That's good news Scott. Your squeaky wheel is getting some grease. Keep it up and keep us up to date on that Fibroscan result.

Thanks.  I will ask for them.  They probably will get sent to the VA.  Not sure how this Choice program works.  But I am sure, I will be very familiar with it soon. 

Hey Scott,

Great news on the Fibroscan! Since you'll be going to a civilian facility, you have the legal right to have a copy of the results. Anytime you can get your hands on the results, get them. I have copies of everything I've had scanned, poked, drawn or removed. Those results can be a Godsend some time down the road. Had I done that back in 96, when I went through treatment the first time, I would've qualified for the Sovaldi trials in 2013, but my records had been destroyed after 7 years and I couldn't find a copy of the lab results anywhere. That disqualified me for that opportunity. It also helps to have the results when and if you ever need to discuss your results with another doctor. Anyway, I'm glad the VA has decided to refer you for that scan. Please let us know what you find out. 

Things are starting to progress in the direction you have hoped for. Just keep your eye on the prize and stay committed and positive. You'll get through this buddy and will come out on top. I feel it in my bones. They've been around a long time, they're pretty smart ol' bones, lol! 

Well, I was bashing the VA last couple of posts but I actually got some good news today.  Even though they were trying to convince me that I am not having any systems, ie pain in side is muscle, and there were many others, they did refer me to the choice program for the Fibroscan.  I spoke with Choice today and it should be scheduled soon. 

In the mean time, I am still keeping my appointment with an internal Med doctor on the outside.  I will go there and explain symptoms and tell them about Hep C and just see where it takes me.  If anything, I could compare results or see which one gets me to the end quicker.  Then "end" meaning cured. 

Well good news, the 6350 dollar deductible is actually 1500 for me.  My company has an HSA policy for all of the employees.  Meaning, I am responsible for 1500 and they pay the rest. 

So I am working on how to figure that out.  In the mean time.  My pain in my side is driving me crazy.  So, I got an appointment with internal medicine on the 17th.  I am going to go there and discuss. 

Yes, it could be kidney stones, It could be gallbladder, It doesn't have to be Hep C or liver.  And, I am going to see if they can get me a fibroscan.  After the internal medicine doc, they will probably and hopefully refer me to a GI doc.  That  is what I am pushing for. 

Hi Scott,

Glad to hear your private insurance is helping. I also have an enormous deductible of $6500, used to be $1000 pre Obamacare and it's going up. Do what you can while the getting's good. The VA also submits any care I get to my BCBS plan, so I also see their charges come off my deductible. That was back when the VA actually provided me care though, now they prefer to dodge questions and deny services. At the very least, as a disabled Veteran, they should provide you with a complete physical and blood work once per year. That might save you a few bucks and reduce your deductible liability at the same time. It's worth a call to find out.

Did you check to see if your private insurance and civilian doctor would be willing to determine your fibrosis level? If you can get that done and are F3 or above, you can present it to the VA and they will be hard pressed to deny you the medication necessary for treatment. Depending on your disability percentage, they may be responsible for reimbursement, because they denied you the initial care There are a lot of guidelines they have to observe, as long as you meet certain eligibility criteria. They avoid sending you for diagnostic testing if they feel you might qualify for further care. Of course they'll deny they do this, so you're left having to prove it yourself in many cases. It's all about money. I hope the next administration will be responsible and take care of the Veterans in this country.

One other thing to know is if your fibrosis level is F3 and above and you meet some income criteria, the drug manufacturers may help  with copays and deductible costs. But you have to have a current fibrosis diagnosis to begin the qualification process. We have an impressive list of payment assistance programs here on the forum. You can access them via the homepage index or by simply clicking the link in my signature line. I try to keep them updated, so they're current. I'll be happy to provide you with assistance navigating that if you like.

Let us know how things progress Scott, best of luck.

The VA has transferred the Hep C treatment costs to the States and Private Insurance. There was an article about that in the Arizona Republic. Google Arizona Veteran Hepatitis C and the web page should be listed.

My side hurt. It was kidney stones.

Fortunately, I have a PCP who does not attribute every thing to Hep C.

You might have other health issues. A good PCP is better than a specialist sometimes because the PCP is broader in scope. The only problem with the PCP was I have to explain slowly and carefully that any drugs have to be checked for liver toxicity. I was prescribed antibiotics that were liver toxic once. I don't have much confidence in Dr. I had a test in 1992 that showed negative TB, negative HIV positive for Hep A and it did not show the Hep C which I knew I had.

I agree with Mike. You have to be proactive with Dr's and watch your regimens carefully.

I don't have the actual numbers yet because I can't remember.  I can post once they are on the portal page in a few days.  The previous back in June was AST 52 and ALT 117.  They  had spiked for some reason.  Now I was told that the ALT was 80 something so both numbers were improved. 

Called my insurance.  Apparently I have a super high deductible 6350 dollars.  Once I reach that, then 100% is paid.  However, it is a specialty drug so the doctor has to submit the prescriptions and I have to qualify for it. 

I guess one good thing about going to VA is even though my ankle injuries and surgeries I have had are supposed to be paid in full by VA, they have been billing my insurance anyway and covering the rest so my Deductible somehow magically is over 4K.  So, I have 1605 out of pocket until March.  That is not bad. Once the 1605 is paid, then it will be free assuming the health care company will approve it and I am reluctant to think it would go that smoothly.  So anything after March I will have to pay out of pocket again. 

I am pretty confident this Choice program will work.  I am going to wait for this but in the mean time, I am going to find a PCP and just get a physical.  Then I will start saving up to 7g's and if the choice doesn't work, I will do it on the outside in 6 months to a year. 

All other blood tests are in spec according to Nurse.   

Scott18927 wrote:

---

 I don't even have a PCP so not sure exactly what to do.  I guess, I find someone that has a good doc and make an appointment for PCP so they can refer me to GI or Hep Doc.  I'll respond tomorrow with blood tests.  Last time they were elevated and I felt much better.  I am thinking they will be real high now.  But maybe not. 

---

 Hi Scott.

 Yes a PCP can come in handy. My PCP is fine for basic check-ups etc. but she is often worthless when it comes to HCV, HIV, and other uncommon issues I have. But the good things are that she can make referrals, her office is close to where I live, a human being actually answers her office phone, she will sign any document in order for me to obtain 'needed' medical care, supply's, prosthetics, medicine, (regardless of which Dr. originally / primarily prescribed it), and she likes me because I keep her laughing at my jokes . I have good specialist doctors who practice in very well equipped facilities and I'm happy about that, but contacting one of them between appointments to get anything done is like pulling teeth. A contactable PCP will be valuable for you IMO. One problem you may run into is finding one that is accepting new patients and / or that you can get an appointment with within a reasonable time frame.

Good luck with that and I'll be looking for your next post with blood test results. 

Thanks!  I know they are BS'ing me.  and I know you can advance quicker than what they said.  Their hands are tied because of money.  So, the Choice program sounds good.  I will try that first.  In the mean time, I will wait for ultrasound.  It will probably be in another long month or 2. 

Tomorrow Calling Health Ins though and work that angle simultaneously.  I don't even have a PCP so not sure exactly what to do.  I guess, I find someone that has a good doc and make an appointment for PCP so they can refer me to GI or Hep Doc.  I'll respond tomorrow with blood tests.  Last time they were elevated and I felt much better.  I am thinking they will be real high now.  But maybe not. 

Thanks for the support. 

Thats total BS Scott. They're simply deflecting and making excuses because they don't WANT to treat you right now. They've been threatened with losing their head if they spend money they have the choice between spending or denying. It's the new and improved healthcare system for all Americans. Vets are particularly at risk.

You can certainly progress to cirrhosis in that amount of time. Just more nonsense. You need to call your Representatives and Senators, both parties and raise hell. If you have private insurance, get an appointment with a hepatologist or gastroenterologist. You need a current fibrosis determination and full blood workup. An endoscopy and colonoscopy would be helpful information as well. I would accept that abdominal ultrasound they offered, it can provide some useful info too. They may be able to determine why you're experiencing that pain.

Once you get the biopsy or Fibroscan, if you are F3-4, you can take that back to the VA and demand treatment. They can't ignore you when you DO meet the treatment guidelines. Then hand them the bill for all of your out of pocket expenses.

News out today about a useless gas station the US taxpayers just paid 43 million dollars for in Afghanistan. Our government is a comedy shop. This crap infuriates me....

NOT true! You can absolutely go from F1 to F4 in 8 years, especially if you've been drinking. Progression is not linear.  I had an F1 biopsy around 2002 and F4 in 2015, which is 13 years. And my platelets have been low for two or three years with an elevated afp for the same amount of time which is indicative that I was cirrhotic or close to it for the past 3 years. And I hardly drank ever except for occasional glasses of wine. 

Not trying to scare you, but with the symptoms you have, fight for the fibroscan! You need to know and get started on treatment to stop the progression. Hoping you haven't progressed that far of course, but at least if you know that, you can wait awhile longer until the treatment prices come down.

Went to the VA today for my check up with GI.  told them about all the bloat, pain in my side, fatigue, etc.  No luck with treatment.  They said I still do not fit the guidelines.  So I ask what are the guidelines.  Answer, F4 or Cirrhosis, low platelets or enlarged liver.  Well, I haven't had a biopsy in 8 years and that isn't even accurate because it only tests a small portion of the liver.  I was F1 8 years ago according to that but continued to drink very heavily.  Told the doc that, and they said no one goes from F1 to F4 in 8 years.  Then I said I want a fibroscan.  I was told they didn't have one but the university hospital does.  But her boss might shoot it down but she will put in for it.  I am sick of this nonsense. 

They did order an ultrasound to see about the pain.  She did put in for the F-scan.  I got some meds for gas for the bloating problem.  Told me my side pain was muscle problem.  I laughed.  Said, I have been doing some sort of physical labor my whole life.  I know what a damn sore muscle feels like.  This is not it.  Until I said that,  I wasn't even going to get the ultrasound.  

Then again, I just had a CT scan 6 months ago but I didn't have that pain. 

Now, they did refer me to something called choice plus.  I am hoping this works and I think it should.

  Tomorrow, I will call my company health ins (Health Partners) to see what my copay is on meds and if they will pay for treatment if I go to an outside doctor.  It is obvious the VA will not treat me because of their money problems.  They have millions and millions of vets that need treatment.  So they are treating the sicker ones. 

I did get some answers which has relieved a little stress but am extremely disappointed.  Blood results, I will get tomorrow.  We shall see!!

My diet was way out of control during and after treatment. I gained a lot of weight. I have lost some of it and now I'm back on track. I make a lot a smoothies. Beet smoothies, Avacado, raspberry. Then I just fill in the snacks etc, meals of veggies, wild rice. I think I'll try some probiotics. The ingredients in my smoothies are specific to me needs as I don't have a gall bladder. I can message you recipes. They are so simple and delicious! 

Hi Scott,

Matt offers you some good suggestions. He's very knowledgeable on these matters and has offered great information for many here. His diet and nutritutional advice have kept him looking good. (Thank me later Matt ) I could learn much if I would follow more of his advice, lol!! There are many sources of good probiotics and there are also such things as prebiotics, which feed the existing good bacteria. The probiotics add or replace them. It's really all about diet and how it can benefit you. If people paid better attention to what goes in their mouth, would see great improvements to their health and wellbeing. 

Here's some additional info on probiotics from WebMD. At the end of page 2, there is a short slide show with some natural recommendations, check it out. If you choose to purchase them in oral form, pharmacies and health food stores are an excellent source.

Probiotics

Hey Scott 

One of the best probiotics is "Sauerkraut" its a naturally fermented probiotic that can be home made or store bought. Just start using is ever other day.

Also consider digestive enzymes in pill form or do like I do eat a portion of Papaya with your daily breakfast to help with the needed enzymes to properly digest your foods.

Read up on digestive and enzymes.

matt  

Thanks.  where do you get this probiotics?  Health food store?/

Seems this effects many of us during treatment. Is it something to do with the action these drugs have on our digestive system, probably more than we know. Some of us (not me) have excellent diets, perfect portion control, balanced fiber intake and water, yadda, yadda. It just effects us all in some respect. Having had a member of my family with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) I'm well familiar with bloating and diet control. It does help to remember our bowel requires a balance of proper bacteria to work. I personally have found that adherance to a proper intake of probiotics and live culture yogurt makes a big difference, as does portion control. Many of our members found eating several small meals per day helped a lot. Your body doesn't have to work so hard to digest it all. Maybe it digests faster and leaves less time for things to sit and fester in your gut, IDK... Here's a couple of articles on the subject that may give you some ideas and some foods to stay away from.

Diet: Gas and Bloating

Abdominal Bloating and Distention

I could usually count on Oatmeal with peanut butter and raisins for something to eat that wouldn't bother my stomach.  I have found that probiotics after treatment have helped.

would you mind just sharing your favorite meal?  I am headed to VA tomorrow to let them know the misery I've been in the last couple of months.  I am going to request to see a nutritionist but that could take months.  I supposed I could cook my broccoli chicken stir fry with habies and Jalapenos without the Chicken.  Spicy food doesn't bother me but so far I have determined Salt, beef, Sweets ( I went to the movies on Sunday and got some M&M's.  Just a small bag as a treat to myself because I have been doing good.  That destroyed the rest of my day.) 

I just eating stopped that too. I am a very good cook as well. Figuring out diet is difficult.

Even chicken?  Oh man, I love food and I love to cook.  Just can't enjoy anything now.  I hav

Anyone have any suggestions of good food to eat with bloat.  It is too uncomfortable for me to eat but I am hungry still.  I have cut a lot of my salt out of my diet which is super hard because I crave salt like no other.  Sweets jack me up too. 

Just if anyone has figured out what they were able to eat when like this, I will try.  Thanks.