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This is a question I haven't seen.   My Doctor ran a hep c test without my approval or knowledge.  I have chronic pain from a bad injury many years ago, so he runs a comprehensive blood panel once a year(all normal).  Other than that I'm completely healthy. Eat right, good weight, exercise.  I've never done any I've drugs, no transfusions, (although, many surgeries.  I don't know if I had any transfusions.  I was very young.)). I don't drink and never participated in any wild child activity.  I do/did go to nail salons. The hep c diagnosis was a shock!   I'm in my 50's and I have refused any common tests for diseases like breast or colon cancer.  I know this sounds stupid but I do have good reasons.  I wanted to live whatever time I have here on earth in ignorant bliss and with my health decent (as long as God allows).  (Treatment sounds horrible) . I feel violated (this is the 3rd time a Doctor has harmed me for life).   I now have an axe hanging over my head that under no circumstance should be there.  I'm extremely angry.  Question is "do you think this is medical malpractice?".  I don't want money I just want him to understand the stress he put over me for the rest of my life.  I want him to feel some of the hurt so, he thinks before he ever does such a thing again.  Also, has anyone wondered why suddenly the push to get baby boomers tested?  Seems odd a miracle drug that cost a whopping 84k for the treatment just came out. What would you do?
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6708370 tn?1471490210
Cat, I recommend that you visit the grieving and loss page to get an idea of what it is like to die from liver disease.
Perhaps you are not aware of the pain and suffering that people who lose this battle face. And their friends. And their family.
3 of my close friends died within the last 2 years from liver disease caused by Hep C. They were all in their mid- or late fifties and I miss them every day
I wish that they had known of their disease sooner and were able take advantage of the new "miracle" drugs
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Avatar universal
Cati, no one here is picking on you, you have to understand that WE are FIGHTING for our LIVES.  Many before us have passed because they didn't have the drugs, or they were the Guiana pigs, trying the new drugs .  As I stated in my previous post, there is financial help. Ignorance is bliss CATI, but if you need answers and decide that you want to live this is the place to visit.  There are so many smart, and helpful people here. They saved me.  Cati by the way some states mandate a HEP test when you go in for a checkup and routine blood work.
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Avatar universal
I am sorry you were treated before the newer drugs. Sounds like you had a bad doctor for sure. We do not know all the paticulars of your case. She needs to know that treatment now is not such a nightmare and do her own research for her decision. Maybe it is not the time for her to treat, but she definitely should not ignore that she has the disease. She does have it according to her. Is she 1A? I do not remember if she said. Even back in the day some of the people were cured even if most did go through tough sides, I am 1A and I am not looking forward to treating with the three drugs now instead of waiting to the Fall when I might be able to treat with just one pill a day but I am afraid that time just may not be in my favor, I do not know how quick it will be when the new ones do come out. I have never been a gambler, especially with my life!   We may not trust the pharmacuetical companys and their prices but thank goodness they develop the drugs to help us, where would we be without their research? I am sure that is expensive for them to do also.
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8931047 tn?1400677270
im new here, first time posting. i dont blame u a bit about being upset with your doc. after my experience with doctors since i did 48wks of interferon and ribavirin with a procrit kicker has totally turned me off to the "medical industrial complex". i went into treatment with the attitude of "i laugh at side effects". i couldnt have been more wrong. i had them all except my hair falling out. i was healthy before treatment now im not. of course the virus came back within 6months of finishing treatment. i didnt know anywhere near enough to make an informed decision about treatment. 4yrs later im gathering the results from all the tests they did. last week when asking my liver nurse for a copy of my liver biopsy she told me "your not a doctor". their treatment has made me sick for 5yrs. and no mater what people say about new treatments doctors r still using interferon and ribavirin. knowing what i know now about that treatment i would have stopped when i didnt clear the virus at the point that i should have. or when the ribavirin had to b reduced because it made me so anemic. or when the anemia drug they gave me(procrit) wouldnt even raise my hemoglobin. my biopsy 9yrs ago showed Grade 1 Stage 1. mild fibrosis. 3 liver ultrasounds, unremarkable. i think my gastro was in way too big a hurry to treat me. and i wasnt properly informed of possible long term side effects. your doc sounds sneaky to me
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Avatar universal
Do you think that this disease is just gonna be fine and dandy because you are ignoring it? Do not be so set in your beliefs, you could be dead wrong here. Just because you do not drink and are healthy now it is still destroying your liver. Why would you gamble with these odds? Yes maybe you are at the wrong forum because we are all trying to destroy this disease which is a why we are here trying to get all the information we can. This will be a very painful thing if you do not treat.  Forget about it being horrible to treat, Get some information and do the treatment, 12 weeks is no time compared to the time you could spend in the hospital due to not treating. Please do not be so close minded and set in your ways, this is not a conspiracy to put us all in the poorhouse, the price will come down. But the time to spend in this world and our families is so worth being a little  uncomfotable for a few weeks!
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317787 tn?1473358451
I hope you don't think that by anything that I wrote.  I can completely understand the anger, mine was the opposite, I was tested and no one bothered to tell me.  My test results sat for 4 years.  Back then there was no law that the the lab had to notify health dept or that health dept had to notify me.
I wanted to sue my doctor as I felt that if he had only told me that I could have treated and never gotten to cirrhosis.  I only think that because I was at the very beginning of cirrhosis.  I  contacted a lawyer and he said that I had two years from the occurrence so I had no case.

In hindsight I can see I had no case, I would have had to be able to prove damage.

I hope you will stick around, we are pretty nice people.  Some people are treating so may have their grumpy days but we all mean well :)

We are all in different stages, some just diagnosed, some treating, some waiting to treat, some are finished and waiting to see if they are cured and some, like me finished tx, cured and just trying to "pay it forward"

Someone sent me a note today that said "we are standing on the shoulders of giants" .  So many went before us and the result is that HCV can be cured.

Take care, Dee
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the positive feedback.  You are correct.  I don't think this forum is a place for me.  

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Avatar universal
I had both. The load said :
HCV RNA, QUANT TMA 1,039,825 <43
HCV RNA,Quant,bDNA 6.02 <1.63
This test was performed using the COBAS AmpliPrep / COBAS TaqMan HCV Test Kit  (Roche Molecular Systems, Inc).
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Avatar universal
I'm sorry you wish you had not posted. I'm sure you feel that way because of the responses you have received.  I understand your feeling that your doctor was wrong by testing you for Hep C without your permission. We should be able to expect that our doctors respect our wishes. However, I would like to share our story with you and perhaps you may change your mind about the knowledge you now have about this virus.

I am negative for Hep C though my husband of over 40 years contracted the virus in 1979 as a result of a blood transfusion. He did not find out until 2010 he had the virus. By that time he had end stage liver disease and was a very sick man. He had hepatic encephalopathy which caused him to have episodes of severe confusion and hand tremors, portal hypertension, edema of his legs and ankles, and esophageal and stomach varices which had to be banded to prevent bleeding to death.  When we found out that all this was the result of a virus he had for decades, I was very angry and upset at his primary doctor who had treated him for over ten years for high blood pressure and never picked up that something serious could be wrong, even though his blood test results obviously showed his liver enzymes were out of whack.
What difference would it have made had we known?  It is only now after all, that there are finally treatments for him that have a real chance for a cure in a relatively short period of time with few side effects.
     Had we known he could have taken steps to protect his liver from further damage like not drinking ANY alcohol, and eating a healthier liver-friendly diet.
Luckily, I did not get infected with the virus as we took no special measures over the decades to protect me from getting it from him. Had we known he had the virus, we definitely would have made sure we took appropriate steps to ensure I was not  infected. Luck was on my side.
     I am not judging you and your feelings against your doctor and I don't think the others who have responded are either. I think we just want to let you know that there is another side to consider.  Not knowing is not necessarily bliss decades from now when you too may have ended up like my husband.
Knowing now, at some point, you may decide to treat it and get rid of this virus before it ravishes your body and your mind.
     My husband had a liver transplant in June, 2012, yet his struggles continue. He has traveled a very tough road since finding out in 2010.
     I do hope that you will soon realize that your doctor did you a very big favor letting you know.  

I wish you the best going forward.

Nan
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Avatar universal
I was at the Dr. on Monday of this week there was a lady in the office who  had tried to treat  4 diff times she said she found out in 2001 she had Hip. She was a none responder. Now she is the  the new meds  that were approved in 2014 and said no sides so far she has  like 3 weeks to go been UND since 2nd week she was grateful. I think you should be grateful you have a Dr. that  takes your health serious. That is just my thinking.

Good Luck
Bbj
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Avatar universal
I do not think you would win the malpractice case as there should be damage proven. Also you have a right to refuse the test, doctor was supposed to tell you that he intends to test you and can not test you if you dont want to be tested. He has responsibility to report finding to the health department. You are now in the database. Congratulations. There are definitely concerns about having this data on your file in some fields of work. But you can live with it. Nobody really care. Get your viral load and genotype information and start monitoring your health closely. Denial is not going to make you healthy. With this condition, your health can change unexpectedly. It helps to know what to look for. I for example, was in a hospital with severe abdominal pain years ago, and nobody think of do the liver test. They just said- nothing is wrong with you- if you can smoke a cigarette, you are not in pain. If your health status changes, now you know what to treat.  
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2059648 tn?1439766665
Have you had Hepatitis C viral load test.  Or just the Hep C anti-bodies test.
25 percent test positive for Hepatitis C anti-bodies and don't have Hepatitis C.   You might want to find that out.  
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Avatar universal
I think in New York State it is the law to tes people over a certain age, because there are 3 million people in the USA with hepatitis c that don't know they have it
That are in need of treatment, and maybe spreading it

I don't know what other states are testing too
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Avatar universal
I read the article.  What I found interesting was the timing.  Follow the money.
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Avatar universal
Thank you Dee.  I tried but it doesn't think I entered the security numbers correctly.  Appreciate you trying.
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163305 tn?1333668571
I'm in the group who only wished someone had done a test for hep C before my liver was so damaged I almost died.

As for deleting your post, well medhelp isn't good about doing those things.
Try scrolling down and clicking on, 'contact us' with your request.
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Avatar universal
You should be thanking your Dr.  

Have a great day!

Jules
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2059648 tn?1439766665
The difference is.....you have told your daughter she is at risk.  She will tell her daughter she's at risk.  What you do with it is up to you.  BUT don't shoot the messenger.  

Yes the doctor should have told her that per the CDC request you will be tested for Hepatitis C.   I did notice that Hepatitis C is on the lab slip.  Your not forced to get blood work.  This is a communicable disease.   If your doctor thinks you "might" have Hepatitis C....the doctor will order the test along with everything else the doctor chooses to test you for.   I don't think your doctor has to ask you.  They hand you the lab paper and you give consent by going and having the blood test done.  Test for Hepatitis C is on that slip.  

You can unknowing infect some with hepatitis C is a real issue here.

As far as your daughter's and your decision to not test for the brac 2 gene and do preventive surgeries....that is a educated decision.   She knows she's at risk and monitoring timely.   So if she's told she has early stage cancer... she will be prepared to act quickly.   That is exactly what I did.  My maternal grandmother, paternal grandmother, mother and all my mother's sister's died of breast and ovarian cancer.  I found out on a mammogram I had stage 1 breast cancer and proceeded straight to a surgeon as fast as possible and had a bi-lateral mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and 5 years of oral chemotherapy. .  My doctor told me if I did this....There was a 85 percent chance I would never get breast cancer again.   I still have not been tested for Brac 2.   My sister told me if I cared about them... I would get tested for Brac 2.   I told her it doesn't matter if I have Brac 2.. it matters if you have Brac 2.  She was tested and doesn't have Brac 2.  Just because you don't have Brac 2 doesn't mean you can't get breast cancer.  There are numerous kinds of breast cancer and not all have tests to determine you might get or are predisposed to get breast cancer.  Breast cancer is common among women and still women put their head in the sand and say I don't want to know.  That's exactly how my beautiful, 43 year old aunt died of lung cancer
after not treating her breast cancer.  She didn't want to know.  

I commend a doctor that does their job.  Testing for what might be wrong with you is doing just that.   FYI:  Tell your daughter to get a mammogram every six mouths.

Best to you

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317787 tn?1473358451
Hi, you can ask Emily_MHModerator to delete this

In case I typed it wrong you can go here to ask.

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Improve-MedHelp-Suggestions/show/110

I understand the shock and the horror, the "what did I do to get this?" denial, anger, etc.

There are many kind caring people here would be more than happy to reach out to help you.
If you have no damage you don't have to do anything right now.  Other than educate yourself as to how it can be transmitted; with no damage you can wait..
Wishing you the best
Dee
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Avatar universal
This is a tuff question and I do see both sides of the story.    I had breast cancer at the age of 42, caught it early, and now cancer free.   Was never tested to see if I have the genetic mutation.    My daughter in her 20s, doesn't know if she may, or may not, have the gene.   If I do and she does double masectomy is her only option.  With masectomy you do not get a green card as the cancer can still comeback on the chest wall.  Even if the gene is present, it doesn't mean she will get  breast cancer, but her odds are greater.   She has decided not to get tested, as she feels it will impact her QOL, and instead be diligent in screening, and doing monthly self exams.   My daughter is an engineer and weighed the options heavily.   Know this is not the same situation, but understand where this poster is coming from.    With hep c I think it is of betterment to know, but her doctor should have asked permission to do so.    This virus can affect others since it can be transmitted unknowingly.  When I recently received the hep c diagnosis, it was beyond shocking.    Therefore understand why Cati6725 is upset, and hope in time that although scared its best to be informed.             ...Kim
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Avatar universal
Is there a way to remove post and/or my account?  I shouldn't have posted.  
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Avatar universal
You should be thanking your doctor, not accusing him of doing something wrong. Hiding your head in the sand does not help you or anyone who comes in contact with you. Treatment in today's world is easy, short, and successful. Dying from Hep C is ugly, painful and a slow journey through h*ll. To risk that because of denial and fear is quite foolish. And even if you don't treat, there are things you can do to help keep your liver healthy for a longer period of time. The reason you state for not taking the tests are not for good reason. They are foolhardy.
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Avatar universal
" I have chronic pain from a bad injury many years ago, so he runs a comprehensive blood panel once a year (all normal)."
====================

Perhaps the new "normal" is adding HCV screening into the comprehensive tests.

Sorry, but it is better to know than not know, nor do I believe you have been harmed.

OTOH..... if he was supposed to do tests, and didn't screen for HCV, it turned out that you had it you might be suing him for damages for not doing what he is supposed to do.
See my point?

This virus gets to many people, no matter whether they avoid alcohol, eat right, etc. No damage for the past period of years does not mean none in the future.

I think your real issue isn't worrying about whether the DR did you wrong, but rather what you want to do with the infection, now that you know. It is a shock, it is new stress, but the new therapies are so great compared to the past treatments, and there will be newer, better, shorter yet to come.

Willy
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1747881 tn?1546175878
"Also, has anyone wondered why suddenly the push to get baby boomers tested?"

The CDC started recommending testing for all baby boomers in 2012

In August 2012, CDC published Recommendations for the Identification of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Persons Born During 1945–1965 (MMWR 2012;61(RR04);1-18).

Person who should be tested once for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection without prior ascertainment of HCV risk factors include:

    Adults born during 1945 through 1965

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/GuidelinesC.htm
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