hep c stage 2 grade 2

Question

I had my biopsy and the results are that I am grade 2 stage 2 fibrosis.   I am genotype 1a.   Does anyone else have the same diagnosis?  If you do I would appreciate anything that you can share with me about it. 

Thank you

Djanna · Answer

Thank you I appreciate your input!

I would rather not wait too long regardless.   I like the idea of the new meds but I don't want to take anything for granted regarding possible cures or diagnosis.  

 I am going to weigh my options which I am still researching.   There is some clinical trials going on and that might be the way to go.  

 I pray all is going well for you!

Djanna · Answer

That is very good information I am grateful.  I did go overt the labs etc. and the Dr. suggested to wait for the new meds.   I like this forum because it gives me a deeper insight so I can be plan my recovery more thoroughly.   I learn things I didn't know and take into account.  The fact that some people progress quickly shows me that hep c is to be taken very seriously.  One can never be to certain what course it will take. 

I am researching all my options and making a decision based on that.

Djanna · Answer

Thank you Hector!  That is the same thing my Dr. suggested.   I have also made an apt. with Dr. Lalezari hoping there might be a chance he is doing a clinical trial with GS 7977.

Hope all is good for you 
Warm regards

Djanna · Answer

Thank you so much!   Reading from you has helped me very much and  emotional support is priceless. 

I wish you the best.  I am very happy you are moving in a positive direction. The blessing of being healthy restored to you.  May you continue to enjoy it as long as you live.

I will keep in mind the important points you made. One of them was about treating symptoms.  I have also had this for a couple of decades from a blood transfusion.   I related to the feelings you described.   Maybe some of our ailments are not hep related but it is always good to check what is bothering us.  Some of it could be related but we will never know without paying attention and consulting with a professional.  Insight is a better healer than information.

I really like your ithoughts about having a hepatologist that is willing to treat  symptoms.

Thank you again for sharing your experience it is very valuable to me!

can-do-man · Answer

Not sure I would class stage 2 grade 2 as mild, really far from it. Anybody pushing stage 3 should have a long talk with their Doctor... Myself without knowing anything else I would find it hard to just say you can wait as nothing yet has even been submitted for approval. Also only you and your doctor knows everything about your health and current circumstances...... Wishing you the best.

pooh55811 · Answer

Your doctor should go over the liver biopsy results with you when you see him/her next. Also, the doc should go over your labs with you. I believe you have some medical problems which you posted about previously although it is unclear from your posts if these are HCV related or not. These other medical problems should also be a part of your discussion with your doctor. Whether you should treat now or wait is something you should discuss with your doctor. You are 53. No one knows for sure when the new drugs will be available. It is hoped they will be out and available soon (2-3 years or so), but that is not certain. Liver fibrosis can progress rapidly or it can progress more slowly, but it is not linear in its progression. People on this forum have gone from Stage 1 to Stage 4 in as little as 3 years (Stage 4 being cirrhosis). So treatment is something you should discuss with your doctor and you should weigh all factors in your decision, including if you have extrahepatic symptoms such as I had prior to treatment. You surely do not want to wait until you become cirrhotic to treat. It is more difficult to treat when one has cirrhosis and treatment is not as successful when one develops more advanced fibrosis. Hep C is a serious disease and deciding when to treat is a very serious decision. The decision should be based on several factors which you and your doctor discuss. Best of luck.

HectorSF · Answer

Stage 2 liver disease is mild/moderate liver disease. Only the periportal tracts of the liver lobule are affected. You can wait for the new non-interferon treatments to be available on the market in 2015-2016. Time is on your side.

Hector

pooh55811 · Answer

I was diagnosed with Hep C Genotype 1a in July 2011. I had a liver biopsy and it was Grade 2, Stage 2 fibrosis. There are many on the forum with HCV Geno 1a. 

I started treatment with Incivek, Interferon, and Ribavirin on Sept. 26, 2011 and finished treatment on August 25, 2012. I had to do 48 weeks because I was still detectable at week 4. I was undetectable at week 12 adter end of treatment, and that gives me a 99.7% chance at cure/SVR (Sustained Virologic Response). I have my final 6 month post end of treatment VL in 2 weeks. 

I had Hep C for about 37 years, I think, if I got it from the Gamma Globulin shot I had in 1975. I did have extrahepatic manifestation including systemic vasculitis in 1993-94, increasing joint and back and muscle aches and pains, gradually rising blood sugar, some peripheral neuropathy, dry eyes, and ever increasing fatigue. I had no energy and had to rest a lot. I also feel the allergies and asthma were HCV related. 

I was stunned when I was diagnosed but went forward with other diagnostic testing and started treatment as soon a possible. Treatment was not easy but it was certainly doable. I would do it again if I had to, but I surely hope that I have been cured through the 48 weeks of treatment I did do.  

I did have some rather uncomfortable side effects but I feel great now, 6 months after finishing treatment.  Most of the side effects are gone. I have only some lingering skin issues and some lower front gum recession, both of which are being treated and resolved. The best thing is I feel great, better than I have felt in 20 years. My blood glucose is trending down. I lost 70 pounds. I now have a ton of energy and never get tired. My joint and back and muscle aches and pains are gone. My asthma is gone or, at least, I have not used my inhaler since before treatment. My dry eyes are considerable better, almost gone. My peripheral neuropathy is gone. I feel fabulous. I feel like I have regained my life and my vitality. 

Would I treat again (if I had to)? Absolutely! In a NY minute. 

However, i would do a couple thing differently. I would get a Hepatologist for a doctor and i would be sure that the doctor was on board with treating side effects aggressively and immediatelyu. That was the problem i had during treatment. My team had no clue how to recognize side effects or treat them. They also did not want to treat them, so I suffered greatly and needlessly from side effects of treatment. Had my doctors known how to recognize and treat side effects my treatment would have been considerably easier, maybe even a breeze. I did eventually changed doctors but  that was late in the treatment. 

Best of lucj to you in your treatment. Keep us posted and please ask any and all questions you feel like asking.