worried mom, need advice please

[Guest guest]

Greetings,

My daughter is 20 years old, currently in her third year of pre-med

and on the deans list.

She had the hep vaccinations in the early 90's.

She has complained of unspecific abdominal pain for the past ten

years, every physician said there was nothing wrong. I divorced and

I believe they attributed it to nerves. When she was five, at a

doctors checkup they discovered her white blood cell counts were off

the charts, they thought their machine may have been malfunctioning.

After a very long month and repeated blood draws every week her

pediatrician said " the only thing we can find is a positive

rheumatoid factor, sometimes we never know what is wrong, she does

not have cancer " .

Last year she woke up with a swollen eye and agonizing pain, eye and

head, she vomited all the way to the doctor. They diagnosed her with

a rare decease called " orbital pusdeo tumer " causing swelling of the

eye area, this has come back once, but since has remained dormant,

she was on 80 mg of prednazone for six months.

She was taken to the emergency room four years ago and they said she

basically needed to eat more, she was rail thin, she my mother and I

were shocked as she ate a normal diet, but due to her age I think

they assumed an eating disorder of some kind.(she has been rail thin

all of her life as was her grandmother 110 pounds max) We purchased

vitamins and she got much better.

She has had bacterial encephalitis twice, once when she was 12 and

again at 15. They did a spinal when she was 15 to rule out

meningitis.

She has had numerous urinary tract infections, kidney infection. Her

physician requested she go in for an mri as for her age she was

having too many problems. She did not keep her appointment and began

to get better so ultimately did not go in. (this was over the last

year)

The past two months she has had more severe stomach pain, waking her

up at night, vomiting. Her doctor has since ruled out ulcer, mono

and a couple others. And sent her for bloodwork.

that's her health history... (in case it is somehow related?)

current:

The nurse phoned yesterday and told that she has very high

enzymes and they believe she has hepatitis c. They are sending her

today for a full hep screen and additional tests as is normal I am

sure.

Is is possible to make a diagnosis of hep c with one blood draw?

What is the normal course of this decease? Does it cause stomach pain

for years? Not important to me but will be to her: will she be able

to practice medicine? How long does it take to get a hep screen back?

I am posting this on a couple different groups hoping to get advise

from those who are more knowledgeable than my self.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

very worried mom here