Re: newbie questions

[Guest guest]

> I'm in the middle of Week 5 - I've lost 3 pounds of fat and 1 1/2 "

from my

> waist. No other major changes yet.

Well, you are entitled to your opinion, but here's mine: You're

doing fabulous!!! One and a half inches is a major change!

> I have a few other questions for the veterans (please bear with

me!):

>

> 1. So far I have been eating 4 meals a day (at 9am, 12pm, 3pm and

6pm). Is

> it really important to force myself to eat 6 meals, even if I'm not

hungry?

, , . We have to talk. Grab that cup of coffee and

sit back down. You need 6 meals to fuel that body. If you are

driving a car and you see that you are on empty, will you " push the

envelope " and hope you make it home or will you put some gas in your

car? Your body is the " car " . You need to fuel it.

> 2. I think that I'm retaining fluid (especially all the water <glug>

> <glug>) - question is, when will I stop retaining fluid??

There are many reasons for retaining fluid. Are you drinking a

gallon of water a day? How much sodium are you consuming? Is it

close to " that time " ? It will even it's self out, but you have to be

patient and buy lots of toilet paper and magazines to pass the time.

> 3. I am confused about supplementing so I haven't tried Myoplex or

any

> alternatives yet. If I understand correctly, Myoplex has a balance

of

> protein and carbs, with little fat. In the thread about

alternatives to

> Myoplex, Jen B. mentioned that Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey powder

was a good

> choice according to MuscleMaster.com. But the analysis shows that

it's

> practically all protein, with few carbs or fat content. So is the

idea that

> you use the whey powder in combination with a fruit/vegetable (for

carbs) as

> a meal??

A protein shake with a whole carb is very filling. If it doesn't

fill you up, try a protein shake, a whole carb and a bunch of veggies

like broccoli. I guarantee you'll get full and be satisfied.

Now, how many meals are you going to eat today? 6!

Go girl, you are doing awesome!

MP

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much for your reply, MP. Honestly, I am awed by the generosity

and patience you have with everyone's BFL questions.

Just one more question (I'm full of them today;) :

>A protein shake with a whole carb is very filling.

What do you mean by a " whole carb " ? Do I need to supplement the whey powder

at all with carbs, or does it count on its own as one of my 6 meals?

Thanks again,

C1W5D4

[Guest guest]

Yes , you need a carb with your whey protein shake. Actually,

lots of people *prefer* to use a protein-only powder because then

they can enjoy a whole-food carb. Add a piece of fruit or a serving

of oatmeal on the side, or you can blend some frozen fruit into your

protein powder shake to make a smoothie. Lots of possibilities. I,

myself, have stopped using Myoplex because it's cheaper to buy

protein powder and add a whole carb. JMHO

Jen B.

> What do you mean by a " whole carb " ? Do I need to supplement the

whey powder

> at all with carbs, or does it count on its own as one of my 6 meals?

>

> Thanks again,

>

> C1W5D4

[Guest guest]

piece of fruit, get carbs from whole food sources, not processed food

sources. I think this is what she means, but who knows she may still

be on a sugar high

bill

>

>

> Thank you so much for your reply, MP. Honestly, I am awed by the

generosity

> and patience you have with everyone's BFL questions.

>

> Just one more question (I'm full of them today;) :

>

> >A protein shake with a whole carb is very filling.

>

> What do you mean by a " whole carb " ? Do I need to supplement the

whey powder

> at all with carbs, or does it count on its own as one of my 6 meals?

>

> Thanks again,

>

> C1W5D4

[Guest guest]

> piece of fruit, get carbs from whole food sources, not processed

food

> sources. I think this is what she means, but who knows she may

still

> be on a sugar high

Ha Ha!

, a whole carb would be a piece of fruit. The protein

shake/whole food combination would count as a meal.

MP

[Guest guest]

Gotcha, thanks!

Doing cardio after weights will be a little detrimental to gaining muscle. Resist the urge to tweak. Go harder on the weights if you have so much & @$^%# energy that you can still do cardio :~) Brett mdj31461@... wrote:

Hello all, I am in week 7 now and feel like I am becoming stronger and stronger. I feel like I am ready to do more cardio so I can be the best I can be in 5 weeks. Here are my questions. 1. I understood a couple weeks ago while talking with the, much respected guru's here in the club, that I could do cardio as long as it was after my weight lifting. I want to start slowly, but I would like to start doing some cardio on the days that I weight train also. Is this too soon? or is this one of those, see how you feel things? 2. After the cardio today, the instructor started with some ab work. From everything I've learned, I'm thinking this may not be the best thing to do. Am I wrong? 3. Due to some surgery last year, I am in serious need of ab muscles. They are screaming for attention and I can't wait to give them more. Is it ok to do ab work daily? Ok, I think that's it for now. Thanks for all the help!

C1W7D1 PS. FYI, I haven't weighed myself for 2 weeks now. Thank heavens after the weekend I had. ;o)

[Guest guest]

Thanks Jen,

I will finish the next 5 weeks by the book. I guess I just got a little antsy. ;o)

FYI, in case you haven't felt queezy yet today,,,,,I've been getting groced out by the flavor of the fake egg whites so I decided after I cooked them today that I'd mix them with some cottage cheese. If I hadn't had a piece of WW toast, I think my next trip would have been to the porcelain god. Talk about nasty. I think I'm just gonna have to use real egg whites after I finish off these nasty ones. I just can't get over the synthetic flavor of them. ARRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

,

Question #1: You are going to hear this from everyone, if you haven't

already... stick to the book for the 1st challenge. When you embark

on C2 you can start thinking about tweaking, but go through a whole

12 weeks by the book first. Don't mess with a good thing, girl, you

are doing great (and good job on staying off the scale too).

On question #2, ab work is *best* done after cardio (or LBW as

outlined in the book) because your muscles are warmed up, and you get

a better contraction in them. Plus, since abs are core stabilizing

muscles, you should never, ever work them *before* a cardio or weight

workout. If the ab muscles are fatigued before a workout, you risk

injury.

Question #3, you don't need to work your abs more than once or twice

per week. If you hit them hard enough during LBW you really, really

do NOT need to work them more. Abs are made in the kitchen, not in

the weight room. You will not see your abs until you lose the layer

of fat that is covering them up (no offense intended with that

comment, *I* still have fat covering my abs) and no amount of ab

training will make them pop until the fat is gone. Usually, men need

to be below 10-12% BF and women need to be below 14-16%, although

those are generalizations. Some people see their 6-pack at much

higher BF%s, some at much lower.

HTH,

Jen B.

[Guest guest]

I tried egg beaters last time and this time I'm trying second nature. Both are yucky. Please give me your recipe for flan and I would feel much better about using the real eggs.

Thanks!

What kind of fake egg whites are you using?

Eggs are on sale at my grocery store for 68 cents per dozen so I bought 2 dozen yesterday. I usually use 1 whole egg and 4 whites. Since I hate throwing money away (I know, it's only a few cents but every penny counts) I save the yolks for my free day and I make flan.

I can only stomach eggs about 1 -2 times a week though.

Ann in Tucson

[Guest guest]

That's got to be the key then, I'm gonna throw this stuff out and eat the real ones. I just like to have a warm meal in the mornings. Kind of wakes me up slowly. ;o)

Thanks for the advice.

Okay, this is really funny , because I was just going to write a

little something about my delicious eggs-and-cottage-cheese that I

had last night. Of course, mine were real eggs, because I am

violently opposed to fake eggs. They ARE so nasty!! *makes a gross-

out face here* I would definitely advise that you just eat the real

ones and skip the fake stuff. It's always watery and yucky and

tastes like rubber to me. Blech!!

Anyway, last night I was making an egg burrito and I scrambled two

eggs (yes, whole eggs, I only eat them about once a week) and

realized that I was a little short on protein for the meal. So I

threw 1/4 c. cottage cheese in with them and scrambled them up

together. It tasted really creamy, like I had cream cheese in them.

I put it in a whole wheat tortilla and yumsers! That was dinner. I

think it would have been gross with fake eggs, but it was delish with

real eggs.

Jen B.

> FYI, in case you haven't felt queezy yet today,,,,,I've been

getting groced

> out by the flavor of the fake egg whites so I decided after I

cooked them

> today that I'd mix them with some cottage cheese. If I hadn't had

a piece

> of WW toast, I think my next trip would have been to the porcelain

god. Talk

> about nasty. I think I'm just gonna have to use real egg whites

after I

> finish off these nasty ones. I just can't get over the synthetic

flavor of

> them. ARRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Question #1: You are going to hear this from everyone, if you haven't

already... stick to the book for the 1st challenge. When you embark

on C2 you can start thinking about tweaking, but go through a whole

12 weeks by the book first. Don't mess with a good thing, girl, you

are doing great (and good job on staying off the scale too).

On question #2, ab work is *best* done after cardio (or LBW as

outlined in the book) because your muscles are warmed up, and you get

a better contraction in them. Plus, since abs are core stabilizing

muscles, you should never, ever work them *before* a cardio or weight

workout. If the ab muscles are fatigued before a workout, you risk

injury.

Question #3, you don't need to work your abs more than once or twice

per week. If you hit them hard enough during LBW you really, really

do NOT need to work them more. Abs are made in the kitchen, not in

the weight room. You will not see your abs until you lose the layer

of fat that is covering them up (no offense intended with that

comment, *I* still have fat covering my abs) and no amount of ab

training will make them pop until the fat is gone. Usually, men need

to be below 10-12% BF and women need to be below 14-16%, although

those are generalizations. Some people see their 6-pack at much

higher BF%s, some at much lower.

HTH,

Jen B.

> Hello all,

>

> I am in week 7 now and feel like I am becoming stronger and

stronger. I feel

> like I am ready to do more cardio so I can be the best I can be in

5 weeks.

> Here are my questions.

>

> 1. I understood a couple weeks ago while talking with the, much

respected

> guru's here in the club, that I could do cardio as long as it was

after my

> weight lifting. I want to start slowly, but I would like to start

doing

> some cardio on the days that I weight train also. Is this too

soon? or is

> this one of those, see how you feel things?

>

> 2. After the cardio today, the instructor started with some ab

work. From

> everything I've learned, I'm thinking this may not be the best

thing to do.

> Am I wrong?

>

> 3. Due to some surgery last year, I am in serious need of ab

muscles. They

> are screaming for attention and I can't wait to give them more. Is

it ok to

> do ab work daily?

>

> Ok, I think that's it for now. Thanks for all the help!

>

>

> C1W7D1

>

> PS. FYI, I haven't weighed myself for 2 weeks now. Thank heavens

after the

> weekend I had. ;o)

[Guest guest]

What kind of fake egg whites are you using?

Eggs are on sale at my grocery store for 68 cents per dozen so I bought 2 dozen yesterday. I usually use 1 whole egg and 4 whites. Since I hate throwing money away (I know, it's only a few cents but every penny counts) I save the yolks for my free day and I make flan.

I can only stomach eggs about 1 -2 times a week though.

Ann in Tucson

-----Original Message-----From: mdj31461@... Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2001 10:39 AMTo: bodyforlife Subject: Re: Re: Newbie questionsThanks Jen,I will finish the next 5 weeks by the book. I guess I just got a little antsy. ;o) FYI, in case you haven't felt queezy yet today,,,,,I've been getting groced out by the flavor of the fake egg whites so I decided after I cooked them today that I'd mix them with some cottage cheese. If I hadn't had a piece of WW toast, I think my next trip would have been to the porcelain god. Talk about nasty. I think I'm just gonna have to use real egg whites after I finish off these nasty ones. I just can't get over the synthetic flavor of them. ARRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

[Guest guest]

Okay, this is really funny , because I was just going to write a

little something about my delicious eggs-and-cottage-cheese that I

had last night. Of course, mine were real eggs, because I am

violently opposed to fake eggs. They ARE so nasty!! *makes a gross-

out face here* I would definitely advise that you just eat the real

ones and skip the fake stuff. It's always watery and yucky and

tastes like rubber to me. Blech!!

Anyway, last night I was making an egg burrito and I scrambled two

eggs (yes, whole eggs, I only eat them about once a week) and

realized that I was a little short on protein for the meal. So I

threw 1/4 c. cottage cheese in with them and scrambled them up

together. It tasted really creamy, like I had cream cheese in them.

I put it in a whole wheat tortilla and yumsers! That was dinner. I

think it would have been gross with fake eggs, but it was delish with

real eggs.

Jen B.

> FYI, in case you haven't felt queezy yet today,,,,,I've been

getting groced

> out by the flavor of the fake egg whites so I decided after I

cooked them

> today that I'd mix them with some cottage cheese. If I hadn't had

a piece

> of WW toast, I think my next trip would have been to the porcelain

god. Talk

> about nasty. I think I'm just gonna have to use real egg whites

after I

> finish off these nasty ones. I just can't get over the synthetic

flavor of

> them. ARRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Me too. I can only get myself to eat them 1x a week so I put an ounce of

chopped fat-free ham in and scramble them. It helps, just not as good as a

whole egg tastes.

Kelley

C1W4D3

Cleveland

In a message dated 11/6/01 12:46:13 PM Eastern Standard Time,

mdj31461@... writes:

<< I've been getting groced

out by the flavor of the fake egg whites so I decided after I cooked them

today that I'd mix them with some cottage cheese. >>

[Guest guest]

Yes sometimes the fatigue and other symptoms of hep c can start before the labs start to change . Right now your liver is compensating for the damage , but from the sound of it you might ask them to rum ammonia levels . Allot of what your going through "brain fog" etc I suffer from also , and it is all related to advanced liver disease and ammonia levels . Your headaches will get under control when you get your blood pressure down . There are other medications that you can take to control the cholesterol levels . Also your weight can play and insulin resistance can play a big part in how you feel . Any well welcome to the group , I am glad you finally asked questions . Participation is good for you , so don't ever hesitate to ask questions .

newbie questions

I´ve been lurking for a month or so. I was dxed with Hep C about 5 years ago. I am 55 years old and was a hippie druggie when I was young I shared needles with others. I stopped doing that when I was about 24 years old. I imagine that I was infected during that time. I have many other health issues. I am diabetic, I have Atherosclerosis(my right carotid artery is 100% blocked I have MS, I suffer from depression I have cardiac insufficiency. I had a stroke that left me about 80% use of my left side. I have chronic daily headache and migraines. I have High blood pressure.I am from Kansas but I live in Mexico. I am married to a Mexican citizen Through her I have Mexican Social Security. They provide all my medical expenses. All my meds are free. They gave me the option for the treatment with interferon although they advised against it because of my history of depression. I talked to several doctors and decided since I have lived so long with this disease without any symptoms that maybe I should leave my chips on the table and let them ride.Now for my questions. I have been feeling weak for several years. I thought it was my MS, or my cardiac insufficiecy. Now I am wondering if maybe it is my Hep c. MY Dr. has ordered liver panels and blood chemisrty tests every month for a long time They did an eco doppler on my liver and all the tests come back that my liver is healthy. Is it common for symptoms to start before the labwork shows anything? They may not have the testing ability that is normal in The USA. Rich people here have insurance and go to better hospitals. This hospital was treating me with Plavix but they had to stop buying it for all patients because it is too expensive. I was in the hospital and some drs. came in and asked me if I were gay. They were looking for a reason to deny me treatment for Hep C. They explained they wanted to save their treatment for Mexicans.Question 2 Brain fog. What is this like? I get confusion I am bilingual and sometimes I can't remember a word in the other languageUsually it is an English word I get stuck on, I can remeber the word in Spanish but not in English. One time I was really confused and my wife had to dress me. We got to the party and I got a migraine and was lying down. I had to go pee but I couldn't get my pants open. I went to the front room where everyone was and was showing her that I couldn't open my pants she was really embarrased. It turned out that she had put my belt on me like a woman does which is backward for a man. Sometimes it isn't just brain fog but wackyness.

[Guest guest]

i am 55 also and have pretty much the same story as far as the hep c

goes. i have been in treatment for 4 weeks now and can say it is easier

then i thought so far but i do get dizzy and tired. i have less energy

then i used to but that can be age. i am not one to advise anybody i

can only speak for myself and say i am basically healthy with a little

high blood pressure and no symptoms from the hep but the treatment is

manageable for me but it's not plesant. it is different for everyone

and i have even read some people feel better during treatment.

whatever you decide i hope you continue to come back. several people

are on alternitive tretment.

you aren't a newbie anymore. welcome.

[Guest guest]

Thank you for your response I also have been having diarhea, which I read was symptom also. For several years I had candida

I have had several HIV tests including one recently and I am NEG. I did a google search on hep c and candida and there were

hundreds of articles on it. It's clear that I have hep c but the drs are so amazed that I have been infected for so long but my liver

looks so healthy. I'm depressed because I thought that I was going to get through this without much crap. I asked my internist

about my prognosis and she said cirrhosis in (Idon't remember how many years) and death in 6 to 12 years. That's been 3 years ago.

Tony Carlson

Sunt Lacrimae Rerum... Virgil

To: Hepatitis_C_Central Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 3:05:40 AMSubject: Re: newbie questions

Yes sometimes the fatigue and other symptoms of hep c can start before the labs start to change . Right now your liver is compensating for the damage , but from the sound of it you might ask them to rum ammonia levels . Allot of what your going through "brain fog" etc I suffer from also , and it is all related to advanced liver disease and ammonia levels . Your headaches will get under control when you get your blood pressure down . There are other medications that you can take to control the cholesterol levels . Also your weight can play and insulin resistance can play a big part in how you feel . Any well welcome to the group , I am glad you finally asked questions . Participation is good for you , so don't ever hesitate to ask questions .

[Hepatitis_C_ Central] newbie questions

I´ve been lurking for a month or so. I was dxed with Hep C about 5 years ago. I am 55 years old and was a hippie druggie when I was young I shared needles with others. I stopped doing that when I was about 24 years old. I imagine that I was infected during that time. I have many other health issues. I am diabetic, I have Atherosclerosis(my right carotid artery is 100% blocked I have MS, I suffer from depression I have cardiac insufficiency. I had a stroke that left me about 80% use of my left side. I have chronic daily headache and migraines. I have High blood pressure.I am from Kansas but I live in Mexico. I am married to a Mexican citizen Through her I have Mexican Social Security. They provide all my medical expenses. All my meds are free. They gave me the option for the treatment with interferon although they advised against it because of my history of depression. I talked to several doctors

and decided since I have lived so long with this disease without any symptoms that maybe I should leave my chips on the table and let them ride.Now for my questions. I have been feeling weak for several years. I thought it was my MS, or my cardiac insufficiecy. Now I am wondering if maybe it is my Hep c. MY Dr. has ordered liver panels and blood chemisrty tests every month for a long time They did an eco doppler on my liver and all the tests come back that my liver is healthy. Is it common for symptoms to start before the labwork shows anything? They may not have the testing ability that is normal in The USA. Rich people here have insurance and go to better hospitals. This hospital was treating me with Plavix but they had to stop buying it for all patients because it is too expensive. I was in the hospital and some drs. came in and asked me if I were gay. They were looking for a reason to

deny me treatment for Hep C. They explained they wanted to save their treatment for Mexicans.Question 2 Brain fog. What is this like? I get confusion I am bilingual and sometimes I can't remember a word in the other languageUsually it is an English word I get stuck on, I can remeber the word in Spanish but not in English. One time I was really confused and my wife had to dress me. We got to the party and I got a migraine and was lying down. I had to go pee but I couldn't get my pants open. I went to the front room where everyone was and was showing her that I couldn't open my pants she was really embarrased. It turned out that she had put my belt on me like a woman does which is backward for a man. Sometimes it isn't just brain fog but wackyness.

[Guest guest]

Bless your heart.

And yes, you can show symptoms long before the blood test show anything. I was so fatigued that I could barely get out of the bed. Yet my virus count was fairly low.

Last time, I went to the doctor and had my virus count they said my virus count was very high. Go figure, I am working a full time job now, work 8 hours a day. And I have a really physical job.

Brain Fog, oh yeah, that is not fun. I too, can speak spanish. Not really well. But most of our housekeepers at work are Mexican. Many do not speak English well. Soooooooo I have had to re-learn my spanish. Sometimes I will forget the smallest word, I couldn't remember how to say Slow down in Spanish the other day. One gentleman was talking in Spanish, and I needed him to slow down, so that I could understand him. Finally, I just said it in english, and made motions with my hands.

He got it, but was rather embrassing for me to flounder for the word.

We all get that brain fog.

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: Saturday, December 13, 2008 1:53:21 AMSubject: newbie questions

I´ve been lurking for a month or so. I was dxed with Hep C about 5 years ago. I am 55 years old and was a hippie druggie when I was young I shared needles with others. I stopped doing that when I was about 24 years old. I imagine that I was infected during that time. I have many other health issues. I am diabetic, I have Atherosclerosis(my right carotid artery is 100% blocked I have MS, I suffer from depression I have cardiac insufficiency. I had a stroke that left me about 80% use of my left side. I have chronic daily headache and migraines. I have High blood pressure.I am from Kansas but I live in Mexico. I am married to a Mexican citizen Through her I have Mexican Social Security. They provide all my medical expenses. All my meds are free. They gave me the option for the treatment with interferon although they advised against it because of my history of depression. I talked to several doctors

and decided since I have lived so long with this disease without any symptoms that maybe I should leave my chips on the table and let them ride.Now for my questions. I have been feeling weak for several years. I thought it was my MS, or my cardiac insufficiecy. Now I am wondering if maybe it is my Hep c. MY Dr. has ordered liver panels and blood chemisrty tests every month for a long time They did an eco doppler on my liver and all the tests come back that my liver is healthy. Is it common for symptoms to start before the labwork shows anything? They may not have the testing ability that is normal in The USA. Rich people here have insurance and go to better hospitals. This hospital was treating me with Plavix but they had to stop buying it for all patients because it is too expensive. I was in the hospital and some drs. came in and asked me if I were gay. They were looking for a reason to

deny me treatment for Hep C. They explained they wanted to save their treatment for Mexicans.Question 2 Brain fog. What is this like? I get confusion I am bilingual and sometimes I can't remember a word in the other languageUsually it is an English word I get stuck on, I can remeber the word in Spanish but not in English. One time I was really confused and my wife had to dress me. We got to the party and I got a migraine and was lying down. I had to go pee but I couldn't get my pants open. I went to the front room where everyone was and was showing her that I couldn't open my pants she was really embarrased. It turned out that she had put my belt on me like a woman does which is backward for a man. Sometimes it isn't just brain fog but wackyness.

[Guest guest]

Hi and welcome,

I was not real clear about whether you chose to go with interferon or not, but I think you meant you chose not to use it.

As an alternative Dr. Berkson has a treatment option of alpha lipoic acid, selenium and milk thistle. You can find a lot of info on that on the internet or email me and I will forward a group of articles I have. The ALA is also being used in treatment of diabetes and your blood sugar should be monitored if you are on any medication for diabetes. He and a number of other doctors are investgating and using low dose naltrexone for treating MS and other auto immune diseases. You may look up LDN at www.ldninfo.org and at www.lowdosenaltrexone.org.

I do not know what is available in Mexico, but Dr B studied at the Autonoma in Guadalajara and I feel sure he would assist your doctor if needed. LDN is a prescription drug, but VERY cheap---about $30 for three months supply. The other supplements are not as cheap, but affordable. In your situation, I would not suggest that you take anything without your doctors approval, but this treatment has few side effects and might help. In addition, there is a diet and exercise plan he recommends, but most of us know that one--lots of veggies, fruit, not too much meat, cut sugar and flour, processed foods, etc. I can email you that.

Where do you live ? In the early 90's, mom and I spent a couple of years in the Guadalajara and Chapala area. How long have you lived in Mexico?

Hope this info helps some, but you should go thru your MD to be sure the blood sugar is closely monitored if you decide you want to try this method.

Welcome to the forum. You will get plenty of help and lots of support here.

SuziQ

Quinn

In the swamp in secluded recesses, a shy and hidden bird is warbling a song. Walt Whitman

Subject: newbie questionsTo: Hepatitis_C_Central Date: Saturday, December 13, 2008, 1:53 AM

I´ve been lurking for a month or so. I was dxed with Hep C about 5 years ago. I am 55 years old and was a hippie druggie when I was young I shared needles with others. I stopped doing that when I was about 24 years old. I imagine that I was infected during that time. I have many other health issues. I am diabetic, I have Atherosclerosis(my right carotid artery is 100% blocked I have MS, I suffer from depression I have cardiac insufficiency. I had a stroke that left me about 80% use of my left side. I have chronic daily headache and migraines. I have High blood pressure.I am from Kansas but I live in Mexico. I am married to a Mexican citizen Through her I have Mexican Social Security. They provide all my medical expenses. All my meds are free. They gave me the option for the treatment with interferon although they advised against it because of my history of depression. I talked to several

doctors and decided since I have lived so long with this disease without any symptoms that maybe I should leave my chips on the table and let them ride.Now for my questions. I have been feeling weak for several years. I thought it was my MS, or my cardiac insufficiecy. Now I am wondering if maybe it is my Hep c. MY Dr. has ordered liver panels and blood chemisrty tests every month for a long time They did an eco doppler on my liver and all the tests come back that my liver is healthy. Is it common for symptoms to start before the labwork shows anything? They may not have the testing ability that is normal in The USA. Rich people here have insurance and go to better hospitals. This hospital was treating me with Plavix but they had to stop buying it for all patients because it is too expensive. I was in the hospital and some drs. came in and asked me if I were gay. They were looking for a

reason to deny me treatment for Hep C. They explained they wanted to save their treatment for Mexicans.Question 2 Brain fog. What is this like? I get confusion I am bilingual and sometimes I can't remember a word in the other languageUsually it is an English word I get stuck on, I can remeber the word in Spanish but not in English. One time I was really confused and my wife had to dress me. We got to the party and I got a migraine and was lying down. I had to go pee but I couldn't get my pants open. I went to the front room where everyone was and was showing her that I couldn't open my pants she was really embarrased. It turned out that she had put my belt on me like a woman does which is backward for a man. Sometimes it isn't just brain fog but wackyness.

[Guest guest]

Hi again,

As you might have read in some of the celiac links, diarrhea, candida and depression are also linked as well. I had horrible ibd and diarrhea for years and was told that the hep c was causing it as well as my fibromyalgia. However, once I went on a gluten-free diet, my ibd and diarrhea pretty much went away. My fibro symptoms also got much, much better as well.

Your doctor just cited the literature on hep c progression - that is not true of all patients, particularly if you take care of your liver and do what you can through diet and supplements to slow down that progression. If the studies were true, I'd be dead or have cirrhosis by now - others here have had it for decades as well, and have not progressed much at all. Hep c is very individualized - no two patients are alike.

And it also sounds like your liver function is very good too - try not to let the doctors scare you as they seem to love to do.

Take care,

Chris

Thank you for your response I also have been having diarhea, which I read was symptom also. For several years I had candida

I have had several HIV tests including one recently and I am NEG. I did a google search on hep c and candida and there were

hundreds of articles on it. It's clear that I have hep c but the drs are so amazed that I have been infected for so long but my liver

looks so healthy. I'm depressed because I thought that I was going to get through this without much crap. I asked my internist

about my prognosis and she said cirrhosis in (Idon't remember how many years) and death in 6 to 12 years. That's been 3 years ago.

Tony Carlson

Sunt Lacrimae Rerum... VirgilMake your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try it now.

[Guest guest]

Hi Suzi,

I chose not to do the interferon treatment. I live In Tampico it is on the Gulf coast about

400 miles south of brownsville texas. It is 100 miles south of the tropic of cancer. I live

about 4 miles from the beach. I've been here for 20 years. I came to practice my spanish.

I was teaching English when i arrived and my wife was one of my students. We fell in love.

She told me that she wouldn't leave her mother. If we got married We would have to stay here,

She is a vvery traditional mexican lady. She wouldn't let me kiss her onthe mouth until we were

official boyfriend and girlfriend. She wouldn´come to my house till we were married. Her Name

Is Tita de Carlson Tita is pronounceTeetah.We got married in 92. No kids but

we are very happy.

Please send the info you wrote about

Tony Carlson

Sunt Lacrimae Rerum... Virgil

To: Hepatitis_C_Central Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 9:10:45 AMSubject: Re: newbie questions

Hi and welcome,

I was not real clear about whether you chose to go with interferon or not, but I think you meant you chose not to use it.

As an alternative Dr. Berkson has a treatment option of alpha lipoic acid, selenium and milk thistle. You can find a lot of info on that on the internet or email me and I will forward a group of articles I have. The ALA is also being used in treatment of diabetes and your blood sugar should be monitored if you are on any medication for diabetes. He and a number of other doctors are investgating and using low dose naltrexone for treating MS and other auto immune diseases. You may look up LDN at www.ldninfo. org and at www.lowdosenaltrexo ne.org.

I do not know what is available in Mexico, but Dr B studied at the Autonoma in Guadalajara and I feel sure he would assist your doctor if needed. LDN is a prescription drug, but VERY cheap---about $30 for three months supply. The other supplements are not as cheap, but affordable. In your situation, I would not suggest that you take anything without your doctors approval, but this treatment has few side effects and might help. In addition, there is a diet and exercise plan he recommends, but most of us know that one--lots of veggies, fruit, not too much meat, cut sugar and flour, processed foods, etc. I can email you that.

Where do you live ? In the early 90's, mom and I spent a couple of years in the Guadalajara and Chapala area. How long have you lived in Mexico?

Hope this info helps some, but you should go thru your MD to be sure the blood sugar is closely monitored if you decide you want to try this method.

Welcome to the forum. You will get plenty of help and lots of support here.

SuziQ

Quinn

In the swamp in secluded recesses, a shy and hidden bird is warbling a song. Walt Whitman

From: anthonyraycarlsonga tes <anthonyraycarlsonga tesyahoo (DOT) com>Subject: [Hepatitis_C_ Central] newbie questionsTo: Hepatitis_C_ Central@yahoogro ups.comDate: Saturday, December 13, 2008, 1:53 AM

I´ve been lurking for a month or so. I was dxed with Hep C about 5 years ago. I am 55 years old and was a hippie druggie when I was young I shared needles with others. I stopped doing that when I was about 24 years old. I imagine that I was infected during that time. I have many other health issues. I am diabetic, I have Atherosclerosis(my right carotid artery is 100% blocked I have MS, I suffer from depression I have cardiac insufficiency. I had a stroke that left me about 80% use of my left side. I have chronic daily headache and migraines. I have High blood pressure.I am from Kansas but I live in Mexico. I am married to a Mexican citizen Through her I have Mexican Social Security. They provide all my medical expenses. All my meds are free. They gave me the option for the treatment with interferon although they advised against it because of my history of depression. I talked to several

doctors and decided since I have lived so long with this disease without any symptoms that maybe I should leave my chips on the table and let them ride.Now for my questions. I have been feeling weak for several years. I thought it was my MS, or my cardiac insufficiecy. Now I am wondering if maybe it is my Hep c. MY Dr. has ordered liver panels and blood chemisrty tests every month for a long time They did an eco doppler on my liver and all the tests come back that my liver is healthy.. Is it common for symptoms to start before the labwork shows anything? They may not have the testing ability that is normal in The USA. Rich people here have insurance and go to better hospitals. This hospital was treating me with Plavix but they had to stop buying it for all patients because it is too expensive. I was in the hospital and some drs. came in and asked me if I were gay. They were looking for a

reason to deny me treatment for Hep C. They explained they wanted to save their treatment for Mexicans.Question 2 Brain fog. What is this like? I get confusion I am bilingual and sometimes I can't remember a word in the other languageUsually it is an English word I get stuck on, I can remeber the word in Spanish but not in English. One time I was really confused and my wife had to dress me. We got to the party and I got a migraine and was lying down. I had to go pee but I couldn't get my pants open. I went to the front room where everyone was and was showing her that I couldn't open my pants she was really embarrased. It turned out that she had put my belt on me like a woman does which is backward for a man. Sometimes it isn't just brain fog but wackyness.

[Guest guest]

Are you taking any Mild thistle ? It will help your liver , it won't cure it but it will reduce the viral load and slow the progression of the disease down . Colitis is also a big thing with hep c , I have severe bouts of ischemic colitits and bleeding .

[Hepatitis_C_ Central] newbie questions

I´ve been lurking for a month or so. I was dxed with Hep C about 5 years ago. I am 55 years old and was a hippie druggie when I was young I shared needles with others. I stopped doing that when I was about 24 years old. I imagine that I was infected during that time. I have many other health issues. I am diabetic, I have Atherosclerosis(my right carotid artery is 100% blocked I have MS, I suffer from depression I have cardiac insufficiency. I had a stroke that left me about 80% use of my left side. I have chronic daily headache and migraines. I have High blood pressure.I am from Kansas but I live in Mexico. I am married to a Mexican citizen Through her I have Mexican Social Security. They provide all my medical expenses. All my meds are free. They gave me the option for the treatment with interferon although they advised against it because of my history of depression. I talked to several doctors and decided since I have lived so long with this disease without any symptoms that maybe I should leave my chips on the table and let them ride.Now for my questions. I have been feeling weak for several years. I thought it was my MS, or my cardiac insufficiecy. Now I am wondering if maybe it is my Hep c. MY Dr. has ordered liver panels and blood chemisrty tests every month for a long time They did an eco doppler on my liver and all the tests come back that my liver is healthy. Is it common for symptoms to start before the labwork shows anything? They may not have the testing ability that is normal in The USA. Rich people here have insurance and go to better hospitals. This hospital was treating me with Plavix but they had to stop buying it for all patients because it is too expensive. I was in the hospital and some drs. came in and asked me if I were gay. They were looking for a reason to deny me treatment for Hep C. They explained they wanted to save their treatment for Mexicans.Question 2 Brain fog. What is this like? I get confusion I am bilingual and sometimes I can't remember a word in the other languageUsually it is an English word I get stuck on, I can remeber the word in Spanish but not in English. One time I was really confused and my wife had to dress me. We got to the party and I got a migraine and was lying down. I had to go pee but I couldn't get my pants open. I went to the front room where everyone was and was showing her that I couldn't open my pants she was really embarrased. It turned out that she had put my belt on me like a woman does which is backward for a man. Sometimes it isn't just brain fog but wackyness.

[Guest guest]

welcome .. I will post more in a day or two, Im in the middle of a medication change myself and am not quite up to posting a lot yet, but I did want to welcome you to the group!

jax

Subject: newbie questionsTo: Hepatitis_C_Central Date: Friday, December 12, 2008, 11:53 PM

I´ve been lurking for a month or so. I was dxed with Hep C about 5 years ago. I am 55 years old and was a hippie druggie when I was young I shared needles with others. I stopped doing that when I was about 24 years old. I imagine that I was infected during that time. I have many other health issues. I am diabetic, I have Atherosclerosis(my right carotid artery is 100% blocked I have MS, I suffer from depression I have cardiac insufficiency. I had a stroke that left me about 80% use of my left side. I have chronic daily headache and migraines. I have High blood pressure.I am from Kansas but I live in Mexico. I am married to a Mexican citizen Through her I have Mexican Social Security. They provide all my medical expenses. All my meds are free. They gave me the option for the treatment with interferon although they advised against it because of my history of depression. I talked to several

doctors and decided since I have lived so long with this disease without any symptoms that maybe I should leave my chips on the table and let them ride.Now for my questions. I have been feeling weak for several years. I thought it was my MS, or my cardiac insufficiecy. Now I am wondering if maybe it is my Hep c. MY Dr. has ordered liver panels and blood chemisrty tests every month for a long time They did an eco doppler on my liver and all the tests come back that my liver is healthy. Is it common for symptoms to start before the labwork shows anything? They may not have the testing ability that is normal in The USA. Rich people here have insurance and go to better hospitals. This hospital was treating me with Plavix but they had to stop buying it for all patients because it is too expensive. I was in the hospital and some drs. came in and asked me if I were gay. They were looking for a

reason to deny me treatment for Hep C. They explained they wanted to save their treatment for Mexicans.Question 2 Brain fog. What is this like? I get confusion I am bilingual and sometimes I can't remember a word in the other languageUsually it is an English word I get stuck on, I can remeber the word in Spanish but not in English. One time I was really confused and my wife had to dress me. We got to the party and I got a migraine and was lying down. I had to go pee but I couldn't get my pants open. I went to the front room where everyone was and was showing her that I couldn't open my pants she was really embarrased. It turned out that she had put my belt on me like a woman does which is backward for a man. Sometimes it isn't just brain fog but wackyness.