Tanner,

I’m going to close this thread for now. When/If you’re ready to open it up, you can ask one of the admin team to do that. Sometimes chilling things (no pun intended) will improve in time! 

Tig - Forum Administrator

Oops, I just saw your reply to 5.  Topic closed.

Correction:  Your momentary question was, "What's next," not "Why me?"  Yes, you ARE a trooper.  In fact, we can all copy a page from your book - gratitude that we get to live!!  What a deal!

I really love your attitude, shield maiden. Keep up the good fight and take in the joy.

You are really going to feel even better once you're through with all of this.

Cheddy

Thanks 5-1-18. I found out in my younger days, I HATED  being or feeling drunk; I would just end up throwing up if I was. Too much of a control freak I guess; if you're drunk you're no longer in control.

I'm going to set this topic aside for now and just get treated and figure out what's next when I'm free and clear. I just have and had so many questions that I'm asking a lot of stuff that I've never had to think about. Probably didn't need to raise this now. 

Thanks Cheddy. I don't think I've ever asked why me, because the fact that I'm alive is overwhelming. People told me back then you're probably (clinically) depressed without knowing it. But I had such gratitude that I got to live that I never felt that way. I had never experienced such peace in my life, before or since.  So yeah feeling discouraged comes and goes but I'm a trooper and I just want to beat this. I now know why you all call it dragon slaying. I'm going to conjure up my best Eowen and say "Courage." None of this sitting around and feeling doomed or hopeless. I'm a shield maiden; I'll fight for and protect what's mine.

tanner, some ppl have a glass of wine to take the edge off now and then but of course talk to your doctor when you are done with tx.

i take 1/4 mg to 2mg valium a few times a week so that takes the edge off for me; i don't really need a drink for that.

and when i did drink years and years ago it was to get drunk. even tho i know  i would not do that now since i've had some emotional healing, i just don't need it anymore.

so.... some ppl do take part in the alcohol when the virus is cleared and it's  just what your body will tolerate. some of us recoil from it like a hot flame and some find a place for it in their lives.

5

Tanner,

I'll try to respond to these in order.

Defining beautiful: this was a response to blood work only.  Everything went back to a pleasing normal and has stayed there.  I have not had a fibroscan since treatment began 2 1/2 years ago.  At F1, she was optimistic about repair.  I can't find anything about how long that takes after HCV as it depends so much on the degree of fibrosis. 

Re: 2 docs and 2 opinions: The first was at the time of diagnosis, the second was a year after SVR. Yes, AHA says red wine is good for the heart and the brain. A normal liver can handle that.  A cirrhotic liver, not so well. There are many toxins worse than one glass of wine, like paint fumes, for example.  If you can get another fibroscan in 6 months, that would be great, and telling.  I was told I wouldn't need one, but I'd love to see.

Re: ever get really down?  Oh yeah.  Sure did. As unlucky as contracting HCV is, I was one of the very lucky cases. My VL was under 1,000,000, F1, treatment naive, GT2, post interferon days,  and I only knew that I had it for 3 months before being treated. 3 months later, CURED!  But at the time, I knew nothing, and cures were relatively new. I didn't see the good luck at all. Furthermore, I had many symptoms associated with the virus: achey joints, phantom pain, digestive complications, frequent vomiting and some big time fatigue. I really felt like I was going downhill. These symptom were falsely attributed to other issues, or dismissed. GONE now. Gone. So if we seem positive and strong, it is because we got better. For many, lives were saved. There is a power that comes with surviving. You take control of your life. You make changes. You get better

But enough about me.  You know a lot about surviving.  Wow. Of course you feel overwhelmed.  Of course you feel sorry for yourself sometimes.  You just don't want to live there.  Another questions is "Why not me?"  As you said, people get cancer. All people have losses. It's how we live with them that counts.  It's an ongoing process, right?   I don't find that it helps much to compare our problems to worse problems.  We go from where we are and what we can do.  You know this.

This forum was my lifeline. Who knew that would come from strangers, who go on to be the most caring friends.  Count on us.  We're here for you.

 Cheddy

Thanks, Cheddy. First, I'm so glad to hear your liver tests are beautiful!!! Whoo-hpp! Can I assume that the scarring has changed? In other words, can you define beautiful?   It seems like once the virus stops attacking the liver, it would take a long while to see that the scarring has decreased.

So 2 docs gave you 2 opinions and yes, they are vastly different. Isn't it crazy that AHA says red wine is good for your heart, but doesn't say, it's bad for your liver? I guess they're thinking everything in moderation but with a scarred liver, can there be any moderation? Maybe the answer for me is eradicate the virus, do another fibroscan in 6 months and see if the scarring has decreased. I feel like it has to take a long time to see no scarring. 

Did you ever get really down about all this? There are moments when I'm ready to burst into tears, but I just keep it to my eyes filling with tears. Everyone seems so positive and strong on here and I feel so overwhelmed. I lost the left side of my body from the brain bleed (no sensation or fine motor skills for 20 years now), broken bones, now Hep C and it's like what's next? But then I get mad at myself for feeling sorry for myself, thinking of all my friends and family members who have had cancer, or who have lost loved ones in this opioid crisis. 

Lamassu, thanks. I think we'd all agree that getting drunk is bad for the liver, period. And for the rest of our organs, especially the brain and heart. I'm not sure how you jumped from a glass of wine to getting drunk. But I never was a heavy drinker; can't stand liquor and a beer only tasted good on a hot day. So I'll have to decide about that glass of wine and whether or not it's worth it with my doc's input. This is why I opened the topic to get others' opinions. Thanks for yours.  

5-1-18 wrote:

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i'm  f3, not gonna drink , my liver has been thru enough and i love it for hanging in there with me

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Same here. I don't think there have been any studies showing the effect of limited alcohol intake on the ability of the liver to repair itself after the HCV virus is no longer detectable. I don't see how alcohol could help healing and almost certainly would hurt. If you are F2 or F3 I would not drink period. Even if you are F1 why take a chance. I don't see any gastroenterologists saying it is OK for an F1-F2 patient to get drunk after SVR so why bother with alcohol at all?

Hi Tanner,

Yes this topic elicits a wide variety of responses. One thing we all agree on (I think) is that you should not drink alcohol while on treatment.

After, treatment, consider the input here, and get your doctor's input, too. Be honest about how many drinks you like to have, and how often. My liver doc (whom I respect very much) told me that, after treatment, it's okay to have a glass of champagne, wine, or whatever is being served at a special occasion.  Another doc said 4-5 per week IF your liver is in good shape.  Yes liver cells do regenerate (wow) and yes, the degree of liver damage is a salient factor.  

I usually get a frown or two for my input on this.  It's true that our livers have been through enough.  Some say "no way" ever again. I have a drink occasionally and I don't sweat it. I was barely F1 when I started treatment and my doctor says my liver tests are absolutely beautiful. Now that's a complement that counts! 

Alcohol is so socially pervasive that it can creep up on us. Some people can have a drink and stop. Some just keep going. Other's are full blown addicts. I like being healthy and I absolutely refuse to ever, ever, ever, be addicted to anything, ever.

Be reasonable and honest. You're fighting a serious liver disease and want to give yourself every possible advantage.

That's my 2 cents.

All the best,

Cheddy

i'm  f3, not gonna drink , my liver has been thru enough and i love it for hanging in there with me

Okay, I realized I had to go back to the home page to start a new topic. I mistakenly posted the word alcohol in the chatbox. So here's my question...I searched for threads on alcohol and there are some wildly differing opinions. real extremes. Just want to get others' opinions on never have a drink again OR have an occasional glass of wine or beer or drink. Some say moderation; others say NONE. Some say if you want that first glass of wine it will lead 2 or 3 or 4. So if, after the Hep C is eradicated, what's your opinion? And what's your opinion on when you're on the anti-vital meds? I've googled a lot and in an ideal world, you'd never have a drink again for the rest of your life but we don't live in an ideal world. And we all constantly hear about how good that glass of red wine is for your heart.

I started thinking about this when I asked the question about whether your liver can regenerate new cells once the Hep C is gone. And I suppose it also has something to do with how bad your liver is at this stage?