questions to ask my doctor

[nell1055]

Hi!
I'm new here. I've recently been diagnosed with hep c and am visiting the gastroenterologist for the first time tomorrow. I do not have my full test statuses to list yet, my apologies.

I was originally trying to get knee surgery when this came up. Everything has been put on hold for this and I'm feeling a hostage more than anything else. Fix this or we won't give you new knees.

So I've got a hostile feeling about the whole thing I know is unhelpful. I'm trying to put that and the ticking clock aside. There's a limited time money wise for me to have my knees done, we took out a loan for out of pocket payment that can't be redone, ,and they've dinked away three months already. So my real question is how soon can you get this done and over. But that's not going to help.

I'm trying to get with the program. So what should I be asking this doctor?  I thought I saw a post on that earlier when I first was looking, but I can't currently find it. Forgive my attitude. I'm working through the fact that I've been sidelined into something I don't want to deal with at all and I have no choice on.
Thanks
Nell1055


What should I be asking this doctor? Wha

[gnatcatcher]

Bummer! Between test results and what the gastro says, you'll need to know:
1. what your Genotype (subtype) is (a number from 1 to 6, possibly + a letter)
    Example: 1a. The genotype helps determine which treatment is best.
2. what your Viral Load is. (This number will also be expressed as a logarithm.)
    VLs jump around a lot, but a low VL can mean a shorter treatment duration.
3. whether your liver enzymes (especially ALT and AST) are elevated.
    These numbers move around too, but they help indicate amount of liver damage.
4. how your fibrosis level will be (or already has been) determined.
    This could be a biopsy, a FibroScan (thumping ultrasound) or a Fibrosure blood test.
5. which treatment the gastro thinks is best, and how many weeks you'll be on it.
6. how the gastro's office goes about getting insurance approval and how long it takes.
7. whether you could have the knee surgery as soon as your VL is UNDETECTED, or if you have to wait until the end of treatment or until 12 weeks after that. Being undetected twelve weeks after the end of treatment is the official cure.
Lucinda knows best, so skip #7 unless your gastro won't clear you for some reason.

Welcome to the forum.

Gnatty

[lporterrn]

I'd ask the GI is he/she will clear you for surgery. It is not typical for people to have to delay knee surgery to get hep C treated.

Your attitude doesn't need forgiveness - your response is natural.

[nell1055]

Bless you, dears. That's a help.
Nell