Dear Thomas,
Thanks for starting this community. To just see so many people who have accidentally discovered that they are Chronic Hep B infected assures me that I am not the only one out there.
Here is my story,
I am 34 years old and I am from Nepal. I had been having kidney stones in the past but it would flush out on their own. This time around the stone was bigger than usual and I was suggested to get a small process done to remove the stone. In pre-operative tests, my Hepatitis B results came positive. It was very difficult for me to comprehend first because the Hospital in which I was being treated, refused to operate for the stone and asked me to get a detailed check-up done.
Medical facilities are not well developed in Nepal. So, I had to travel to India. I was fortunate to find a very good Hepatologist. She ordered some tests such as HBV DNA, HBeAg, HBeAB, Liver Ultra Sound, Liver Function Tests, and Lipid Profile to understand the status of my infection. I had Negative Antigen, Positive Antibody but my Viral Load came out to be 39,900 IUs/ml. My liver also showed minimal fat accumulation. Liver Function was mostly normal with ALT at 30.
While she wanted to start the therapy, she didn’t seem confident if it was required immediately. Hence, she ordered an MRI (MR Elastogram) to quantify the FAT and to check for any scarring or fibrosis. My FAT was at 2.8%, and KPA value was at 2.11. It seemed normal. However, there was a tiny nodule of 6.4 mm which the radiologist deemed benign. Hence, she concluded that a therapy was not required immediately despite higher Viral Load. She has asked me to repeat some tests every 6 months and meet her after an year.
I have felt extremely low since then. Sometimes I just cry when no one is around me. I have kept this to myself and my immediate family. I have adopted a very healthy lifestyle, but at the back of my mind, I am always thinking about the viral load and the havoc it may be raging on my Liver. I am still not confident if not starting therapy right now is the right decision. Its just been one month since the episode but I am still not getting the courage to work at my full potential. Lately, i have been feeling slight discomfort in the right side of my body just below the ribs. Hopefully, I will have it checked soon. Maybe its just in my mind.
With all the positive messaging here, maybe I will be able to lead a productive life.
Regards,
PS. I am not sure if this is the right way to post, but I am unable to understand how to create a separate post.