Hepatitis B Support Group

I was born in China and somehow contracted this disease when I was a kid. I remember how freaked out my mom was and how much pain my condition caused her. I also remember how she took me all around China to those so called "miracle doctors" that promised a cure in their special medicine. None of which worked of course. My parents kept my condition secret as I think many Chinese families often do since people with Hepatitis are greatly discriminated against in China. Since no one really talks about my condition in my family, most of the time I don't even think about having hepatitis and then there are times where I curse my life and my disease. I then immigrated to America with my mother and re-united with my father who was here illegally but acquired legal status through court. It was not until I am in America that I found out so many of my relatives actually have this disease. Just off the top of my head, I know three relatives of mine and one friend of my mother's that have this.

I'm fortunate that I don't display any symptoms of the disease. I try to workout five times a week and constrain myself from unhealthy foods. Since I don't have medical insurance like so many first generation immigrants from my region of China, I don't go in to get tested. The last hepatitis B test I had was done when I went back to visit my relatives in China two years ago. They were talking in Chinese medical terms so I did not fully understand what they were talking about but I believe that my liver hasn't suffered any damage.

Since then, I haven't really thought much about my condition and focused on school and got my bachelors last year. I started thinking more about hepatitis when I considered about going back to school to get a degree in Nursing and work as a nurse. I met with a counselor couple weeks ago and, for the first time in my life, I told someone that I had hepatitis. My voice was shaking when I told her. I really was hoping her to say that hepatitis B students are eligible to enroll and become a nurse but she did not. She didn't know if someone with hepatitis B could enroll so she gave me the contacts to a person in the nursing department. I e-mailed her and her response was this: "Our requirements from our clinical agencies state that students must be free of infectious disease. We will require a physical examination and statement from the health care provider that you are able to meet the physical requirements and are free of infection." The response shatter my hope of becoming a RN. I really thought that someone with hepatitis B could work as a RN.

Thanks for reading. I just want to write since I don't have anyone to talk to about my condition. Talking to my parents is too painful since my mom tends to get teary-eyes anytime I mention that I have hepatitis. Maybe someone could help me out with my nursing degree situation? I do remember hearing about people with Hepatitis B and working as a nurse.
Posted on 06/18/09, 06:06 pm