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5201394 tn?1365043128

stage 3 fibrosis

Hi
I just found out I have stage 3 fibrosis of the liver I have Hep c was diagnosed in 1991 I am just wondering if any1 else on this chat has been diagnosed wit the same ealth problem I am having a real hard time dealing with this cuz they r telling me that stage 4 is cirrhosis so I am really scared I am 47 yrs old and I am wondering if treatment would even help me at this stage as it only helps with hep not ur liver.Plz if anyone has any info that would help me out really would appreciate it
thanks so very much
countrygirl47
15 Responses
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1840891 tn?1431547793
Yes, treatment will probably help and you should definitely pursue it asking as it is otherwise safe for you. The virus causes continuing damage and if left untreated it will damage your liver more and more. The next stage would be compensated cirrhosis, then after that comes decompensated cirrhosis, and once you get to that stage you may not be able to treat and it is mostly a waiting game of trying to survive long enough to get a liver transplant and then trying to treat the virus before it destroys the new liver. At stage three you still have an excellent chance of beating the virus with treatment, and at stage three your liver can still mostly regenerate and heal itself once the virus is gone, so eventually your liver might be almost as good as before the virus. I have had cirrhosis for at least nine years and I recently completed my third treatment for HCV. This time it worked and I'm now SVR, which is to say the virus is gone, gone, gone! No one thinks my liver will be able to fully regenerate at this point, but my hepatologist tells me it will still "remodel" itself and become healthier, and that having gotten rid of the virus dramatically reduced my risk of acquiring liver cancer.

Stage 3 fibrosis is NOT the time to give up, it's the time to get really determined, and treatments available right now are very likely to cure you if you are able to follow through on them.
Helpful - 0
1840891 tn?1431547793
My iPhone does annoying spell corrections that I don't always see in time. Delete "asking as" in that first sentence and replace with "as long as".
Helpful - 0
1815939 tn?1377991799
I agree with Ceanothus, now is the time to treat before your liver disease progresses further.

Your profile says you live in ON. I do not know how far from Toronto you live but, perhaps you can get an appointment to see a Hepatologist at Toronto Western Hospital, Francis Family Liver Clinic.

Toronto Western Hospital
Francis Family Liver Clinic

399 Bathurst St.
6B Fell Pavilion (South Elevators)
Toronto, Canada. M5T 2S8
(416) 603-5914

Do not delay. Get an appointment, get evaluated, and treat now if you can so that your liver disease does not progress further. It is more difficult to treat if you progress to cirrhosis and the cure rate is not as high. So it is best to treat before you progress to cirrhosis.

Many people on the forum are at Stage 3 and they are treating. Many have attained SVR (cure).

Best of luck.
Helpful - 0
766573 tn?1365166466
What is your Genotype?
Knowing your genotype determines the kind of meds you will take while you treat.

I agree with what has been said. HCV is progressive until we treat. I have heard others on here state fibrosis tends to progress more rapidly as we age. You were stage 3 in 1991 (22 years ago) on the other hand there is no telling since (to me) 47 is pretty young. Even if you are stage 4 you more than likely could treat. This depends on many factors and there are threads related to this as well but the point is I would not let the prospect scare you into doing nothing. ~Especially if you are physically OK.

I am not sure who "they" is but I would schedule an appointment with knowledgeable Gastroenterologist or Hepatologist and have a recent assessment of your health as it stands right now. You sound incredibly worried and stressed and knowledge is power when it comes to liver disease.

I think treatment would help since it would stop the disease from progressing. You have plenty of time to learn about how the liver regenerates itself; right now if it were me I would be lining up a doctor and assess my health as it stands.

If you are in a position to treat now would be a good time to make post treatment arrangements so you do not have to work on your off days and things like that.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am from just east of Tor. ,I see you are just north of Kingston. You will not be able to get a direct appoint' at Tor .Western as the above poster mentions .

I am treated there and if you are interested I would be happy to give you some advice on how to get referred there.

Send me a private message if you like and I  wil ltry to help with the proper advice on getting a referral to Western .

Best ..

Will
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal

Health Professionals
Referring a Patient

UHN's Patient Referral Process

"The professional staff was just fabulous in keeping us up-to-date on my mother's condition and making arrangements for her to go back to her home hospital."- UHN patient

University Health Network, comprised of Princess Margaret, Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals, focuses on various illnesses and diseases and specializes in complex or severe cases.

To become a patient at any of our three hospitals, you must be referred to one of our physicians through a doctor. Your doctor must send a referral letter and other related documents required by the hospital. The list of required documents can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section. Proof of Ontario health insurance (“OHIP”) or other Canadian provincial or federal health insurance is needed before a referral is accepted.

The referral process for all UHN hospitals can take up to three weeks to process. Patients with an immediate need for care may have their referral processed within 24 to 72 hours, on a physician-to-physician basis. The wait time for a new referral approval is different from wait times for current UHN patients.

http://www.uhn.ca/applications/iNews/default.aspx

Countrygirl47....Look under the patient and visitor's sections for referral information.  

Good Luck!  Jules
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1815939 tn?1377991799
Oops, I see that I forgot to include the site link, LOL.

Jules has included the link so you can get to the site easily and get the needed information. (Good info/post Jules)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
CG..

The current wait time for the  "liver Clinic "  at this particular  Hospital (Western) is  extremely long and that  may not be to seeing one of the top hepa's

I have been a patient there for over 4 years and know who to contact and /or how to best be refered as well who might be best to see there .

Again ..if I can be of any assistance feel free to send me a message and I would be glad to do what I can.


Welcome to a fellow Canadian to the group...

Will
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1732853 tn?1366758928
I agree with the others.  The sooner you get on treatment, the sooner you will be better.  In 2011, I had hep c, geno 1A and I was stage 3 fibrosis.  I was treated for 24 weeks with pegasys, copegasys and telaprevir. And, I've been undetectable ever since.
  
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548668 tn?1394187222
As above - I had Stage 3-4 and treated successfully (Geno 3) at age 53;  it wasn't easy but I'd do it again - I was definitely starting to feel the effects of the disease and was glad to have the opportunity of treating before my odds of clearing became more statistically limiting.  Best wishes;  I'm glad your on this forum - it's been a Godsend for me!!.  
Helpful - 0
5201394 tn?1365043128
Hi
I would really like some more info could u plz help me out
thanks so much country girl47
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal

Hep C one of fastest-growing infectious diseases
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May 01, 2013- 10:37 AM
Réseau ACCESS Network organizing Hepatitis C Awareness week

By: Sudbury Northern Life Staff

Hepatitis C is one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in Sudbury, across Canada, and the world, says Réseau ACCESS Network.

Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver often caused by a virus and is transmitted through the blood from one infected person to another through various means. At present, no vaccines exist to prevent infection.

It can be as simple as sharing personal care items such as razors, nail clippers, scissors or a toothbrush with an infected person, or using non-sterile instruments and needles for tattooing or body piercing that can put you at risk of infection.


In Canada, sharing needles while using street drugs or medication is the main way hepatitis C is spread.

About 80 per cent of persons infected with Hep C will develop a chronic infection. Since it progresses slowly, symptoms of the disease can take up to 20 or 30 years to appear. Long-term complications of HCV infection include cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Working in partnership with many local and regional agencies and services, Réseau ACCESS Network has a community-based hepatitis treatment service that provides a full gamut of very important supports such as nursing, testing, counselling, case co-ordination, outreach and transportation for its many clients.

No referrals are necessary to access services, and they are welcome, from doctors, agencies, family and friends. Persons can simply call or walk in.

“We make it as easy as we possibly can to have persons tested and if needed, treated also,” said Ray Landry, a counsellor at Réseau ACCESS Network.

Members of Réseau ACCESS Network’s Hepatitis Treatment Team are organizing Hepatitis C Awareness week from May 6 to May 10 and will be holding several events for the public and professionals.

Anyone wanting more information, contact any member of the Hep C team at Réseau ACCESS Network  705-688-0500 .

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/
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Avatar universal
I had stage 3/ geno3/ 59 yrs and am now 6 weeks post treatment. It was very rough but you have to consider the alternatives: 1- the faster fibrosis level progressions are from 1 to 2 and from 3 to 4, level 3 (with geno 3) reduces your response odds about 5%, but level 4 by 15%, level 3 odds of developing HCC are 1 1/2%/yr, but level 4 are 5%/yr. As I said, it was rough...very rough, but I'm 6 wks post treatment now and though I'm not back to pre-treatment health, I'm stronger every week (4 week post tx  labs  all hit min normal values...BIG improvement over treatment week 24!). The time is now... as my doc told me 2 months before I started- "You have bridging fibrosis... yes, you can wait 2 months to start, but you can't wait another 2 years."
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Avatar universal
Also, if cleared.. the regression of fibrosis is on average 3 to 5 years/stage. So, if you clear, you can expect a level 2 Metvir fibrotic stage in say 4 years and at level 2, there is no statistical increase in HCC over the general population.
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5201394 tn?1365043128
Well thank you so much
Helpful - 0
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