Hi Ariel,
I think one has to develop a thick skin when doctors ask questions about alcohol.
I went to see my gastro specialist last week to discuss my latest results (VL=UND). The first thing I noticed when he opened my file was the way that the printout of the fixHepC web site that I had given him on my last visit just popped out from of the top of my file. Great! I thought. This is going to go well!
So he immediately said "Wow, you're cured! These generics work incredibly well! I have never seen this before!". So we chatted a bit about patents and China and India, and why couldn't health services just buy generics direct from China, and the usual stuff like that...
And then he said, "Yes, but your lipase levels are a bit high (105, instead of about 70). How much strong liquor do you drink?" This, despite the fact that I'd been off the booze for 6 months last year, and (thanks to the Sof+Dac) my GGT was now down to probably its lowest level (30) ever in my life! So I pointed out that the Lipase was at the same level or higher last year when I was booze-free but NOT virus free. So he just shrugged and we chatted a bit more about the price of airline tickets to australia.
Well, anyway, this is all just to say that doctors sometimes do (and should) ask lots of questions about one's health & lifestyle etc. without meaning to make judgements...
And also, this is just to say that (even if he didn't out-right say it), I strongly suspect that both my specialist and my GP will be keeping fixHepC firmly in mind next time they have someone come in with HCV (booze or no booze).
Cheers!
Diagnosed Jan 2015: GT3, A0+F0/F1. Fatigue + Brain-Fog.
Started Sof+Dac from fixHepC 10-Nov-2015. NO sides.
Pre-Tx: AST 82, ALT 133, Viral Load 1 900 000.
Week4: AST 47, ALT 58. VL < 15 (unquantifiable).
Week12 (EOT): AST 30, ALT 26, VL UND
Week16 (EOT+4): AST 32, ALT 28, GGT 24, VL UND
Week28 (EOT+16): AST 26, ALT 22, GGT 24, VL UND
Ever grateful to Dr James.
Relapsed somewhere after all that... Bummer!
Jan 2018: VL 63 000 (still GT3).