Re: new to the group

April 13, 2008

I found that I was labeled when I said I have HepC too. The instant connection in the minds of small people is drug user. Even if you did, it's been a lifetime ago and as Janet said, you are a different person now. Seferal of our presidents have had to admit that they experimented, long ago, the culture was sooo prevalent back then...

Sharon in NW Washington

Knitting is...time and love made tangible. Alison Hyde

RE: Re: new to the group

I also have only shared my HCV with a small group of family and friends. I was an IV drug user almost FORTY years ago, but that label will follow me for the rest of my life regardless of the 39 years in between L

You tell the people that you feel comfortable telling and forget the rest. If needed, there are a ton of illnesses to explain your tiredness through tx. Nobody needs to know if you don't want them to know.

As far as drinking, you can always tell casual acquaintances that you're on an anti-biotic or a pain med for a bad tooth or something. Don't let that stop you from going out with friends if you enjoy seeing them. If they're friends, they won't press you to drink anyway. It's a whole new world since I was your age and drinking no longer holds the glamour it used to with all the press on deaths from drunk drivers these days. I predict that one day, it could be similar to smoking..shunned in many places. I smoked for 25 years almost everywhere (desk at work, movie theaters, grocery stores) and now, you can barely smoke standing on a street corner! And that will save many lives.

Dorothy

April 13, 2008

In at least one city, not far from me, one can get a ticket

for 'smoking-in-public', even in ones vehicle, You can possibly get a

ticket-!

>

> I also have only shared my HCV with a small group of family and

friends. I

> was an IV drug user almost FORTY years ago, but that label will

follow me

> for the rest of my life regardless of the 39 years in between :-(

>

> You tell the people that you feel comfortable telling and forget

the rest.

> If needed, there are a ton of illnesses to explain your tiredness

through

> tx. Nobody needs to know if you don't want them to know.

>

> As far as drinking, you can always tell casual acquaintances that

you're on

> an anti-biotic or a pain med for a bad tooth or something. Don't

let that

> stop you from going out with friends if you enjoy seeing them. If

they're

> friends, they won't press you to drink anyway. It's a whole new

world since

> I was your age and drinking no longer holds the glamour it used to

with all

> the press on deaths from drunk drivers these days. I predict that

one day,

> it could be similar to smoking..shunned in many places. I smoked

for 25

> years almost everywhere (desk at work, movie theaters, grocery

stores) and

> now, you can barely smoke standing on a street corner! And that

will save

> many lives.

>

> Dorothy

>

> _____

>

> From: Hepatitis_C_Central

> [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of Janet

> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 8:15 AM

> To: Hepatitis_C_Central

> Subject: Re: Re: new to the group

>

> I am quite vocal about my hepatitis C, but then again. I use my

having it as

> a since of teaching others about the disease.

>

> There are a lot of misconceptions about it and I like to clear

those up

> right away.

>

> Although it can be spread by IV drug use, some of us got it because

we were

> healthcare workers from a needle stick or a blood spill. Blood

happens.

>

> Hepatitis C is spread in Blood to Blood contact. And in the

healthcare world

> it happens more than you would like to think.

>

> There is such a stigma about having this disease, yet it a treatable

> disease.

>

> Yes, honey you have a more than great chance of clearing the

disease. I

> would give you better odds than what the doctor did. If you follow

the

> treatment program to its best possible outcome.

>

> Believe it or not, this group is one of the best cheerleaders you

will ever

> find.

>

> As to the drinking, my answer is " I don't drink " . I will be the DD

for

> anyone who drinks too much. If they press more, I say look " it is

my own

> personal choice to not drink, if you push anymore, I am gonna get

ill with

> you!! " . LOL

>

> I look so funny when I get mad. LOL

>

> Some I will tell that I have Hep C and they understand.

>

> And if they don't, well once you get to know me. You will find out

that I am

> out spoken and will educate them about Hep C whether they want to

know or

> not. Cause I am just that spunky.

>

> Once again sweety if you need a question or concern answered that

is what we

> are here for.

>

> Love

>

> Janet

>

April 13, 2008

I too am a former IV drug user.

I have had several HIV tests done through the years, one at the

Public Health Clinic where they would take the sample, then post the

results on a board that had 'confidential'-numbers rather than any

name/s.

If/when I go to a different doctor, I either try to get the latest-

test sent to them and/or ask to have another test done.

I have no 'overt' risk-factors for contracting HIV these days, so,

it's not a big deal, I just like to have that info " on-file " so that

health-workers know with what they're dealing.

>

> Thanks, Janet. I don't feel any shame in what I did when I was so

young.

> Unfortunately, that label remains. I remember when I went to

Columbia

> University's Neurological Institute of NY for my peripheral

neuropathy.

>

> The doctor wrote his report recommending an HIV test since I had a

history

> of IV drug use.....he qualified that saying he didn't think it was

likely,

> but it shows you how that stigma remains. Had I contracted HIV all

those

> years ago, I would likely have been dead, not on his exam table!!!!!

>

> It's funny, sometimes I'll say that I used cocaine instead of

heroin since

> it somehow has a " softer " connotation...but at this stage of my

life, what

> difference does it make??

>

> Dorothy

>

> _____

>

> From: Hepatitis_C_Central

> [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of Janet

> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 8:58 AM

> To: Hepatitis_C_Central

> Subject: RE: Re: new to the group

>

> You know Dorothy,

>

> Just because you were a IV drug user many years ago, does not make

you the

> same person. You beat it, you have come so far. The sad thing is

that you

> got Hep C.

>

> I hate it, that people make others feel bad about a addiction that

was in

> the past. You know what I mean.

>

> My son is a recovered addict, and I praise the Lord every day for

his

> recovery. He is making excellent strides in his life.

>

> He used IV drugs, and I have warned him for years about not sharing

needles

> or drug implements. He is negative for the disease and I am glad of

that.

>

> Of course he has tatoos out the ying yang, so I hope he continues

to go to a

> good tatoo artist. But then again, he talked me into a tatoo, yeah

I got

> one. I bought my own tatoo needles, his artist, double gloved, and

took

> every precaution. We used universal blood precautions while I got

my tatoo.

>

> Having a drug problem is not a sin, it is keeping it that is the

most

> dangerous thing.

>

> I am proud that you are so open about your IV drug use in your

youth, and

> proud that you are able to help others when they talk about their

own

> problems resulting from their use of IV drugs.

>

> You go girl, you are a wonderful inspiration to all.

>

> Love

>

> Janet

>

April 13, 2008

LOL, yes, the outline is the most painful, the 'shading' isn't too

bad. (in comparison)

To me, the shading just feels like when I might scratch in an

area 'way-to-much', and it starts to hurt a bit. IMPO

>

> I also have only shared my HCV with a small group of

family and friends. I was an IV drug user almost FORTY years ago,

but that label will follow me for the rest of my life regardless of

the 39 years in between L

>

> You tell the people that you feel comfortable telling and

forget the rest. If needed, there are a ton of illnesses to explain

your tiredness through tx. Nobody needs to know if you don't want

them to know.

>

> As far as drinking, you can always tell casual acquaintances

that you're on an anti-biotic or a pain med for a bad tooth or

something. Don't let that stop you from going out with friends if

you enjoy seeing them. If they're friends, they won't press you to

drink anyway. It's a whole new world since I was your age and

drinking no longer holds the glamour it used to with all the press on

deaths from drunk drivers these days. I predict that one day, it

could be similar to smoking……shunned in many places. I smoked for 25

years almost everywhere (desk at work, movie theaters, grocery

stores) and now, you can barely smoke standing on a street corner!

And that will save many lives.

>

> Dorothy

>

> ---------------------------------

>

> From: Hepatitis_C_Central

[mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of Janet

> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 8:15 AM

> To: Hepatitis_C_Central

> Subject: Re: Re: new to the group

>

> I am quite vocal about my hepatitis C, but then again.

I use my having it as a since of teaching others about the disease.

>

> There are a lot of misconceptions about it and I like to

clear those up right away.

>

> Although it can be spread by IV drug use, some of us got it

because we were healthcare workers from a needle stick or a blood

spill. Blood happens.

>

> Hepatitis C is spread in Blood to Blood contact. And in the

healthcare world it happens more than you would like to think.

>

> There is such a stigma about having this disease, yet it a

treatable disease.

>

> Yes, honey you have a more than great chance of clearing the

disease. I would give you better odds than what the doctor did. If

you follow the treatment program to its best possible outcome.

>

> Believe it or not, this group is one of the best cheerleaders

you will ever find.

>

> As to the drinking, my answer is " I don't drink " . I will be

the DD for anyone who drinks too much. If they press more, I say

look " it is my own personal choice to not drink, if you push anymore,

I am gonna get ill with you!! " . LOL

>

> I look so funny when I get mad. LOL

>

> Some I will tell that I have Hep C and they understand.

>

> And if they don't, well once you get to know me. You will

find out that I am out spoken and will educate them about Hep C

whether they want to know or not. Cause I am just that spunky.

>

> Once again sweety if you need a question or concern answered

that is what we are here for.

>

> Love

>

> Janet

>

> " There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding

joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go "

>

> Frederick Faber

>

> " There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding

joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go "

>

> Frederick Faber

>

> " There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy

everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go "

> Frederick Faber

>

April 13, 2008

Excellent Post Rob!I think that the reason you are having problems with sleep is because the Interferon depletes your brain of Seretonin..and that is one of the reasons that most of us need to take an SSRI.. as well as a sleeping pill too! I had to take them both before I could sleep and even then, some nights I couldnt sleep.. Some docs RX Wellbutrin for the depression and while that 'might' help, wellbutrin is for the chemical Dopamine in your brain, not Seretonin.. lots of docs dont recognize that either so its always good to educate yourself and take the information to your doc.. That cough from hell! LOL,, I had that all the way through tx and in the early days of tx, I had pneumonia TWICE and had to take Z-pak both times. Then you add the reduction in RBC and Hemoglobin,, and voila,, instant shortness of breath!I think I slept for nearly the entire year I was on tx.. but I remember reading in one of my college books that your liver actually

regenerates itself when you are sleeping,, so I slept away knowing that it was probably the BEST thing for my liver.. and I guess it worked because I was one of the very lucky ones and my treatment was successful..The emotional stuff ( the quivering lower lip) I think is very common.. Just remember to be kind to yourself, this treatment wont last forever! Im glad you're part of our group Rob, you are a great person!hugsjaxRob wrote: Hi, I am almost finished with my treatment. I was also a teacher. Since the treatment is kind of rough, it seemed like a good idea to not teach and do the treatment at the same time. If I wasn’t working, I wouldn’t be able to afford the treatment for insurance reasons. Therein lays the paradox. My school downsized last march and I was one of the casualties which made my decision easier, but if I had been working and taking the Tx, I would not have been able to do my job (at least not to my satisfaction). The fatigue was rough, and quite frustrating. Sometimes just going to the store for something I would consider eating was all I could do.

There is another problem. Lack of appetite. I lost 50 lb in the first 4 months (not that I minded, but food just shut me down). My nutritionist sent me 4 cases of Ensure. It sort of sucks, but if I am not going to eat, I need to at least get sufficient nutrition. And water. Lots of water. The fatigue can come at the drop of a hat… any hat. For me, limitations needed to be set. If I push myself a little too much, I’m shot down for the rest of the day. It seems that we all respond differently, but one of my side effects was the cough from hell. My sister came to visit for a few days, and I tried to ‘tough it out’ so she wouldn’t worry, very foolish…. The morning after she left I was in the emergency room.

Some, like me, end up weak and shaky. Really shaky. Pressing in phone numbers, or writing anything became difficult. Taking a spoonful of cough syrup for the cough from hell was nearly impossible. Those little things we take so for granted can become difficult. A note on the biopsy: it didn’t hurt me any more than having blood drawn (which is always being done). The worst part was the ka-thump feeling from the needle going through the peritoneal wall. It was done incredibly quickly, but that sound was a sound that seemed to carry through throughout my body. It was more creepy, than

uncomfortable. The injections are a piece of cake. I hate them, and I try to sneak up on the syringes to reduce stress, but it doesn’t hurt. It’s kind of creepy, too. I’ve learned to appreciate the injections. Once you do them, you’re done for the week. The ribo, on the other hand, is daily. Just little white capsules, but I hate them more than the injections. It is just tedious. Twice a day, every day. The depression is another treat. I’m not finding it difficult, but I have become a little isolated. I’m not going to worry bout depression until after the Tx.

The worst part for me was the emotional stuff. Particularly, a trembling lower lip. It is sort of like an involuntary feeling that I am going to cry. You don’t need to be sad, it just sneaks up on you sometimes. I take Bupropion for depression, and sleeping seems to be a little evasive. My best sleep (REM) comes in the first 2 or 3 hours, and the rest just sort of fades in and out multiple times throughout the night. I get enough sleep, but I haven’t a clue why sleep that restless is sufficient. I think of this Tx as a medical bootcamp. Does any of that help clarify what to expect a

bit? Remember, though, it seems to be different for all of us. Rob From: Hepatitis_C_Central [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of Jackie on Sent: Saturday,

April 12, 2008 8:45 PM To: Hepatitis_C_Central Subject: Re: new to the group Hi and welcome to the group! Im sorry that you needed to find a support group but glad you found us.. I believe we are the best support group out there! I know its a shock when you first get diagnosed.. but just remember that this disease moves in decades so there is plenty of time to gather all the info you need BEFORE you start any treatment. First off,, have you had a biopsy? You MUST have a biopsy to see IF and how

much damage you have to your liver. There is no reliable blood test to see if you have cirrhosis or heavy fibrosis with this disease except a biopsy. It is the gold standard. If you were to find out that you have no damage and that your virus is not moving along at all, you may want to delay treatment until they find something easier and more assurred and not do the peg and riba.. Do you know what genotype you are? You really DO need to gather all the info before deciding whether or not to do treatment. Treatment is doable for most but it is not easy. I could NOT work past week 12 of treatment because I became so anemic which is quite common on treatment. Plus you need to make sure that your doc will treat your side effects and not just lower your med doses.. Many docs just lower your meds thereby allowing the virus to mutate and then you never get rid of it.. The decision to treat should not be an easy one because there are NO guarantee's

with it.. Some reach a sustained viral response or SVR, some go undetectible for virus while on tx and immediately relapse after they stop treatment, for some the meds cause the virus to go into overdrive and they get worse from the treatment, I've even known at least two people who have died from the treatment.. I myself cleared the virus, remain virus free but am very very damaged from the treatment and am totally disabled from the treatment. I was at a stage 3-4 and grade 3 when I was diagnosed so I had to do treatment to keep my stage from becoming fully a stage 4 which is cirrhosis.. When you reach stage 4, your chances of successfully treating are reduced. There are many pieces of the puzzle you need to gather before you go on treatment. I have known ONE person who was able to work all the way through treatment because she had a desk job and her boss would allow her to take time off of work as she needed it. I was a 911 paramedic and while most of the

time was a lot of sit and wait time,, but when it was busy, I couldnt just jump up and run to the ambulance and I had a very hard time making life and death decisions.. so of course I had to stop working and I was never able to return.. The treatment causes lots of autoimmune problems that are now permanent side effects that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life. So as I said, you really do need to have that biopsy to see how much damage you have. There are some things you can do to lessen the side effects while on treatment,, such as making sure you get enough protein and eating some fat ( peanut butter or cream cheese etc) when you take your Riba pills and drinking nearly a gallon of filtered water EVERY day.. and making sure your doc will give you procrit and neupogen for anemia should you need it... Giving yourself this shot is easy honey,, NO insurance company will pay for an office call every week so you can go in and have the doc give you

the shot.. its really a piece of cake. The first one is the hardest but after you do that, its easy.. and you dont want others giving you the shots because it puts THEM at risk of infecting themselves if they should accidently prick themselves with your needle after giving you the shot. Most of us give our shots in our belly or thigh's and when you pinch the skin up, the needle does not hurt, you dont feel it as its very very short and tiny,, like a diabetic's needle.. and if you push the medication in slowly, it doesnt even burn.. we'll help you honey.. Please feel free to ask any questions and we'll help you.. One thing we always suggest is to get copies OF EVERYTHING from your doc,, all your labs, your biopsy, everything and keep it in a file folder at home so when you come up with a question, you will have access to the info you will need to help us help you. Are you taking any Milk Thistle? It is a supplement you can buy from any health food

store and its a good anti-inflammatory for the liver. As always, since we're not doctors, you should run it by your doc and make sure there is no reason for you not to take it, but most docs say ok,, unless they are ignorant about milk thistle.. I will be glad to send you some info on milk thistle if you wish that you can download and print to take to your doc. It wont do anything for your virus, but it will help your liver to be as healthy as possible so it can deal with the virus and treatment. Whatever you do, do not consume ANY alcohol, as that is like pouring lighter fluid on a fire in the way it causes your virus to replicate twice as fast.. Its not the virus that causes the damage, its the inflammation that the virus causes that causes the damage. Well, that is just a few things for you to think about but please feel free to ask any more questions and we will help you as much as we can.. one other thing,, are you on an

antidepressant? If you do treatment , the Interferon depletes your brain of its Interferon and causes serious depression and insomnia... BUT.. one antidepressant,, called CYMBALTA is NOT<,, repeat NOT for us heppers,, its VERY damaging to the liver.. but another ssri would be good,, so celexa, lexapro, paxil, prozac etc are ssri's and they dont have the same damage or black box warning that cymbalta has.. some docs are still RX'ing it because many of us have body aches but its not for us,, so you might want to remember that when talking with your doc about it.. anyway, once again, welcome to the group! jax massgal08 <massgal08> wrote: Hello everyone, My mother told me to join a support group since I will not go to a public one so here I am. I am 27 and was diagnosed with Hep C last May. It has been a rocky trip since then and I have been though a lot of shock from it. I am going to start combination therapy this June. I am most concerned about the side effects of the ribavrin (sp?)and the pegaysys (sp?) and my ability to do my job. Can you give me some information about this. I am a teacher and am afraid that I will be too tired to do my job. My dr said that this next year of treatment is mostly going to make me tired and I will be able to go to work and that is it. He said that I should do my shots on Friday's after work. How am I going to feel? How do you all feel on the medicine? Can you work out at the gym or go to the mall and lead a normal life or are you very sick and tired for a year straight? I am

also afraid to give myself the shots. When I see my GI doctor next month I am going to see if I can have a nurse give me the shots. One more thing. About how much does the treatment cost a month with insurance. My dr said that he would call and let me know but didn't. I am too nervous to call myself. I have a fear of my insurance knowing. But they already know because I was tested for Hep C. The whole diagnosis has just been stressful. Thank you in advance for your help. Jackie Jackie

April 13, 2008

JanetI agree with you about this totally.. Who we are today is NOT who we were when we were young and dumb.. lol.. I get really pissy when I see ppl being denigrated about having hep c from things they did when they were young.. The labeling of our hep family truely gets me to the core and it makes me very very , did I say very angry!!!! It is a virus for crying out loud, a medical disease, not some personal ineptitude... Its the ill-educated that drive me to the point of being angry. This is NOT an STD, and the point is, who cares HOW one got it,, but what we need to be concerned with is WHAT do we do now that we know we have it? Education is the key altho there will always be those who either because of ignorance or stupidity will always think that we deserve this disease becasue we were dumb at one time.. just like there will always be those who think that ppl who have HIV deserve it.. Its a VIRUS.. and ANYONE can get a virus.. GRRRRRR I was

NEVER quiet about my having this.. perhaps because I was in the medical profession I knew better, but I also saw a lot of others in the medical field who were totally ignorant about the disease as well as the risk factors for getting it.. At the private ambulance service that I worked for, out of the 300 paramedics in my region, there were nearly 10 of us with known hep c.. and in the fire dept, there were many many more, especially among the older staff who started in the field long before we wore gloves on every patient.. There are so many of us out there, but I think the ignorant are that way because they are scared.. Sad because just being educated about this disease can alleviate most of their fears.I tell everyone, I REFUSE to be denigrated, labeled or have any other negative connotation attached to my person... Im a proud hepper! This virus has given me a whole new perspective on life and whats important! Its been a real blessing in my life!

jaxJanet wrote: You know Dorothy, Just because you were a IV drug user many years ago, does not make you the same person. You beat it, you have come so far. The sad thing is that you got Hep C. I hate it, that people make others feel bad about a addiction that was in the past. You know what I mean. My son is a recovered addict, and I praise the Lord every day for his recovery. He is making

excellent strides in his life. He used IV drugs, and I have warned him for years about not sharing needles or drug implements. He is negative for the disease and I am glad of that. Of course he has tatoos out the ying yang, so I hope he continues to go to a good tatoo artist. But then again, he talked me into a tatoo, yeah I got one. I bought my own tatoo needles, his artist, double gloved, and took every precaution. We used universal blood precautions while I got my tatoo. Having a drug problem is not a sin, it is keeping it that is the most dangerous thing. I am proud that you are so open about your IV drug use in your youth, and proud that you are able to help others when they talk about their own problems resulting from their use of IV drugs. You go girl, you are a wonderful inspiration to

all. Love Janet Dorothy <dorvoptonline (DOT) net> wrote: I also have only shared my HCV with a small group of family and friends. I was an IV drug user almost FORTY years ago, but that label will follow me for the rest of my life regardless of the 39 years in between L You tell the people that you feel comfortable telling and forget the rest. If needed, there are a ton of illnesses to explain your tiredness through tx. Nobody needs to know if you don’t want them to know. As far as drinking, you can always tell casual acquaintances that you’re on an anti-biotic or a pain med for a bad tooth or something. Don’t let that stop you from going out with friends if you

enjoy seeing them. If they’re friends, they won’t press you to drink anyway. It’s a whole new world since I was your age and drinking no longer holds the glamour it used to with all the press on deaths from drunk drivers these days. I predict that one day, it could be similar to smoking……shunned in many places. I smoked for 25 years almost everywhere (desk at work, movie theaters, grocery stores) and now, you can barely smoke standing on a street corner! And that will save many lives. Dorothy From: Hepatitis_C_Central [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of JanetSent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 8:15 AMTo: Hepatitis_C_Central Subject: Re: Re: new to the

group I am quite vocal about my hepatitis C, but then again. I use my having it as a since of teaching others about the disease. There are a lot of misconceptions about it and I like to clear those up right away. Although it can be spread by IV drug use, some of us got it because we were healthcare workers from a needle stick or a blood spill. Blood happens. Hepatitis C is spread in Blood to Blood contact. And in the healthcare world it happens more than you would like to think. There is such a stigma about having this disease, yet it a treatable disease. Yes, honey you have a more than great chance of clearing the disease. I would give you better odds than what the doctor did. If you follow the treatment program to its best possible outcome. Believe it or not, this group is one of the best cheerleaders you will ever find. As to the drinking, my answer is "I don't drink". I will be the DD for anyone who drinks too much. If they press more, I say look "it is my own personal choice to not drink, if you push anymore, I am gonna get ill with you!!". LOL I look so funny when I get mad. LOL Some I will tell that I have Hep C and they understand. And if

they don't, well once you get to know me. You will find out that I am out spoken and will educate them about Hep C whether they want to know or not. Cause I am just that spunky. Once again sweety if you need a question or concern answered that is what we are here for. Love Janet "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go" Frederick Faber Jackie

April 13, 2008

Ok well geno 1b is harder to clear than say geno 2 but Im also a geno 1 but 1a and I cleared,, so its quite possible,, What did your biopsy show? What stage and grade of damage do you have? That is important to know..yep 50% is better than 10% so it may still be very good for you to treat.IF you decide to treat,, PLEASE talk with your doc about the antidepressant. Its all over the literature, the Interferon depletes the Seretonin in your brain and THAT causes depression as well as insomnia,, its totally treatable,, so please try to remember that too.. you may not be depressed now but in all liklihood, most ppl DO need it on treatment.. very few are able to do treatment without it,, like our Liz here, she was able to treat without ssri's ,, unfortunately she was never able to finish tx due to other health care issues that were exacerbated on tx.I do understand what you are talking about with regards to drinking with friends.. well you could always just get a

glass of 7-up or soda with a twist of lime and no one would even have to know.. I really think its very sad that we still have to keep this so private because of the fear of the stigma.... very very sad....Well hon, you are no longer alone in this,, WE are now your family and we will help you in any way we can.. hang with us,, we can help! Please feel free to ask any questions and we'll try to help.. As I said, we're not docs, but we have a couple of nurses here and Liz and I are ex-paramedics so we do have a lot of medical folks here.. jackiemassgal08 wrote: Hello, I was diagnosed last May and had a liver biopsy in August of 2007. I am genotype 1 B. My dr said that the probability of successful treatment is about 50% but he believes with my young age and being female that I will have a chance of clearing the Hep C. I am not on an antidepressant. My GI dr asked me if I had a history of depression and I have not. So as of right now I am not on anything. Since my diagnosis I have felt sad at times and out of place around my friends because I do not drink anymore and they have no idea why. It's not a big issue but it's annoying to go out and have people ask my why I am not drinking. I just keep telling that I am on a diet and gave it up. I mostly feel weird because I am going through this diagnosis mostly on my own. My family is out of state so I have been going to appts by myself. I have only told 6 people in my life that I

have Hep C. My mom and dad, sister, roommate, boyfriend and my other friend who drove me to my liver biopsy appointment. Thank you again for all of the information. Jackie

April 13, 2008

well you could always call your local pharmacy too and ask them what your copay would be for each medication... they would know too,,massgal08 wrote: Thank you for answering my question. I was afraid to call my insurance company because when I was first diagnosed I thought that they were going to drop me. Even though they have not I just feel weird calling about the co-pay price for the drugs. I will be going to my GI doctor next month and will find out then. But my mom keeps reassuring me that with

insurance it will be covered. I think I just keep hearing from my dr that it is expensive but he is obviously referring to people with out insurance. Jackie

April 13, 2008

Thank you for all of your help and support. I am in stage 2 from my

liver biopsy. I will find out more information when I go to my GI

appt on May 15. I was really nervous and sad today because it is less

than a month away. I am going to start treatment in June after I am

done teaching. I may teach this summer but I am not sure yet. I just

don't want to start summer school and then have to back out because I

will not feel well. I am tough and have been thorough a lot. I am sure

that I will have bad days but I always seem to somehow put on a happy

face and bounce back from the bad things in life.

April 13, 2008

Rob,

Thank you for the information. I teach 4th grade and am going to try

my best to stay patient and not stress too much when I start my treatment.

When I had my live biopsy I had an IV and was knocked out. I only

remember laying down on the MRI table and that was it. When I woke up

after the biopsy I just felt sick and felt like I was going to vomit.

But I survived it was not as scary as I thought it was going to be.

April 13, 2008

I too remember being scared out of my wits too,, but my doc used conscious sedation and allowed my husband to be present when they did the biopsy,, was a piece of cake. You 'might' have felt nauseated from being put out.. with consicous sedation, I had no such nausea,, massgal08 wrote: Rob, Thank you for the information. I teach 4th grade and am going to try my best to stay patient and not stress too much when I start my treatment. When I had my live biopsy I had an IV and was knocked out. I only

remember laying down on the MRI table and that was it. When I woke up after the biopsy I just felt sick and felt like I was going to vomit. But I survived it was not as scary as I thought it was going to be. Jackie

April 13, 2008

this is a good time to catch it if you can,., stage 2 means your liver isnt in too bad of shape and can fully regenerate itself if this virus is stopped.. Since you are a teacher, you should have good insurance AND you probably have short term and long term disability available which might come in handy.. You also have the FMLA so you will have at least 12 weeks of unpaid leave if you should need it.. Im hoping that you wont need it and will be able to manage to work your way through... we'll ALL be pulling for ya here! jaxmassgal08 wrote: Thank you for all of your help and support. I am in stage 2 from my liver biopsy. I will find out more information when I go to my GI appt on May 15. I was really nervous and sad today because it is less than a month away. I am going to start treatment in June after I am done teaching. I may teach this summer but I am not sure yet. I just don't want to start summer school and then have to back out because I will not feel well. I am tough and have been thorough a lot. I am sure that I will have bad days but I always seem to somehow put on a happy face and bounce back from the bad things in life. Jackie

April 13, 2008

Stage 2 refers to the degree of scar tissue your liver has amassed. The GRADE you have refers to the level of inflamation in your liver. You need to know both numbers to decide intelligently whether to treat or not. I am geno type 2b and had, at my last biopsy, grade 2 and stage 2. I wont have another biopsy for some time, but I imagine the grade is less, I take care of myself and my liver enzymes are low. The docs say it's better to treat when you are relatively young and in good shape, which you are at grade 2. It's sooo individual about how bad you'll feel during treatment. Some sail through, others lay down and are SICK. Either way, you are in the right place to get support and education.Sharon in NW WashingtonKnitting is...time and love made tangible. Alison Hyde Re: new to the groupThank you for all of your help and support. I am in stage 2 from myliver biopsy. I will find out more information when I go to my GIappt on May 15. I was really nervous and sad today because it is lessthan a month away. I am going to start treatment in June after I amdone teaching. I may teach this summer but I am not sure yet. I justdon't want to start summer school and then have to back out because Iwill not feel well. I am tough and have been thorough a lot. I am surethat I will have bad days but I always seem to somehow put on a happyface and bounce back from the bad things in life.

April 13, 2008

It's the unknown that scares us. After it 's over, we usually say what was I so scared about???Sharon in NW Washington Knitting is...time and love made tangible. Alison Hyde Re: new to the groupRob,Thank you for the information. I teach 4th grade and am going to trymy best to stay patient and not stress too much when I start my treatment.When I had my live biopsy I had an IV and was knocked out. I onlyremember laying down on the MRI table and that was it. When I woke upafter the biopsy I just felt sick and felt like I was going to vomit.But I survived it was not as scary as I thought it was going to be.------------------------------------I

April 13, 2008

yeah, its the unknown that is so scary!SHARON CROSBY wrote: It's the unknown that scares us. After it 's over, we usually say what was I so scared about??? Sharon in NW Washington Knitting is...time and love made tangible. Alison Hyde Re: new to the group Rob,Thank you for the information. I teach 4th grade and am going to trymy best to stay patient and not stress too much when I start my treatment.When I had my live biopsy I had an IV and was knocked out. I onlyremember laying down on the MRI table and that was it. When I woke upafter the biopsy I just felt sick and felt like I was going to vomit.But I survived it was not as scary as I thought it was going to be.------------------------------------I Jackie

April 13, 2008

Sharon, the way it was explained to me is that the stage is the level of damage you have and the grade is how fast it is moving along or how active the virus is.. I could be wrong but thats the way it was described to me.. I was stage 3-4 and grade 3.. which meant that I had stage 3-4 damage that included early cirrhosis and grade 3 of 4 meant that it was very active and moving along fairly quickly towards cirrhosis...maybe I misunderstood what the doc said to me but its confusing to say the least..SHARON CROSBY wrote: Stage 2 refers to the degree of scar tissue your liver has amassed. The GRADE you have refers to the level of inflamation in your liver. You need to know both numbers to decide intelligently whether to treat or not. I am geno type 2b and had, at my last biopsy, grade 2 and stage 2. I wont have another biopsy for some time, but I imagine the grade is less, I take care of myself and my liver enzymes are low. The docs say it's better to treat when you are relatively young and in good shape, which you are at grade 2. It's sooo individual about how bad you'll feel during treatment. Some sail through, others lay down and are SICK. Either way, you are in the right place to get support and education. Sharon in NW Washington Knitting is...time and love made tangible. Alison Hyde Re: new to the group Thank you for all of your help and support. I am in stage 2 from myliver biopsy. I will find out more information when I go to my GIappt on May 15. I was really nervous and sad today because it is lessthan a month away. I am going to start treatment in June after I amdone teaching. I may teach this summer but I am not sure yet. I justdon't want to start summer school and then have to back out because Iwill not feel well. I am tough and have been thorough a lot. I am surethat I

will have bad days but I always seem to somehow put on a happyface and bounce back from the bad things in life. Jackie

April 13, 2008

I could also be wrong, but if the inflamation is more active, wouldn't that mean that the disease is moving along rather more quickly? Maybe it's just the way it's said. I make a hobby of being wrong, tho and you have far more knowledge than I do in this area.Sharon in NW WashingtonKnitting is...time and love made tangible. Alison Hyde Re: Re: new to the groupSharon, the way it was explained to me is that the stage is the level of damage you have and the grade is how fast it is moving along or how active the virus is.. I could be wrong but thats the way it was described to me.. I was stage 3-4 and grade 3.. which meant that I had stage 3-4 damage that included early cirrhosis and grade 3 of 4 meant that it was very active and moving along fairly quickly towards cirrhosis...maybe I misunderstood what the doc said to me but its confusing to say the least..

April 13, 2008

yes,, if the inflammation is moving along strongly, then its causing damage faster.. so grade indicates how fast it is moving.. and stage is what has already occurred,, No honey, this is confusing and sometimes Im not sure that I have it right either..lol.. I wish they would change the name of grade to something that makes more sense..lolI guess you could use this analogy.. If you are a ship traveling through stages of 0-4 with 0 say being San Diego and Seattle is stage 4.. Your trip is at stage 2 which is San Francisco.. But you are traveling at a grade of 45 mph which would be grade 3 of 4.. grade 0-1 = 15 mph, grade 2= 30mph, grade 3=45 mph and grade 4= 60 mph. Does THAT make any sense? so if you were going to seattle or stage 4 from stage 0 or San Diego but at THIS point in time you were at stage 2 or San Francisco and were traveling at 45 mph that would make you stage 2 and grade 3... make sense?SHARON CROSBY

wrote: I could also be wrong, but if the inflamation is more active, wouldn't that mean that the disease is moving along rather more quickly? Maybe it's just the way it's said. I make a hobby of being wrong, tho and you have far more knowledge than I do in this area. Sharon in NW Washington Knitting is...time and love made tangible. Alison Hyde Re: Re: new to the group Sharon, the way it was explained to me is that the stage is the level of damage you have and the grade is how fast it is moving along or how active the virus is.. I could be wrong but thats the way it was described to me.. I was stage 3-4 and grade 3.. which meant that I had stage 3-4 damage that included early cirrhosis and grade 3 of 4 meant that it was very active and moving along fairly quickly towards cirrhosis...maybe I misunderstood what the doc said to me but its confusing to say the least.. Jackie

April 14, 2008

Yikes, Jackie, reminds me of one of those

tests back in school………if the train is going 60 mph, etc.

You’ve got quite a mind to work that

all out J

Dorothy

From: Hepatitis_C_Central

[mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On

Behalf Of Jackie on

Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 11:40

PM

To:

Hepatitis_C_Central

Subject: Re:

Re: new to the group

yes,, if

the inflammation is moving along strongly, then its causing damage faster.. so

grade indicates how fast it is moving.. and stage is what has already

occurred,,

No honey, this is confusing and sometimes Im not sure that I have it right

either..lol.. I wish they would change the name of grade to something that

makes more sense..lol

I guess you could use this analogy.. If you are a ship traveling through stages

of 0-4 with 0 say being San Diego and Seattle is stage 4.. Your

trip is at stage 2 which is San

Francisco.. But you are traveling at a grade of

45 mph which would be grade 3 of 4.. grade 0-1 = 15 mph, grade 2= 30mph, grade

3=45 mph and grade 4= 60 mph. Does THAT make any sense? so if you

were going to seattle or stage 4 from stage 0 or

San Diego but at THIS point in time you were at

stage 2 or San Francisco

and were traveling at 45 mph that would make you stage 2 and grade 3... make

sense?

April 14, 2008

I did my biopsy with no pain killers, no sedation. Wasn't any big deal. Course I played it up with hubbie, so he would fix supper for me. He opt instead to get pizza. LOL Next morning I took off the big old pressure bandage, and there was this little bitty bandaid there. Didn't get much sympathy for that!!! Love Janetmassgal08 wrote:

Rob,Thank you for the information. I teach 4th grade and am going to trymy best to stay patient and not stress too much when I start my treatment.When I had my live biopsy I had an IV and was knocked out. I onlyremember laying down on the MRI table and that was it. When I woke upafter the biopsy I just felt sick and felt like I was going to vomit.But I survived it was not as scary as I thought it was going to be."There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go" Frederick Faber

April 14, 2008

Now if I can find the cord to my camera so that I can upload pictures I will post my dragon for all to see. Yeah I need to color it in. My artist tried to color it in the day that he did it. But I had enough for that day. He told me let it heal for 2 weeks and I will color it in. That was 6 months ago!! Love JanetDUG wrote: LOL, yes, the outline is the most painful, the 'shading' isn't too

bad. (in comparison)To me, the shading just feels like when I might scratch in an area 'way-to-much', and it starts to hurt a bit. IMPO> > I also have only shared my HCV with a small group of family and friends. I was an IV drug user almost FORTY years ago, but that label will follow me for the rest of my life regardless of the 39 years in between L> > You tell the people that you feel comfortable telling and forget the rest. If needed, there are a ton of illnesses to explain your tiredness through tx. Nobody needs to know if you don't want them to know.> > As far as drinking, you can always tell casual acquaintances that you're on an anti-biotic or a pain med for a bad tooth or something. Don't let that stop you from going out with friends if you enjoy seeing them. If they're

friends, they won't press you to drink anyway. It's a whole new world since I was your age and drinking no longer holds the glamour it used to with all the press on deaths from drunk drivers these days. I predict that one day, it could be similar to smoking……shunned in many places. I smoked for 25 years almost everywhere (desk at work, movie theaters, grocery stores) and now, you can barely smoke standing on a street corner! And that will save many lives.> > Dorothy> > > ---------------------------------> > From: Hepatitis_C_Central [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of Janet> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 8:15 AM> To: Hepatitis_C_Central > Subject: Re: Re: new to the group> > > I am quite vocal about my hepatitis C, but then again. I use my having it as a since of teaching others about the disease.> > > There are a lot of misconceptions about it and I like to clear those up right away.> > > Although it can be spread by IV drug use, some of us got it because we were healthcare workers from a needle stick or a blood spill. Blood happens. > > > Hepatitis C is spread in Blood to Blood contact. And in the healthcare world it happens more than you would like to think.> > > There is such a stigma about having this disease, yet it a treatable disease.> > > Yes, honey you have a more than great chance of clearing the disease. I

would give you better odds than what the doctor did. If you follow the treatment program to its best possible outcome. > > > Believe it or not, this group is one of the best cheerleaders you will ever find. > > > As to the drinking, my answer is "I don't drink". I will be the DD for anyone who drinks too much. If they press more, I say look "it is my own personal choice to not drink, if you push anymore, I am gonna get ill with you!!". LOL> > > I look so funny when I get mad. LOL> > > Some I will tell that I have Hep C and they understand. > > > And if they don't, well once you get to know me. You will find out that I am out spoken and will educate them about Hep C whether they want to know or not. Cause I am just that spunky. > > > Once again sweety if you need a question or concern answered that is what we are here

for.> > > Love> > > Janet> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go"> > Frederick Faber> > > > > > > "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go"> > Frederick Faber> > > > > > > > > > > "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go"> Frederick Faber>"There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they

go" Frederick Faber

April 14, 2008

Rob, You tickle me. The part about sneaking up on the needle. I am a nurse given millions and I mean millions of injections to other people. I used to go to my Dad's house every morning and evening to give him his insulin shots. He was blind, and it is kind of hard to give your own shots if you are blind. *smile* Then I started treatment and had to give my own shots, and I got by that well. Because it was going to save my life, and make my life better. But when I found out that I had diabetes, and had to test my blood with that little lancet, and then give myself insulin shots. Well let me tell you there is no sneaking up on give myself those buggers. I give most of my shots in my tummy and I will tell you a bikini is not in my future. LOL Too many bruises. I try to use my legs but they are getting

too dang skinny and don't have much body fat there. I like to pinch up the skin and hold it tight. Yeah the needle is thin, like the needle for the treatment drugs. Still I hate watching the whole process. And I am a nurse. I have been told that when I give a injection that I don't hurt. So why when I am giving myself one, it hurts like heck?? Last night I was giving myself one in the leg.(Just had to try it because stomach was feeling like a pin cushion). I jiggled my leg and the needle came right out. I was like Damn. I handed my husband the syringe, and said double glove up kiddo. Cause I am not sticking myself again. He did, and gave to me in my arm. If I could figure out how to do it in my buttock myself I would. I am running out of places, in the places I can reach. LOL Love JanetRob

wrote: Hi, I am almost finished with my treatment. I was also a teacher. Since the treatment is kind of rough, it seemed like a good idea to not teach and do the treatment at the

same time. If I wasn’t working, I wouldn’t be able to afford the treatment for insurance reasons. Therein lays the paradox. My school downsized last march and I was one of the casualties which made my decision easier, but if I had been working and taking the Tx, I would not have been able to do my job (at least not to my satisfaction). The fatigue was rough, and quite frustrating. Sometimes just going to the store for something I would consider eating was all I could do. There is another problem. Lack of appetite. I lost 50 lb in the first 4 months (not that I minded, but food just shut me down). My nutritionist sent me 4 cases of Ensure. It sort of sucks, but if I am not going to eat, I need to at least get sufficient nutrition. And water. Lots of water. The fatigue can come at the drop of a hat… any hat. For me, limitations needed to be set. If I push myself a little too much, I’m shot down for the rest of the day. It seems that we all respond differently, but one of my side effects was the cough from hell. My sister came to visit for a few days, and I tried to ‘tough it out’ so she wouldn’t worry, very foolish…. The morning after she left I was in the emergency room. Some, like me, end up weak and shaky. Really shaky. Pressing in phone numbers, or writing anything became difficult. Taking a spoonful of cough syrup for the cough from hell was nearly impossible. Those little things we take so for granted can become difficult. A note on the biopsy: it didn’t hurt me any more than having blood drawn (which is always being done). The worst part was the ka-thump feeling from the needle going through the peritoneal wall. It was done incredibly quickly, but that sound was a sound that seemed to carry through throughout my body. It was more creepy, than uncomfortable. The injections are a piece of cake. I hate them, and I try to sneak up on the syringes to reduce stress, but it doesn’t hurt. It’s kind of creepy, too. I’ve learned to appreciate the injections. Once you do them, you’re done for the week. The ribo, on the other hand, is daily. Just little white capsules, but I hate them more than the

injections. It is just tedious. Twice a day, every day. The depression is another treat. I’m not finding it difficult, but I have become a little isolated. I’m not going to worry bout depression until after the Tx. The worst part for me was the emotional stuff. Particularly, a trembling lower lip. It is sort of like an involuntary feeling that I am going to cry. You don’t need to be sad, it just sneaks up on you sometimes. I take Bupropion for depression, and sleeping seems to be a little evasive. My best sleep (REM) comes in the first 2 or 3 hours, and the rest just sort of fades in and out multiple times throughout the night. I get enough sleep, but I haven’t a clue why sleep that restless is

sufficient. I think of this Tx as a medical bootcamp. Does any of that help clarify what to expect a bit? Remember, though, it seems to be different for all of us. Rob From: Hepatitis_C_Central [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of Jackie onSent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 8:45 PMTo: Hepatitis_C_Central Subject: Re: new to the group Hi and welcome to the group! Im sorry that you needed to find a support group but

glad you found us.. I believe we are the best support group out there!I know its a shock when you first get diagnosed.. but just remember that this disease moves in decades so there is plenty of time to gather all the info you need BEFORE you start any treatment. First off,, have you had a biopsy? You MUST have a biopsy to see IF and how much damage you have to your liver. There is no reliable blood test to see if you have cirrhosis or heavy fibrosis with this disease except a biopsy. It is the gold standard. If you were to find out that you have no damage and that your virus is not moving along at all, you may want to delay treatment until they find something easier and more assurred and not do the peg and riba.. Do you know what genotype you are? You really DO need to gather all the info before deciding whether or not to do treatment. Treatment is doable for most but it is not easy. I could NOT work past week 12 of

treatment because I became so anemic which is quite common on treatment. Plus you need to make sure that your doc will treat your side effects and not just lower your med doses.. Many docs just lower your meds thereby allowing the virus to mutate and then you never get rid of it.. The decision to treat should not be an easy one because there are NO guarantee's with it.. Some reach a sustained viral response or SVR, some go undetectible for virus while on tx and immediately relapse after they stop treatment, for some the meds cause the virus to go into overdrive and they get worse from the treatment, I've even known at least two people who have died from the treatment.. I myself cleared the virus, remain virus free but am very very damaged from the treatment and am totally disabled from the treatment. I was at a stage 3-4 and grade 3 when I was diagnosed so I had to do treatment to keep my stage from becoming fully a stage 4 which is cirrhosis.. When you reach stage

4, your chances of successfully treating are reduced. There are many pieces of the puzzle you need to gather before you go on treatment.I have known ONE person who was able to work all the way through treatment because she had a desk job and her boss would allow her to take time off of work as she needed it. I was a 911 paramedic and while most of the time was a lot of sit and wait time,, but when it was busy, I couldnt just jump up and run to the ambulance and I had a very hard time making life and death decisions.. so of course I had to stop working and I was never able to return.. The treatment causes lots of autoimmune problems that are now permanent side effects that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life. So as I said, you really do need to have that biopsy to see how much damage you have.There are some things you can do to lessen the side effects while on treatment,, such as making sure you get enough protein and eating some fat (

peanut butter or cream cheese etc) when you take your Riba pills and drinking nearly a gallon of filtered water EVERY day.. and making sure your doc will give you procrit and neupogen for anemia should you need it... Giving yourself this shot is easy honey,, NO insurance company will pay for an office call every week so you can go in and have the doc give you the shot.. its really a piece of cake. The first one is the hardest but after you do that, its easy.. and you dont want others giving you the shots because it puts THEM at risk of infecting themselves if they should accidently prick themselves with your needle after giving you the shot. Most of us give our shots in our belly or thigh's and when you pinch the skin up, the needle does not hurt, you dont feel it as its very very short and tiny,, like a diabetic's needle.. and if you push the medication in slowly, it doesnt even burn.. we'll help you honey.. Please feel free to ask any questions and

we'll help you.. One thing we always suggest is to get copies OF EVERYTHING from your doc,, all your labs, your biopsy, everything and keep it in a file folder at home so when you come up with a question, you will have access to the info you will need to help us help you. Are you taking any Milk Thistle? It is a supplement you can buy from any health food store and its a good anti-inflammatory for the liver. As always, since we're not doctors, you should run it by your doc and make sure there is no reason for you not to take it, but most docs say ok,, unless they are ignorant about milk thistle.. I will be glad to send you some info on milk thistle if you wish that you can download and print to take to your doc. It wont do anything for your virus, but it will help your liver to be as healthy as possible so it can deal with the virus and treatment. Whatever you do, do not consume ANY alcohol, as that is like pouring lighter fluid on a fire in the way

it causes your virus to replicate twice as fast.. Its not the virus that causes the damage, its the inflammation that the virus causes that causes the damage. Well, that is just a few things for you to think about but please feel free to ask any more questions and we will help you as much as we can.. one other thing,, are you on an antidepressant? If you do treatment , the Interferon depletes your brain of its Interferon and causes serious depression and insomnia... BUT.. one antidepressant,, called CYMBALTA is NOT<,, repeat NOT for us heppers,, its VERY damaging to the liver.. but another ssri would be good,, so celexa, lexapro, paxil, prozac etc are ssri's and they dont have the same damage or black box warning that cymbalta has.. some docs are still RX'ing it because many of us have body aches but its not for us,, so you might want to remember that when talking with your doc about it.. anyway, once again, welcome to the group!

jaxmassgal08 <massgal08> wrote: Hello everyone,My mother told me to join a support group since I will not go to apublic one so here I am. I am 27 and was diagnosed with Hep C last May. It has been a rockytrip since then and I have been though a lot of shock from it. I amgoing to start combination therapy this June.I am most concerned about the side effects of the ribavrin (sp?)andthe pegaysys (sp?) and my ability to do my job. Can you give me someinformation about this. I am a teacher and am afraid that I will betoo tired to do my job.My dr said that this next year of treatment is mostly going to make metired and I

will be able to go to work and that is it. He said that Ishould do my shots on Friday's after work. How am I going to feel? How do you all feel on the medicine? Can you work out at the gym or goto the mall and lead a normal life or are you very sick and tired fora year straight?I am also afraid to give myself the shots. When I see my GI doctornext month I am going to see if I can have a nurse give me the shots.One more thing. About how much does the treatment cost a month withinsurance. My dr said that he would call and let me know but didn't. Iam too nervous to call myself. I have a fear of my insurance knowing.But they already know because I was tested for Hep C. The wholediagnosis has just been stressful.Thank you in advance for your help. Jackie "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go" Frederick Faber

April 14, 2008

Sharon, Not to make light of the subject. I don't care if they label me. It is not my concern what their thoughts are. I have been asked more times than you ever want to count how I got it. What does it matter how I got Hep C?? And they are not asking because they really want to know. They just want the juice gossip, if you know what I mean. One time during my last treatment, I got so tired of the question, I did answer them with a flippant remark. I told them I was a crack whore with a big clientele. LOL Then I added just kidding. That really opened their eyes and their mouths!!!! Then I educated them. Cause that is what I do best. Love Janet SHARON CROSBY wrote: I found that I was labeled when I said I have HepC too. The instant connection in the minds of small people is drug user. Even if you did, it's been a lifetime ago and as Janet said, you are a different person now. Seferal of our presidents have had to admit that they experimented, long ago, the culture was

sooo prevalent back then... Sharon in NW Washington Knitting is...time and love made tangible. Alison Hyde RE: Re: new to the group I also have only shared my

HCV with a small group of family and friends. I was an IV drug user almost FORTY years ago, but that label will follow me for the rest of my life regardless of the 39 years in between L You tell the people that you feel comfortable telling and forget the rest. If needed, there are a ton of illnesses to explain your tiredness through tx. Nobody needs to know if you don't want them to know. As far as drinking, you can always tell casual acquaintances that you're on an anti-biotic or a pain med for a bad tooth or something. Don't let that stop you from going out with friends if you enjoy seeing them. If they're friends, they won't press you to drink anyway. It's a whole new world since I was your age and drinking no longer holds the glamour it used to with all the press on deaths from drunk drivers these days. I predict that one day, it could be similar to smoking..shunned in many places. I smoked for 25 years almost everywhere (desk at work, movie theaters, grocery stores) and now, you can barely smoke standing on a street corner! And that will save many

lives. Dorothy "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when

they go" Frederick Faber

April 14, 2008

Actually I was reluctant to say that I had gotten a tattoo because well, for a long time, I hated them. Mainly because my son had marked up his body with so many homemade tattoos. They were ugly. Look like a 3rd grader had marked on his body. Then he met this guy with great talent. He is a real tattoo artist and knows what he is doing. He is every bit as good as the guy on Miami Ink. I thought long and hard about my tattoo. I wanted something that signified my struggle with Hep C. It was something personal with me. So I did it. Love JanetDorothy wrote: Make that AN ARM AND A LEG! I don’t think there’s any price for me to get a tattoo! Let us know when the coloring starts J From: Hepatitis_C_Central [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of JanetSent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 9:49 AMTo: Hepatitis_C_Central Subject: RE: Re: new to the group I got a Dragon on my left leg. I still haven't had it colored in yet. Because the outline hurt like heck!!!!!!!! But it is a cool dragon, It has a drop of blood coming off one of its paws, to represent Hep C. I know that is taking Hep C advocation a bit far. But I felt like I deserved it after going through treatment twice and I am still here to tell my story. LOL But the tatoo just about did me in. LOL Love JanetDorothy <dorvoptonline (DOT) net> wrote: You’d have to buy me AN ARM to tattoo first!! LOL From: Hepatitis_C_Central [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of JanetSent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 9:00 AMTo: Hepatitis_C_Central Subject: RE: Re: new to the group Forgot to add that I bought my own ink too. Love JanetJanet <doc_jade> wrote: You know Dorothy, Just because you were a IV drug user many years ago, does not make you the same person. You beat it, you have come so far. The sad thing is that you got Hep C. I hate it, that people make others feel bad about a addiction that was in the

past. You know what I mean. My son is a recovered addict, and I praise the Lord every day for his recovery. He is making excellent strides in his life. He used IV drugs, and I have warned him for years about not sharing needles or drug implements. He is negative for the disease and I am glad of that. Of course he has tatoos out the ying yang, so I hope he continues to go to a good tatoo artist. But then again, he talked me into a tatoo, yeah I got one. I bought my own tatoo needles, his artist, double gloved, and took every precaution. We used universal

blood precautions while I got my tatoo. Having a drug problem is not a sin, it is keeping it that is the most dangerous thing. I am proud that you are so open about your IV drug use in your youth, and proud that you are able to help others when they talk about their own problems resulting from their use of IV drugs. You go girl, you are a wonderful inspiration to all. Love Janet Dorothy <dorvoptonline (DOT) net> wrote: I also have only shared my HCV with a small group of family and friends. I was an IV drug user almost FORTY years ago, but that label will follow me for the rest of my life regardless of the 39 years in between L You tell the people that you feel comfortable telling and forget the rest. If needed, there are a ton of illnesses to explain your tiredness through tx. Nobody needs to know if you don’t want them to know. As far as drinking, you can always tell casual acquaintances that you’re on an anti-biotic or a pain med for a bad tooth or something. Don’t let that stop you from going out with friends if you enjoy seeing them. If they’re friends, they won’t press you to drink anyway. It’s a whole new world since I was your age and drinking no longer holds the glamour it used to with all the press on

deaths from drunk drivers these days. I predict that one day, it could be similar to smoking……shunned in many places. I smoked for 25 years almost everywhere (desk at work, movie theaters, grocery stores) and now, you can barely smoke standing on a street corner! And that will save many lives. Dorothy From:

Hepatitis_C_Central [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of JanetSent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 8:15 AMTo: Hepatitis_C_Central Subject: Re: Re: new to the group I am quite vocal about my hepatitis C, but then again. I use my having it as a since of teaching others about the disease. There are a lot of

misconceptions about it and I like to clear those up right away. Although it can be spread by IV drug use, some of us got it because we were healthcare workers from a needle stick or a blood spill. Blood happens. Hepatitis C is spread in Blood to Blood contact. And in the healthcare world it happens more than you would like to think. There is such a stigma about having this disease, yet it a treatable disease. Yes, honey you have a more than great chance of clearing the disease. I would give you better odds than what the doctor did. If you follow the treatment program to its best possible outcome. Believe it or not, this group is one of the best cheerleaders you will ever find. As to the drinking, my answer is "I don't drink". I will be the DD for anyone who drinks too much. If they press more, I say look "it is my own personal choice to not drink, if you push anymore, I am gonna get ill with you!!". LOL I look so funny when I get mad. LOL Some I will tell that I have Hep C and they understand. And if they don't, well once you get to know me. You will find out that I am out spoken and will educate them about Hep C whether they want to know or not. Cause I am just that spunky. Once again sweety if you need a question or concern answered that is what we are here for. Love Janet "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go" Frederick

Faber "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go" Frederick Faber "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go" Frederick Faber "There are souls in this world that have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go" Frederick Faber

April 14, 2008

Janet, that sounds like what my daughter would say. I just got mad, told them "no, not even once did I use drugs". THat's my way, anger.

Sharon in NW Washington

Knitting is...time and love made tangible. Alison Hyde

Re: Re: new to the group

Sharon,

Not to make light of the subject. I don't care if they label me.

It is not my concern what their thoughts are. I have been asked more times than you ever want to count how I got it.

What does it matter how I got Hep C??

And they are not asking because they really want to know. They just want the juice gossip, if you know what I mean.

One time during my last treatment, I got so tired of the question, I did answer them with a flippant remark.

I told them I was a crack whore with a big clientele. LOL

Then I added just kidding. That really opened their eyes and their mouths!!!!

Then I educated them. Cause that is what I do best.

Love

Janet

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