what happens next

[gizmo01]

Hi . I was just told 2hrs 32 min ago i had hepatitis c .... I realy dont know much about it as it wasnt something i was expecting !.. So many things in my head " Why ,when , how "...
                               My specialist adv me the genotype should have been in the results , but they were not so now i have to wait on them .....
                                 So any advice woul be great ...

[nygirl7]

The first step is getting over wondering why when and how because you never really will figure that one out.  Be grateful that you DID find out.  As much as it seems like 'bad news' the good news is you found out, more than likely as you didn't experience end stage symptom type things - in plenty of time to do something about it should the situation warrant it.

The others will chime in with sound medical advice I'm sure but my best advice to you as someone who didn't know that they had it either - realize finding out if a GOOD thing.  You may have eventually found out when it was very late in the game.  They call it the silent killer for a reason.

(PS Although I had no symptoms my biopsy showed I was already stage 3 and had two genotypes however I have now been cured for two years.  There is plenty of hope that you will live a long healthy life. Just do the right thing and make sure your doctor knows what he is talking about. You'd be surprised at the amount of them that DONT)

Get a copy of every single test that you have taken right away and put them in a file or folder.  It helps for you to be able to learn to read them yourself just in case you do end up with one of the docs that 'dont' and also because nobody cares about your treatment more than you will...

Good luck.

[gizmo01]

THANKS....
                im a bit concerned as i had another specialist 5yrs ago and it was only when he retired 6 months ago my doctor refered me to the new one ..He took action straight away. He done all the tests that should have been done 5 yrs ago when i was admited to hospital ....
  
Im defo going to take ur advice on keeping a file on my case & when ive kind ov got over the shock i plan to research this well ..

                                       Ive only been married 4yrs and its not something my husband and myself have even enterd into a conversation ,,,Im going to talk 2 him when he gets home ... Its impossible where to start ....But he is a good man ... Just hope ive not infected him ...

[Bill1954]

The likelihood of sexual transmission is considered to be *extremely* low;  I was married for twenty years, and my ex continues to test negative for any sign of virus. I probably contracted this disease in the early seventies, several years prior to marriage. This is the case with most of the people in this form, not the exception, by the way.

For a good picture of HCV, take a look at the following site:

http://janis7hepc.com/

You might try opening “newly diagnosed” in the top margin, and click on any subject of interest on the right hand side.

This is generally a very slow moving disease, and you should have time to read and learn about it before taking action such as treatment. In the meantime, avoid alcohol, try to relax, and take good care.

Continue to ask questions in here; there are a lot of caring individuals that will help you through this.


Be well—

Bill

[can-do-man]

Welcome to the site, bill and nygirl said it best, and the shock hits us all at first, soon you will find out your gonna be just fine.

You said..........But he is a good man
-------------------------------

Sounds alot like me. :-)            Wishing you the best

cando

[meakea]

I cringe every time I hear of someone who has had a doctor who didn't test them when they should have (which is what also happened to me).  But, as has been said before, I'm just glad that you did find out so you can deal with it now.  Your reaction is the same as we all went through.  The more you learn about Hep C the less scared you will be.  

I found out that I have Hep C in April of this year yet I most likely have had it my entire life (53 years).  I gave birth to 3 children while unknowingly having Hep C and none of them have it.  I was with my ex-husband for 20 years and he did not get it and I have been with my current husband for 13 years and he does not have it...so odds are your hubby will be okay.

Best of luck to you!!

[PegOnPeg]

You're lucky to have found this forum early in your trip down this path.  There are amazing people here, always someone to answer your silliest question & if you don't have a question & just want to vent, we're all here for you.

Many here have been mismanaged by a doctor during diagnosis or treatment.  Myself included.

The shock wears off, then you want answers.  That's what we're here for.

Welcome.  It'll be a heckova fight, but it's worth it.
*peg*