Hey, sorry to hear about your friend. I think the first thing to do is to start keeping records of doctors visits and all the printouts of blood test results. It gets confusing and it becomes easy to feel overwhelmed with all the numbers and information that doctors tend to rapidly throw at you. After that, look at the printouts and determine which specific genotype you're dealing with. I believe there are six main types, each with different sub-types. Once you get all that figured out, try searching the net and as many good Hep C forums as you can. See, some genotypes respond really well to conventional treatments; others not so well. Genotype 1a, for instance, can be cured outright. (Or so I've been told by several really competent doctors specializing in infectious diseases.) Your friend might also consider volunteering for drug trial studies conducted by the various pharmaceutical corporations. Doctors who work in hospitals in large cities would be able to give you the lowdown on this sort of information. But please be careful and use your best judgement though! I mean, obviously, there's plenty of reasons to use extreme caution around those sorts of people.... It's not saying much if the treatment is harmful or dangerous, but at the very least your friend won't have to pay for it. (With money, that is.) Most, if not all, drug trials are free. I know you said that your friend isn't at all interested in any sort of alternative treatment, but maybe you can convince them to open up to the idea. As just one idea off the top of my head, you might present your friend with a copy of "Primal Panacea" by Dr. Thomas Levy. (I just mentioned that particular book in another post, so it's fresh in my mind.) Maybe you can find a good naturopath in your area and ask your friend to just humor you with a visit.... Anyway, I wish you luck,
Paul