That explains it...

About three weeks ago, I was driving to DC to see a friend. We had gone to HS together, and after many years reconnected. Our kids get along and our husbands do, too. I was driving with the kids on a Wednesday evening. I had worked that day at the hospital and after lunch started feeling kind of "yucky". I was having some nondescript pain in the abdomen. I was determined to go to DC. So, after the kids had their swim lessons that evening, we set sail. I wasn't hungry--in fact, the thought of eating turned my stomach. I started on the journey around 7 pm. I figured we would arrive at my friend's house around 11 pm.

The pain would come and go and nausea would accompany it. I finally made it to a Starbucks because I was so tired that I needed coffee. It was around 9 pm. The kids were great but it was taking all I had to keep my composure. After getting our beverages, we climbed in the car. I was in so much pain at this point that I broke out in a sweat. The thought of coffee made me feel even worse but I knew I was so tired that I couldn't drive on without caffeine. I finally decided that I had to stay in a hotel for the night. I just needed to lie flat. I booked a room across the street. The kids understood that I was not feeling well. I turned on the TV and let them watch cartoons while I concentrated on not throwing up. I just stayed perfectly still on the other bed. Eventually, I fell asleep around 11 pm but was awoken with a horrible feeling around midnight. It hit me-I was about to throw up. Luckily, I made it to the trash can. I soon felt a little better but was exhausted. I fell asleep.

About a year ago my husband and I hosted a dinner party. We love to cook and entertain and wine is always part of that. But after that dinner while I was cleaning the kitchen, I told my husband that I felt like I was going to throw up and needed to lie down. I assumed that I had drunk too much wine. It took about two hours for the pain to go away. Was that the beginning for me?

I used to work as a phlebotomist years ago when I was in college. I did have an incident where I was stuck with a needle. The year was 1991 or 1992. At the time I remember thinking "that didn't break the skin. I'll be all right." I know now that they couldn't have tested me for Hep C back then anyway. Was that my exposure?

I was married before, too, and between marriages I did have unprotected sex with two different men (not during the same time period however). One of the guys had done cocaine in the past but said he never shot up. Now, I wonder if he had it and my exposure came from there. I will never know where this came from.

So, this is my new blog. I will write about my experiences and feelings. I don't want this to consume me but I am feeling the effects of having a "worried mind." It will be good to put my thoughts down.

Oh, I never made it to DC that week. I woke up the next day, showered and drove home. I made an appointment with my family practice doctor. He ordered an ultrasound for the next morning which showed no stones. Up to that point, he (an well as I) was convinced my gall bladder was to blame. I had liver enzymes drawn and my ALT and AST were elevated. Nothing else was high. A few days later I had my blood re-drawn and the enzymes were even higher. I checked it out on the web, along with my symptoms, and everything pointed to Hepatitis C (HCV). So, a few days later when I was in the doctor's office to discuss the results and a plan I asked him if he thought it could be chronic hepatitis C. He said I didn't fit the group that gets it. I asked him to check it out and a few days later I found out I had antibodies to hepatitis C. I had gone to DC on the weekend (I was feeling better by then) and he called my house on a Sunday to give me the news. My husband called my cell phone and I called the doctor back at his house to get the results. He was shocked but deep down I had felt like I knew it for a couple of weeks. He drew a RNA/viral load and it was 8228. When I read the symptoms of Hep C on line, I just knew that was what I had. I am so glad I mentioned it to the doctor.

I am now waiting to hear from the gastroenterologist's office to see when I will have my consultation. I am anxious to get that meeting going. I haven't told my family or my husband's family. I want a few more answers and a plan before I go down that route. I know they will have a lot of questions and right now, I don't have the answers.