Like others have indicated, the liver is tough! And new treatment options are making it easier to kill this virus. There's no shame in not telling anyone, especially since this is new information ans very overwhelming. Feel free to ask those multiple questions here.
The best advice I have is try and keep those stress levels down and take care of yourself. Stress did crazy things to me when I was diagnosed. One day at a time And you will get through this minor speed bump.
Welcome to the forum!
-Rob
Cinnamon Girl said
May 9, 2014
Hi and welcome from me too, Jay, I`m glad you found us, this is a very friendly group!
We all understand how it feels when you first find out you have Hep C, and it`s not unusual to feel confused, stressed and anxious, and not know who you can trust with the information. It`s early days for you yet, but as the others have said, this diagnosis really isn`t as scary as it sounds and Hep C is very treatable nowadays with some excellent treatment options and high success rates.
Fatigue and depression are quite commonly symptoms of having Hep C and many people find that once they`ve treated and cleared the virus they feel a lot better physically and mentally, so try not to be frightened, things will get better for you. The main thing is to keep moving forward one step at a time towards starting treatment and getting your health back.
Wishing you all the best of luck, and do keep in touch.
yonniman2000 said
May 9, 2014
Hi everyone. thanks for the kind words. My liver functions are up. I'll check the numbers but not off the charts. My viral load is 2.6 million. I'm waiting for an appointment with the GI group 5/27. Hope I can start Tx then. I'm fatigued, depressed, I cry sometimes for no reason.. I do get some discomfort in my liver sometimes. feel bloated. Lost 30 lbs since November. My big fear is I'm a healthcare worker. CDC regs say no restrictions, but I don't want anyone to find out.
patiently_waiting said
May 9, 2014
One other thing, Jay...you may want to edit out your email address and just use the PM (private message) function on this website. There are unfortunately some internet parasites out there that will flood you with all sorts of unwanted email if they get your address.
Matt Chris said
May 9, 2014
Hello Jay
Welcome to the forum, you have found a good place with caring people than can give very helpful insight.
It would be very helpful to know about your current condition/ stats like Liver function test, Biopsy and any Lab work and so on.
You have mentioned than you are Geno Type 1a, are you currently in treatment? If so what is it?
Hoping the best for you, for questions and more info consult the search engine near the top of the forum.
Matt
patiently_waiting said
May 9, 2014
Hi Jay. I know how stressful it is to get this news. Take heart, though, as it is not nearly the bad news it once was. We are in the midst of a revolution in treatment for HCV. This disease typically takes decades to do significant harm and the new drugs that are coming out have very high cure rates. There are drugs out now that are very successful, but even better ones are a few months away. You've come to the right place as there are some really good people here. Many people here have had this disease for 20,30,40+ years. Much of the stuff you read online may be out of date as the advances in drug research are somewhat recent. Don't let it scare you. Keep your chin up as you will more than likely come out of this with very little if any liver damage, given you were just recently infected (I assume). It is important that you abstain from alcohol and anything else stressful to your liver, however, and find a hepatologist as soon as you can.
-- Edited by patiently_waiting on Friday 9th of May 2014 11:16:23 PM
yonniman2000 said
May 9, 2014
I'm Jay,, I'm a health care worker in my 50's from South Jersey near Philadelphia, USA. Just got Dx with HCV 1a after loosing 30 lbs. I've read a lot but I'm really scared. I'd like to make friends through this forum. I'm waiting for my appointment with the GI group. I'm worried about my health and my job. Thanks.
-- Edited by yonniman2000 on Friday 9th of May 2014 09:22:11 PM
Hi Jay,
Like others have indicated, the liver is tough! And new treatment options are making it easier to kill this virus. There's no shame in not telling anyone, especially since this is new information ans very overwhelming. Feel free to ask those multiple questions here.
The best advice I have is try and keep those stress levels down and take care of yourself. Stress did crazy things to me when I was diagnosed. One day at a time And you will get through this minor speed bump.
Welcome to the forum!
-Rob
Hi and welcome from me too, Jay, I`m glad you found us, this is a very friendly group!
We all understand how it feels when you first find out you have Hep C, and it`s not unusual to feel confused, stressed and anxious, and not know who you can trust with the information. It`s early days for you yet, but as the others have said, this diagnosis really isn`t as scary as it sounds and Hep C is very treatable nowadays with some excellent treatment options and high success rates.
Fatigue and depression are quite commonly symptoms of having Hep C and many people find that once they`ve treated and cleared the virus they feel a lot better physically and mentally, so try not to be frightened, things will get better for you. The main thing is to keep moving forward one step at a time towards starting treatment and getting your health back.
Wishing you all the best of luck, and do keep in touch.
Hi everyone. thanks for the kind words. My liver functions are up. I'll check the numbers but not off the charts. My viral load is 2.6 million. I'm waiting for an appointment with the GI group 5/27. Hope I can start Tx then. I'm fatigued, depressed, I cry sometimes for no reason.. I do get some discomfort in my liver sometimes. feel bloated. Lost 30 lbs since November. My big fear is I'm a healthcare worker. CDC regs say no restrictions, but I don't want anyone to find out.
Hello Jay
Welcome to the forum, you have found a good place with caring people than can give very helpful insight.
It would be very helpful to know about your current condition/ stats like Liver function test, Biopsy and any Lab work and so on.
You have mentioned than you are Geno Type 1a, are you currently in treatment? If so what is it?
Hoping the best for you, for questions and more info consult the search engine near the top of the forum.
Matt
Hi Jay. I know how stressful it is to get this news. Take heart, though, as it is not nearly the bad news it once was. We are in the midst of a revolution in treatment for HCV. This disease typically takes decades to do significant harm and the new drugs that are coming out have very high cure rates. There are drugs out now that are very successful, but even better ones are a few months away. You've come to the right place as there are some really good people here. Many people here have had this disease for 20,30,40+ years. Much of the stuff you read online may be out of date as the advances in drug research are somewhat recent. Don't let it scare you. Keep your chin up as you will more than likely come out of this with very little if any liver damage, given you were just recently infected (I assume). It is important that you abstain from alcohol and anything else stressful to your liver, however, and find a hepatologist as soon as you can.
-- Edited by patiently_waiting on Friday 9th of May 2014 11:16:23 PM
-- Edited by yonniman2000 on Friday 9th of May 2014 09:22:11 PM