Questions Regarding Hep C and Nursing career.

[rnpj2000]

Hello everyone!
 I am a nurse  and I am beyond scared.  I was diagnosed about 6 or so years ago.  My primary doctor put me in with a specialist.  The specialist did an ultrasound and said all was OK and that I should wait for treatment because there are new meds that are coming out that looked promising!   Lately I have been seeing Harvoni ads on TV I thought it is time to see if I should be treated or not.   I got my primary doctor to order labs.   My  Genotype is 1a and my viral load is 9000.    I just found out that my ex husband (divorced over 20 yrs) has hep C so I figure I have had it over 30 yrs. What scares me is  I have Right upper quad  pain (comes and goes), horrible fatigue, and the occasional brain fog.   I have never heard that my liver enzymes were elevated and don't have any other symptoms.  I know any viral load can't be good.  Was wondering how bad the 9000 is.   I know I will learn a lot on the forum in time but I am wanting to prepare for anything that I might encounter If I am approved for the meds.    I hear the side effects for most of the meds are fatigue, possible headaches etc.... (heck I am already so tired I don't want to do anything but stay home so it scares me that it could get worse). Does anyone know if these could be bad enough that I need to think about being  off work?  Being a night shift nurse the  brain fog and fatigue isn't a good thing to have.  I have short term disability but don't know if this kind of treatment would be covered. 

 Thank you for any info.
 
 Pam

[slats1056]

 Viral loads can be all over the place. My pre treatment was 1/2 million. Past blood work has been as high as 6-7 million. Apparently I am in the 2-3 percent that had bad sides .First four weeks were Hell On Wheels. But manageable. I work full time 8-10 hours a day , it's been rough but I don't give up. Week five saw My sides diminish greatly with a new series of pretty minor sides kicking in. Also ,sleep habits seem to have returned to normal. Other than flare ups of joint paint and some severe headaches I have been feeling rather good lately. Just starting week 6.. Tinnitus in left ear is extremely annoying . I was able to fill out paperwork for disability at work but have not used it as of yet. Read Your policy it should state if Your circumstances make You eligible, or talk with HR people at work is possible. No journey is without its pitfalls. Be brave, persevere, research, ask questions, talk with Your Doc! BTW the only dumb question is the one that is not asked!!!!! Remember to use the forums and welcome again. We are all on the same side in this epic battle against an unwavering foe. But we will conquer it . Good Luck with Your journey and stay in touch!
P.S. Many others have had little to no or minimal side effects. Don't be scared, confront them and manage them as needed. Do You have any labs,blood work numbers, biopsy results that You can post?

[rnpj2000]

My primary doctor didn't put in my consult.  Luckily I had an appt with my neurologist and he was reading my primary doctors notes and found only a note without a consult!  He put in that consult immediately!   Hopefully the infectious disease doc's office will call Monday to schedule an appt.  I talked to his office last week and they are about a month out on appointments.  Right now all I have is my Genotype and Viral load.   Thanks for your reply! 

[lporterrn]

Pam,
You are in the scary part because it is all new. It is easier to deal with once you get a grasp of how slow hep C is, and how well you are. In the meantime, try to pursue things that keep you healthy, and try to limit your time on the Internet. Most of us end up with all sorts of Internet-created catastrophes, fortunately most of which never happen.

[rnpj2000]

Thank you for your reply.   I have not been on here much at all yet.    I am going to see if I can get in with the specialist this week instead of next week because I am off work.  I am so tired of being sick and having all this fatigue is really getting me down.  It takes every thing I have just to go to work.   I ask for low census every chance I get because I feel like I am falling apart!  In addition to all of this my gastroenterologist thinks I am having issues with my gall bladder so he ordered a Hida scan.   Now  I am wondering if I have to have surgery can I still take meds for Hep C.?   

I found out I have probably had hep C for over 20 yrs.  But the good news on that is that I don't think it has caused me any problems up until now.  It does add to the anxiety level though because until I have a liver biopsy I will not know for sure.   As soon as I  find out my lab results  and other info I will post it!   Thanks or all the advice!   

[lporterrn]

The beauty of the new meds is that for most people, basically nothing much changes as far as living the rest of one's life. There are a few meds that might interact, but otherwise, you can have procedures, flu shots, and anything else that crops up.