Mistake of the year

[marina]

 I was recently put in touch with someone who just started treatment for Hep c. I spoke to them over the internet and I feel like the $30.00 I just paid for Zoloft is down the drain.
This person is a 49 yr. old woman with geno 2, her liver biopsy is stage 2 grade 1.
She asked me what mine was and I told her stage 3 grade three. And this is what she said.
That is so bad...your side effects are going to be horrible with your liver being that bad, and once you get to stage 4 it's too late.
Then she couldn't believe I have no symtoms except that my elbow joint hurts a little.
I don't think I have to tell you how I felt.
I hope I never talk to her again.  

[Shawn]

What an a-hole!

Don't buy that garbage - people think they're doing you a favor when they make comparisons like that.

That's horse crap...from my experience, side effects are from lack of sleep, lack of water, lack of exercise, and thinking negative. Three of those are somewhat easy to control, thinking positive can be difficult at times, but the rewards are worth reminding yourself not to get down.

You'll be fine Marina - take the zoloft it will help keep you above the negativity line on your bad days.

Good luck, oh and if you ever hear from that lady again to keep her day job - medicine/healing is definitly not her strong suit.

I'll be praying for you.

Shawn

[marina]

Shawn I can always count on you to make me feel better.
I'm sure glad you're on board...well, you know what I mean !
I hope all is going well with you.  

[Dude]

Hi Marina! Shawn is absolutely correct. There are some people who just live in the dark, and she's right there in the low lit area with the rest of them. She can only see the negative side, and thats pretty sad for her, and for anyone who hears her words of disdain.

Like I mentioned in another post, you don't have to respond in a negative way about anything. She's been conditioned to believe that this is the end, and if she continues on that line of thought it will be for her. She's probably said it so often that she's reinforced that way of thinking so that it has become her reality.

I have a sister who sounds like that, and I have tried for years to pull her up out of the pit, but nothing I say helps. I pray for her, and for anyone who automatically goes for the negatives in life. If they only knew how easy it is to change.

Just take care of yourself, and know that (as Shawn says) if you get all the sleep you need, drink a lot of good, clean water, get regular mild exercise, and always think positive, no matter what happens, you will be just fine, and healing will come for you much easier than for the old you who worried so much because you just didn't know that you didn't have to worry so much.

I have found that my sides are much worse when I don't drink enough water, and that when I drink a heck of a lot of water, I feel bloated, but a lot better than all the aches and pains, headaches and irritability, and so on, that I would get otherwise.

Hang in there, sister, it isn't as bad as she told you... not even close. And of course it will vary from one day to another, but it will be bearable at the worst times, and you'll get by just fine.

God bless.

[Davidn]

Marina,

Personally, I dont think keeping track of the statistics of your illness is all that helpfull in that you don't have control over it.  Also, I think swapping or shopping thoses statisics for an opinion from a person with any stage of liver disease is productive.  Primarily because the the level of disease and treatment response varies so widely.   What I do think is that you do have control over how you treat yourself before, during and after  treatment.  Caddude and Shawn have been or are in treatment and they can tell you what the treatment experience is like for them, they cannot tell you what it will be like for you or your outcome.  I do think this board provides a great deal of support in this way.

Another thing about focusing on statistics is that there are no specific answers to how each individual responds to treatment or what your prognosis is.  Have you been to the website for Pegasys yet?  It provides a lot of factual information which I found informative. The more I read medical information the more general things.  My gastro reflects this in that asking for very specific answers he tells me the truth and that is "its not known" and my reading seems to suggest the same in this complex disease.  Hang in there, do something nice for yourself.  I took a few days and went to Lake Tahoe, caught some shows, and lost $40 in the one arm bandits.  The time for this is now as one is not sure how they will feel on treatment.  Do good things for yourself and others,  I can't explain how you get in touch with the positive aspects of oneself but the more you focus on that than being focused on the illness improves the quality of ones existence.   I am working hard to be in touch with the good things within me and around me, it helps me a lot when facing this crisis.  It has really put me more in touch with whats important to me and what is not and has in away simplifed what I need to do.  

David  

[Penney]

Marina,

I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FELT!  I have had a similar experience....

But, the end result was that the person was completely wrong.  It may have been their experience and since we are all different and will react to procedures and treatment differently then NO ONE can really say how you will feel except you (once you go through it).  

One common denominator, aside from lots of water, is positive thinking and an 'upbeat' mood.  From what I hear, that seems to work best.  I know I plan on having  faith and a positive attitude!  I know the side affects we all feel are from the meds, not from the severity of the liver biopsy results.

Stage 3 grade 3....if you begin your treatment now, your liver will have time to 'regenerate' itself.  That alone can change this diagnosis.  Our livers can rebuild themselves and when I found that out, I was thrilled.  

You are in my prayers and I will be thinking of you Friday the 13th!

Take care and keep smiling  

Penney

[elizabethnv16]

Marina, I myself am stage and grade 3, I admit its not fun, but you can survive the treatment  and yours is not that bad you can not know how you are going to do until you do it I have a husband and 5 children and so far I am alive and 12 weeks into the treatment

[marina]

Elizabeth, I want to thank you for your post. It lifted my spirits and strength. You deserve a medal for doing this with 5 kids, but I'm sure God is well aware and gives you the strength you need. Again, thank you so much.
 :)marina