Hi,

My name is Sally, I am 43 years old, and  live in Virginia. I have been married for 15 wonderful years to a man that is kind, patient, and caring. When my husband, Tony, was tested for the Hepatitis C virus his results came back negative. I thought I might have got the virus from him, because he received a blood transfusion in 1975 in one of the worst hospitals in New York. He also got a tattoo (wouldn't you know, it's a dragon) in the Philippine's during his old Navy days, and was injected with the military airgun on numerous occasions. I am so grateful that he does not have Hepatitis C and I thank God for this everyday!

Together, we have raised 2 wonderful children, Jennifer is15 years old, and Michael just turned 12. My son has been tested forHepatitis C and his results were negative. Two years ago, he had to have a routine bloodtest so I thought it would be a good time to have him checked. Next time my daughter needs a blood test, I will have her tested. They are good kids, making good grades in school, and are both very active in numerous sports..

My best friend is Lucky, he is my 7 year old Dalmatian. He took care of me during my 48 weeks of therapy. He knew when I was not feeling well, and would lay down next to me to help comfort me. It's like he understood that I was sick...

Once I started all the routine blood tests with my Gastroenterologist, I seemed to have all the predictors of responding to treatment. The first one, being a female around the age of 40. I was 41 when I started treatment. My first viral load test (PCR) revealed I had 178,000 vicrons per ml.of blood. This was a very low count! My second PCR test, right before I started therapy was even lower, measuring in at 168,000. My biopsy result was excellent! Knodell's score equals a total of 3 out of a possible maximum score of 22. Piecemeal necrosis equals a 1, interlobular necrosis equals 0, portal inflammation equals a 1, and fibrosis equals another 1. The next big test was to find out my genotype. Since genotype 1a and 1b is most prevelent in the United States, I thought this test would reveal that I was that genotype. To my surprise, I was a genotype 2b. Genotype 2's are one of easier genotypes to treat. Also, when I started high induction therapy, I was negative <100 copies by week 4. The earlier you go negative with the virus, the better the chance of becoming a sustained responder. So, as you can see, I did have all the predictors of responding to treatment...

 This is a little about me and my family. I hope you have enjoyed my web site and come back soon to visit...