Lynn K:
yeah who knows and all in the past now so nothing we can do about it anyway.
By the stats I am not supposed to have cirrhosis. I have a coworker, male, very heavy, drinks beer every weekend alot, hep c probably as long as me. I convinced him he should have the biopsy his doctor wanted him to have. No Liver damage.
Me, just a bit overweight, was occasional drinker, female. I get cirrhosis go figure....
ricpark:
My 2 cents
Background Single parent mother died when I just turned 16 and ended up homeless on the streets of New York City. Heroin addiction for about 5 years with 1 year on Rikers Island prison, dying 2 times from overdose finally deciding to change my lifestyle (not a good career path). Went on to head a IT dept at a large City School district, Then became a Broadcast engineer heading the engineering, installation, service depts, going around the USA to TV stations for a broadcast equipment dealer (all with a 10th grade eduction from Souths Bronx public schools). Married a lovely wife from the Midwest, 4 kids 8 grandchildren. Have not touched drugs for 46 years, not a sip of alcohol for 15 years when found out about having Hep c.
My belief is until a person them self wants to change their self destructive actions no amount preaching will change anything.
sugarfree:
Why oh why?? Risk the treatment for a drink? I'd never take the risk and Harmony has now cured me. It was worth all sacrifices to get better to get my life back and to risk further damage to your liver! If you can do without...Please do. If not...not for me to judge. Good Luck
kate7154:
I know this will not be popular, but If I may add my two cents...
Hep C does not cause drinking, nor drinking cause hep C. Both can be very hard on the liver, and if a person has liver damage from one or the other--or both, it does seem foolhardy to drink because it will FURTHER damage the liver (whether on treatment right now or not).
What about the person who does NOT, by the grace of God (or genetics), have liver damage from either one, but has been walking around for years with latent HCV. Should that person be denied treatment because they still drink moderately (remember the treatment is only about killing the virus, it does not heal the liver...the liver regenerates itself). There are quite a few who fall into this category.
In the case someone who is sick from alcoholism (which is a disease) and also infected with HCV--they have two potential risks to their liver. Wouldn't clearing the virus be a step in the right direction? It could possibly give someone many more years. I would hate to be the one to deny treatment to that person. I would hate to attend that funeral.
It is hard to find a comparable situation...but I will try. Say a person has 2 risk factors for heart disease, morbidly obese AND a heavy smoker. Imagine there was a drug that could easily stop that person from smoking---but not keep him from overeating, or eating poorly. Should that person be denied the no-smoking medicine? It could give his heart a much better chance. I would hate to be the one to make that call (you might as well keep smoking, because you're obesity is hurting your heart anyway).
All that said, I am laying low on the alcohol while on treatment because it feels like the right thing for me (doesn't hold much appeal, strangely). I certainly won't judge another for the choices they make concerning their own health situation. We are all different.
sugarfree:
With the cost of treatment.with the prayers to get well? I just wouldn't take the chance. As of Friday,I am 6 months after treatment and I am cured. Unfortunately the damage I have won't ever go away