Aa
Where to start
I am new to this community and I try to search answers for my husband who found out last Fri he got the Hep C antibodies. He already tried to get an appointment with a few hepatologists in Los Angeles area but no luck yet. Anyone in the Santa Monica/San Fernando Valley area that could recommend their Dr.? The soonest appointment he could get was in September and we believe he should not wait that long to start the investigations and tests.
Thank you all!
Thank you all!
I certainly understand your impatience, but impatience can get you into trouble with this disease.
Starting out with the right Dr. this one of the few things you can control with hepatitis C. It it is well worth the wait with what is generally a very slow-moving disease.
This one choice alone -- seeing a hepatologist -- can make significant difference both in terms of initial diagnosis and guidance, as well as treatment if it turns out he needs to be treated. In fact, a recent European study showed significantly better treatment results with those of treated with a hepatologist as opposed to those that didn't.
Meanwhile, you only mentioned an antibody tests. The results of that test alone does not mean your husband has hepatitis C. So so while you're waiting to see hepatologist, have your Dr. order a viral load test, often called a PCR. If the viral load test is negative, your husband does not have hepatitis C.
-- Jim
Starting out with the right Dr. this one of the few things you can control with hepatitis C. It it is well worth the wait with what is generally a very slow-moving disease.
This one choice alone -- seeing a hepatologist -- can make significant difference both in terms of initial diagnosis and guidance, as well as treatment if it turns out he needs to be treated. In fact, a recent European study showed significantly better treatment results with those of treated with a hepatologist as opposed to those that didn't.
Meanwhile, you only mentioned an antibody tests. The results of that test alone does not mean your husband has hepatitis C. So so while you're waiting to see hepatologist, have your Dr. order a viral load test, often called a PCR. If the viral load test is negative, your husband does not have hepatitis C.
-- Jim
I wouldn't let the 26 years cause you undue stress. That's about how long I've had it give or take a few years (1980 - 1988 is the window where I think I was infected). I have little to no damage. There is someone else around here (meakea, maybe) who has had if for 54 years and is grade 0 stage 0. I'm grade 1, stage 1. For the most part, as Bill said, it is a very slow acting disease. He wasn't kidding. It is usually VERY slow, and it may never take off. Don't let the 26 years put fear in the two of you. I wouldn't get too worked up until a biopsy (as Bill mentioned) is done. That's where the grade/stage information comes from. It is the gold standard for determining if damage has occurred and if so, how much. I mulled the decision to treat over several years. I was diagnosed in 2003, had my biopsy in 2007, and treating now in 2009. He isn't drinking, so there is no reason to believe the disease is "taking off". Best thing he could have done for himself. He wasn't drinking much anyway. Good luck.
Thank you Bill,
My husband doesnt drink more than a beer or a glass of wine once-twice a week and he did stop that already. He got an appointment on June 2nd and i still feel that's so far to wait. We believe he got the virus in '82-83 when he had blood transfusion; at that time he was living overseas. Found out last week after did some routine blood work for his new work.
I try to be optimistic although after reading lots of information, If he had the hep c virus for so long, over 26 years now, the things might not look very well. :(
My husband doesnt drink more than a beer or a glass of wine once-twice a week and he did stop that already. He got an appointment on June 2nd and i still feel that's so far to wait. We believe he got the virus in '82-83 when he had blood transfusion; at that time he was living overseas. Found out last week after did some routine blood work for his new work.
I try to be optimistic although after reading lots of information, If he had the hep c virus for so long, over 26 years now, the things might not look very well. :(
If your husband drinks alcohol, he should stop or at minimum reduce his intake until he gets things straightened out. It’s quite possible that he does have HCV; but he’s still going to require an HCV RNA test, along with genotyping. The GI will probably order a biopsy if he is RNA positive.
Best to both of you--
Bill
Best to both of you--
Bill
Thank you for your response. I believe we'll proceed with the investigations done by a GI. Husband's AST/ALT/GGTP test results were not in the reference range as well, that made us believe there is still a live virus present.
Oops; annieCinMD gave you great advice; I was sitting on this for a while, and didn’t see her comment :O).
Bill
Bill
Hi there, and welcome.
You’re husband will probably be fine until September; Hep C is typically a slow moving disease. How did he find out about being antibody positive? Until he has results from an HCV RNA test, he hasn’t formally been diagnosed with HCV. Your primary care doc should be able to help answer any questions and order any tests needed until then.
You might try Cedar Sinai hospital; I believe Dr Poordad heads up the hepatology dept there. Other members have had good things to report about them; but I have no personal experience with them.
Good luck to both of you, and continue to read and ask questions about his disease. You might read up about it in Janis and friends as well:
http://janis7hepc.com/
Click on ‘newly diagnosed’ in the top margin, or ‘other HCV information’ in the right-hand side.
Take care,
Bill
You’re husband will probably be fine until September; Hep C is typically a slow moving disease. How did he find out about being antibody positive? Until he has results from an HCV RNA test, he hasn’t formally been diagnosed with HCV. Your primary care doc should be able to help answer any questions and order any tests needed until then.
You might try Cedar Sinai hospital; I believe Dr Poordad heads up the hepatology dept there. Other members have had good things to report about them; but I have no personal experience with them.
Good luck to both of you, and continue to read and ask questions about his disease. You might read up about it in Janis and friends as well:
http://janis7hepc.com/
Click on ‘newly diagnosed’ in the top margin, or ‘other HCV information’ in the right-hand side.
Take care,
Bill
If he just has antibodies, he doesn't need to see a hepatologist, because he would be one of those people who cleared the virus on his own. He needs to get checked for HCV RNA (live virus in his blood). A primary care doctor can order these. My primary ran that test, plus genotyped my virus, pretty much the full battery of tests. I brought the results to the specialist when I did go to see him. I had to wait a couple months to get with my specialist, too. But a regular doctor should be able to order tests to see if he has the virus or cleared it. Nobody should have to wait 2 months for this information. Good luck!
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