nurse exposed with acute hep c < 3 mo ago Help Me Please?

[charleneb]

my name is charlene. Iam a registered nurse recently exposed to a patient in Jan 2007 who appears to be the cause of my hepatitis c diagnosis. I went for a routine OB/GYN pap smear. My doctor saved my life. Every year he draws routine labs on me bc I have only one kidney. By the grace of God, I drew my labs 3 days later. My sgot was 296 and SGPT was 498. I freaked out. They were repeated two wks later and results were sgot 546 and sgpt 958. I was immediately sent to a GI doctors. I got a stat ultrasound and stat labs which included a hepatitis panel. This was a Friday. By Tuesday I was told I had Hep C. Tuesday more labs draw and by Sunday I was told it was Hep C genotype 1a and the viral load was 1,280,000. I was totally asymtomatic at this point. The doctor on Tuesday before I got genotype and viral load wanted to immediately start interferon and ribavirin. I have only one kidney. I am 37 years old married and I have three children ages 9,8, and 5. I was told the interferon and ribavirin have kidney toxic effects and I could blow out my one kidney for only a 40 percent chance it would work anyway. I switched from a GI doctor to Dr. Balart who is strictly a liver specialist who teaches and researched for LSU medical center. To my surprise, I thought he also would be pushy with the usual interferon/ribavirin cocktail, but he told my husband she is right there would be no guarentee I would not lose my kidney and die or be on dialysis from the medication. He has a resident working with him who was awesome. He hooked me up with a nutritionist immediately for my liver diet and I was given very helpful info. He respected my decision. I saw him on April 3, 2007. At this time the only symptom I had was a little fatigue. By the next day, I felt horrible. I became very jaundiced and vomited anywhere from 6-10 times a day. Thank God for Zofran!!! By Thursday, my labs were repeated. Since 3/26/07 at sgot546 and sgpt 986 ish they were done Tuesday and were a little lower, then Thurday April 5, 2007 my bili level was 6.8 the sgot 788 and sgpt was 998. I looked and felt like I was dying. I gad severe right sided upper quadrant pain and the nausea and vomiting were out of control. Not to mention ascites in the right abdomen with 5-6 pound weight gains every 24 hours. I was pretty bad off. Of course, I was offered hospitalization. I declined. I am a nurse and post hurricaine Katrina there is a shortage of doctors and nurses in the New Orleans area. I told the doctor I can take my weight every 12 hrs and do accurate input and output and take pain meds at home and nausea meds. He respected my decision and called my house every 12 hours for 3 days straight the weekend of Easter. I was truely blessed to have an excellent team of doctors. I was told the next three days would be very critical. The labs would either go down or I would need a liver transplant. I drew my blood the following morning as we decided and they went down only about 70 points but it was enough to keep me at home another 24 hours with my children. I felt much better by the next appointment Tuesdat April 10, 2007 and the sgot 68 and sgpt 268. The bili was back to normal. I had lots of prayers and started antioxidant immune therapy vitamins, omega 3 bc the platlet ct was 468,000 and 1000 mg a day of milk thistle. I was confident the natural combo was working. On April 27, 2007, my back began to hurt. I thought I over did it working around the house . My labs still are weekly. The labs on April 19, 2007 were totally normal I thought I was going to be the few the proud cured from Hep c. The labs from April 27 showed another elevation sgot 276 and sgpt 496. I was so upset and discouraged. I cried for five days. I repeated the blood tests again on Tuesday May 1 the day before the appt with the liver doctor. They were now sgot 541 and sgpt 918. I cries all day until I saw the doctor Wed May 2, 2007 at 900 am. I was told my case of Hep C was acute bc I caught it so quickly and I had a 25% chance of clearing on my own. I have done the herbal tx and saw the dietician and I follow the diet to the tee!!! What is happening to me??????????? I asked the doctor about repeating the viral load. We have that scheduled for the first wek of June which will be three months from exposure. He said he was disappointed as well. Usually you see one peak like the 900 level.. I hit greater than 900 three times in about 6 1/2 weeks. He said either I have a strong immune system and it goes up and I knock it down and go to normal then it comes back and I kick it out again. He said the closer I get to 6 months which will be 9/8/07 the less I should be seeing the elevations. I am so scared. Granted I only got SUPER SICK the week of Easter where I thought I was going to die and so did they for about two days. The other two elevations the first 3/27 and 5/1 I was just very nauseated and tired. They last elevation my bili level was only 2.2 instead of 6.8 like Easter week. I am ordering the Meso Silver today and will start that to my regime in the next 24-48 hours. I need someone to talk to. My husband is scared touch me and I am not aware of any support groups in the New Orleans area except for people who take the medication or should I say poison!!!! We decided not to keep doing weekly liver function tests bc He said it will put me on an emotional rollercoaster bc I will continue to see the ups and downs and it will affect me emotionally and I need to stay positive. He said it is pointless to keep sticking me every week when I am not doing anything about it anyway. I tend to agree. I just found out about the Meso silver and the doctor cleared me with one kidney to take it. I cannot wait to get it in the mail and start it. My doctors are curious bc my options are so limited anyway with one kidney to see how I do with natural therapy. You know what is so amazing to me????? Now that I know so much about about interferon and ribavirin versus natural therapy, I would never take that poison even with two kidneys. ANY ONE WHO CAN HELP ME DEAL WITH THIS PLEASE RESPOND. It is so different now I am not the nurse taking care of the patient but the patient with very very limited options.

[sarah spina]

Hi Charleneb,
I am yet to try the meso silver. I get bladder infections more and more. I just changed my Dr. and waiting to go to the Urologist on June 4th.
Meanwhile, I just got it again after I went for a culture last week and it was negative. I feel like a yo yo with this infection. I just hope this new Dr. will have patience with me. I have already called today and no response yet.
I've been reading about the mesosilver but very afraid to dip in and order it.
I need to hear it from real people that it is safe to take. I would have to take it all the time for my immune system is shot with all tho antibiotics I've been taking.
Please let me know if it is working for you. I'm reading all I can about my e-coli educated bacteria. This all sounds too good to be true. I'm a skeptic. Can't help it.
Good luck to you! Think positive.

[Jeff Boggs]

Hi Charlene, I have had no reply yet to my question about long term results with Mesosilver. I can only assume that either the long term results are not so great or those that have done well with the Mesosilver product have moved on from this forum. At any rate I have been using the Mesosilver for 5 weeks and have had what I would consider to be extraordinary results. Where once I was feverish feeling and rung-out, I now have none of those symptoms and haven't since about the 3rd of 4th day. I also was experiencing lack of patience, memory loss & poor concentration when trying to focus on most anything task and in my relationships as well. My overall view of life has changed dramatically and all the afore mentioned challenges are history at this point. Occasionally, I will hit a wall as far as fatigue but a good nights sleep and I'm right back after it the next day. Also I experienced a numbness in my forehead and significant pain in my elbows for many years that I figured was aging but no more. I had no idea that these symptoms were a result of the hepC virus. I'll sign off, Oh Also I have found that Alpha-Lipoic Acid has been a real energy boost for me. I started it about 2 weeks after the silver and think it had it's own set of positive results. Recently I've added Milk thistle, Selenium w/Vit E , Dandelion and Vit C. Hope we get some reponse on the long term value of using the silver. All The Best To You, Jeff Boggs

[sarah spina]

Hi Jeff,
I too would like to know the long term use of this product. I get bladder infections and the antibiotics are not working anymore.
I started the CS 2 days ago with the antibiotics, dropped the pills yesterday, and just take the CS.
I wasn't sure if it was working yesterday but this morning I am feeling much better. I know I have to give it a chance.
I am logging all my dosages so I can pass that info onto others, if this all works, of course.
As far as all the others that took it, I got my info from a man who had Hep. and his uncle was an infectous disases Dr. told him about it. according to him. he drank gallons of distilled water with it and is now free from the disease. He had lots of it left over and was willing to sell me his excess for he didn't need it anymore.
I really didn't know if this was all true, but would certainly want to believe it. I want to believe it!
Sarah

[charleneb]

Hi! Sorry it took so long for me to write you guys back but I have 5 children and have been quite busy since school just let out. Got some awesome news on May 25, 2007. Well, as you read, I was diagnosed with acute hep C on 3/27/07. That day my viral count was 1,280,000. We re-tested on 5/24/07. Guess what guys... it is 10, 300. The doctor said my immune system is very strong because it is getting rid of the disease on its own. I have taken NO INTERFERON and NO MESOSILVER as of yet. I purchased a 5 gallon bottle of Mesosilver and decided to wait until I got my viral load done again to have a starting point or say a baseline. Now I have decided not to take the mesosilver. Let me tell you why......... I started taking antioxidant vitamin called immune system builders from Smootie King along with 1000mg of Milk Thistle 2 tablets twice a day. The antioxidants I take 2 in the am and 2 in the pm. I also take Omega 3. I was told this helps keep your platlet count normal. It was 480,000 now with the Omega 3 it is 156,000. I am looking at my labs and getting very positive results just using natural herbs and vitamins. I am not sure about taking the Mesosilver now. I was told by a pharmacist that it may help with hep C levels but some medical personnel have said the way it does it is by causing silver toxcity in the body. Just like people get lead poisoning, we would get silver poisoning or toxcity. I am going to hold on Mesosilver until viral load 6/24 hoping 4 non-detectable levels by nature and God alone. Wishing you all the best with everything. Send me an email address. Would love to have friend to share with hep c. Sarah for the UTI problem drink plenty of cranberry juice it is natures way of clearing the urinary system. I am not found of cranberry juice but when I get a UTI I always try two bactrim ds first usually, that knocks it out with one good punch.

[charleneb]

When I was diagnosed with Hep C on March 27, 2007, you can only imagine the load of different emotions I experienced. I have three small children and I was very ill. Very few people with acute hep C get as sick as I did. My liver enzymes were >900 three times in 5 weeks. Not sure if any permanent damage, but I am very hopeful. The initial viral load was 1,280,000 and my first doctor and his nursing staff were very pushy regarding me taking interferon and ribavirin. I thought deeply about it and realizing I had only one kidney and extra risk factors, my husband and I decided not to seek aggressive treatment but rather trust God. I knew whatever would be would be. I want people out there to know there are alternative methods of treatment. Studies have proven that milk thistle helps minimize the liver damage and also prevents damage in some people. I just researched the proper dosing of it and it has proven well for me. I have an awesome group of physican's helping me be an active participant in MY PLAN OF CARE. AFTERALL IT IS MY BODY MY OPINIONS AND WISHES SHOULD AND WILL BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION! I am seeing a nutritionist weekly times six weeks. This helps me eat proper foods and helps me avoid certain types of food during a flare up or elevation of enzymes. For example, when your liver enzymes are elevated, the dietican recommends neutrapenic precautions. That means no raw fruit and veggies. No seafood. Nothing that makes you retain water (salty foods). Wash all can items to rid the sodium. Also she is setting up menus for me with the goal to prevent "fatty liver disease." I am maintaining my weight within a two pound window. I measure my meat and buy certain types of meat with the idea of "fat reduction" and "prevention of fatty liver". This is making me eat more healthy and helping my liver recover from everything it has been through the last few weeks. The nutritionist is a registered dietican at a local hospital. She monitors my herbal supplements to assure none of what I am taking is exceeding what is documented as safe. Keeping the diary is tough at first, but every week we evaluate what I am doing right as well as wrong to keep my liver as healthy as possible. By the way, my insurance company pays for her services. It is well worth it. This is the week the doctor ok'd me to start exercising again. I am starting off slowly as advided bc I still have some residual right sided abdominal pain from those high elevations. I am also staying stress free. After the inital shock of diagnosis of hep C, I cried for many nights. Also during the times the liver enzymes were elevated, I suffered from severe insomnia. I was prescribed "Lunesta" sleeping pills which did not a thing for me!!! I watched the clock turn all night after taking it. Also an important thing to do with Hep C is weigh daily. The nutritionist said get up, pee, and get on the scale. Keep accurate weights on the same scale every single day. Any two to three pound weight gain with edema or abdominal tenderness or ascites, catch it quick and call doctor immediately. My doctor gave me lasix to take on a PRN basis only (as Needed only). I am learning about stress reduction as my next step for recovery. We are using meditation and reading educational books. Also listening to light music before bed. I have never been a person to put a lot of faith in herbal medicine until now. The results are extraordinary so far. My doctor said in 7 1/2 weeks I have the same viral load response as someone who has taken interferon and ribavirin for 3 months. I was told it was a two fold response. I am not sure what that means but the liver specialist said it was a "two-fold" response on aggressive treatment. I CANNOT explain what has happen to me or what has not happen to me. I know I have acute Hep C . I know I did not take Interferon and Ribavirin. I have learned how to respect my body and give it the ingredients to keep it healthy instead of harming my body. I do not drink. I do not smoke. I learned what to purchase at the store to treat my liver right. For example, I now buy ground round meat instead of ground beef which has much more fat and hurts my liver but putting excess fat in it which can result in fatty liver disease. My nutritionist was the best order my doctor has given me thus far. She has taught me how to keep my liver healthy and taught me stress reduction techniques. She taught me how to observe, read, and understand what the labels on food products are trying to tell me, and it taught me by me caring about what I am putting into my body, my whole family will benefit from this practice. I wish you Sarah and Jeff best of luck.. .. If you were recently diagnosed with ACUTE HEP C maybe you can give what I have done a try. I was told initially I had a 10-12% of my own immune system clearing this deadly virus. The doctor feels by me taking care of my liver with herbal medications, proper diet, exercise, and stress reduction, I might have increase that chance of reecovery completely to maybe 25% or even a little bit higher than that. If you guys have had a diagnosis of chronic hep C the herbal meds have proven to minimize the liver damage and healthy iet and education can only help you not hurt you. I was told that SOMEONE HIGHER UP IS DICTATING MY PLAN OF CARE. I BELIEVE IT!!!! No one can explain why I am doing so well, I can.... I have faith in my doctors, my nutritionist, my family, and myself. I believe I can do it. A good attitude and faith help you deal with this difficult cross you were given to carry. Wish you guys all the luck. I wish there was a way we could all talk about our issues. I am in the New Orleans area. What about you guys???

[Jeff Boggs]

Charlene, Are you interested in selling your 5 gallons of Mesosilver. I've nearly gone through my first gallon and will probably continue with more. Let me know, Jeff

[oleredRN0809]

Charlene,
I also am a RN, I must have gotten this from a needle stick, because I do not have any other type exposure, but, I have it, and I have it alone. My husband left-fear I think, but anyway, he's gone-I do have a 13 year old daughter still at home and it's tough. I'm in the Grand Bay, AL arae (on the MS state line) and most of my family are between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. I have not tried Interferon (for fear), but the Meso Silver has helped. My fatique has lessened and I've been on the MesoSilver for a couple of years now. I had a 94 million viral load (everybody at MesoSilver said they had not heard of this before) I tested through LabCorp. I have not re-tested, because money is tight and with the husband, he took his insurance, but if you want to Email me direct, it's olered0809@yahoo.com I be gald to talk
Gail

[charleneb]

Hello Jeff,
Its Charlene. I would be happy to sell you my 5 gallon bottle of Mesosilver. Please email me all of info Name Address and phone number. I have received wonderful news. My viral load came back undetected. I was told to be cautiously optomistic. I am so excited. Dr.Balart and his associates say it for sure a "Acute Hepatitis C" I got exposed end of Jan 2007. Enzymes elevated 3/8/07. I got sick and almost died 4/4/07-4/11/07. Due to me getting so ill in April it actually benefited me. 5/24/07 viral load was 10,300 which was significant drop from 1,280,000 on 3/27/07. The retest viral load was 6/25/07 and it came back <50 which is undetectable. I took NO INTERFERON OR RIBAVIRIN. I did a lot of praying. Diet control with a dietician and kept track of the herbal supplements I consumed which was anti-oxidant vitamins from Smootie King the bottle said IMMUNE BUILDER and 1000 mg silymarin milk thistle. I take 2 capsules in the am and two in the pm. I eat 1450 cal diet a day with 60 gm protein restriction. Only 6 oz of meat a day and low fat always. I have to have three negative viral loads 6 months apart. I am so very lucky. I only got the first viral load back last week. I still have soreness to right upper quadrant of my abdomen but day by day it is much better. EMAIL me and send you phone number I would love to speak to you and GAil the other nurse that wrote in. We all need to support each other. I opened the Meso silver and used only 15cc out of the bottle. It was sealed tightly after that about 4 weeks ago. I would love to sell it to you if interested. I still have the original box and everything to make it easier to send to you. Trust me, I am a nurse. It is sealed tightly and when I removed the 15 cc only dose I took, I used a sterile syringe I bought from the drug store. I will give you a great deal on it. I cannot take it with only one kidney and now it appears I do not need to use it.

[charleneb]

Hello Jeff,
Its Charlene. I would be happy to sell you my 5 gallon bottle of Mesosilver. Please email me all of info Name Address and phone number. I have received wonderful news. My viral load came back undetected. I was told to be cautiously optomistic. I am so excited. Dr.Balart and his associates say it for sure a "Acute Hepatitis C" I got exposed end of Jan 2007. Enzymes elevated 3/8/07. I got sick and almost died 4/4/07-4/11/07. Due to me getting so ill in April it actually benefited me. 5/24/07 viral load was 10,300 which was significant drop from 1,280,000 on 3/27/07. The retest viral load was 6/25/07 and it came back <50 which is undetectable. I took NO INTERFERON OR RIBAVIRIN. I did a lot of praying. Diet control with a dietician and kept track of the herbal supplements I consumed which was anti-oxidant vitamins from Smootie King the bottle said IMMUNE BUILDER and 1000 mg silymarin milk thistle. I take 2 capsules in the am and two in the pm. I eat 1450 cal diet a day with 60 gm protein restriction. Only 6 oz of meat a day and low fat always. I have to have three negative viral loads 6 months apart. I am so very lucky. I only got the first viral load back last week. I still have soreness to right upper quadrant of my abdomen but day by day it is much better. EMAIL me and send you phone number I would love to speak to you and GAil the other nurse that wrote in. We all need to support each other. I opened the Meso silver and used only 15cc out of the bottle. It was sealed tightly after that about 4 weeks ago. I would love to sell it to you if interested. I still have the original box and everything to make it easier to send to you. Trust me, I am a nurse. It is sealed tightly and when I removed the 15 cc only dose I took, I used a sterile syringe I bought from the drug store. I will give you a great deal on it. I cannot take it with only one kidney and now it appears I do not need to use it. My email address is billysr@cox.net. Gail if you are reading this too email me too. Thanks you guys!!!!

[charleneb]

Well, everyone, I tested negative non-detectable on my third Qualitative HCV by PCR Quest Hepatitis test. It has been several months since inital diagnosis(3/27/07) I have been sick for about 14 weeks and now well for almost the same. I initially tested negative 6/24/07. Every month I test I still sweat bullets. My Doctor said he has had patients test negative and then 10 months later be positive again. I am curious to know what time frame and repeat testing until I am considered Hep free. I was told about 18 months. Does that sound about right??? The doctor said I will experience repeat testing for 12-18 months then at the 18th month of negative tests I will be considered Hepatitis C free and cleared. My question is...... Is this like Cancer??? Do I go into a remission and then 10 years or 5 years later I pop up Hep C positive again??? Or am I free and clear after the 18 month mark??? Yes, I was very fortunate to have "Acute Hepatitis C" I was told it is very rare to have Acute Hep C. It is also very rare <6% to clear it. I also was told my a colleague that somewhere in Europe 150 woman were infected with contaminated Rhogam. He read in the study that nearly 1/3 of those women actually cleared the virus resulting in an attitude not to treat initially Acute Hep C with Interferon and Ribavirin. When I was diagnosed both speciallist wanted to immediately put me on Interferon and Ribavirin from jump start. Had I taken it and cleared the virus, they study would have never known I was going to clear it anyway. I thank God everyday I chose not to take the treatment and that I am non-detectable. I fear had I taken the treatment 3/27, I had gotten very ill 4/2-4/11 almost in failure, I would have knocked out my immune system and may not be hefre today. All I can advise you people is to read, read read!!! Educate yourself, educate, educate. and go with your gut feeling ALWAYS!!!! Eat nutritious foods, practice neutrpenic precautions, and read before you jump into therapy.