You're in the right place. Try to get the actual labs and post them.
There's folks here who can decipher that stuff. Most important thing to
understand is that you are not alone. Make sure that your BCLD is a good
one and that you are comfortable with his staff too. Enzymes, generally
speaking, don't mean a hell of a lot except as a marker. Your BCLD will
probably want to do a biopsy to see the extent of the damage (if any) to
the liver.

Stay calm, get lots of information, and stick around this group. Many
years of solid experience here.

Ok. Time to take a couple of deeeeep breaths. And calm down.

First, about the liver enzyme test results. ALT, AST, ALK tests (we call them
"LFTs" for short)  are used to get an idea of the level of inflammation
present in the liver. Lower is better, higher is not as good. But levels that
are four times the normal range are not extraordinary - it's not like he's
broken any records, I've known people with much higher LFTs that are still
walking the earth. Hell, my ALT was three times the upper end of normal and
I'm still here :-)

Next, it isn't obvious that the proposed test study uses the current "gold
standard" anti-viral treatment meds, so that tempers the value of the
following: the standard meds do not make *everyone* "sick". I can't cite the
percentages, but I would guess that 25% have almost no significant side
effects, 50% have significant but tolerable side effects, and 25% get
thoroughly hammered, with some of those falling out along the way. I was in
that last group, mostly due going deeply anemic, but with the help of a drug
that battles the anemia I was able to hang in there for the full 48 weeks.

Finally, for type 1s, 50% success is a bit higher than reputable studies
support, but then again, such studies don't tend to break down the results by
sub-type. I would expect g1A to do better than g1B, so maybe 50% isn't that
far off if it was given specifically for g1A. Fwiw, I was a g1B, and (knock on
wood) was treated successfully - the tests haven't detected any HCV virus for
the last two years now.

The ultrasound provides some useful information, like gross problems in the
liver, enlarged spleen, etc. It also can help locate a suitable target site
for a punch biopsy. The liver biopsy is The Last Word on the condition of the
liver, and while it isn't absolutely necessary (eg: someone could decide to
just do the treatment without being convinced via the biopsy results ;-) I
think it's worthwhile to have a liver health benchmark.

Bottom line: don't panic. In fact, try to take this whole thing in stride.
Hubby has "the flu", he needs to take his "medicine" so he can "get better".
No need to add a freak-out to that ;-)  And remember it's damned hard to
transmit HCV, short of blood-to-blood contact. Many of us here have had
serious relationships for decades without the Significant Other contracting
the virus.

So...Welcome to ash-c. Come back as often as you like.

Cheers

/greyhackles

Your questions pretty much mirror mine when I was diagnosed back in Nov
- shock, lots of questions and so on. Lots of research so when I saw
doctors I knew what to ask about. Had ultrasound (no biggie) and liver
biopsy - not really such a big deal either except for having to
remian in the hospital for those few hours afterwards. I have always
found the "Know Thy Enemy" helpful in such a situation as this. The
more you learn about it, the better prepared you are to cope with it.
It somehow removes a lot of the "terror" of "not knowing"

I am type 1a and had an initial viral load of 6.2 milllion.Stage 3
liver damage (4 = cirrhosis)
and started treatement the first of January, Pegasys 180 injections and
Ribavirin 1200 mg a day.
antipdepressants right from the start to deal with this. I reached
"undectable" status at 12 weeks and have remained so since.

My "biggest" problem has been profound anemia, but since adding epogen
injections to the mix to boost red cell counts, things have improved. I
have worked all thru treatment with the exception of maybe half a dozen
sick days, but my job is sitting at a computer pushing keys, not
terrible strenouous. The "Brain Fog" made me just want to cry some days
when I couldn't figure out what I was looking for on the monitor.BUT,
by the same token going to work every day has been pretty much ALL I
have done for the past 11 months. Go To Work, go home, collapse.
Those around me who love me and want nothing more than for me to get
"well" have carried all else to keep home and hearth and the world
turning. I'm a lucky woman.

I was cruising right along, when I got a nasty head cold a couple of
weeks ago, which slammed my a.s into bed for ten days straight, high
fever, watching the wallpaper dance. Doctor finally decided it was time
to do a chest xray, and sure enough I have pneumonia. So I have been
out of work for two weeks already, and I suppose it will be at least
another week because they will not authorize my return to work until
the pneumonia is cleared up.

Four weeks to go - that takes me to Thanksgiving - both of my older
sons who live out of state are coming home for Thanksgiving, so it
should be a True Celebration this year, even if I'm no darned help with
the cooking ;)

Best thing I can tell you is that this treatment is no cake walk, but
it is doable. Be prepared for the fact that hubby may not be "himself"
during treatment. I know I have not been. Sounds like you have been
thru some tough times before, so all I can say it tighten up your
seatbelt, don't take things personally, and just keep putting one foot
in front of the other. You will find lots of good information here in
ash-c :)