i found today that i am hep c positive

[Melinda]

crying. scared. what to do?
 no insurance, I paid $570  for confirmation test.. viral load is 400K,
no job.
 never used any drugs, no blood transfusion. don't drink alcohol..
even for manicure I always brought my kit..
I know that I m not only one who came here, to forum.. and maybe my questions are the same.. please help me
 what shall I do with insurance, please advice me,   I am in California.. what type of insurance and where and how can I obtain..
 thank you

[badbradley]

Hi Melinda,
   Sorry to hear of your diagnosis. That was the scariest day of my life. You have come to the right place for answers. I just posted recently that because of the posts
on these forums, I am now being treated. I was diagnosed in Jan 2012. I thought treatment was for other people and that it was out of my reach. Once i got serious about getting treated , things happened really fast I had an ultrasound - 1 wk. later
my meds were approved - 1 1/2 wks. after that i was taking my first dose.It was a miracle for me.
   My suggestion at this point would be to go to your local health care facility. They
will help you get set up with Hep a & Hep b vaccines. They did this free of charge for me. I am not in California so as far as ins. I cant advise.
   Hope this info helps.    YOU ARE NOT ALONE !
                                                                        Brad

[iana5252]

Hi Melinda,

You've made a great first step in finding Hep and the awesome community here on the Hep Forums. Take a deep breath and we'll help you through learning all about hepatitis C.

Hep just posted this piece on how to find health insurance during the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period starting Nov 15.

Obamacare's Open Enrollment Period Starts November 15

How people with hepatitis C can find health insurance—or shop for a new plan—during the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period, November 15 through February 15.

https://www.hepmag.com/article/open-enrollment-26355-1769459023

You are also going to need some additional tests to figure out the best path for treating your hepatitis C (e.g. stuff like what is your genotype). Here's an explanation of the steps...

Hepatitis C: The Basics: How is it diagnosed, and what tests are used?
https://www.hepmag.com/basics/hepatitis-c-basics/hepatitis-c-testing

Feel free to keep posting questions as they come up!

- Ian

[rainbowray]

Hi Melinda,
I have lived with Hepc for 44 years, my symptoms were rather mild thru the years, so it is not a rapid advancing disease. Hold your breath and relax, you have time to make sound decisions and get advice from experienced people on this forum.
The treatments now are good, and getting better. Your viral load is actually quite low.
Some simple tests are a liver panel, with AST and ALT markers that can reveal if the liver enzymes are high. Mine were high for several years before liver damage actually occurred, and now I am getting treatment. I lived with very little options of treatments that had any good percentage of cure. Nowadays the percentage is very good. Do some research and ask questions. I have a website for self-ordering blood labs at a reasonable price, so if you need it just ask.

[Mike]

Hi Melinda,

Being diagnosed with Hep-C can be overwhelming and you get a flood of emotions.

Take a step back, a deep breath and get your perspective.

Please know you'll get through this, that Hep-C can be cured and the treatment has gotten so much better than it was just  2 years ago.

In fact, if you do any research on Hep-C (Google and so on), I would recommend that you ignore most everything published or written prior to 2013. This is because there has been an explosive breakthrough regarding treatment and treatment outcomes. Simply put, what was relevant a mere 2 years ago, does not apply today (this is because of the medical breakthroughs made in 2013 and forward).

You've found a great place for information and support. We are a community from all walks of life & life experiences, who were brought together by one single factor: Hep-C

Please know there are no dumb questions and feel free to ask any questions you might have. Someone should be able to answer it.

Hang in there and keep your chin up!

Best wishes, Mike

[Melinda]

thank you so much, so much...   , now I am going to read all topics in the forum and all information you gave me.
 again , thank you  all   

[shocked2death]

I am a newby and couldnt find the "post" button until I clicked on "reply' so forgive me if I am posting incorrectly. I was applying for Life Insurance and it was "post-poned" because my liver enzymes were elevated and I tested positive for Hep C. I just knew that it was a mistake b/c  I am not now nor was I ever a drug user, never had surgery or blood tranfusions and I dont have rough sex. I get a blood test for all diseases every year when I get my pap and never had this been detected. So I went to my primary dr and he tested me and just this morning called to tell me that Yes I do have Hep C (he didnt say rather it is antibodies or the actual virus)... I was born in 1970 and my mom was murdered when I was 8yrs old so I cant ask her if she was ever diagnosed but I dont see how I could've gone 44years without it being detected. So that leaves me to my recent laser Lipo and was wondering if that could possibly be the culprit, especially since the original positive test was 3 weeks after the procedure. I have an appt with the dr to discuss my test results tomorrow and it seems i should be worried about 1) AST, ALT & Viral Load Levels. Is there anything else I should be asking the dr about? He said he will have a referral for a gastroenterologist - who I assume will discuss treatment.

[melody]

My brother is 68... was diagnosed at 64... lived his whole life without knowing.  He found out through an annual physical... he never had any symptoms.  He's currently on Solvadi and Olysio (together) and having difficulty with the treatment which is why I'm here.

He is not computer or internet savvy, so I am going to try to help him through this.  Hoping to get some information here.

[badbradley]

 "Shocked"     Welcome to hepmag forums.  You need to find out if you have a viral load. You may have just tested positive for antibodies. If in fact you do have a viral load, then your other lab results will determine the next steps to take. For now only concern yourself with viral load. You nentioned your liver enzymes are elevated so watch sugar and no alcohol.    Best wishes
                                                              Brad