RE: Good Morning :)

[Guest guest]

, I think the beginning (where you are now) is the the worst. We want to know where we stand RIGHT NOW, and want to know RIGHT NOW what we have to do to fix it. But Hep C testing & treatment don't recognize "right now". That is very frustrating. Just try to relax and take this time to learn all you can.

I think it's great that you sing to your kids on the bus and I would do it more if they asked me not too. Or that's what I say from here. I might look at it differently if I was you and it was me they could turn on. They can be such nasty little buggers.

As for your labs, I see those are the ranges & what they indicate, but what are your numbers?

De

Faith is the ability to not panic.

[Guest guest]

As for your labs, I see those are the ranges & what they indicate, but what are your numbers?

De

Hi again,

That was about all the info in the RNA report. I do have a three page copy of it in front of me... the first page shows testing for A & B with both non-reactive. Repeatedly reactive to C.

Second page shows testing for Iron total = 70, binding capacity = 398, % saturation = 18... all Within Range.

ANA screen is negative, then Ferritin = 172 which also is Within Range.

Third page shows the Reference Range as I included in my last email:

Mitochrhondrial Ab w/refl titer

Reference Range:

<1:20 Negative

1:20 to 1:80 Intermediate level. May be present in autoallergic or other liver diseases

>1:80 Elevated level. Strongly suggestive of primary bilaiary cirrhosis.

Smooth muscle ab w/refl titer (this I didn't notice before->->) 1:20 Out of Range Titer

Reference Range:

<1:20 negative

1:20 to 1:40 Weakly positive. May be present in acute viral hepatitis, lupoid hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis and malignancy.

>1:40 High positive. Highly suggestive of active chronic hepatitis.

>> End of report. <<

I did ask (nurse practitioner) about the 'numbers' as I had read there should be some, but she said no numbers came with this kind of test, the next would have them. I am afraid to ask her if she has ever treated anyone with HCV before. I do know that the physician she is working under is monitoring the situation (I would rather not deal with him, anyway) and she has been in contact with a specialist.

So far, this is all I know, and yes.. it is driving me nuts! Ah well... Hopefully by this time next week I will have the whole story and you can help me understand what it all means!! With luck I will get a new baby llama in the next few days to take my mind off things, along with the cockatiels that should start hatching tomorrow. :-) !!!

[Guest guest]

They don't usually give ranges unless they've tested you for it. I bet you have numbers somewhere. Anyway, try not to worry until you have all the info. I think if you were non-reactive for A & B, you need to get immunized for both. Check with the nurse on that. A is 2 doses over 6 months & B is 3 over six months.

You need to know if your care team has any experience with hep c. It's better to have someone with experience, but if that's not possible because of your rural-ness, you'll need to be better educated than they are. I went to the ER & told them I was having side effects from tx and had a migraine & hurt all over. They didn't have enough experience with it at the ER to know what to do for me. I had to tell them to give me a bag of IV fluid becuase I was dehydrated from being in their waiting room 4 hours & give me something for pain for the migraine. I told them not to do blood work because I'd just had some done. They just did exactly what I told them to.

De

Faith is the ability to not panic.

-----Original Message-----From: in Idaho Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2004 8:28 PMTo: HepatitisCSupportGroupForDummies Subject: RE: Good Morning

As for your labs, I see those are the ranges & what they indicate, but what are your numbers?

De

Hi again,

That was about all the info in the RNA report. I do have a three page copy of it in front of me... the first page shows testing for A & B with both non-reactive. Repeatedly reactive to C.

Second page shows testing for Iron total = 70, binding capacity = 398, % saturation = 18... all Within Range.

ANA screen is negative, then Ferritin = 172 which also is Within Range.

Third page shows the Reference Range as I included in my last email:

Mitochrhondrial Ab w/refl titer

Reference Range:

<1:20 Negative

1:20 to 1:80 Intermediate level. May be present in autoallergic or other liver diseases

>1:80 Elevated level. Strongly suggestive of primary bilaiary cirrhosis.

Smooth muscle ab w/refl titer (this I didn't notice before->->) 1:20 Out of Range Titer

Reference Range:

<1:20 negative

1:20 to 1:40 Weakly positive. May be present in acute viral hepatitis, lupoid hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis and malignancy.

>1:40 High positive. Highly suggestive of active chronic hepatitis.

>> End of report. <<

I did ask (nurse practitioner) about the 'numbers' as I had read there should be some, but she said no numbers came with this kind of test, the next would have them. I am afraid to ask her if she has ever treated anyone with HCV before. I do know that the physician she is working under is monitoring the situation (I would rather not deal with him, anyway) and she has been in contact with a specialist.

So far, this is all I know, and yes.. it is driving me nuts! Ah well... Hopefully by this time next week I will have the whole story and you can help me understand what it all means!! With luck I will get a new baby llama in the next few days to take my mind off things, along with the cockatiels that should start hatching tomorrow. :-) !!!

[Guest guest]

And , you can always go to your visits with stuff printed off the group and files to show them you are on the ball. That one usually works well.Liz Thanks Liz and everyone.... I really value all the advice and info I am getting from this group. For now I am going to just try to stay mellow and not worry. Oh now I have gone and done it... I have that don't worry be happy' song playing in my head.... Yikes. And on that note, good night to all!