Your post is completely appropriate.  You've come to the right
place Jean.
I remember that phone call.  Why they tell you something like
that on the phone I will never know.  The first thing everyone
does is head to the computer to look it up and mostly what
your going to find sounds scary as hell.

First off, this is a really slow moving disease.  It wasn't necessarily
"dormant"...it just doesn't take over the way you think it would.
Mild cirrhosis is a little confusing.  Ask your doctor what stage
it is.  Your probably in the very early stages which means you
have time to try everything.  30% is a little pessimistic.  I thought
I read it was more like 60% for 1a.

Secondly, the side effects are different for everyone.  Naturally
people who are struggling are going to post more often looking
for help and those that are cruising through may not seek out this
group at all.  Keep the faith Jean, you just might turn out to be
one of those cruisers <g>.

Lastly, it's doable.  Really.  Learn about the possible side effects.
(you may want to talk to them about starting an anti-depressant
now)  Decide how you will manage those side effects if you
happen to experience them.  Make sure your family and friends
are on board.  Their support will make it easier.  Hang tough
Jean, anyone who can raise twins can certainly handle this :-)

BTW..use this group...it's what it's here for.

AG

Damn Jean, that is some tough news. You have come to the right place. Many
here have had similiar experiences. Believe in miracles, and don't give up
hope. Try not to be too scared. Focus on living as healthy as you can. Think
positive and you can beat this. Show your girls what grace under pressure is
all about.

Peace be with you, Mike

Jean -

First off, welcome and second, sorry you need to be here.

Second, there's not good reason to give up hope.  It's a terrible shock,
it's a lot to take in, and it's in no way good news.  Whether or not you
were looking for another challenge in your life you just got handed one.  
We all did.  You also got given a chance, too.  As a friend of mine
said, it's not like you have Ebola (that's an attempt at humor.)

Something to keep in mind: there are people who go through this
treatment successfully without a lot of problems.  Some of the people
who have complained about how awful they're feeling often feel better
after some time.  For most people this treatment is doable, a bunch of
us are doing it now, and there's a wealth of first-hand knowledge and
experience in the people who read and post here.  

One thing you said: "If no success after first 3 months he will
discontinue and that will be it.".  That's not really the right
perspective.  There are tests to see if the treatment is working for you
because there's no reason to continue it if it's not.  But that doesn't
mean you die a horrible death a month later.  There are new treatments
being worked on, and there are things you can do to keep your liver
healthier in the meantime.    

But that's not something you need to consider right now.  The only way
to do this, I think, is to focus on your success with it.  Attitude has
a lot to do with being able to complete the treatment.

Twin 12-year-olds?  Assume that you'll live long enough for them to both
torture you through their teen years and then apologize to you for it
when they're grown up.

I think something that you're going to need to do right away is figure
out who you can recruit to help you out when you need it.  There are
going to be times when you need help - with the girls, around the house,
with work, any responsibilities you have, and knowing beforehand that
you're covered will make things a LOT easier than trying to sort things
out in a middle of a crisis.   Stress and anxiety will be your enemy and
having a plan, for me, is one of the best ways to avoid it.

Also, I didn't start taking antidepressants until week 14 and I wish I
had started them at the beginning.  I talked to my doctor today and he
said he remembers me being very cautious about adding yet another
medication and that he is usually pretty aggressive about putting people
on them during treatment.   It's something to talk to your doctor about.  

This place is great.  You can share fears and talk about your feelings
and what you're going through and what scares you and you're likely to
find that there's someone else who is feeling it too, or felt it before.

It's also a good place to ask "what does this mean?" or "this doesn't
make sense".  Ultimately the best information should come from your
doctor, but you'll learn a lot here that will help you ask better
questions.

In article <3e6633ed.0410071703.6dcd431e@posting.google.com>,

Boston Jean answered:

Hi Jean,  I'm Mike..
it sounds like you are liek the majority of us.  You had Hep without
ever knowing. I've too had it for 20+ years and found out about it only
a few months ago.

I've too had my Biopsy, and start my first "shot" at the treatment
tomorrow. From personal experience, things I have found out, and the
kind supportive people here, don't worry. Sure finding out you have hep
is not the best news you could get. BUT, it is not an iimmediate death
sentence either.  From everything I have been able to learn, even if
treatment doesn't work for you, it will give your liver a big rest.

Of course it is up to you to work with a good liver doctor to maximize
your chances for a normal life pre, post and during treatment.

Take a deep breath, I too, and just about everyone here FREAKED when we
first found out.  It's only normal. BUT it's usuaally not as dire as all
that. Unless your doctor specifically told you it was.

Again, calm down, most likely you WILL grow old and die from something
else, LONG since seeing your twins grow up.

you'll be OK Jean.  Come back here and sit a spell. LOTS of friendly
folks here, and alot of good knowlage. also a couple of trouble makers,
but we love EVERYONE here.

Just make sure you never bend over in here when Elmo is around..  LOL!

Jean, welcome to the group.  There IS hope and this IS the right place
for you.
If I were in your shoes, knowing what I do, I'd opt to try daily
Infergen and ribavirin over weekly shots of Pegasys and ribavirin.  Your
chances of success are better with it than the standard therapy.  The
news you got from your doc isn't good, but it's NOT the end of the
world.  Please keep your chin up.  It's gonna be OK.
Elmo

http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/DocElmosHepFile

Jean, you have indeed found kindred spirits here.You have a computer,
internet access, and obviously know how to use it. There is indeed a great
deal of information available to you. Like Aqua girl said it is a slow
moving disease, I myself have had it since the early 70's when I had acute
hepatitis, I never thought this thing would come back to haunt me in my
early 50's, but it has and I'm dealing with it. I have been in TX now for 10
weeks, and have another 38 weeks to go.I have found the people who use this
newsgroup to be supportive and caring, and almost always available. I have
genome 1 myself, I do not know about any subgroup, but as you know it is the
genome that determines the length of treatment. I live now in Honolulu, but
contracted HCV when I lived in the Boston area,(Newton), years ago. I
believe also that your doctor is being a little pessimistic about the odds
of clearing the virus from your system. Even if , in the worst case
scenario, you do not respond to TX as well as we all might like, it gives
your liver time to heal, because as I understand it the liver is remarkably
regenerative. Please stay away from alcohol totally, there is no good that
can come from drinking at all, this is especially true while in TX.Your
posting here is completely appropriate, and you have come to the right
place.Keep coming back. Whatever questions you may have the odds are there
is someone out there who can answer them. I feel sure that you will see your
kids graduate H.S., and you may well be a grandma someday.  Dry your tears,
and get in there and do what you know you have to do.Here is a great big hug
from Hawaii.
John in Honolulu

Jean,  welcome to the group and sorry to hear about the diagnosis.
We've got lots of type 1As who have had successful treatment and
there's no reason why you can't be one of them.  You've got a long
road ahead of you with tx but it is doable and the experience varies
quite a bit from person to person.  You've got many good years ahead
of you.  I'm glad you found this group.  Welcome.

Don

On 7 Oct 2004 18:03:48 -0700, boston_jean@yahoo.com (Boston Jean), in
message ID <3e6633ed.0410071703.6dcd431e@posting.google.com>, in the
newsgroup alt.support.hepatitis-c wrote:

First thing is that you are in the right place.  Secondly, 30% is low.
The chances of success with this genotype are more like 50/50 - maybe
a bit better if you take all the medicine all the time when you are
meant to take it.  Getting on tx soon is a good idea although you're
not about to keel over.  You have a bit of time to organise your life
around this disease and its treatment.  If you haven't already done
so, ensure that as much as possible is automated - such as bill
payments.  Tx can make people forgetful.  Most liver damage is
reversible - assuming that the virus is cleared.  Cirrhosis isn't
usually reversible but I have heard that very early cirrhosis may be.
Assuming succesful tx, your liver should eventually be restored to
good health - though maybe not quite as good as new.  However, the
liver has so much spare capacity that any slight damage remaining
ought not affect your life.
Keep posting.  Keep asking.  The only daft question is the one that
isn't asked.

Hallo Boston Jean,
Welcome to the ng.
I heard the news not on the phone but in the small office
of an assistant medical dr. in the hospital, and I believe
there is no difference how you learn it. It is a very bad news
which is changing your live totally.
Please do not take the 30 % given by you Doc as tragedy, as
this is only his personal estimation. Your chances may be
much bigger and it depends on you how to increase them.
Start the tx as soon as you can and:
don't give up - miracles happen every day.

CB - 51y/o, 1b - week 22 , 26 to go.

//////////

Jean,
Wecome to the group....although I'm really sorry that you have found a
reason to be here.  This is a wonderful support group....as you can see from
all the caring and supportive messages you have received.  Nothing is ever
too minor to post...frustration, anger, whatever.  Most of us have been
their at one time or another and will understand.  We post our failings and
our joys in this battle.

There is such a wealth of information that can be gleaned from this group
too.  Although doctors are knowledgeable, I think folkes that have or are
going thru this experience add information that doctors wouldn't think of.
They don't generally have a lot of time to spend with each individual
patient to explain everything either.

I bet the postings are right in that you have early cirrhosis, and this is a
slow moving disease, so you have time to try to clobber it.  Worst case
scenario, there are liver transplants if things go too far.  So, don't give
up, never give up.  Your a long way from a transplant.....and you most
certainly have time to see your girls grow up, and perhaps even see your
grandchildren grow up and have children.

It is a shock at first though.  You might find that you go thru a mourning
period.  It is the death of long held  beliefs about your health,  adjusting
to that loss.  You may feel real sad one minute and fighting mad the next,
or even triumphant  when you begin to believe you will beat this, and then
be sad again.
Lots of kindred spirits here.
Hugs,
Susie

Out the gate treatment for 1a, what I have/(had?) is about 50-50 chance. If
you respond early (two log drop in viral load, or better yet no viral load)
in week 12 and no viral load in week 24 and 48, AND do all you meds without
any breaks in treatment, the chance goes up about 85%.

If you are at 12 weeks treatment and still have a high viral load or a viral
load at week 24  your chances of clearing are then about 1%. That's when you
stop.

Yes it's a scary thing Hep C and the treatment, but it's doable. Keep coming
back, support is important, your not alone.

Good luck!

Hello Jean-

You are in the right place. This is terrible news to get in any manner. I
found out 10 yrs ago by mail. I had donated blood at work and a week later
had two letters in the mail. I freaked out as we all have. I got to a Liver
specialist and he told me to calm down and explained things to me.

He told me that most people die WITH HepC not FROM it. This made me feel a
lot better. He explained all of the disease to me and had me get blood work
every 6 months. He wanted to watch my liver enzymes. It took 10yrs before
they were out of the normal range. Then he suggested a biopsy.

Well enough about me. You will find all the support you can imagine right
here. These people have either completed tx or are currently on it and have
a wealth of knowledge to share with each other. I'll be taking #13 tonight
and I'm 1a, stage 1 Grade 2.

Kill the dragon
Mark

T----I have gen 1 and have had dx'd cirrhosis for five years and my
prognosis is for another 5 to 10 years before I am finished. I have
the virus still because the tx I had did not work back in 99/2000. Try
the treatment, I will be having a crack at tx again from November with
the pegylated this time.

But even with cirrhosis and even if the tx does not work, if you take
care of your health and you are not unlucky you should have a good few
years left to watch your children into their twenties at least.

Hi Jean,

Well you've found some kindred spirits I imagine, and here's another. I'm
Waterspider, also 50, female and with cirrhosis, and wasn't diagnosed until
probably 20 years after the fact. I finished treatment a year ago last June,
and it appears to have worked. However, I'm genotype 3, which has about a
20% better chance of clearing HCV than geno 1 (you). I think your doc was
reading old stats on old forms of treatment, though, or perhaps he's simply
an idiot. With peg-interferon combo, you've got, at the very least, a 60%
chance of success.

You're actually in shock right now, but the more you can learn about hep C,
the better you'll feel. I remember when I was scared to say "hepatitis c"
but once I got over that, and every time I said it, I got stronger, calmer
and more able to cope. You'll be okay. Don't forget to breathe.

Waterspider