My story - Marie

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Happy New Year!!

I was recovering in the hospital from knee replacement surgery when I got a

letter saying that the blood I had donated, just in case I needed a

transfusion, was infected with Hepatitis C. I was a little nervous, but

didn't know exactly what that meant. I didn't know anything about Hep C or

how I could have gotten it. That was back in 1996.

I had another test done and did more research into how I may have gotten

it. Since I had blood and platelet transfusions in 1979 during another

surgery (my blood wasn't clotting well), and the other means of

transmitting the virus didn't seem to apply, I figured that the blood

transfusions were how I got the Hep C.

I went on Intron A in 1997-98, just interferon, three times a week. After

feeling sick for 8 months, my thyroid being damaged by the interferon, and

there being no response, the doctor took me off of it. Supposedly, if you

the Hep C is still around after 3-4 months of treatment, the medicine

isn't working. Bummer.

I just had inflammation and fibrosis back then, as far as I knew, and since

I hadn't had a biopsy yet, I didn't know how far it had progressed. The

doctor kept an eye on my blood work and when the Viral Load went up from

200,000 to 1.8 million, he suggested that I have a biopsy. By then there

was a new treatment out, combining a once-a-week interferon shot

(Peg-Intron) and Ribavirin, another anti-viral. When this biopsy, back in

2003, showed that I had macro and micro-nodular cirrhosis, we decided it

was time to try this new treatment.

So, for 11 months in 2003, I felt pretty sick with fever, aches, and a

whole list of other side effects. At 12 weeks, my virus went undetected

and I was delighted. Unfortunately, at the end of the treatment, the virus

came back. I was pretty devastated, but was grateful that my liver had

been given a little " rest " from the virus.

My viral load was down to 2,000, which was very low, so once again the

doctor kept tract of my liver and lab tests. This past November, my viral

load was back up to 2,650,000, so my doctor and I talked about it and

decided to give the treatment another try, since I'd come so close last time.

So that's where I am now. Taking a different brand of peginterferon

(Pegasys) once a week, and Ribavirin (six a day). I haven't had another

biopsy to see how much the cirrhosis has progressed, but my billirubin,

albumin, PT time, and platelets are all still normal, so that's a good

sign. The doctor says it means my cirrhosis is still in the early

stages. My only symptom of cirrhosis is fatigue, so far, so I'm hoping

this current go round of treatment will get rid of the Hep C and slow down

my liver's deterioration.

Well, that's my story. The treatment hasn't been too hard on me, yet. One

week down, forty-seven to go. It's no fun having flu symptoms all the

time. The last time, I got pretty weak, since the treatment made my red

and white blood cells go below normal. I'm hoping for a better New Year..

If you have question, I'm here.

Marie

At 10:36 PM 12/31/2004, you wrote:

>Don't know much about how they treat Hep C in patients.

>I find it interesting though and would like to hear more about

>it. What you must of went through finding out it come from a

>blood transfusion, I can only imagine. I hope you get better and the

>physicians can do something soon that will take care of it before

>your liver progresses to where ours have been.

>

>

>

>

>