Re: Re: why treat

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Suzie ~~ It's awfully good to hear from you...I look for your posts to know how you are doing. I'm glad that you spoke up today, people need to know as many scenarios possible to help in their decision making...I know it really helped me. You will continue to be in my prayers. Give SpYke a pet for me and a kitty treat if you have one handy. Blessings, suzie wrote: -Hi Roy, You're a very lucky man. I caught what was dx'd at the time as Non a Non B in 1969 & ignored it

for many years, then I was tested in 1990(I asked to be tested for B & my doc ran a full hep screen) & was positive for A & C. My doc wanted to immediately refer me to a G I but I asked him to run some LFTs & said if things were normal, let's just leave it alone. Well, they weren't normal & three months later I had a biopsy, that showed cirrhosis. I tried the Interferon tx but didn't respond & two years later I tried Interferon & Ribivirin - did not respond to that either. A little over 3 years ago I wanted to try the present combo tx but after a repeat biopsy & some more LFTs we found my cirrhosis had decompensated & I couldn't do tx. Now I'm in ESLD & last September they found a tumor. I have liver cancer! I go for a consult with a "Radiological Interventionist" on Monday about having an ablation done to remove the tumor - luckily it's small right now & there's only one! Then they want me to see a transplant team because once you've progressed to cancer, it'll probably return. You see why I say you're lucky? Each person with this disease progresses differently - for some of us tx is the only thing that'll save our lives, for others, a t p & there are some that not even that can help! Good Luck to all of us. I for one will do what I have to to say "I'm not

a victim, I'm a HCV Survivor!" SuZie .

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Tonni ~~ It takes courage to re-evaluate our thinking. Hats off to you for being willing to consider other's views. Ultimately, the decision will rest with you, but having the view from many vantage points was very helpful for me. I'm glad that you are seeing another doctor for a second opinion. You say it is a "general" doctor. Do you have the option of seeing a specialist? You might consider a Gastroenterologist or a Hepatologist as they are the doctors that are the most knowledgeable about HCV and the care of those with HCV. Just something to think about. Blessings, Tonni Brende wrote: Thanks for the straight talk.Gods frying pan along the side of my head is usually what it takes for me...thanks for hitting me hard and straight. You gave me a lot to think about; numerous people have since I posted. It's just I was

devastated, went to doc, requested what tests I found I needed...but no one wanted to treat me, no one acted like it was any big deal at all. They never even ran all the tests that researching said I should get. I know my load (853621), my red cell count was low (4.15), and my ALT was high (44). All I know is that at 800,000 treatment is an option, but anything 1 number over, it is recommended. But the doc didn't even talk about nothing. I talked, he said ok see ya in 6 months. I was very happy that all I had to do was remove my razor and toothbrush from arms reach...after the week of awaiting the kids negative test results. No one medically seemed to think it was a big deal, so I fugure I shouldn't either. Then I read all you and horro stories of treatments, etc...and I'm thinkin no way I wanna live like that. But, I love my kids. I do not want them to see me sick, but with the fatigue and wierd pains I'v

had lately, I made a appointment with a different general doc. I won't tell them anything until I get there, and see what this one says. Now, being not too eager, I set it for March...gives me plenty of time to build up the nerve, but also for things to turn around with my special needs son and his recent issue. Again, thank you Janet for being as straight forward as I needed. Tonni Brende Wife, Mother, Grandma too WORRY ABOUT NOTHING...PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING. I would rather walk with God in the dark, then to walk alone in the light. athan, PVL, ACC, Unknown Leukodystrophy- He can't sit alone, who wants to. He can't stand alone, who needs to. He can't speak our language, but is more understood

than most. He can melt anger with a smile. He can quiet a loud room without speaking. And he can teach every single one of us that the little things are what are important. He is our gift and we are forever grateful. [HepatitisCSupportG roupForDummies] why treat> > as i sit here reading everyones posts, I wonder why anyone chooses to treat? how can anyone function with a family and being sick a day a week when doing shots? treatments work/treatments don't work, boils, shingles, liver counts, loadswieght gain/wieght loss.....> I have 5 kids, 1 that's disabled, 2 under 5, a husband, a house that don't clean itself, rides to school, docs for my special needs son, and now our grown son -

who by the way not only recovered from 26 days dyin in ICU, but who is walkin and caring for himself, mostly, already - but still between him and my other son, I spend 3-5 days a week driving to clinics> what mother hasd time to make herself sick, when i have no time to even be sick when it aint scheduled> > i chose no treatment for now...am i the only one? and seriously is treatment truly worth a year + of ones life. i've had it 10 years and never knew it?????????? ????????? ????????? ??????> > seriously confused as to what, why> > Tonni Brende Wife, Mother, Grandma too > WORRY ABOUT NOTHING...PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING. > I would rather walk with God in the dark, then to walk alone in the light. > athan, PVL, ACC, Unknown Leukodystrophy- He can't sit alone, who wants to. He can't stand alone, who needs to. He can't speak our language, but is more understood than most.

He can melt anger with a smile. He can quiet a loud room without speaking. And he can teach every single one of us that the little things are what are important. He is our gift and we are forever grateful.> > > > > > > > > > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _____________ __> Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile. yahoo.com/ ;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR 8HDtDypao8Wcj9tA cJ> Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with

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I have left this topic alone thinking that we would leave it alone. Well it seems to keep staying around. I feel like you are being made to feel bad for not doing tx. You choose what is right for you. I want to do tx so I have a less chance of having other problems in life. We all die in the end the coice is yours how. Good luck either way. Djkost1959 wrote: Roy,I agree with you that we will all die of something. It is our choice whether we choose to allow HCV to dominate our lives.

Unlike you I did choose the treatment offered in the 90's......and was a non responder......twice. They came out with the ribovarin after the first round. When I realized that it was not fixing anything, I chose to live my life regardless. Worked, raised kids, still doing all of that.......little to no effects of HCV. If you are lucky, you can go a long time like that. Two years ago, it jumped up and slapped me in my face again. All the while I was ignoring the HCV, thinking that it could not run my life for me, it was getting even with me and decided to spring it on me, as I am in end stage liver disease, with what appears to be 4 tumors, and add on the lack of oxygen that I am not receiving thanks to all of this, and I have already been evaluated for a transplant. At this point they are simply monitoring the tumors....one has to reach a certain size (and not spread outside of the liver) before it can move me up

the list, or the blood oxygen has to get so bad that I have to have oxygen supplements to move up the list. Either way, it is a race against time.If I had a chance to to do it differently would I? Oh yes!!!!!!!!! If there was the treatment then that is out there now, and the success rates that are out there........it would be worth that year of my life in exchange for many more. I wish you luck in your quest to not allow the HCV to dominate your life, just be careful that by avoiding that "snake oil" you won't wake up one day to find your quality of life slipping away faster than you can even attempt to grasp at it. I will also say that when I chose to not allow it to dominate my life, I stayed away from the message boards thinking it was kind of "morbid" and I could not allow myself to wallow in pity for myself. Now that it has jumped up at me full force, I pay attention to the boards. I may not post

that often, but I keep up with them. So you may want to ask yourself, are you really ignoring it? If you were, would you have posted on here in the first place?Sorry, I have never been known for my tact.JudyJudy>> > > i chose no treatment for now...am i the only one? and seriously is > treatment truly worth a year + of ones life. i've had it 10 years and > never knew it??????????????????????????????????> > You are not the only one!!> > I was diagnosed in 1998 while applying for life insurance. I had Hep-B > when I was 16 years old and since have been diagnosed with non A non B > up until 1998 and the insurance thang.>

> Being 52 now, I can only guess I have been carrying this virus for, > Hmmmm. 36 years.... I have not had a biopsy, do not know my viral load > and really don't care. Only symptoms are occaisional dull pain in upper > right abdomen and... really nothing else aside from the aches and pains > that come with aging> > I believe I will die with the disease, not of it. I refuse to allow > Hep C to dominate my existence and find a certain morbid humor in those > that do > > I have done the Hep A vaccine but, as far as the snake oil they sell > for C treatment, no thanks!!> > We're all going to die.. some in accidents, many of cardio diseases, a > large amount due to cancers, most of old age.......> > Roy>

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