I believe that the specialist will require as much info as he/she can before they decide what treatment would be best for you. The biopsy will tell them your stage and more. Make sure they plan to do an ultra sound the same day as the biopsy, and first. They can look at all your organs,ducts and portals. And they will be able to pinpoint the exact location of your liver for the biopsy. I wish there was some way you could get the appt for the specialist before Christmas. You might get some comfort in knowing your status. I think all the information gathering stage is the hardest, but then armed with the facts you can get on with what treatment that would be best for you. For me, I wanted to get it done during the winter months, so I could enjoy next summer outside. And while many people are trying various natural therapies, they are no proven cures yet. There are many who are cured with the modern medicine and have done with it within 11 months or less. I figure I'll try this approach and if it doesn't work, I'll try the natural way. But it is so I am going to continue. There are 3 types of responders to the medicine, sustained responders (the virus is gone after 12 months off therapy), relapsers (the virus goes but then comes back at a later date) or non-responders ( the medicine doesn't even work at all). You will know within 30 days if it is working with your first QUANTITATIVE blood test. The time and trouble of 5-11 months of treatment far outways the risk of waiting. I will help you as best I can to be positive about this. I want you to beat the virus. You are so young!
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I believe that the specialist will require as much info as he/she can before they decide what treatment would be best for you. The biopsy will tell them your stage and more. Make sure they plan to do an ultra sound the same day as the biopsy, and first. They can look at all your organs,ducts and portals. And they will be able to pinpoint the exact location of your liver for the biopsy. I wish there was some way you could get the appt for the specialist before Christmas. You might get some comfort in knowing your status. I think all the information gathering stage is the hardest, but then armed with the facts you can get on with what treatment that would be best for you. For me, I wanted to get it done during the winter months, so I could enjoy next summer outside. And while many people are trying various natural therapies, they are no proven cures yet. There are many who are cured with the modern medicine and have done with it within 11 months or less. I figure I'll try this approach and if it doesn't work, I'll try the natural way. But it is so I am going to continue. There are 3 types of responders to the medicine, sustained responders (the virus is gone after 12 months off therapy), relapsers (the virus goes but then comes back at a later date) or non-responders ( the medicine doesn't even work at all). You will know within 30 days if it is working with your first QUALITATIVE blood test. The time and trouble of 5-11 months of treatment far outways the risk of waiting. I will help you as best I can to be positive about this. I want you to beat the virus. You are so young!

The Interferon does not cause liver damage. It is a substance that we naturally produce to ward off infection. Given as an injection it serves to protect the liver cells that are still healthy. In combination with the pills, Ribivarin/Rebetol, which directly attack the virus the result is most succcessful. As for the blood count problem, it is true. While on therapy, my red blood count has dropped so I also take Procrit to stimulate bone marrow production. The white blood count also dropped, so you just have to be vigilent about hand washing, open cuts, etc. I have not gotten even a cold this winter so far. Both of these counts will correct after the therapy ends.

As for the biopsy, you cannot know the stage of your liver damage any other way. I was a stage 3 when I started and that is too close to cirrosis to mess around. I have had two biopsies in 15 years and they are not at all harmful. There are no side effects. It's an outpatient procedure, home the same day, one day of rest and no lifting for 5-7. The liver is the only organ which can make new cells. You could get in a car wreck, damage a half of it and it would rebuild, provided you didn't drown it in drugs and alcohol. The amount of tissue removed is so small it's staggering.I still believe that arming yourself with as much of your profile as you can get is the most helpful way to approach your particular treatment plan. But you are definately at risk. My quantitative whan I started was 301,000. That is very low.

I know that you are afraid to go forward and afraid to not do something. Been there. Don't want to die of liver failure either and it will happen. HepC is the greatest one cause of liver transplants and they aren't easy to find.

Hope this helps...