I received a second opinion and was told I am positive for hep C antibodies... am I currently infected?
I was diagnosed 3 years ago..my viral load was 360,000...genotype 1...no scarring all my liver testing and such was good. My question is I had a second opinion at Ohio State University Wexner. That test too was positive for hep C antibodies? Do I HAVE hep C... no one from 2 hospitals have offered me a "cure"? Is it because i told them i smoke pot daily, or because I'm on medicaid...one nurse commented..."drugs" had gotten me in this mess... any info will be appreciated... have a blessed week.
Hi Pm61, thank you for posting and sharing your situation with us. I hope your appointment with that nurse wasn't uncomfortable or you walked away feeling judgment. An antibodies test is positive if you've been infected at some point in time with hep C. To confirm if you have hep C presently, you'd need to take another test to confirm the viral load. Even if you've undergone treatment for hep C, you will test positive for hep C antibodies. You can read more about testing here.
If you need additional support with your test results, considering calling Help-4-Hep. They are a free peer counseling network for people living with hep C, and can be reached at 877‑435‑7443 from 9am-9pm EST. Let us know your updates? -Matt (Team Member)I think that you need to go to your primary health care provider and ask them to refer you to a provider that specializes in hepatitis C. Or just Google infectious disease doctors in your area and calling and asking. I’m not sure why they don’t seem to be helping you. I was just diagnosed and referred to an infectious disease doctor. She is giving me more testing and figuring out which medication will be best to treat me. I am currently also on Medicaid. That should not make a difference. I’m so sorry but it sounds like you’ve dealt with some pretty judgemental nurses. I hope this helps.
