A scared mom -

[Guest guest]

Hi

Welcome to the Warriors group.

I understand your fears for your son, but please take a deep breath, and try to relax some.

I am don in ks, another Hepper.

I am not a medical professional.

I would like to try to help you understand Hepatitis C [HCV] better.

First thing - you and your son need to know what your son's blood lab tests say.

If he has been diagnosed with HCV, then his doctor should have these results.

You all have the right to have copies of them.

1 - HCV anti-body blood test.

This is usually the first HCV test run.

This test shows Hepatitis markers in the blood called anti-bodys.

This test only shows that your son has been exposed to HCV at some point, not weither he has Acute, or Chronic HCV.

It is true that if a person has Acute HCV, then there is a good chance the body can fight off the HCV.

2 - Viral Load blood test.

If someone has a viral load, this usually indicates Chronic HCV.

3 - Liver Function blood test.

If a person has a viral load then the doctor will run a Liver Function test.

This will include things like AST and ALT, and will show how a persons liver is functioning.

4 - Genotype blood test.

This will show what HCV genotype a person has.

For example - I am a genotype 1B.

A GP can order these 4 types of tests.

Click these links -

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis_c/glance.html

http://www.hepatitis-central.com/hcv/labs/toc.html

5 - Liver Biopsy test.

If a persons Liver Function test indicates inhibited liver functions, the doctor may want to see how much damage the liver has.

This requires sticking a long needle into the liver, and retrieving liver samples.

The person will be numbed, possibly sedated, and this test only takes a second or two.

An imaging device will help the doctor guide the needle.

Usually there is little or no pain, or complications, and a person just takes it easy for a couple of days to recover.

There is also a Fibrosure non-invasive blood test, but it is not as accurate.

A Gastrologist, or a Heptologist will order the Liver Biopsy.

Click this link -

http://health.dir./group/ /links/Biopsy_VS_Fibrosure_blood_test_001247284498/

I am assuming that your son has had the 4 blood tests [above], and has now been refered to a liver specialist.

I can only guess why the liver specialist wants to wait for 6 months before beginning some sort of treatment.

- Perhaps there is some sort of secondary health issue involved that your son needs to overcome, because for some people the HCV treatment is pretty rough.

- Perhaps the liver doc want to monitor your son's labs.

- There are also new treatment meds called Protease Viral Inhibitors that are set to be approved by the FDA between this May and July.

They may be added to the Interferon and Ribavirin combo conventional treatment, thus attacking the HCV from 3 directions, instead of just two.

They are supposed to improve SVR [sustained viral responce] rates in some people.

- There may be some other reason for waiting.

There is one more test that you might ask the liver doc about if your son is going to start treatment.

It is called the - iL28B gene test.

This test sometimes can show who will respond favorably to the treatment.

Click this link -

http://health.dir./group/ /links/008___IL28B_gene_001292899628/

Fatigue, loss of appetite, and nausea can be normal side effects of the HCV, among others.

I was diagnosed in 2008 because I was constantly super sick also, and that prompted the hospital to test me for Hepatitis and HIV-AIDS.

Click this link -

http://health.dir./group/ /links/Fatigue_and_Hep_C_001246130693/

Being sick, and not eating much can cause depression, brain fog, and weight loss.

The doctor can prescribe anti-nausea meds, and your son needs to try to eat and drink lots of liquids.

Nausea alone can cause dehydration, which will cause more problems, and suffering.

Here is DIET information that a Hepper should try to eat.

Click this link -

http://health.dir./group/ /links/HEP_C_DIET_INFO_001245398019/

I have a question if that is ok.

You said that your son is an IV drug user, or was.

- Are you sure that he has stopped?

If he has stopped, is it possible that he is going through withdrawls?

I also was a IV drug user, and when I quit decades ago, I was really really sick until my body adjusted to no drugs.

Usually when the liver stops functioning well, a person will turn yellow [jaundice] from the poisons building up in their system.- eyes and skin

You say that he is grey.

This prompts me to ask about the drug use, eating/fluid issues, and other health problems.

, usually HCV is a slow progressing disease.

Many of us have had it for decades.

It is rare that a person gets so sick, and sinks so fast like you describe, unless their liver is starting to shut down.

If your son's liver doctor didnt take notice, prehaps it is not his liver, or the HCV that is the problem.

You can also see another doctor, and get a 2nd opinion.

This 2nd doctor can compare the labs tests, and give you their thoughts.

Maybe the origional doctor missed something.

One last thing, and then I will let you go.

Please check out the HCV LINKS LIBRARY, by clicking on LINKS in any group page menu, or by clicking on this link -

http://health.dir./group/ /links/

Please browse and read.

I have collected a lot of very useful info for everyones use, starting from - just diagnosed, thru alternative protocals, and into conventional protocals.

The top half is topic folders, the bottom half is website links with even more info.

I hope that this info will help you and your son .

There is so much that it is impossible to post it all in an email.

I have one last suggestion - get your son back into the doctors ASAP.

Be completely upfront with the doctor if you expect him/her to help you.

There may be something going on that everyone has missed.

Please let us know what is going on - sharing is how we all learn.

You son is in my prayers.

love

don in ks

From: athenasgarden@... <linda@...>Subject: [ ] A scared mom Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 2:47 AM

Hi,I am and in January my 25 yr old step son was diagnosed with Hep C. He was hospitalized for 3 days. is 25 but he was an iv drug user since 15 and had his first hospitalization for alcohol poisoning at the age of 10. So there's been a lot of liver abuse prior to this diagnosis.He is seeing a doctor who says she won't start treatment for 6 months. I have read that the virus will sometimes clear itself. I understand her reasoning. But... has gotten worse, not better. He is fatigued all the time and sleeps most of the day and night. He isn't eating very much and what he does eat, he vomits up. He is losing weight so rapidly that its noticeable over just a week span. He is depressed and foggy a lot of the time. So much so I accused him of using. He totally broke down at that point and we realized that his

confused state was not drug induced but had been ongoing, he just finally couldn't hide it anymore. His color is off too, not jaundiced but almost gray and he runs intermittent fevers. I am terrified that he won't make the 6 months. I am scared we are going to lose him. He is his father's only child and has become no different to me than one of mine. We love him so much. Is he supposed to be getting worse? Does this sound like the normal course of things or should we be questioning the doctors? Any light you could shed would help. We feel like we are fighting an invisible monster here. Its killing our son but we have no idea how to fight.------------------------------------