My Brother

[greginky]

My Older brother, he is 5 years older than me, was diagnosed with Hep C a couple months ago. So, he has finally given up dope which is good,  just a shame it took this dx to do it. He starts tx in a week or 2. He has been a needle junkie for almost 40 year, maybe longer.And to think, I only tried it a couple times and am in worse shape than him.  Thing is, his liver is in better shape than mine. I attribute that to my diabetes most likely. He doesn't own or know how to use a computer so I get on here and look stuff up for him. I tried to talk him out of tx since he is only F2 fibrosis, I tried to get him to wait, he is 60, he could probably get by without treating at all. I just want him to avoid Inf/Riba, but he wants to go. So everyone wish Steve good luck and I will let you know what happens with him.

[MidKnight]

Best of luck to your family. All of you.

[greginky]

Thanks MK, I hate to say it, but I bet after he starts that he wishes he had listened to me and waited for the new drugs

[Rattler]

I wish the best of luck to Steve, with hopefully minimal side effects.


My age is between you and your brother's.
I started my treatment as soon as I could after diagnosis.
Sure he could be lucky and live another healthy 20+ years but the risk of complications developing lurks around for every day of that 20+ years.
If he is lucky with treatment response he can get away with maybe just 24/28 weeks of treatment.
The riba/Int. drugs are heavy on the system, but, as has been mentioned on this site many times before, the inconvenience ('Hell') is a relatively small price to pay for the reward with cure...at any age.

[greginky]

Very true rattler,

[Rattler]

....just want to add  this cause I didn't make it clear in the last post...

yes, these new non-Interferon drugs sound great and hopefully will make the horrors of Int/Riba a thing of the past, but they are about 5 years away still, maybe 3/4 if you can get into trial.
However, those 5 years, between 60 and 65 years old are totally different from, say someone of 40 waiting to 45.
The body is slowing up a bit in all departments!

Let us all know how your brother gets on greginky.
Best of luck.

R.

[ScaredyCat]

Hi Greg-
Well, he is ready to move on with his life so it's understandable that he wants to treat.  Does he have support -besides you     

Is he set for 24 weeks?  Maybe he can do it.  I totally get your concern but doubt that he could go without tx forever.  Someone else on this site went from 1 to 4 fibrosis in a very short time and age doesn't help. 

You've got your hands full with yourself and him.  I do wish you persuade him to wait until you were finished.

Good luck to Steve!
 
SC

[banarep]

so sorry to hear about the diagnosis, but glad he has you as a resource.

[alice]

I am wishing Steve the absolute best of luck with his tx, Greg.

alice 

[greyrocker]

All the best to Steve, he's fortunate to have a tx guide through this...

GR

[ole44]

good luck with you brother,  if he is like my brother once he gets it in his head it like talking to a stump,so will just have to support him in his dragon slaying

[Hepper Joe]

Good luck to your brother he is lucky to have you helping him through this.
 
Joe

[Judith]

Steve, wishing you all the best during treatment!

[relay]

The very best of luck to Steve...
And a REAL BIG congrats to Steve on getting clean!!!

 
gabe

[New York Sue]

I also have a brother with hep c and has been an iv drug off and on for over 20 yrs.. Right now he's clean and wants to do tx also. His GI won't let him do tx until he's a year clean because of relapse issues. He's almost clean a yr. now, but I think it was a good idea. That's just my opinion.
                                                           Sue