Pediatric Heptologists

Uggh. I woke up with a very nasty cold - which unfortunately coincided with my working a few extra days to cover someone's vacation at work. Ariel has been staying at home with the kiddos. I really hate having to work with a cold...partially because I really just want to stay in bed and partially because I really should not be around a lot of our immune compromisde patients. We have a small department, however, and if I am out sick there really isn't anyone to cover me. I just wear a face mask and wash my hands constantly. My cold gave me an excuse to just come home and sit down (well, and study ear, nose, and throat disorders) - the dishes are going to sit dirty in the sink for now. We watched a Japanese Anime movie called Sprited Away - we were all totally transfixed. I thought it might be a little scary, but the kids were fine.
We also went to see a pediatric hepatitis specialist for the girls yesterday. I didn't even know if they would treat kids with Hep C - but it turns out she will. Whenever we are ready, we can start the treatment. Unfortunately, the treatment is an interferon shot once a week for an entire year - plus monthly labs to monitor progress. I am not thrilled about starting the girls on such a treament, but the Dr. said that they handle the treatment much better than adults with the added bonus that treating it when they are young would mean that they may never suffer liver damage. I have a couple of patients who get interferon (it is a type of chemo), and they said it makes them feel like they have the flu for a couple days after each shot. The alternative is not great either - that they might get sick enough to have liver failure and could need a transplant. Luckily, she was totally supportive of us waiting a bit longer until we feel ready - and maybe the girls could understand a bit better.