RE: Hep C & Livers

[Guest guest]

-----Original Message-----

Consider all those transplanted for hepatitis: one report maintains

the virus can actually replicate at a t-r-e-m-e-n-d-o-u-s rate post-tx, doubling

every 2 days. And yet, sooooo many get txd for hepatitis, when, for so

many of those recipients, their virus will return, and soon. Sooooo much

of the critical cadaveric liver shortage would be eased if medical science was

able to CURE hepatitis

There are 6 different genotypes

of Hep C and some types are much more likely to respond to therapy, while

others do not respond at all. I

know several people (in another group) who have jumped at the chance to get a liver

transplant, knowing that the new liver they were getting was already infected with

Hep C, but of a different genotype, one (unlike their own) that was likely to

respond to therapy. No one else

would want these Hep C organs and they certainly don’t take away from the

pool. With therapy, many remain “clear”

for quite some time.

While it’s true their Hep C virus will return after

transplant, so will ours! Many of

us will have PSC come back and much faster then doctors first thought. Lets face it, disease sucks, no matter what

it’s called, how you got it or if it will return or not. I wish EVERYONE could get a new liver,

but since that doesn’t seem possible right now, we’ll have to keep

working towards a cure - for PSC! That

way, no one will have to worry how much of the critical cadaver livers we are

using.

Barb in Texas

[Guest guest]

Maureen,

EVERY time I read a post from you it makes me miss you that much more! I understand what you're saying, and appreciate your post. I, like you, would love to see the "presumed consent" come to pass.

Thanks for the "guestbook" entry on my site, I've been meaning to write you privately, but it seems I can never get caught up on my "to do" list.

(MO)