Re: Introduction-Hi Jenn-where are all our young members in their 20's -30's - also bipolar ???

[Guest guest]

I wanted to say Hi welcome to the gang and thank you for joining us.

We were all scared as hell thinking the worse totally overwhelmed when 1st handed a diagnosis of Hep C. Even us oldies but goodies.

We have several members in their early 20's just diagnosed our youngest generation with Hep C. We also have members on methadone therapy and members diagnosed bipolar on meds for that too.

You are not alone in all this. We understand it takes others with Hep C in your same shoes place now or have been there to fully understand all we deal with and for our best support.

We have seen and have many generations of members with Hep C spanning all ages. It is just recently being tested for more and thankfully because the earlier the diagnoses age of the person the earlier the stage caught in time much better outcomes - medical care - treatments.

It may sound strange to you but you are very fortunate your diagnosis of Hep C was found now and not left missed or not diagnosed like in many cases and for us old timers. Yes we have members in all stages but don't let that scare you. Many of us have had it 20 - 30 or more years.

Hep C is usually a very slow progressive disease if not clear from treatments taking many decades before much liver damage from it unless still doing high risk factors to liver more injury for much faster progressions - alcohol - drugs - etc......

We don't judge our members can openly honestly discuss all related Hep C problems in group. We are here to support our members in all stages.

Our members span all the stages from 1st diagnosed with it only having it a short time to many decades of having it. Many of us the older generation with it were not diagnosed with it until to late after many decades and had already advanced to late stages. You will hear from members in all stages and the best type of 1st hand experiences knowledge and support for all members.

You are young and have your entire life ahead of you take the best care of you and protecting your liver as possible.

Jaundice - brown urine's even getting to coke color - dark or tar like BM's stools or passing blood are very serious signs symptoms of liver disease complications treatable by a very good specialists Hep Dr - Hepatologist or Gastro Dr.

Those types of symptoms need immediate or emergency medical care and treatments if no Dr specialist for you to call go to the largest full service ER Hospital closest to you don't wait for your next clinic appointments.

If you are a clinic patient or not covered by enough insurance or can not afford expensive full Hep C care and treatments they should refer you to the Hep C - Liver Disease Clinic and Specialists. Major large teaching hospitals have clinics for all medical care needed with excellent medical care run overseen by Hep C Specialists professors of medicine with a team of Dr's going back for more medical education specializing in Hep C - liver diseases.

Any questions - concerns - fears - need info just post away in group. That is what we are here for support of our members with all types of related Hep C problems heath - medical - emotional and in all stages.

A link below will help you get started reading about Hep C at your own pace.

All The Best for You.

Deb

55 New Orleans

Diagnosed in very late stages after decades of having it

Hep C geno type 1a for 33 years now

First Steps for Newly Diagnosed with Hep C Many links for HCV info including trackers for labs, testing, Dr visits and much more ..... http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/First_Steps.asp

Introduction

Hi everyoneI'm as new as anyone can get to this - I was diagnosed today with havingHepatitis C from my Methadone Maitenance Therapy (MMT) doctor. He had orderedblood work to check my liver levels and to see if I tested positive or negativefor Hepatitis A/B/C. The reason this was initiated in the first place wasbecause I was very ill for 2-3 weeks (nausea, fatigue, itchy, swollen stomach,achy joints, loss of appetite, vomitting, headache, extremely dark urine *overthe 3 weeks it went from normal pale yellow to gradually getting darker until itwas pretty much brown*, jaundiced *both eyes and skin*). The day my urine wasbrown was the end of the third week of being sick. From day 1, each day thatpassed had me feeling sicker and sicker, symptoms increasing and becoming theworst I have ever experienced. Luckily, that day was my required Clinic Day atthe Methadone Clinic to get my script for

Methadone, so my Methadone Doctor sawme at my worse. I thought I wasbattling the flu, and he did too until I came in very jaundiced. My mom hadnoticed it the past couple of days, and it more pronounced until the Methadonedoctor saw me. After that day, the jaundiced skin and eyes returned to normalpretty quick, and the other flu symptpms disappeared over the next week. Heordered the bloodwork I mentioned above, plus an ECG, and I kept forgetting togo get it done, so it was 2-3 weeks after I was actually sick before I got thetests done and another week before the results. My liver levels were up,elevated, which is not good and I test positive for Hepatitis B (good because Ihad just retaken the vaccination because the other ones hadn't stuck, so thosewere the antibodies) and positive for Hepatitis C.In just over a week, I will turn 24.I am still in shock and I can't believe it. When I first heard, I

assumed I gotit from my boyfriend (we have been together for 16 months) as his family is theonly people I know that have Hepatitis C (my boyfriend doesn't have it, but hisDad and younger brother do, so I assumed he must have gotten it when I did).Well, I was wrong, because his recent test was negative. Anyways I told himtonight, and then told my Mom (who I think I infected, so I feel worse than myworst depressive state *I have Bipolar Disorder I*) I won't know until I see himtomorrow if it is going to be a huge problem or if he is going to be supportiveof me.Well I wrote a long enough novel -I look forward to learning a lot because I only know the basics and meetingothers in my situation.I just moved to London, Ontario on May 1st, leaving my hometown of Ingersollwhere I had lived for the past 23 years, which is the best decision of 2009 Ihave madeJennMaking the decision to have a

child - it's momentous. It's to decide forever tohave your heart go walking around outside of your body. - Stone