If I'm reading this correctly, there's little reason for you to be worrying
yourself. That said, your story does beg the question: do you have any reason
to believe you'd test positive for replicating virus?

Recognizing it's easy to postulate hypotheticals, here's what I think I'd do
in the same situation:

- first, I'd get a CBC, LFT and viral load test done. If negative, it's over
for good, no more worrying, eh? Have a party and stop looking over your
shoulder forever.

- if positive, I'd get hooked up with a liver doc, get the ultrasound, get the
biopsy, and see where things stand.

- I'm guessing you're 48 years old, give or take a year or two. Statistically,
you've got a good 20-something years of living ahead of you. If the biopsy
indicates significant damage, I'd get geared up for a round with peg-IFN and
Riba, with Procrit standing by, and a few weeks head start with an
anti-depressant before the first shot night.

But back to my original observation: you say you cleared the virus 7 years
ago, and stopped testing 4 years ago. By my math, that means you tested up to
3 years after End Of Therapy, and unless you just forgot to mention otherwise,
you were still clear.

In my book, unless you reinfected yourself (goes back to my first question)
you should be spending your time finding ways to enjoy an HCV-negative life.

Cheers

/greyhackles

One point: Being afraid that you may have the virus is not a good
reason to avoid determining if you have the virus.

BG in Seattle

I've already been through it twice. I would go through it again right
now if it wasn't so hard on my family, instead I'll wait a few years if
possible for something else, if not, I'll be going through it again.

Dwight

Just to throw my 2 cents in... even if ya hadda go thru it all over...
it isn't as bad as it used to be from what I gather.
(I'm an ex-junkie with 10 yrs clean, and have had lots of friends from
Narcotics Anonymous in treatment over the years who had nightmare
stories about the old juice)
The new Pegasys is only a shot a week, and although I went thru some
fairly unpleasant side effects... (rashes, mouth sores& nail splitting
from Lichen Planus, a lip cancer scare, some hair loss, usual aches,
pains, fatigue...)
but from what I understand, it ain't half as bad as da old stuff.
So... what's better...  48 weeks on Pegasus...
or a rotting liver and on a donor list praying for one to come thru?
Ya do wut ya gotta do to survive... yanno?
Datz just my take on it.

Him Mojo,

Get checked first. Make sure your self diagnosis is clear. If you have it
you're still young enough to go through the new tx's.

I'm on my second tx as well. If this fails I'll have to do it again.

Good luck and I surely hope it didn't retun. On a positive note, if you
reinfected yourself chances are good you got a 2 or 3 genotype and they're
the easiest to treat. Only 24 weeks of tx.

-Puckertoe

I'd stop counting chickens before they're hatched.  Go get yourself
another test to see if you have virus.
elmo

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

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

Hi, sounds like you got it licked. I'd probly have it checked, like the
others say. I'm in stage 4, with tx not recommended, by 2nd. opinion.
However, my bloodwork was better last winter than the summer before. I
hope something new comes out, but am thinking maybe I should try
treatment. Not now though. I rather foolishly agreed to take in 4 rats
that were in desperate need of immediate re-homing. It might be good
though. Helping animals makes me feel good. I'm a vegetarian, live
mainly on whole grains, apples and soymilk and soyprotein, with a
weakness for sugar. So a question, does sugar turn into alcohol? That
article about that b19 was interesting. I thought parvo was a dog
disease. I'm hoping, with a positive outlook, like, who? PT? maybe I'll
just get well. So I too don't know about trying treatment. It's hard
they say if you live alone. Probably harder if you live alone with 6
ratties.

i'm on my second round, so i must believe that hope springiest
eternal..but if i couldn't do the treatment again i would go live the
best i could while i felt good...so i would get tested, find out where i
was as far a damage and figure out how long i had before i was going to
start having problems. Then do all the things everyone says "I wish I
had"

Thanks so much for all your replies.  I really don't have any symptoms
that would lead me to believe that the virus is back, except that
occasionally I do get an occasional ache on my right side, but it is
absolutely nothing compared to what it used to be before treatment.  I
think I will just go back and get tested once and for all, instead of
wondering.  Thanks again. :)

I tend to agree with what most people are telling you - at this point,
all you have is fear - no basis for worry.

If it was me - I'd go through it all again.  Like the magician said,
the inconvenience is a lot better than being on a donor list.

Graham