I think for donating blood they do the antibody test because its cheaper, and since you will always have the antibodies in your blood it won't make it past that point. I learned of my HCV from attempting to donate blood. The rest Im not too sure about. I hope once its gone it GONE, not dormant!

I hate Hep C sofa king much and I wish we could collectively destroy it with our thoughts. I couldn't donate anyway being HIV+ but did once in college before I contracted it. I remember getting some flack by another gay man about it. Anyway, nobody wants my blOod, organs or tissues. HIV is tricky though and can hide everywhere do we are never clear of it per SW even though I'm always undetectable with my one pill nightly with practically no side effects. Well it buzzes you a liitle (Sustiva) but its not a good buzz when it's due to meds. Hep C appears to be able to be eradicated though. My ID doctor who has been the head of that dept for years (forced to retire this year :(. did tell me sadly that vaccines aren't that great for treating virus in those affected. He's always been supportive and honest with me. He was talkin about Hep C but hell it would apply prolly more to HIV because it hides in ur brain, organs, tissue and everywhere. I remember when I was always healthy in my twenties. Still am now actually but geez let's just stack up these problems. I'm just rambling but sad and angry and over this virus and tx and I'm 2 fricken days into it!! Seriously?!!

I posted in the other thread though that you can be a Hep C kidney donor and help 2 of our friends who are on or approaching dialysis. Thank God for dialysis for ESRD pts and guys, that is actually one of the worst txs ever!! I have worked in Nephrology for 16 years. I will remember that they have it worse when I see my pts tomorrow. Have to put on that positive health care face, which gets harder and harder. But tomorrow it's about them not me.

I think we all HATE this f@cking virus!!! I'd stab it of I could. Drown it. Suffocate it. Poison it. Push it off the Freedom Tower whrn it's completed if I could. Sorry for my rants. It's where I'm at again (Aww Ernie was doing so well there for a day!!).

http://hepatitis.about.com/od/lifestyle/f/Donate.htm

http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/what-happens-donated-blood/blood-testing

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/hcv_neg.pdf

volunteering at red cross, or donating organs and or tissue is a great way to be proactive.....

Just my thoughts...why let things you can't control bother your heart? Yes i have hepc...yes it has impacted my life...but it doesn't define me & isn't who i am...so maybe i cannot donate blood... but i can impact my world in other ways...

And one more thng...i dont hate it or resent having hepc...sure i wish i did not.... but it is a part of my journey...all of which has made me the person that i am....i am okay with that...

That's cool Mema. I was thinking that the other day. I have lived with this virus for 40 years, since being a teenager. If I ever get rid of it, what will that be like? It's been part of me for so long..
Just a weird thought...

I can't donate money, don't have any. Can't donate blood, hep C. I can donate time, so I volunteer.

For me, it's because I just got it and found out about it so I'm still actively grieving. I don't want it either and have/have had enough to deal with already. It is weighing on my heart and mind and undoubtedly my immune system.

Like Nealy I can't donate blood, organs, or money, but I try to make up for it by eating donuts

If a family member needed a pint of blood would you REALLY want them to have yours even if you're cured? If not, then nobody else should get it either

I've had hcv for 40 years, been off triple for 11 weeks and was undie at the end. Even if I'm SVR in 25 weeks, I will mentally act as if I still have it and not drink and will advice medical folks to take proper precautions. Somebody inadvertently gave it to me in a blood transfusion, and I don't even want to do that to someone

Organ donors are great generous people, but I'll be be totally content if rather than BE a donor, I'll never need to receive a donated organ.

Our medical contribution is taking these drugs and obviously hoping they work, but if not, providing the drug researchers with data to help the next bunch of folks

Joe, you are one kewl dude.

Agreed about Joe. He's one of the coolest.

That's why I love this group, I was really angry yesterday but after reading all your comments, I changed my mind and am trying to think positively.

I'll try to help the patients at the hospital by making a team from my college and designing a computer program to save lots and lots of the wasted time of patients (like me) and doctors.

But donating isn't always easy, we'll probably fight the red tape to make them use this coming soon system/program.
Wish me luck.

Clarification - I'm up too late but took something to help sleep. I work an evening shift tomorrow though. Anyway when I said earlier in this thread that dialysis was the worst tx ever, I was talking about the entire regimen and referring to how grueling it is for chronic kidney failure pts to deal with. They go through a lot and it is irreversible where renal txp is their best hope unlike this illness. Here we can hope for viral eradication at least and that our misery is temporary. For some it will never be obviously but for many it can be. I wanted to clarify because ESRD pts are some of my heroes. They fight and fight and are so brave. I have so much respect for what they go through daily. They can have good quality of lives with that disease but they have a very challenging regimen that is "forever" unless they can get a renal txp,, which is what many of them are hoping for.

Also thx Louie and Mema for reminding me of what I already know. I know what it's like to have a significant chronic condition as I've had one for 17 years now last month. I don't hate HIV either. I've adapted to it and still adapting to things about it but I'm largely at peace with it. Many of my friends are positive and so many young people now in their 20s and even younger. I know many but that's a whole different disease. I don't ever want to speak for everybody and am really careful about that. I am just so hating this whole thing now that has ripped me out of my life. I need to reclaim it somehow and I'm going to try but it won't be easy. When it's so new to me it's very easy to think that we all hate it but I understand ur statements completely. I'm just at the other end of the Grand Canyon now. I've dreaded contracting this virus for years, which is why I've had my antibody checked annually in my routine labs. Now I'm facing it with you all and ur seeing me at my best and worst, sometimes just hours apart.