Hep C Discussion Forum

Tig · Admin

RE: Hi.. I'm new here. Need advice & guidance.

supportive wife · Member

Crystal this is what my husband did but no so much drinking however, he has not been to the doctor since 06 and he says that hes not going til there is a cure. It scares me everyday not knowing what his conditions are. Do you show any symptoms of hep c if so what are they?

Bloomster · Senior Member

Hi Crystal, welcome to the forum. Don't be too hard on yourself. The forum is a great place to get encouragement and banter about any questions you may have. All the best.

GodsGrl · Senior Member

Welcome Crystal! You came to right place, many knowledgeable awesome folks here! I just finished treatment and truthfully it wasn't near what I expected. I was able to basically maintain a normal active lifestyle. I had some bad days but not even close to the horror stories I had heard. Lean on the forum for support and advice and you'll be fine!

Blessings to you and again welcome!

hawkinit · Newbie

I'm really glad to find this forum - I'm starting treatment soon after years of avoiding it. My wife is blogging about my experiences so that our family can stay up to date. It's nice to not be all alone! Good luck Crystal, take one step at a time to get the treatment that you need so you can live long and prosper!

hawkinit.com

dustbear · Senior Member

We are here to support you Crystal. Please feel free to ask and share anything.

Loopy Lisa · Guru

Hi crystal,

You're obviously ready to face this again and deal with it. A lot of us don't get a diagnoses for many years but know something is wrong. Knowing something is wrong means you have the option to do something about it. Depression is no fun issue, but I have read that many go through treatment with professional support from a psychiatrist very successfully.

I, most of the time forget I have this disease and then something reminds me. I too am ready to treat and will do next year with the release of the new drugs.

You will find all the support you need here. Your boyfriend sounds lovely, at the end of the day, it is the ones that hold our hands when we most need it that are important.

Stay strong,

L

cmerduran · Member

you are going to hit two birds with one stone :)

İf your liver is stable than dont panic.. as my friends said hepc is very slow moving disease. You are very lucky girl because the most important thing during this period is support.. And as i understood your boyfriend passed this examination with AA:)

I am sure you will achieve SVR and beat this disease with thriple tx.

crystal · Newbie

smile Tyvm for your comments. I did have a biopsy about 10 yrs. ago soon after I found out that I had hep c. They said it looked good, just that it was a little fatty.

I haven't had any close friends since high school.. graduated in 1996. So, besides my mom and my boyfriend, whom I've been with for about 7 years, I have had no one to talk to about this stuff. At least no one who can really relate to my situation. I slipped into a deep depression when I found out that I had this disease and, thinking that sooner or later, I was going to get cirrhosis & die like my grandfather on my mom's side, whom I never knew, I started to try to speed up the process & drank heavily for a few years.

Really stupid, I know.. I've just had bad depression and other mental health problems since I was young & I felt completely doomed & hopeless. I quit drinking for about a year after my boyfriend and I got together.. he doesn't drink or do drugs & wanted me to quit drinking, so I did. I just couldn't take it anymore after a long, miserable year.. so, I started drinking heavily again, and did so on & off for the past 6 years, up until last November, when I decided to quit again. I've only slipped & drank one night in the past 9 months, which is pretty impressive, given how much I LOVE drinking!

I saw a gastroenterologist (sp?) about 5 years ago I think & don't remember much of what info. he gave me after doing some blood tests. All I remember is that he said I had the worst kind of hep c.. that I should get weight loss surgery, quit drinking, and do the treatment for a year. I felt hopeless again, and I haven't seen him or any other doctor about it since then.

So, I guess the first thing for me to do is go back to the doctor and find out about those things you asked me.

Cinnamon Girl · Guru

Hi again, Crystal, thanks for sharing some more of your history with us. Being able to talk about these things is so valuable and we are not at all judgemental here, we`ve all had problems of our own of one sort or another.

Yes, I think another visit to your doctor would be a very good idea as your next step forward. Are you getting any help with the depression, for example counselling? If not, it might be worth considering, especially as it seems likely it`s the depression that has driven you to want to drink in the past. You`re doing very well now not drinking, it really is so important with Hep C, and all the time you stay sober you`re doing your liver a big favour.

It would probably be helpful to lose some weight if your doctor has suggested it, either by diet or by surgery. It would be good for your health and your liver and I should think it would give your self-esteem a good boost too.

Your boyfriend sounds very supportive to you, and you`re welcome to talk to us anytime.

Wishing you all the best, keep moving forward and stay in touch! smile ~ JIll

mallani · Guru

Hi Crystal,

Don't worry, HepC is very treatable these days. If you provide some details as Jill suggested, we can certainly give you support and some information about available treatments. HepC is a slowly progressive disease, and many patients never develop any serious complications. The complications take a long time to develop, and in my case, it took about 40 years to develop cirrhosis. Losing weight is good advice and if possible, that will help with treatment. Keep in touch. Cheers.

crystal · Newbie

Already posted a couple messages.. wasn't sure what to do or where to do it. I was just hoping to find out what kind of future I have. I've had Hep C for over 10 years. I haven't sought treatment because I've been afraid to add to the symptoms of depression and anxiety that I already have. I heard that some people have committed suicide or gotten really sick with the treatment. Also, my gastroenterologist told me I would need to get weight loss surgery or lose a lot of weight so that the treatment would actually help. Something about the fat in the liver.. I've struggled with my weight all my life, never thought I'd be struggling with Hep C.. but, here I am. So, I've tried to look up what exactly it is like to die from this disease.. can't find it anywhere, but I've been told that it's supposed to be horrible. Is ANYONE out there going through this too? I feel so alone.

Cinnamon Girl · Guru

Hi Crystal, you`ve found the right place to post, welcome! smile

First of all, it really is most unlikely that you would die from Hep C, it`s a very slow moving disease for the majority of people, and is very treatable, so please try and relax and put the idea of dying from it out of your mind. I understand what it`s like to feel depressed and anxious, but you don`t need to live in fear, just talk to us and we`ll give you all the information you need to set your mind at rest. The treatment can be hard going, yes, but it`s certainly do-able, and we have lots of experienced and helpful people here who know first hand what it`s like. A lot of us here had been infected with it for a long time, decades even, but were still able to successfully go through treatment and clear the virus.

Do you have any more information, for example your genotype and viral load? And have you had a biopsy to determine the condition of your liver? This sort of information can be very useful for us in replying to you.

Please stay in touch, you don`t need to feel alone, we`re here to help! ~ Jill

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