Hi I've just joined this group because I have just been diagnosed with Hepatitis antibodies in my blood and I am scared.

[dinace1]

I had an operation in 1986 and it has come to light now that the medic who operated on me had Hepatitis C. Over 5,000 women who were in contact with this person has been contacted by the NHS to be tested, me being one of them. I tested positive for Hepatitis antibodies. I've had further blood taken and will know if I have the virus on the 30th October. I started reading up on the virus.. and to be honest I didn't realise how serious it is.. and the treatment sounds horrific.. I've been making light of it to my family but I am really scared. It was almost 30 years ago that I would have caught the virus, 30 years is a long time.. before diagnosis. I really need to hear some positive words from someone.

[Ph1ldad]

Hi there dinace I too have had HCV. I was diagnosed in 1996 and the thought is that I contracted it in 1971 following a blood donation in Pakistan. I didn't know I had it and was very scared when I read up on it. At the time there was no recognised treatment but an experimental treatment of ribovirin and interferon was being trialled. I got on the trial and was one on the 44% that this treatment worked for. Treatments are much better now and the success rate is higher so you stand a good chance of clearing the virus. There is usually some scarring left on the liver which will gradually get worse but you can live quite a normal life for a number of years. At the time of treatment I had about 1/4 to 1/2 of the liver not functioning and it's only been in the last year that I've started getting any symptoms relating to the degraded liver. Don't worry about it, if you have it the treatment is better than it was for me; that was 12 months of 'flu-like symptoms. I've managed 16 years being asymptomatic which is great. Not so good now tho' lol. That's another story :=) Keep healthy and take plenty of excercise and you'll get through it. Good luck

[coastiephoto]

Hi dinace!, I know how you feel, I found out I have it about 2 months ago and I am pretty sure I have had it for 30 years also, but until you know you have it you should calm down a bit.

Were you a heavy drinker, I was and that doesn't help at all. Take it one day at a time, lots of people have Hep C, live with it and then die of something else. The best thing you can do for yourself is, don't drink alcohol and learn about nutrition and exercise, perhaps you are already doing that already anyway.

There are new treatments coming out that are a lot more tolerable than the ones you have been reading up about, if you are not actually having any side effects , fatigue, pain, jaundice........ then I bet you will be just fine.

Hope this helps.

Mick

[Bolly]

Hi dinace. If you join this group called Nomads hepcnomads.co.uk/forum/inde..., you will find lots of support and up to date treatment information from people who have Hepatitis C as opposed to other types of hepatitis.

[coastiephoto]

Also The Hep C trust has a helpline 0845 223 4424 , I have called a couple of times and found them most helpful.

[dinace1]

thank you all for your replies... feeling a little better tonight.. I will know Wednesday if I have the virus or not.