Hepatitis C

[Nancy :)]

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up so you don't ever have to go thru what I just went thru. I have been sick, flu like symptoms (horrible aches, fever and exhaustion). Of course my Mds zoomed on my heart first, ruling out endocarditis. But they did discover I have Hepatits C. Oh my gosh. I just found out this week and am going for more blood work this morning to determine the type of virus and the effects on my liver. Several Mds told me I contracted it from blood transfusions during heart surgery. They are not sure yet if I contracted it during the 1959 surgery or the 1989 surgery, They believe 1989 for now. I am writing to tell everyone who had ANY transfusions or blood product (plazma, etc) prior to the 1994 blood safe date to Please get tested for this virus. Apparently you can have it for over 20 yeas before developing symptoms. And the key to successful elimination of the virus is early detection. So please, symptoms or not, request this blood test at your next visit with your Md.
Love,
Nancy

 

[Nancy]

Hi-other Nancy--

I'm sorry to hear that you have this to face on top of everything else. It's just not fair. I hope there is some good medication to help you, or at least relieve the symptoms. We have had a couple of other posters with this problem, noone recently as far as I know.

I wish you well.

 

[Nancy :)]

Dear Nancy,
Thankyou. Yes my Mds have had me on pain meds for a while now. It does help somewhat. I have been off work for several months now and I am just so glad they finally found out what was wrong. I should know in a couple weeks the exact plan for treatment. When I had my surgery in 1989 for an aortic dissection and a valve replcement, I had no time to wait for my family to donate blood. I'm reading now that back then the odds were 1 in 200 for getting it. Oh well, it could be worse, it could have been HIV. I just never realized this risk, I tend to not really listen too well when they are telling you those procedures/surgeries risks. Protection mechanism kind of thing. I have been reading here for a while and had to post when this happened. Please everyone, get tested if your surgery was before 1994.
Love,
Nancyw

 

[KathyH]

Sorry to hear you have something else to contend with. I hope you are feeling better. Ask your doctor about the Lipitor if you are still on it. It is important not to put any extra workload on you liver and I have hear that med can be hard on your liver. Also if you have not been vaccinated for hepatitis A & B , you should get those vaccines. It will prevent you from getting those viruses too. There is alot of information on hepatitis at the CDC site- Center for Disease Control. Good luck.
Kathy H

 

[Nancy :)]

Dear Kathy,
Thankyou for the tips. I have been doing so much research on this, that I feel like I'm back in college. I will ask my team of Mds about the Hep A & B shots and the lipitor. Maybe my high tryclicerides are from this virus and I won't need it anymore once this is over.
Love,
Nancyw