Hep C Discussion Forum

The Virologist/Molecular Biologist from my Lab. gave me some interesting information, along with my Undetected VL result.

The Government has been making a fuss about paying for VL testing under our Medicare system. My Lab has just installed the new Roche Qualitative Test machine, which is accurate to a LLOD of 15 i.u./ml. This is the same sensitivity as the Quantitative test but is less than half the price ($400 vs $1,000). My tests are done for free, so I had both done. Evidently, once Undetected, followup VL testing will just be Qualitative to keep Medicare happy. I'm not sure whether this will happen in the USA.

Roche have also changed the structure of their 'Target'. This is still taken from the 5'UTR of the viral genome, and the 3 big players in VL testing, Roche, Labcorp and Abbott, closely guard the exact structure. Roche claims this refined 'Target' is even more accurate than before.

So don't be alarmed if the VL test result looks a bit different. Cheers.

Cheers Malcolm! thats about it, no more pesky hepatocytes munchers anywhere left hidden ;)

hows liver recovering? You taking any supplements or meds to help regeneration?

best

You are an inspiration - well done.  Nxxxx

Congratulations Mallani!!! 1 yr hep c free!!! That is just fantastic!!! Thank you for all of your support, knowledge and inspiration for myself and for all members of this forum! I wish you continued good health, happiness and a hep c free life!!! It is definitely well deserved! And thanks again for all of continued support!

You are an inspiration to us all! 

Congratulations on the year, and Thanks for all the help and info. By the way, your looking great! And so is your wife, beautiful lady!

One day this forum won't be needed as biochemists perfect their knowledge and treatment for this disease! We are all in the historical shift of this disease and we are seeing first hand the miracles of science. Thanks for the medical knowledge, it is indeed helpful to know what is happening to us and to understand what it implies. When looking through the net, we are bombarded with information that at times is nothing short of frightening and mainly infactual or outdated. I no longer search the net for answers as most of them can be found on here. I will never have a perfect medical understanding of the disease, but facts seem to take away the fear factor and I concentrate on that rather than what may or may not happen. The future is brighter for everyone and it is indeed sad that not every person on this planet will be able to access these much needed meds in time, we can only hope they can battle through and wait. Saying that, congratulations on a full year and hanging around for others to help in their journey, and to Jill and other members that donate their time and efforts, cudos folks!

Congratulations Malcolm! And, thank you for sharing your medical knowledge with all here, that we may better grasp an understanding of the procedures, the lab test results, and the implications of the medical trends worldwide.    Best wishes to you, and since it seems that you're never far from a body of water, best of luck fishing as well. 

Hi SuziQ et al,

You guys are sharp! Yep, 12 months since EOT and to celebrate I had a blood test this morning. Two hours later, the Lab rang with the results- they are getting pretty efficient!  All normal, but the platelets are still a bit low. I get the VL this afternoon but I hope to continue my Undetected run- it's now 94 weeks since I had detectable virus.  I get to see my doc on Thursday, probably for the last time as he's now Dean of our biggest Medical School.  I'll be handed on to one of his younger colleagues.  Any questions members want asking?

I must say I survived the triple pretty well. The first 9 months were disappointing, with muscle and joint problems, but they have virtually gone. As I'll probably live longer than I expected, vanity has set in, so the dental issues are being addressed, so I can smile more!

I'm happy to help, as this Forum supported me through my lowest moments in treatment. I realise that not everyone has the same technical interest in our virus, so it's hard to know how much detail to go into. I've cancelled some of my on-line subscriptions as HepC treatment is approaching perfection. My only regret is that it will take a long time for some countries to access this. I am in awe of the Virologists and Biochemists who have unlocked most of our virus ( which still can't be cultured).  When you swallow one of their drugs, give thanks!  Cheers and thankyou.

Congrats Malcolm, you've been a great help to me through this forum and PM's. You provide top notch info and I can't thank you enough. I guess it's SVR 52 for you:)

CONGRAGULATIONS!

Way to go Malcolm!  Congratulations!