Hepatitis C Support Group
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.
so im not really sure where to start.. about a month ago, i applied for a job which asked me to do a standard medical test.. i felt FINE the only thing i was worried about was testing positive for thc.. it never occurred to me to worry about what else they might find in my blood.. my blood test results came back positive for hepatitis c virus.. since i tested positive for thc as well, my parents made me go see a psychiatrist to help me quit (this is not my first time to get caught doing drugs / have a relapse) and stay clean since my health really depends on it.. my psychiatrist diagnosed me with borderline personality disorder..
i'm not sure how i feel.. have genotype 1 (not sure if it's 1a or 1b didn't know there were subtypes of genotypes till I got home need to ask my dr!) meaning my treatment's going to take 48 weeks.. my parents are frustrating me by asking me to get a second and third opinion.. what exactly am i getting an opinion on? it's been confirmed by 2 dr's that i have hepatitis c, and they both said since the virus is still dormant, treatment is preferable but optional.. so what exactly is it that i'm getting another opinion on? its the same freakin treatment all over the world they're not understanding how frustrating it is to be dragged from dr to dr.. they also don't seem to understand that i'm 24 years old im not a child i can make my own dr's appointments... i hate that they keep scheduling appointments for me without even consulting me first and then getting upset when i dont want to go.. and when i try to talk, i get a "your borderline personality disorder is getting the best of you.. you need to think positive" this is all making me crazy! i mean do i not have a right to be frustrated?
it feels like no one understands.. my family gets upset when i'm negative.. my friends get upset when i get negative.. they don't understand that for someone who's been battling substance abuse for over a decade, quitting EVERYTHING cold turkey over night is not easy.. having borderline personality disorder makes it that much harder to control my impulses.. i dont need anyone belittling me or getting angry at me for being "negative".. on the subject of my friends.. i feel so alone. its like no one wants to put up wth me because i'm sick, because i'm sober, or because i'm struggling! my friends will find an hour or two for me here and there for the sake of saying that they're here for me but am i being paranoid when i feel like its not really enough or when i feel like they're just forcing themselves to find time for me because i've recently been diagnosed and they feel sorry for me but its only a matter of time before they abandon me?
i could really use some advice on how to cope with all this.. i just keep getting angry, i lock myself into my room and cry myself to the point of wanting to really hurt myself and i just don't see my situation getting any easier.. i'm terrified of starting treatment, and everyone and everything is making me extra sensitive.. the irony of the whole situation: the night before i got diagnosed was the 3rd yr anniversary of my bf's suicide.. i cried myself to sleep thinking "if ur out there and can here me, wherever u are, i know ur not god and don't have this kinda power but if u do, kill me.. kill me now and make it quick and painless".. 4 hrs later i was diagnosed with hep.c and all i could think was "i said quick and painless!! this is NOT quick and painless!!" so yeah.. advice?
i'm not sure how i feel.. have genotype 1 (not sure if it's 1a or 1b didn't know there were subtypes of genotypes till I got home need to ask my dr!) meaning my treatment's going to take 48 weeks.. my parents are frustrating me by asking me to get a second and third opinion.. what exactly am i getting an opinion on? it's been confirmed by 2 dr's that i have hepatitis c, and they both said since the virus is still dormant, treatment is preferable but optional.. so what exactly is it that i'm getting another opinion on? its the same freakin treatment all over the world they're not understanding how frustrating it is to be dragged from dr to dr.. they also don't seem to understand that i'm 24 years old im not a child i can make my own dr's appointments... i hate that they keep scheduling appointments for me without even consulting me first and then getting upset when i dont want to go.. and when i try to talk, i get a "your borderline personality disorder is getting the best of you.. you need to think positive" this is all making me crazy! i mean do i not have a right to be frustrated?
it feels like no one understands.. my family gets upset when i'm negative.. my friends get upset when i get negative.. they don't understand that for someone who's been battling substance abuse for over a decade, quitting EVERYTHING cold turkey over night is not easy.. having borderline personality disorder makes it that much harder to control my impulses.. i dont need anyone belittling me or getting angry at me for being "negative".. on the subject of my friends.. i feel so alone. its like no one wants to put up wth me because i'm sick, because i'm sober, or because i'm struggling! my friends will find an hour or two for me here and there for the sake of saying that they're here for me but am i being paranoid when i feel like its not really enough or when i feel like they're just forcing themselves to find time for me because i've recently been diagnosed and they feel sorry for me but its only a matter of time before they abandon me?
i could really use some advice on how to cope with all this.. i just keep getting angry, i lock myself into my room and cry myself to the point of wanting to really hurt myself and i just don't see my situation getting any easier.. i'm terrified of starting treatment, and everyone and everything is making me extra sensitive.. the irony of the whole situation: the night before i got diagnosed was the 3rd yr anniversary of my bf's suicide.. i cried myself to sleep thinking "if ur out there and can here me, wherever u are, i know ur not god and don't have this kinda power but if u do, kill me.. kill me now and make it quick and painless".. 4 hrs later i was diagnosed with hep.c and all i could think was "i said quick and painless!! this is NOT quick and painless!!" so yeah.. advice?
Also, keep in mind your best shot at a "cure" is believed to be the first treatment you take. If that treatment is ended early for physical or mental reasons (including drug or alcohol abuse), the virus will have a chance to mutate to a inteferon resistant strain.
Get under the care of a good counsler first. Many of us have had Hep c for 30 years undectected and still treated successfully. You have time if you use it wisely.
Welcome to DS.......you will find tons of support and this place has saved me. I also am 1a type and i had a history of some drug abuse in the 80's........ HepC and drug abuse usually do go together in some form or fashion although some people have gotten the virus by transfusions and what not.
Regardless, you are here and we are here for you...........
If you would like, read my journal. I am on on week 22 and i have been pretty thorough since day 1.It will help give you sn idea what to expect when treatment starts.
Good Luck in your journey to smash this dragon........
As far as your parents...are you living with them? If so, that's probably why there are so involved in your medical care situation - because they see you on a daily basis and it's hard for parents to just quit parenting. As a mother of 3 adult sons and 2 adult step-children, I can say that it appears that your parents are simply very concerned about you and they are trying to do what they can to help -- even though it feels like a pain in the butt from your side of the coin. Please try to be patient with them and eventually they will back off.
As far as a 2nd opinion...it NEVER hurts to get a 2nd opinion and that 2nd opinion would be to see if the 2nd doctor agrees about the "do treatment or don't do treatment" advice. Have you had a liver biopsy to determine if you have any liver damage? If not, the 2nd doctor might suggest it. Determining whether or not your liver has any damage plays a huge part in whether or not a person needs to start treatment sooner rather than later...or not at all.
There is no reason to rush into a second opinion or into treatment, but you must continue to have your Hep C monitored at regular intervals (whatever is suggested by your doc) rather than sweeping it under the rug.
A person's mental status also plays a part in whether or not to do treatment. Treatment meds can cause depression so it would not be wise to start treatment if you are already in a fragile mental state from other issues in life. My doc made me delay treatment for 3 months because I was stressed about my son going through cancer treatments...he was a smart doc to make me wait!
No one needs to know you have Hep C...if you haven't told your friends, they simply don't need to know unless you want them to know. Just be sure to take precautions by not sharing needles, razors, toothbrushes, etc. and if you have any cuts take care of them with bandaids, etc.
Hang in there!!
Wes.
God Bless and welcome!
Maybe your parents are trying to help because they feel helpless??! No one can really understand what your going through because they haven't been through it. Esp. not people our age they'll think your boring for being sober, when really its what is going to make you a stronger, healthier individual.
Maybe your parents are also in shock that you have HEPC, maybe thats the real reason they want another opinion. They need to cope with you having the disease, as you will need to cope with having the disease, which will take awhile.
Treatment is scary to think about, but once you start your nerves will start to go away. I have 1A and I have been cleared since week 15 and getting cleared is the best news ever, its worth all the sides of the meds! This is a great site to come to, make sure you do alot of reasearch on HCV and ask us any questions anytime!!
If all you get out of DS is the support you need, you will have left with a lot.
Please do your research. Find a good doctor. Get your moods stabilized. Sit your parents down and explain to them that 48 weeks on treatments is a hell of a commitment, and you need their support to get through it. Be honest, forthright, and informative. But before you can do that, you need to become an expert on HCV.
We are here for you.
don't want to believe you have Hep C and probably know
very little a bout it.
When I first found out I had it I was angry, scared and lost
The best way to put it, I was in a state of panic.
I had Hep C for at least 27 years and didn't know it.
it was very painless. There was no sign, of there being any thing
wrong. But with what I know now, there was signs, nothing
big enough for me to complain about.
One of the reason I had little liver damage was I stop doing drug
in 4/26/81 and stop drinking 6/29/84.
Hang in there
Then once everything got figured out, I would include my parents into the situation. Some thngs, you just gotta do on your own, especially if the people who are trying to help you are driving you crazy. I'm sure your parents love you and all that jazz, but sometimes love can be a hendering if you catch my drift.
Just get it figured out on your own time, explain to your parents that this is ultimately your responsibility and until you get all the particulars smoothed out, you would appreciate them laying off a little bit. They can't force you to do anything and you shouldn't alienate them. But if you can convince them that this is something you need to do for yourself,t you got yourself into this mess and you feel it is your responsibility now to fix it. But that you will include them in your doing tx.... That is what I would do.
I know what you are going through. The guy that gave me hep c, died almost two years ago and we did so much cocaine together, we could have killed 30 elephants, but after he died, I got off of it and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I did it and his death still haunts me but I have found other things to live for, as will you.
Just because a few chapters in your life (shitty chapters they may have been) have ended, doesn't mean your life has ended. Other people may not "get you", they may not ever be able to understand the dynamics of what you are going through, that is why sometimes you just have to suck it up and do it on your own.
Life doesn't end when people you love pass on, nor does it end when horrible things come upon you like hep c. Life goes on and you will find other things to live for, but the most important reason you have to live for.... Is you....
welcome to dailystrength! it's a wonderful place for support, help and information.
you've been given excellent advice! we're all here to help ya the best we can.
you said the docs said the virus was dormant? does that mean you have the antibodies but the virus is not doing damage? i thnk that's what it means? not sure though?
if the virus is dormant then perhaps your body is getting rid of it right now...they say that 15% of the people who get this virus clear it on their own without treatment.
if i were you i'd do research on what the statistics show in regards to hep c in the dormant state then progressing to active phase...or something like that? i mean, what if you're one of the lucky ones in the 15% who clear without treatment? maybe you just need to be monitored closely to see what the virus does?
maybe these are question you can ask your doctors? or maybe somebody on here will know?
one more thing about treatment: it's going to make you insane, crazy and spazzed out! i'm a pretty calm person normally but went absolutely nuts in treatment. it was scarey! in the circular the comes with the meds it says that some of the contraindication are suicide and homicide. so before you start treatment you need to be watched closely by a psychiatrist.
there's still lots of questions that need to be answered before you start treatment just take it one day at a time. go online and find out all you can about the dormant phase, etc etc et.
lots of hugs for ya, q
Please, remember that everyone responds differently. Read my journals. I'm one of the LUCKY ones. So is MartyTx.
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Get your ducks in a row and when you're ready to commit, go for it. That's why you need to do a lot of research and come to DS for encouragement and support.