necessary for you to know the state of health of your liver.  Best of luck to you with finding a suitable doctor, I should look around for someone who can actually give you an appointment instead of fobbing you off all the time.

And in the meantime try and hold on to your usual upbeat attitutude, it will help you get through all this.   

Keep in touch.   ~ Jill

Hi Artie,

Surely you must be able to get access to an Hepatologist. You are being messed around bigtime.

At your age you need to know the condition of your liver. Ultrasound is not a good way of assessing this, and you need a biopsy. Don't give up and keep fighting for an appointment. HCV is progressive and you don't want to wait until you're my age. Good luck.

Thank you Jill for your kind words. I generally live my life upbeat and happy, and even when I found I out I had Hep C my first question was how to treat it? I have never felt sorry for myself because I have this disease, I brought it on myself and I can live with the consequences. The only problem I am having is that I just want to know the condition of my liver. I am assuming there is no liver damage as I have had 2 abdominal ultrasounds showing no hardening or scarring. All my Liver tests are elevated very high, but I am going to put Hepatitis on the back burner in my mind, stop worrying about it and get back to my normal unworried life.

Artie

No good news. The Nurse Practitioner has been promoted with no replacement, was told there are 500 patients waiting to be rescheduled ( I think that's a lie), also told it could be as long as 3-4 months before I see a Hepatologist. I will make some calls Monday to my other doctors for assistance in meeting me into treatment..

Hi Artie, how very frustrating for you and I can well imagine how annoyed you must be when you just want to get on with it.  Hope you get some good news tomorrow when you call back. 

Best of luck anyway and try not to get discouraged.  I`m moving this to the `General Discussion` area for you.  ~ Jill

Last week a nurse at the Hep Clinic at The University of Alabama called to tell me my appointment may be delayed again. I am so sad, angry, discouraged, angry, just a myriad of negative emotions. I want to know if i have damaged my liver, and I want a liver biopsy. When I told her my VL was 13 million, and my LFTs were high, she became concerned and I have to call back tomorrow, but I don't have faith that she can keep my appointment . They are pushing me back because of some sort of reorg in the Hep Clinic. It's been 6 months since the appointment was made.

Does anyone in Nashville or Atlanta know of a Hepatologist in those cities specializing in Hep C. I am 3-1/2 hours from Nashville and 3 hours from Atlanta. And I'm also 1-1/2 hours from UAB in Birmingham. I found several Hepatologists in Atlanta but thought it would be better to have a referral from a Hepatitis patient. Anyone out there, help please. And Malcolm, yes there are a lot of Hep Docs in Alabama but the Kirklin Clinic at UAB is the best in AL. So, I'm ready to go out of state if I continue to be delayed.