To Sue, Hep C and DR app

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue, I went yesterday to the hepitologist at USF in Tampa

yesterday. This DR is the director of liver transplantion at USF. He

handles nothing else but liver disease. Took me 3 months to get in

with him. What a relief! It was like night and day compared to the

gastro DR that I saw out here. I learned that in about 3 years

interferon therapy will be obsolete. There will be a new treatment

that will kill the virus and is in human trials right now. It will

be nothing like the interferon. The reason it's taking so long, is

because they can not give Hep C to an animal, thus they need to do

the human trials. I had a liver biopsy 3 years ago (I took all my

records with me to the app) and he said that my liver looks better

than the livers of many people that don't even have Hep C. He said

because of that, he does not recommend the interferon therapy for me

at all. Especially since I have Lupus and also, with the new

treatment not that far off. He also said that he didn't even see the

need to have another liver biopsy for at least 5 to 10 years. He

also said that a high viral load and " actual liver damage " are 2

separate things. Having a large viral count does not necessarily

mean liver damage. I'm proof. In the mean time he told me to take

milk-thistle 3 x daily. He said, just pick it up at Wal-mart and it

comes in 1000 to 1200 mg per dose. I bought some today, not

expensive. He said that for some reason it has helped many with the

virus, actually lowering the viral count in some. And if any of the

fatigue I have is from the virus, it might very well help me feel

better. I've also decided to see a rheumitologist in his group and

get another opinion on my Lupus. When I told him that my rheumy out

here won't even talk about anything herbal, he kind of just rolled

his eyes. So, I'm anxious to see another rheumy down there. The 3

that are there are all professors. They'll call me with an app next

week. He feels that between the 2 they can get me to feeling better.

I hope some of this info eases your mind and perhaps your husband's

as well. Hope you're have an OK day. I hurt today, yesterday took a

bit out of me. But, emotionally, I feel much better. I left there

feeling that there is hope. I was feeling very hopeless before. Luv

you lots, Robyn