Hi Emilo,

commenced a bit after you but have 24 weeks in total. Virus undetected and I am hoping I will follow in your (and other’s footsteps).

best wishes

J.

Hi Michael,

In 1990 I was asked by the Red Cross Blood Bank to attend an appointment.
At this meeting I was informed that they were able to test blood donors for the Hepititis C Virus & my sample had come back positive.

I got infected in Oct 1990 – the Red Cross tests they brought in (Feb 1990) appear not to have worked too well.

On the issue of trying to fly under the radar so to speak, Hep C wise, I have similar feelings to you. I found that I had entered a whole new world where everyone talked about safe injecting practices and cleaning fits etc.

I also remember talking with a bloke at Hep C NSW who was very supportive for me at the time. He reminisced about how when the issue of medical transmission of HCV was raised around anyone from the Red Cross, this would see a conversation come quickly to en end!

For me, the Hep C NSW magazine seemed over the years to focus on Interferon and now poster like information about safe drug use. This of course is entirely justified, I feel, for the reduction in transmission of this virus.

An UNINTENDED consequence was that I felt disenfranchised from the whole issue. I too don’t care how people get infected with anything really. But, I too work in health and often see how health issues can be reduced to some cartoon like poster pinned up on a wall, speaking to some stereotypical view about how ‘consumers’ understand things.

You probably have worked with the green sheets on health files that allow for alerts and warnings – Hep C of course featuring prominently among them. No blood changes hands on my Ward anyway …….

After 20 or so years, I found here on this forum a real and meaningful connection with people who have a similar goal of wanting to be rid of Hep C, and in being that, I have landed where I wanted to be when I was first diagnosed: connected to people with an illness we all want to be shot of, and people who share about their experiences getting rid of the disease. This is a place where I think I belong.

Yours

J.

Hi Jimmy,

I had the maybe/pre diabetic thing over many years too. By starting treatment with sof/dac late October 2015 I was up four to five times a night having a leak; the floor between my work office and the toilet was a fast lane for me. When I had to go, I had to go quick.

Lots of other vague feelings have disappeared since treatment as well – mainly the fatigue. Heavens, where are the captains of industry and business on this issue – think of the productivity implications?

Another good change is I can eat more without putting on 2 kilo’s almost overnight.

It is good to read what you have said above as it makes me think that the way I have felt having Hep C is now validated by at least some (on this forum).

Hope all goes well for you.

Yours

J.

Hi PauliNo,

I did note you were due to have the fibroscan some days ago but have not posted on this thread how things went.

It’s certainly hard for me to hope the result is bad enough for your insurance(?) company to fund the meds.

Some of the things I have read about the fibroscan results make you wonder a bit about whether they should stick with using them as an aid to gauge how long meds should be taken. In my case a liver resection meant that the operator decided he could not do a scan anyway!! I did though do the 2 hours fasting before as directed.

Complicated life this Hep C stuff. The consolation prize for having a low score, for me would be worth it – both in sense of having a better liver and maybe having to be on the meds for a shorter time.

Yours

J.

Hi Chejai

“The Liver Clinic I attend in the Public Hospital has posters everywhere about staff not accepting verbal abuse, threats, intimidation etc (fair enough) yet I’ve still had to endure some Specialists ‘attack’ me and the general Hepc patient population for our appalling ‘lifestyles’ and treatment of our bodies!”

I work in allied health in the public system and attend my specialists appointments on workdays (in my lunch break!!!!) in my hospital uniform and quietly sit with everyone else waiting to see the same specialist.

Never witnessed such behaviour or experienced it here. Even though where I work is obvious, I am too old not to be able to tell what people REALLY think.

Obviously people here, me and I expect the people who treat me where I work, would think your being made to feel bad for going to hospital for treatment stinks. Maybe the people involved need to rethink and carefully examine their own practice.

Yours

J.

Hi split dog,

“Awesome, CC. We all must keep posting our results as we go.”

I wondered if there was room for a separate thread, quite distinct from the rest where we could simply say hello, and our signatures would be attached and updated with our progress. Type of display wall?

just a thought on top of yours?

J.

Hi Sir,

you mentioned on another post how we started 2 days apart.

noted you VL at 10 weeks is UND.

Congratulations!

Yours

J.

Hi Bloot,

I had my biopsy done in 1998 – it took five passes and before the chap trying to do it was done the theatre had filled with men who looked somewhat senior and concerned. Had to stay overnight and not allowed out of bed for some hours.

Could not have a fibroscan done due to the person doing it being convinced he could not do it. Anyway, I had a liver resection in 2012 – nearly as good as an autopsy for the purposes of measuring scaring I should think, and was F3. Pretty confident I may be F4 now, hence the 24 weeks Sof/Dac.

My rationale with respect to all this? Even with half the liver missing, I figure not having HCV will help things not get worse; if it helps the scaring get better then it’s a bonus.

Yours

J.