Guest guest Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Since some of the tests are so expensive, they often do it like this: 1- Test for antibodies 2- If positive, test for active virus 3 -If positive, test for genotype & viral load A gastro is not a “liver specialist” but livers are part of his domain and many gastros are quite capable of taking care of hep patients. My hep doc is a gastro & does continuing education on hep c & treats plenty of hep c patients. Just ask the gastro how many hep c patients he has and if he keeps up with the latest info on it. No need to cancel the colonscopy. May as well check that out, too. Not necessarily hep related, but the GP must have had a reason (symptoms or age) Sounds like you’ve got a good GP this time. I can’t believe the last one ignored the elevated enzymes. But that’s water under the bridge. Bloodwork and Tests Does the initial bloodwork done to detect HCV also measure the viral load? Does it measure genotype? My husband goes in next week for a sonogram, which was ordered by his GP. GP said he would refer him to a specialist, but as far as I know this hasn't been done yet. All of this came up when he went in for a routine physical. The last time he had his bloodwork done a few years ago, his enzyme levels were high, but the dr he was going to then, didn't do anything about it. So his levels have been high for a few years. He started going to a new GP this year, and this one seems to be on the ball. We keep wondering why the old dr wasn't worried about the elevated enzyme levels. Oh, by the way, his new GP scheduled a routine colonoscopy during my husband's first office visit. This is scheduled for the end of this month. Should he cancel this? Is a gastroenterologist necessarily a " liver " specialist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 That’s an important reminder for everyone. Please tell any healthcare workers you are dealing with that you are hep c positive, even if you are clear. Be sure they glove up when taking your blood or giving you a shot. RE: Bloodwork and Tests The bloodwork can be used to determine genotype and viral load but usually that is done with the biopsy.The colonoscopy is probably to make sure your husband colon is ok.Men are supposed to be checked to make sure they don't have postate cancer.It is an important part of a physical.Just tell the physician that is doing it that your husband is hep c positive.Even though I no longer have a viral load I always tell my dentist or doctor that I am hep c positive before they do anything to me.It is to make sure they are more thorough on cleaning the equipment they use,once the procedure is done. Gail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Yeah, so go ahead with the routine colonoscopy, he must be 50 & it’s time. Mine hcv was discovered by accident in 2003 when I had some unrelated pain that wouldn’t go away after a kidney stone & I kept going back to the doc about the pain. My PCP got the records from the ER visit for the kidney stones & noticed the elevated enzymes on that blood work & started the tests & here were are. Still have that damn pain, too. The can’t decide if its IBS or from ovarian cysts. I just live with it. Re: Bloodwork and Tests All of this started when he went in for a routine physical, which he hadn't done in quite a few years. So the prostate has been checked, and the colonoscopy is just routine, and was scheduled before he found out about the hep c. FEM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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