Hepatitis Forums
Hepatitis C Main Forums => Living with Hepatitis C => Topic started by: TexasKrysia on February 01, 2016, 10:39:13 pm
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Diagnosed in August because my arthritis doctor says lets just check to be sure...imagine my surprise when it came back positive for Hep C, since really could only have gotten it in 1974 during emergency splenectomy . Needless to say the more I read the more scared I became.
Angry that in the 40 years since I probably got infected I have had just about all of the symptoms...tired a lot of the time, but insomnia at night, thrombocytosis, hypothyroid, months of awful muscle/body aches to the point of tears when rolling over in bed. Way early menopause, arthritis disfiguring hands and tons of spidery red splotches on chest and arms. Bloody nose and bleeding gums...and nobody thought to,do a hep c test...even the Mayo clinic didn't think to do a Hep c test.
First gastro dr applied twice to my insurance never mentioning anything but the number from hep c test (280,00 and f1-f2), they refused to resubmit again even after I asked to submit all other medical issues...found a new doctor with a miracle working patient advocate, started Harvoni mid November. Occasional headache, good energy days and bad energy days. And quick big weight gain 13 pounds on an already overweight person.
Positive changes so far, taking less thyroid meds cuz numbers were better, splotches on chest and arms barely noticeable.
At least the diagnosis made me feel better about feeling not so great all the time, at least I had a legitimate reason .
Thanks to all of you, reading your posts helped get me thru the worst times of fear and feeling sorry for myself. Hoping that I will be cured , but greatful that is have a place to turn either way, and connect with people who understand.
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You will be cured Texas and the feeling is wonderful. Stay positive and be patient.....it's coming
Scout
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Welcome to the forums, TexasKrysia. And congrats on getting treatment. You are on your way to being cured. That changes everything. :)
kim
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TexasKrysia, wow, do we have a lot in common, starting from transfusions during a splenectomy! I'd unknowingly had HCV for over 3 decades when my HMO urged anyone who'd had a transfusion during the non-A non-B years to get tested. I had a lot of other Dx's by then but, because I thought I was symptomless (not realizing other things might be extrahepatic manifestations of HCV), I had told myself, "This is one thing I don't have." Wrong! The shock of the diagnosis quickly turned to anger at the medical system for putting me in this predicament, even though I knew they hadn't done it intentionally.
I'm glad you found a doctor with a good pt. advocate. Did that person let you know about the Gilead coupon that covers most of the copay?
Harvoni gave me quite the appetite, too. Fortunately, the extra energy it gave me cased me to work a lot of the extra eating off, so I gained very little during Tx, but I gained quite a bit more after Tx, since the appetite remained but not the extra energy. I've been able to hold a steady weight for the last month. A few other things have definitely improved, and I'm looking forward to finding out which of my other Dx's are actually EHMs. Please keep us posted on your progress -- you're already nearing EOT -- congratulations!
Gnatty
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Congratulations on obtaining a new doctor and getting treatment!!!
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Hi Texas,
Doctors can be irritating. :) That being said,now that you've found a good one keep them,and concentrate on getting through the treatment.I'm sure there's a lot of people that are walking around with it that don't know they have it because they haven't been tested for it.I know the tests are a bit expensive but I don't don't understand why it isn't standard as part of a physical every few years.Anyway welcome to the club and one of the best group of people you will ever find.All of us have been through this so if you need a question answered just ask.If you just need to unload do it.We all understand.The knowledge and support here is second to none.Good luck.
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Thank you all for your words of support...took my last Harvoni today!
Had a bit of a scare earlier this week , such severe bloody nose (accompanied by some pretty high blood pressure) that I couldn't stop it, got light headed enough to call an ambulance the first day, the second day called a friend for a ride to the ER. Saw a ENT doctor who said there was a blood vessel way back there that kept bleeding, cauterized several times and it appears to have fixed it.
Now hoping that the worst is over and looking forward to some happy test results.
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-sounds like you had a posterior nosebleed. They are indeed scary. In case you're wondering whether the Harvoni caused it, I had two posterior nosebleeds about 8 months before I started on Harvoni, and I haven't had one during or after tx. Congrats on finishing tx.
Gnatty