Guest guest Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Hello, You may remember me. I'm the one who wrote a few months ago. I had taken my mother to China to get a liver transplant, because she had very advanced liver cancer (and hep c) and wasn't eligible for a transplant in the US. Well she's doing ok. She just had her second MRI and so far no recurrence. It's been over 8 months since the surgery. My mom probably had Hep C for 20 years without knowing before she developed cancer. She is currently experiencing what they call a Hep C flare up. Her liver levels are high. They did a biospy to make sure it wasn't something else, and it's not. We are now going to discuss interferon or other treatments with the doctors. Here's my question. Assuming the cancer doesn't come back. How life threatening is Hep C? I mean is this something that can take someone's life right away? Or does it take years? Is having a new liver an advantage or a disadvantage. My mom's 58. She's been through hell the last year. I don't know what to make of the Hep C. In the worst case, would she still have a few years with Hep C -- which we would still take as a miracle -- or in the worse case can Hep C cause liver failure sooner? If anyone can help or advise, I would appreciate it. Thanks - Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Hi Sam. What an interesting story..I'm glad she got her new liver. Could you tell us more of the story how she couldn't get a liver in the US but she did in China? The HepC virus will begin to attack her new liver.How fast no one can tell. If she stays on a good diet and excersize routine she should be happy and healthy for many years. it's very important to take her medication exactly as her doctor says and don't miss any doses. If she does all that, her liver will stay healthy. she will need a biopsy every year just so you will know how it's going. A friend of mine just had her 1 year post-transplant anniversary and biopsy. her viral load is very high 27 million, but still she showed just very mild inflammation. In the US around 75% of all transplantees are healthy at 10 years post.. Say Hello for me........ric Change your thoughts, Change your life. This or something better. Thank You God __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Ric, Thank you. That was an encouraging response. Is inflamation a really bad thing? Does it come and go? She seems to have swelling in her legs and in her stomach? Any recommendations on where to find good dietary advice for her? As for our story, I actually put up a web site about it. You can go to www.chinatransplants.info Thanks, Sam > Hi Sam. What an interesting story..I'm glad she got her new liver. Could you tell us more of the story how she couldn't get a liver in the US but she did in China? The HepC virus will begin to attack her new liver.How fast no one can tell. If she stays on a good diet and excersize routine she should be happy and healthy for many years. it's very important to take her medication exactly as her doctor says and don't miss any doses. If she does all that, her liver will stay healthy. she will need a biopsy every year just so you will know how it's going. A friend of mine just had her 1 year post-transplant anniversary and biopsy. her viral load is very high 27 million, but still she showed just very mild inflammation. In the US around 75% of all transplantees are healthy at 10 years post.. Say Hello for me........ric > > > Change your thoughts, Change your life. > This or something better. > Thank You God > __________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 Sam, I've just lost my soul mate to Hep C complications so yes, it is life threatening but not urgently so. If your mum is eligible for treatment, do it, don't hesitate. My Daryl probably had Hep C for many, many years and didn't know it until last year when complications began and by then, for him, it was too late. For your mum, she has a really good chance because she has a new liver. Hep C takes many years to cause serious complications but you don't want to play around with it and damage that precious gift that is her new liver. Yes, the liver can heal itself, it's the only organ that can, but it can only heal so much. Once it is cirrohtic, that's permenant damage. Make sure her medical team is the best you can find and always encourage her to take the best possible care of herself. anne How Serious Hello, You may remember me. I'm the one who wrote a few months ago. I had taken my mother to China to get a liver transplant, because she had very advanced liver cancer (and hep c) and wasn't eligible for a transplant in the US. Well she's doing ok. She just had her second MRI and so far no recurrence. It's been over 8 months since the surgery. My mom probably had Hep C for 20 years without knowing before she developed cancer. She is currently experiencing what they call a Hep C flare up. Her liver levels are high. They did a biospy to make sure it wasn't something else, and it's not. We are now going to discuss interferon or other treatments with the doctors. Here's my question. Assuming the cancer doesn't come back. How life threatening is Hep C? I mean is this something that can take someone's life right away? Or does it take years? Is having a new liver an advantage or a disadvantage. My mom's 58. She's been through hell the last year. I don't know what to make of the Hep C. In the worst case, would she still have a few years with Hep C -- which we would still take as a miracle -- or in the worse case can Hep C cause liver failure sooner? If anyone can help or advise, I would appreciate it. Thanks - Sam It's a pleasure having you join in our conversations. We hope you have found the support you need with us. If you are using email for your posts, for easy access to our group, just click the link-- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hepatitis_C_Central/ Happy Posting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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