MRSA and HCV

[Chugen]

Hey everybody! I joined your group yesterday and have been reading the comments for hours. All summer I have had MRSA, UTI's and pneumonia. Am I correct that this is related to HCV and will GI Doc be able to help when I see him next week?

[Chugen]

I do not know how long I have had HCV. Wouldn't it have shown up in various medical problems before?

[nygirl7]

I was going to say the same thing as Spectda.  I was diagnosed in 2005 and a month later had a biopsy and found out I was already stage 3.  BUT...I probably had the disease much much longer and never knew it. Most of us don't. We dont have any symptoms or problems that are attributed to HCV until usually when it's very late in the disease.

Get a biopsy - it sounds horribly painful but really for almost all of us we go "oh that was it?" afterwards. It's really just like a long needle and your liver had no pain sensory nerves to feel anything. Once you know how much liver damage you already have then you can see if you have time to wait. but you need to remember that you need to monitor your condition and have another biopsy every 3-5 years (depending I guess on how far along the damage is).

I was a single mom with two teens and I came to work every day for 72 weeks except 3 days (shoot I take more sick time now!). It was not easy treatment isn't fun but for the most part it is doable.

Heck if I could do it for that long anybody can do it!

Welcome to the group.
Deb

[Chugen]

My GI Doc seems great, but are they usually anxious to start meds or remain cautious about treatment? Thank you all!

[spectda]

I understand that you were diagnosed 3 years ago, but do you know how long you have had hcv?

Welcome.
Dave

[Bill1954]

Hi again, Chugen—

Yeah, fibrosis generally takes years and decades to develop, but there are exceptions to that rule. There is a member here who’s son lost his life at 27; he never drank or used drugs that might have accelerated his disease progression. Of course, this is the exception rather than the rule.

Depending on genotype, and whether you plan to treat or not, a biopsy might be a good idea to see where you’re at with fibrosis. If it’s minimal, ‘letting nature take its course’ might be a viable option. The old saying that most of us will die with HCV rather than from it is often valid.

It sounds like you have your hands full right now; your personal situation should definitely be part of this decision, no doubt. Good luck with the upcoming appointment; the doc will likely order additional testing, then based on the results will counsel you as to your options. Feel free to ask questions and get to know the disease.

Take care—

Bill

[fretboard]

Yes, there will be time to decide when or if to tx soon but first you need to find out more about your HepC status.  I know you think you have only had HepC for 3yrs but there is truly no way to know how or when you were infected with HepC.  You could have been infected a long long time ago.  The important things to think about are getting the blood tests done and a liver biopsy.  All of us have personal lives which have to be weighed against when is the best time to tx.  I commend you for taking care of your Mother, that is great but along with that you need to take care of yourself as well.  Right?