Hepatitis C Support Group
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.
It's been 16 years since first learning I have Chronic HepC. Liver biopsy done 7 years ago showed no cirrhosis, minor scarring, no hardening. GT 2A, VL=12Mil+... Cryoglobulin confirmed 5 years ago & Rheumatoid Factor shown in minor amt since 1999. Never could go through old treatments due to being major depression & suicide risk years ago while in volatile marriage (he passed of Lung Cancer 12 years ago); plus I was not willing to stick a needle in myself for the treatment.
So, today, had my first appointment with my new GI doctor at Kaiser, and just wondering if anyone else has any experience with Kaiser and treating HepC. I'm new to Kaiser since May of 2013. I'm sure I'll have co-pays for all the extra labs involved & for parts of the high-end medications - I wish I could recall the name of the new drug/pill he said I'd go on, but I will know more on 3/31, my follow-up appointment with the GI doc, (after my ultrasound & more bloodwork is done on Monday the 24th).
I am scared ... my best friend moves away the end of April, but I just cannot delay this treatment any longer. I will be 60 this year in September & I am just so tired of all the extra pain & other problems this illness causes me from joint & muscle pains, fatigue, sleep problems, etc. But I am scared. I am not in a committed relationship, live alone with my cat, and don't have any family at all - not close by, not anywhere. Just a few friends here in town, and I'm kind of new to this area, so I don't have the "old friends from high school" types of friendships, either.
Thanks for any feedback relative to Kaiser or the newer pill-form drugs & any possible bad side effects I might expect (I've looked through a few of the names & the doc said it so fast today, I just didn't catch the name at all)....
So, today, had my first appointment with my new GI doctor at Kaiser, and just wondering if anyone else has any experience with Kaiser and treating HepC. I'm new to Kaiser since May of 2013. I'm sure I'll have co-pays for all the extra labs involved & for parts of the high-end medications - I wish I could recall the name of the new drug/pill he said I'd go on, but I will know more on 3/31, my follow-up appointment with the GI doc, (after my ultrasound & more bloodwork is done on Monday the 24th).
I am scared ... my best friend moves away the end of April, but I just cannot delay this treatment any longer. I will be 60 this year in September & I am just so tired of all the extra pain & other problems this illness causes me from joint & muscle pains, fatigue, sleep problems, etc. But I am scared. I am not in a committed relationship, live alone with my cat, and don't have any family at all - not close by, not anywhere. Just a few friends here in town, and I'm kind of new to this area, so I don't have the "old friends from high school" types of friendships, either.
Thanks for any feedback relative to Kaiser or the newer pill-form drugs & any possible bad side effects I might expect (I've looked through a few of the names & the doc said it so fast today, I just didn't catch the name at all)....
I'm so confused about the name of this new drug, as I've seen it called & referred to as so many similar names - I suppose once I have my phone consult with my GI doc, I'll get the right spelling & all the info at that point.
My main concern in all this is how depressed I can get. Not so much ongoing, day-in-day-out kind of depression, but that sad kind, where I just cry on & off all day one day, then I'm fine... I've just had so much stuff happen in life & it seems that every time I turn around, someone else dies or commits suicide - someone I'm close to, I mean. My dad took himself out June 1, 2011. I wasn't shocked, but it still hurts, cuz I never knew him at all my entire life until a few years prior to his doing that.
Then, I was supporting a very spiritual musician last year, and he took a weird turn, and ended up dying from flesh eating bacteria following an intentional injection of some kind of heroin that evidently morphs into that stuff (called Krokodil)... Life is just so weird, and when Ken passed the day after my birthday (he was slated to play at my birthday party, huge gig at a public venue, and he died at 9am that morning following 5 days in hospital - I got to see him 2 days prior to him dying)... anyway... I'm not sure I'll ever be totally emotionally or mentally ready for this treatment, but I am in the best physical shape I've ever been in for right now.
I walk almost 2 or 4 miles around 3-5 times per week, and in the past 18 months, I've lost 30 pounds, putting back on only about 7 of them to round it out and maintain a nice, healthy weight for my age of 59, almost 60. I'm stronger in my upper body than I've ever been, and I really enjoy dancing, but am putting that to rest for awhile, as nightlife usually involves drinking - a big no no. I've been sober for 18 out of the last 27 years off & on (long periods of two 6 year periods with a 7.5 relapse in between). I'm now just mainly drinking very little - light beer only. I know it's a bad no no for HepC, and I am switching over to club soda with lime during treatment, as I just crave carbonation.
Is carbonation a problem? Oy vey - mind is wandering as I've been crying even during my walk out on the trail today. I just wish life weren't so hard all the time.. Debt is kicking my butt of late, too. I just can't seem to catch a break in life.