Hep C exposure, waiting for test results for 3 WEEKS??

[Jennifer8]

Hi there, a family household member has been diagnosed with definite hep c and will see the infectious disease specialist to start treatment in a week or so. Since this person was diagnosed, my daughter and I have both been tested. I did clean up this family member's blood at one point just prior to their diagnosis, and during that cleanup process I touched my eye. I thought about it a split second later and thought to myself "If I have it, this will be how I got it". Fast forward to December 7th or 8th, my daughter and I were both tested. On December 14th her results came back negative but I was told mine weren't back yet. Still not back on the 21st, or the 26th, and now the 29th and they're still not back. Nobody at the hospital lab or my doctor's office is answering my questions, they just say they don't have the results back yet. One went so far as to say "we don't give results until they're ALL in". Since I did have my thyroid tested the same day and also had a CBC, I don't know if that comment referred to the thyroid and CBC tests or if it implied that they had to further test my for Hep C. All I do know is that it's been some 22 days since they took the blood and they keep insisting they don't know anything yet.

Can anyone help me to understand how this can be the case? I was under the impression that Hep C testing took 24-72 hours to get that initial positive/negative result. But that a positive initial result is then tested further, and that further testing can take a week or two. This would account for about 17 of the 22 days I"ve been waiting so far. So I'm assuming there's a pretty good likelihood that the initial one was positive, and I'm not worried or anything, I'm just trying to decide if there's ANY chance that the initial one was negative yet it's taking three weeks to find that out.

I would be so very appreciative if people could please share their own time frame information for finding out about their own Hep C. I sort of feel like if mine IS positive, at least this other family member won't be going through it alone, so please don't edit yourself or your replies out of the worry that I will be MORE worried from what you have to say. It won't happen. I'm healthy now and there  are treatments available, so no worries about being honest.

thanks very much!

[SurfsideGal]

Hi Jennifer. Was just about to give you my opinion when you posted your results. So glad you are negative. Now go ahead and enjoy the New Year.

[Jennifer8]

should've known the moment I finally posted a question I'd be getting my results back. Mine are negative so I just have the one family member that I know of so far with Hep C. Will make a new thread to talk about their treatment once I know more. sorry and thanks in advance for the help I"m sure we will receive once I do that. I wish you all well.