I think I have
had hep "C" for at least 15 years the best I can
figure.
The name DRSLETMEDOWN came from the following :
I had been to various doctors over the last 15 years trying
to do what we all are told to do ! get yearly checkups so
if something is wrong you will catch it early.
I had blood work done everytime & always said I want you
to check for everything.
I had alot of weird things going on over this time period
& was always left with the feeling that the good ol doc
didn't take much of it too seriously.
I have GERD, acid reflux & take prilosec daily, Had to
get on blood pressure medication, Had alot of back & joint
pain that was always eluded to as well your getting some arthritis
it's common for that to happen in your 40's attitude.
I had had some major cramping & diarrhea, & then panic
attacks & waking up feeling like someone had put a pillow
over my head, & couldn't sleep well ect. tossed &
turned all night.
Got the feeling from the doctors that they just thought it
was in my head.
I started taking zanax & it seemed to make things better
it took off that edgy feeling.
In November of 2001 my dr. didn't like my ast & alt's
so he had me do the hep test & that's when I found out
I had it & my nightmare began.
HOW, WHY, WHEN, all those questions you ask yourself.?
I have been married 18 years, true to my wife, no tattoos.
no piercings, didn't do iv drugs ect.
So I went & pulled all my medical records from the last
15 years from all the doctors I had seen plus records from
the hospital 2 different ones I had been in for kidney stones
& disk probs in my neck & back & to my surprise
every single time anyone had done blood work during that time
it had always been out of the normal range but I was never
once told. (More than twice the level that got this doc's
attention)
If I had known I would never have had another beer, instead
I drank for those 15 years beer regularly I liked my beer.
That of course as we all know now is like putting gasoline
on a fire.
I have had it up to my ears with drs that have no bed side
manner all they do is try to save the HMO's money. I am on
my wifes group insurance company & we pay over $400.00
a month for family coverage & when you use it you feel
like you are a welfare patient. Cigna is who we have now &
out of a provider book that is small to begin with 200 doctors
in that book aren't taking new patients & I had been on
a waiting list with one of them that I know is a great dr.for
6 months he called & said I now could see him,called Cigna
they said sorry no can do we froze the panel of drs that he
is affiliated with & would not explain any more than that.
So that eliminated another 48 drs. out of the provider book.
If we would use the ppo version which is $800.00 a month we
would have more choices.
The prescription drug company they use Caremark where you
mail in your prescriptions re filled my prescription that
they had already filled once & that had 2 more refills
with a totally different medication & said they had ask
my dr if they could change it & it wasn't even the generic
form just totally something different.
SOOOOOOOO ENOUGH OF THAT !!!!!!!!!!!!NO MORE PITTY PARTY
Good thing is all my lab work is in the normal ranges, I haven't
drank in 17 months ( YEA FOR ME )
I am geno type 1a which doesn't have a good response rate
so I am not treating now.
My sonogram looked fine.
I have not had the biopsy which I know is the test that tells
the truth but knowing my geno type, & knowing that for
15 years I drank beer daily I don't see the use.
My gastro justs wants to do all the labs yearly at this point.
As someone that has had time to catch my breath & inform
myself about this disease I am not in the least worried about
it anymore I am going to live one day at a time.
Trust in the Lord he has the final say in everything.
Ask, ASK, & ASK Again, you will find that you will learn
in a short period of time what most drs. don't know about
hep c & when you do you will see a different attitude
from your dr. when he see's that you know what you are talking
about.
God bless each & everyone who reads this & please
feel free to re-post this post any & everywhere you can,
people deserve to know the truth.
Please check out my labor of love website to try & give
something back to the hepatitis community just click this
link.
HEP C SUPPORT
GROUP
E MAIL drsletmedown@aol.com
DRSLETMEDOWN
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