Too long for my liking! 27 yrs here... Susan400
Probably picked up Hep C during the 70's-punk rock/drug era. Oh we were young and stupid.................
I was infected about 39 years ago. I am currently in week 30 of a 48-week treatment with Pegasys/Ribavirin/TMC435.
Oops! virons about 40 years (damn fat fingers!)
most likely contacted HepC in 1974. my own fault. IV Drugs a few times
Biopsy 2/2 in 2004. treated unsucessfully 2004.
Waiting for Teleprevir.Going to do some of the other things I learned from this site: predose riba,take riba with fat, take peg shots every 4 to 5 days for the first few weeks, add Vit D
Hey, I lost a star!! Didn't know they took 'em away if you've been away! jerry
It's "Dave's not here, mannnn" circa 1971 for me, most likely drugs but possible military vacs, you know, the basic training air gun gauntlets.
I can actually pinpoint exactly when I got Hep C by my relatively rare genotype which I shared with my sister whom I shared works with a few times in 1972.
Intersting sidenote: Though her liver damage was slightly more significant, she SVR'd easily with just six months of treatment! Me, not so lucky. As are BMI's are strikingly similar, I'm convinced women generally have better chances of clearance. Who said it's a man's world?
Like brainmo, I sometimes think of the talented trailblazers we hung out with and I know many of them didn't make it. I consider both my sister and I so fortunate that we did and I'm real grateful for that.
No idea for sure. Possible infections were in 1967 and 1972. I guess that makes my virons around 49 years old.
I'll be 68 in October and I'm a woman. Thanks for your email.
In my case, it was discovered during a routine blood test pre-surgery in 1994. However, I also had multiple surgeries prior to 1992 when there was no Hepatitis C test available for donated blood, so who knows how many years, since my first hip surgeries were in 1977. My doctor and I are convinced it was from a blood transfusion since I've never done any drugs except pot in college in 1967... Oh, am I dating myself?
Magnum
40 yrs. Stopped tx 2 weeks ago after 12 weeks. Now in the telaprevir waiting room. No smoking or drugs for 17 yrs. Playing rigorous handball 2-3 times a week for last 25 years.
i have not attempted treatment. perhaps when the PIs show up in a year or two i will have a go at it. i was in an accident in 1981 that resulted in a fractured liver among other injuries. i was transfused with about 70 units of whole blood and additional units of platelets. since that time i have experienced elevated transaminases. three years ago the docs said that the disease had progressed to cirrhosis. i seem to recall reading that after about 30 years with this disease about 40 percent develop cirrhosis. a more recent article states "Most HCV patients, if untreated, are expected to develop cirrhosis at about 65 years, irrespective of the age at infection. Thus, age itself seems even more important than age at infection for predicting the occurrence of liver cirrhosis." from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/554637
I tried drugs in 1972. One time deal. Got it then, most of the people who were at that party are very sick or dead now. I consider myself lucky in that I quit drinking and doing any drugs back then and have not touched a drop since. So I have had Hep C for 38 years and dx 7 years ago.
Oldhepper, How are you sir? read your post, thanks, So you have hep c since 65 and you have no treatment? Your sleepy all the time, and your stomach is swoolen in the evening? You sound like your going to live utill your 92 , how old are you now??
Contracted 2b in 1965 via blood transfusion. Finally decided to do tx and gastro said "You want to add more poison to your body?" Then, he prescribed Nexium for digestive problems. Which gave me IBS that I hadn't experienced for 30 years. Threw them in the toilet. Gastro says I'm basically very healthy. Doesn't matter that I sleep way too much and have a swollen ab every evening. I gave up. I drink and eat any damned thing I want now and wear loose clothing and expect to live until I'm 82.
Best guess is that amazing year of 1970 and doc is on board with this as most probable.
Diagnosed by fluke in 1995 and treated in 2008-2009. Went on to 'SVR', which is what we call a clinical cure around here.
Yup, glad it's gone but I'm one of those who didn't think about it much and was symptom-free. Decided to treat for strange reasons, one being that my older son kept bugging me to take the plunge. There were times during treatment that I wished I hadn't but now I'm so glad I did.
Susan
I am 61 and had a blood transfusion as baby. Had my first biopsy in 1970 and was diag with non a non b.have no idea other than that. Biopsy was because of elevated liver enzymes.
Barb
I am 33 y/o now, was infected through blood transfusion as a newborn. Diagnosed with "nonA/nonB" in 1977. Never had any symptoms or health problems dut to this though. Almost done with my tx, I optimistic I will achieve SVR this year :)
maybe as early as 68 or as late as 94, who knows. my best guess is 71, when I went into the service.
BLESS YOU ERIC.. 29 YRS + THATS GREAT, AND THATS WITH NO TREATMENT??
infected in May 1981. - a little over 29years.
blessings,
eric
You're a relative newb as far as length of infection goes :-)