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How long before I die of hepatitis c?
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Default How long before I die of hepatitis c? - 02-08-2010, 09:46 PM

I am 24 and I have had hepatitis c for almost 10 months now. I didn't have it when I was pregnant and had my son 16 months ago and I can prove that. I didn't have it before I had my surgery to have my gall bladder removed and I can prove that as well. My doctor told me 4 months after my surgery that I had acute hepatitis c meaning that I have had it less than 6 months. Well if I didn't have it before my surgery 4 months ago and I had it less than 6 months then I can prove that its the hospitals fault because I am not a drug user and I have been with the same man for 5 years and he doesn't have it. I also have 3 herniated disc in my lower back and I get per scribed various medications for the pain such as coding or perkiest. Mostly perkiest. I also take Robaxin for muscle relaxers. I also take birth control and adder all 20 mg Zr. I do not drink alcohol, do not smoke and I also do not do any recreational drugs. How long do you think I have in life before I start going down hill with this liver disease? I am only 24 right now. Will I even live to be a grandmother? If all I'm doing is my prescription medication percocet or vicodin then will I still live a long normal life like any other person out there?
   
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Default 02-12-2010, 09:46 PM

sorry your having such a crummy out look on your life. my boyfriends cousin who recently survived bowel cancer also has hep c and i think he has such a great attitude about life. he never lets it get him down.

as for yourself, try to be positive for your child. no one, especially random people off the Internet , can tell you how long you will live. just continue to live your life to the fullest and don't let this dampen your time left on earth and most importantly with your child.

you blame the hospital for this, but there are other ways to contract it. have you had an tattoos or piercings done? gone to a spa and had a manicure or pedicure? you can even contract it from food and water so don't assume that the hospital is some how to blame. in the end, i doubt there is any way you can pin point the source of the hepatitis c, but i just hope for your sake and your child's sake you can find a way to enjoy your time on this earth.

carper Diem! (seize the day)
   
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Default 02-16-2010, 09:46 PM

there is treatment call the Pegasuses treatment program
   
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Default 02-17-2010, 09:46 PM

Hey, honey. I know that finding out that you have this liver disease is scaring the heck out of you, and you're so young.

Lots of people live long, fulfilling lives with Hepatitis, and the first person to answer your questions is right. No one on the Internet can - or should be - telling you how long you have to live.

Talk with your doctor and specialists to see what you can do to stay healthy and active, and maybe they can refer you to someone you can talk to you about this. I have gone through therapy and believe me, it helps to get it all out and be able to talk with someone looking in from the outside. Do your research, don't just pick a therapist from a list. Call each of them and ask questions, the more the better.

There are a lot of treatment plans out there for Hep C, sweetie. Don't lose hope. Think of your family and cherish every moment you have with them.

Percocet and coding both contain acetaminophen, which can be hard on the liver over an extended period of time. Talk with your doctor about the pros's and con's of continuing to take these medications, but DO NOT stop taking them without your doctor's supervision. Discuss with him/her the pros's and con's about what else you can do to relieve pain. I have two herniated discs in my back, and I find that swimming often helps to relieve the pressure on the spine. Swimming is also a great cardiovascular workout and will strengthen and tone your muscles, which will also help with pain. A strong abdomen and a strong back are a definite plus for those of us who suffer with back ailments. But, please talk with your doctor before you begin any exercise regiment. He/she can give you great pointers on what will work best for you.

I hope that my advice helps and you are in my prayers. *hugs!*
   
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Default 02-22-2010, 09:46 PM

You really need to educate yourself about hepatitis C because it clearly shows that you know very little about it. It is not an automatic death sentence. It's a very slow progressing disease. Without any treatment, one third of those with hep C will develop cirrhosis in 20 years. One third will develop cirrhosis in 30 years. And one third will never develop cirrhosis at all. These are the latest statistics that I could find.

There is no way that you can pinpoint this as getting it in the hospital. There are many ways you can come in contact with it, but just because you don't know where you could have gotten it elsewhere doesn't mean you can blame the hospital. That is probably the last place you would get it today with the way things are done in hospitals today. It is spread by blood to blood contact. You cannot get it in food or water as someone else told you. When was the last time you saw anyone working around blood in the hospital without gloves on and they continually wash their hands even after using gloves and between patients. They are very careful because they don't want to get anything either.

There is treatment with medication that can help hep C. There are 6 major genotypes of hep C so you will need to find out which one you have. Fifty one percent of those with hep C are cured overall.

You really should not be taking any medications that affect the liver in a negative way especially when you have hep C. You need to find a gastroenterologist instead of a regular PCP to treat your disease. It is so important to have a good doctor that knows what to do. All the meds you take needs to be approved by someone who knows about liver disease so you can stay healthy. Not drinking alcohol is very good so keep doing that.

There are so many websites on the internet that will educate you about this disease. Just look it up on Wikipedia for a start. Since you will have this the rest of your life, you really should know all about it. I wish you the best.
   
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Default 02-26-2010, 09:46 PM

Hepatitis C is a virus that enters the body and goes to the liver
and uses the liver cells to replicate itself. When it uses that
liver cell, the cell dies and it moves onto the next.
It is mostly gotten through blood contact of some sort.
If you received blood products in the hospital through transfusion..
this may be a possibility...but, donor blood is now tested for any possible
virus in the blood, when the person gives it, and is discarded if found.

Hepatitis C antibodies may not show up right away on blood tests results,
as it has to reach a certain amount in the body before it can be
detected. See this link where it says:
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis_c/test.html
Quote: "HCV antibodies usually do not appear until several months into an infection but will always be present in the later stages of the disease. "

Here are some things that may help you understand more
about this Hepatitis C
This movie starts out about the liver and how Hep C affects it and
then, after that, you can choose more movies about the virus itself:
http://hepatitis-c.emedtv.com/hepatitis-c-video/the-human-liver.html
This is a slideshow that explains some about the different types of
Hepatitis virus:
http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/slideshow-hepatitis-overview
More links:
http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/hepatitis-viral.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/hepatitis_c/article.htm
http://www.hepctrust.org.uk/The+Liver/How+HCV+affects+the+functions+of+the+liver.htm

Hepatitis virus does progress slower than most other kinds
of causes for liver disease. The reason for this is because
as the cells die off, the bodies immune system will remove them
and the liver tries to regenerate new cells to take their place. Treatment
for this disease helps keep the amount of the virus lower in
the liver (viral load). It is when the viral load becomes high, this
it overwhelms this system and then scar tissue starts to form in
the liver from the liver cells dying off. Some people live 40 years
with this disease. Only the doctors can give you an
educated guess on how long a time you will have to live, because
they see your tests results (blood tests, liver biopsy, and others).

It is important, now, that you be with either a gastroenterologist
or hepatologist. Most liver patients are told, No alcohol
(you don't drink so that isn't a problem) and not to take any
medications that are not approved of or prescribed by your doctors
(this includes over the counter, herbs, vitamins, minerals, supplements,
etc). The reason for this is because medications go through the liver
first, to be broken down, before going to the rest of the body. If there
is liver cells damage...since the cells of the liver are what does the
liver functions...then the medications has to be adjusted or stopped
depending on how much the liver cells are damaged. The doctors
weigh the pros and cons of all the medications, in use, in a liver patient.
They need to know everything you take now or have taken recently...
including prescriptions prescribed by other doctors.

Usually, liver disease starts out as someone being tired. They
may have flu like symptoms depending on the cause of the liver
cells being damaged. The first real sign of liver cells having
a problem doing the functions of the liver is Jaundice
(yellowing of the whites of the eyes and skin). As more cells
become damaged and start to die off...then other signs will
appear. Here is a link that explains the final stages of
Cirrhosis of the liver:
http://www.hcvets.com/data/hcv_liver/cirrhosis.htm

It is such a shock to find out you have a disease through no
fault of your own. There are support groups on the internet
that people who have Hep C can join to share experiences
with others. You might want to check Yahoo Groups and
type in Hepatitis C and see about joining one of these free
groups.

Best wishes.
   
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