Re: Introduction/

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the welcome everyone as well as the info! He has an appt with a specialist on Wednesday so hopefully we will find out more soon. He has the rashes on his legs (which is actually how we usually know he is having a flare and was the initial thing he went to the dr for back in 2000). He also has thyroid problems, depression, joint pain etc. He hasn't changed his eating patterns at all and that was the main concern with our GP. When he was first diagnosed his viral load was a lot higher than it is now - if I remember right it was like 50,000,000. I need to find his medical records from when we changed drs after our original ones left town. We did get a copy of the cat scan report and another thing they mentioned was "unknown stranding" on some of the organs. That alone doesn't sound good to me. I only wish I could go with him to the dr on Wednesday but it is 1 1/2 away from us and I have to be home for my daughter who is 18 and in a wheelchair.

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[Guest guest]

,

thanks for joining us and thanks for being such a support to your husband. We

know its difficult being a caregiver, too. I don’t really know what 40%

damage means, because we’re used to dealing with stages and grades. It

is normal for his liver enzymes (LFTs) to be high if his viral load is up in

the millions again, but we’ve seen them higher than 6 mil. I have a

friend in New Jersey tx has failed 2-3 times with a higher VL than that and he’s

running around with almost no symptoms except what he expects for a 54 year old

man. HCV can certainly affect other organs, and I’m no doctor, but the

weight loss and all those organs being enlarged doesn’t sound

particularly “favorable” to me. I would schedule an appointment

with the doctor, get a copy of the written report, and get the doctor to

explain exactly what it means and what is causing it and what consequences, if

any, there will be as a result of the enlargements. If it’s not a big

deal, that’s fine, but the doc needs to make you comfortable that it’s

not and why if that’s the case or he needs to be figuring out what the

problem is, in my opinion.

Introduction

Hi and thanks for letting

me join the group. My name is and my

husband has Hepatitis C. He was diagnosed in 2000 and underwent

treatment for a year after which is viral load was basically

undetectable. Within 6 months it was climbing again and has fluctuated

since then. A liver biopsy showed 40% damage which they said wasn't too

bad but it scared me to death. Recently his routine lab tests showed

Liver Enzymes 5 times the normal range, and more tests were performed.

His viral load is now 6,000,000! He has been having unexplained weight

loss as well so a cat scan was done. However he is allergic to the

contrast medium so it wasn't really accurate other than to say that his

liver, spleen, pancreas and heart are all enlarged. Are these normal

for Hep C? What got me was the Dr said his report was favorable????!

How can it be favorable if all the organs are enlarged!? Any ideas?

[Guest guest]

, Tell him to ask for copies of his labs and any other tests he may have from now on. If he ever has to change dr's, you'll have what he needs to start with a new one. And, you'll be able to compare from test to test on how he's doing. Also, he needs to ask for antidepressants. With a daughter in a wheel chair, you hads are full. You will need to be strong for both of them. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Hugs VickieG l.com wrote: Thanks for the welcome everyone as well as the info! He has an appt with a specialist on Wednesday so hopefully we will find out more soon. He has the rashes on his legs (which is actually how we usually know he is having a flare and was the initial thing he went to the dr for back in 2000). He also has thyroid problems, depression, joint pain etc. He hasn't changed his eating patterns at all and that was the main concern with our GP. When he was first diagnosed his viral load was a lot higher than it is now - if I remember right it was like 50,000,000. I need to find his medical records from when we changed drs after our original ones left town. We did get a copy of the cat scan report and another thing they mentioned was "unknown stranding" on some of the organs. That alone doesn't sound good to me. I only wish I could go with him to the dr on Wednesday but it is 1 1/2 away from

us and I have to be home for my daughter who is 18 and in a wheelchair. Life is too short for what if's, jump in with both feet and go for it. See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell.

[Guest guest]

Gang,

this is why we always tell you to get copies of everything!!!!!

,

it’s never ending, isn’t it? I’ll keep you in my

prayers. Do you have anyone who can stay with your daughter so you can

go? I’m sure you’ve already thought of that. Two sets

of ears are always better than one. I don’t know what stranding is.

Anyone else?

Re:

Introduction/

Thanks for the welcome everyone

as well as the info! He has an appt with a specialist on Wednesday so

hopefully we will find out more soon. He has the rashes on his legs

(which is actually how we usually know he is having a flare and was the initial

thing he went to the dr for back in 2000). He also has thyroid problems,

depression, joint pain etc. He hasn't changed his eating patterns at all

and that was the main concern with our GP. When he was first diagnosed

his viral load was a lot higher than it is now - if I remember right it was

like 50,000,000. I need to find his medical records from when we changed

drs after our original ones left town. We did get a copy of the cat scan

report and another thing they mentioned was " unknown stranding " on

some of the organs. That alone doesn't sound good to me. I only

wish I could go with him to the dr on Wednesday but it is 1 1/2 away from us

and I have to be home for my daughter who is 18 and in a wheelchair.

Life is too short for what if's,

jump in with both feet and go for it.

See

what's new at AOL.com

and Make AOL Your

Homepage.

[Guest guest]

, Tell him to ask for copies of his labs and any other tests he may have from now on. If he ever has to change dr's, you'll have what he needs to start with a new one. And, you'll be able to compare from test to test on how he's doing. Also, he needs to ask for antidepressants. With a daughter in a wheel chair, you hads are full. You will need to be strong for both of them. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Hugs VickieG

Thanks Vickie! He is on antidepressants and has been better since starting them. We will ask for copies of the labs - we did get copies of his cat scan report already.

Life is too short for what if's, jump in with both feet and go for it.See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

[Guest guest]

Give him a pep talk before he leaves then. Make him a list, it really helps. We all forget everything we meant to talk to the doc about once he gets in the room.

Will do! thanks.

Life is too short for what if's, jump in with both feet and go for it.See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

[Guest guest]

Give

him a pep talk before he leaves then. Make him a list, it really

helps. We all forget everything we meant to talk to the doc about once he

gets in the room.

Re:

Introduction/

The issue with my daughter isn't

so much someone to stay with her as she needs help with toileting etc and there

really isn't anyone around who can help with that. All of our family is in IL and

we are in OK. I understand about 2 sets of ears though and I also know

that sometimes he won't say things that are bothering him unless I am with him

but he knows how important it is right now to be forth coming with everything.

Life is too short for what if's,

jump in with both feet and go for it.

[Guest guest]

Where in OK?? I am in Texas but am an okie.. dAngelBskts@... wrote: The issue with my daughter isn't so much someone to stay with her as she needs help with toileting etc and there really isn't anyone around who can help with that. All of our family is in IL and we are in OK. I understand about 2 sets of ears though and I also know that sometimes he won't say things that are bothering him unless I am with him but he knows how

important it is right now to be forth coming with everything. Life is too short for what if's, jump in with both feet and go for it. .

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[Guest guest]

Where in OK?? I am in Texas but am an okie..

d

I am in McAlester, about 85 miles north of the TX border.

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[Guest guest]

Very cool. I know where that is...lol. I go thru McAlester on 69 to Pryor pretty often.

Yeah if you know anything about SE OK we aren't hard to miss.

Hubby's appt was canceled today due to the dr being sick! Now we have to wait till next week but as long as he is not feeling terribly ill it will be ok I guess.

Life is too short for what if's, jump in with both feet and go for it.See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

[Guest guest]

Very cool. I know where that is...lol. I go thru McAlester on 69 to

Pryor pretty often.

d

>

> I am in McAlester, about 85 miles north of the TX border.

>

>

>

>

> Life is too short for what if's, jump in with both feet and go for

it.

>