Re: Viral Count

[Guest guest]

It typically takes about 20 years from the infection date to reach cirrhosis and unless you have a biopsy, there is no way to tell what your liver is doing down at the cellular level.. Case in point, 6 months before I was diagnosed, my alt/ast along with my other liver function tests all were normal or nearly normal and yet when I had my biopsy, I HAD CIRRHOSIS... Bless tests and viral load have no correlation to the amount of damage you may or may not have. You NEED a biopsy to tell for sure.. they will give you the stage of damage you have and the 'grade' of inflammation which tells you how fast your virus is munchin your liver or how active it is.. the Stage of damage is staged from 0-4 with 0 being no damage, 1 being some and up to stage 4 which is total cirrhosis,, and if you are coming close to cirrhosis, sometimes

your labs can actually drop into normal because your liver cannot fight the virus anymore.. PLEASE have a biopsy if you havent had one recently , say within the last 4 or 5 years.. hugs,jax To: "Hepatitis_C_Central " <Hepatitis_C_Central > Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 7:31 PM Subject: Re: Viral Count

is there anyone out there not taking any of the Hep. C drugs? I have known about my Hep for 15 or so years and my Dr. watches my #s' says they're staying good. sometimes a bit low but no problems.

[Guest guest]

I mean blood test and viral load have no correlation,,,,, To: "Hepatitis_C_Central " <Hepatitis_C_Central > Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 10:27 PM Subject: Re: Re: Viral Count

It typically takes about 20 years from the infection date to reach cirrhosis and unless you have a biopsy, there is no way to tell what your liver is doing down at the cellular level.. Case in point, 6 months before I was diagnosed, my alt/ast along with my other liver function tests all were normal or nearly normal and yet when I had my biopsy, I HAD CIRRHOSIS... Bless tests and viral load have no correlation to the amount of damage you may or may not have. You NEED a biopsy to tell for sure.. they will give you the stage of damage you have and the 'grade' of inflammation which tells you how fast your virus is munchin your liver or how active it is.. the Stage of damage is staged from 0-4 with 0 being no damage, 1 being some and up to stage 4 which is total cirrhosis,, and if you are

coming close to cirrhosis, sometimes

your labs can actually drop into normal because your liver cannot fight the virus anymore.. PLEASE have a biopsy if you havent had one recently , say within the last 4 or 5 years.. hugs,jax To: "Hepatitis_C_Central " <Hepatitis_C_Central > Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 7:31 PM Subject: Re: Viral Count

is there anyone out there not taking any of the Hep. C drugs? I have known about my Hep for 15 or so years and my Dr. watches my #s' says they're staying good. sometimes a bit low but no problems.

[Guest guest]

Hi Vickie

I have not and am not doing the Hep C treatment. Over the past three years I

have been using supplements, but prior to that, I just didn't drink and watched

carefully anything prescribed to me--and take nothing most of the time. I was

told in 1966 that I had liver problems and stopped drinking then. Diagnosed as

Hep C in 1999.

Have you had a biopsy ? Do you know your genotype? Hep C seems to have a mind of

it's own and affects different people different ways and progresses at different

speeds depending on who knows what. Your enzymes do not always tell the full

story. Dr Burt Berkson (you can google him) feels that NORMAL levels of

prothrombin. albumin and platelets tell a lot about how the liver is

functioning.

So, yes, I am not doing Hep C drugs. You can email me direct if you want to and

I can send you info on supplements BUT I really think you need to know how your

liver is actually doing at this time. Biopsy is the best way to find that out.

THEN you can figure out what you want to do or not do.

SuziQ

>

> is there anyone out there not taking any of the Hep. C drugs? I have known

about my Hep for 15 or so years and my Dr. watches my #s' says they're staying

good. sometimes a bit low but no problems.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

I'm guessing you aren't too familiar with avocados. They are delicious. It is hard to believe they have oil in them, because they are a vegetable and delicious and have a light taste. You peel it, either by cutting it in half then use a spoon to scape out the soft insides, then remove the pit. You can just eat it with a spoon, or mush it up and make quacamole with lemon and tomato (or add salsa to it) and put it on bread. You can just slice it and put it on bread or toast with mayo and tomato. It is delicious. I often add them to salads cut up or on any sandwich. So you may be eating fat, but it is good fat, like olive oil, they are both good fats.

Yum, Enjoy

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” - Pericles

[Guest guest]

Thank you SuziQ, I knew that you would be able to answer this question. YOu are a sweetheart!!

Love

Janet

"There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go"

Frederick Faber

To: Hepatitis_C_Central Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 1:52 PMSubject: Re: Viral Count

Hi VickieI have not and am not doing the Hep C treatment. Over the past three years I have been using supplements, but prior to that, I just didn't drink and watched carefully anything prescribed to me--and take nothing most of the time. I was told in 1966 that I had liver problems and stopped drinking then. Diagnosed as Hep C in 1999. Have you had a biopsy ? Do you know your genotype? Hep C seems to have a mind of it's own and affects different people different ways and progresses at different speeds depending on who knows what. Your enzymes do not always tell the full story. Dr Burt Berkson (you can google him) feels that NORMAL levels of prothrombin. albumin and platelets tell a lot about how the liver is functioning.So, yes, I am not doing Hep C drugs. You can email me direct if you want to and I can send you info on supplements BUT I really think you need to know how your liver is actually doing at this time. Biopsy

is the best way to find that out. THEN you can figure out what you want to do or not do.SuziQ >> is there anyone out there not taking any of the Hep. C drugs? I have known about my Hep for 15 or so years and my Dr. watches my #s' says they're staying good. sometimes a bit low but no problems.>

[Guest guest]

Janet

At work I am fine if people just leave me alone. Even on days I feel like

crap I can get by if they would just leave me alone.When people tell me 'your

looking so good' I feel like screaming!!!!I am on week 20 of tx and the end is

in sight, it can't come soon enough. The sx haven't really improved, my coping

skills have just gotten better.

Rick

PS 34 more days

> > > >

> > > > Hey everyone.

> > > >

> > > > Just an update, I got my viral count done 2 weeks ago and got results

back yesterday (I started Incivek, Peg and Riba on January 25th) and my viral

count is UNDETECTABLE. Yay!!!

> > > >

> > > > For those of you not started on the meds yet, this is my third time

around but of course this time I have incivek to add to the peg and rib and both

the first and second attempt with only peg and rib. my body started to fight the

disease but it never came up undetectable.

> > > >

> > > > I am having a really hard time with my red blood cells, white blood

cells and hemoglobin, I had to get a second shot today (got one two weeks ago)

for my hemoglobin should be between a 12.0 - 16.0 and has dropped to a 8.8

yesterday. I felt extremely exhausted and had to take a nap before going for my

blood test and when the doctor called me with results the 8.8 explained why I

felt the way I did. We are hoping once I am done with the incivek (got about 5

weeks left on that) I won't have such an issue with the white, red and

hemoglobin.

> > > >

> > > > Only time will tell and I hope everyone si doing ok.

> > > >

> > > > Love,

> > > > Sheila

> > > >

> > >

> >

>