Have you or anyone you've known been affected by Hepatitis C?

Well, I treat lots of patients for it, does that count? As an aside, there are a number of promising new drugs in the pipeline, so it should become easier to treat in the near future.

Do you guys think it is pretty important?

Absolutely. It is a major problem in Infectious Diseases and hepatology. Certainly the current treatments are not trivial and have lots of side effects and don’t work all the time. So, yeah, we take it seriously (plus, I dread a needlestick from a HepC-infected patient way more than a needlestick from a patient with HIV).

I have no idea what hepatitis is but I don’t ever want it…

Yes, my sister in law died of it about 10 years ago. It took a long time to diagnose her because they didnt even have a name for it when she first had the symptoms of it. I think they finally “discovered” Hep C in 1990 or 1991.

ohhh thats very sad I am sorry chyna…

My Mother was infected with hepatitis in 1975 from a blood transfusion during back surgery, but I don’t know for sure which strain. They kept her in the hospital for a month. She died in 1999.

My mom got it the same way around the same time. She got a liver transplant but it’s back again. She is starting a new trial next month.

My sister in law was infected in 1975 or 1976 also. Thank you madcapper.

My friend started to show signs of hepatitis a few years ago and found out he got hep c from sharing needles in jail to get a tattoo. Not the brightest move but he really regrets it now.

Yes, two friends. The first one got a blood transfusion in Mexico decades ago. Twenty two years ago she told me she got a letter from the blood bank informing her of HepC and not to give blood again. Then two years ago she started on Interferon shots. She said her nurse called and said , “you are cured.” She’s on vacation as we speak.
The other friend had Hep C but died from breast cancer ten years ago about two years after they told her she had Hep C. She didnt know how she got it but I know she had some pretty wild friends many years ago.