Treatment Options and the Patient Experience

[nan535]

Here is an hour long  webinar of the same title which took place on May 28, 2014. It was sponsored by the American Liver Foundation and provides great information of treatment options available now and in the near future.
I found it a very informative and worthwhile. Two HCV patients share their experiences as well.

http://hepc.liverfoundation.org/resources/webinars/treatment-options-and-the-patient-experience/

Nan

[Justin_WV]

I'm a 25 year old male. I have Hep C and Chronic Liver Disease with Stage 3 fibrosis, genotype 2B. I think I've had it my whole life, I have a younger brother with the same diagnosis and I found out when I donated blood after joining the Army at 18. I started treatment at 18 years old in 2007 and made it 5 weeks and unfortunately lost insurance and had to stop, but at least I did show no detection in my 4th week but it came back. I just completed 24 weeks of treatment with Ribaviron 1200mg a day, and 1 Pegylated Interfuron shot each week. I was really lucky to only experience feeling kinda tired and sore each day but it was not bad enough to stop or need anything to help. I'm just so happy to have been able to complete therapy this time. At least for now, I showed undetectable from 4 weeks again and I just did labs about 3 weeks after completing therapy and still nothing back. I know that a better treatment option just came out around the time I was finishing up. If anyone reads this and is still questioning treatment, please take it if you have the opportunity! Even if my virus comes back I know that for awhile I was able to keep the viral load down and I did see my liver enzymes come down to a near normal level. Its scary but your not alone...

[nan535]

If you had an opportunity to watch this webinar, please leave a comment on something new you learned and  think is important for others to know.

If you did not have an opportunity to watch it, I highly recommend you do.

http://hepc.liverfoundation.org/resources/webinars/treatment-options-and-the-patient-experience/

Nan

[nan535]

     Thank you so much for your kind wishes for his successful clearing of this terrible virus.  He is on week 17 of 24 weeks of Sovaldi/Ribavirin.  He is ineligible for interferon (because his is post transplant and has anemia) which normally would be the preferred treatment for his genotype 1a.  He chances for SVR with this treatment are further reduced due to the fact that he is on a low dosage of ribavirin (again because of the anemia).  We are hoping for the best nevertheless.
      Our backup plan is the new combo pill mentioned in the webinar (sovaldi/ledipasvir) to be approved by the FDA in October. As the webinar points our, this combo pill is expected to have  great cure rates in the post-transplant population as well.
     So there is much to celebrate and much to be excited about. I am just so happy that my husband has survived all of the hardships he has endured over these three and a half years and will hopefully be free of this insidious virus at long last.  

Nan

[dontworry_behappy1]

If you haven't watched this video on the latest treatment.....you should.  Past this video onto your fellow baby boomer, family, friends and everyone else. This information can save their lives.   If you could give one gift to some with Hepatitis C ......it would a copy of this video.  

I knew nothing about Hepatitis C before I treated.   If only someone had given me a video like this one.  

[Livelife777]

Hi Nan   Have completed treatment, and decided to watch this webinar.  Had a lot of great information not only about treatment, but had a Q and A at the end which addressed info regarding those of us post treatment.   It really does address most if not all,  concerns as to treatment options and %s of cures.   Exciting to find Hep C is and will be, a disease that will finally be eradicated.  Thanks for sharing, and wishing you and your husband successful freedom from this dreaded disease.     Be Well.....Kim

[nan535]

I thought this webinar will give anyone with Hep C real hope that in the not too distant future, this dragon will be slayed!

Liver transplants as a result of end stage liver disease caused by Hep C will one day soon be a thing of the past.  Having gone through this whole awful experience with my husband, I know first hand what a wonderful thing that will be.  

Nan

[dontworry_behappy1]

This is very informative for anyone who might be scared to go to the doctor and have their hepatitis C evaluated.  Very promising the cure for hepatitis C is here and does work.   Makes my treatment look like a barbaric experience.