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.
My mom was diagnosed with Hep-C last year. Shortly after she was diagnosed with Cancer of her thyroid. She had her thyroid removed and the cancer was isolated in the thyroid (did not spread) the day after she found out she would be fine she found out her father had terminal cancer. She has not done anything to treat her Hep-C. She is ignoring that she has it. She is drinking alcohol still and this makes me so mad because she is not an alcoholic she could stop drinking but she is in denial of the Hep-C that she won't do anything to take care of herself. I am really worried about her she has been through a lot this year. She is the type of person that will take care of everyone BUT herself! Her father is still alive and I think taking care of him is putting more of a toll on her body. She is experiencing fatigue, anxiety, and depression. She is scared to start treatment for Hep-C since she learned that half the time it doesn't work. She said what is the point of going through treatment when it won't work, but if thats the case shouldn't she do other things to care for her liver? Such as not drinking any alcohol anymore? Any advice on how I can help my mother or how I can better understand the options would be greatly appreciated.
If she is scared of treatment, I suggest that she quits drinking asap, before it's too late cause any kind of treatment won't be available to her, if her liver is shut.
When she does quit the drinking, I suggest her getting a biopsy to see if she is eligible for treatment, if the damage to her liver is not too advance.
So tell her she should worry about not being eligible, due to the damage, she is adding every time she take a sip of alcohol.
What will be her option then....
In the meantime, if she does quit the drinking, she could start taking some Milk Thistle,at least her liver enzymes will go lower than they are right now.
This is my opinion, and an opinion only.
Good luck to her, and you are a great daughter to care so much for her. Keep us posted hunni.
Mckenzie one day at the time.
My heart hurts for you, your Mother & Grandfather. I know how hard all this is & when you think you can't deal anymore it is amazing what we can do. I still am blubbering over my Mother & Sister & now my only sister is about to go. I have tried to talk to her about drinking but she has to want to & it is too late for her liver.
Also have taken care of my Mother in law since 2001 when she had a stroke. My husband & I did it alone for 5 years. She is now in a nursing home because we can not do it anymore. She is paralyzed & it takes 3 people to move her.
I wish you the best, do not let the stress get to you, as you get older you will have a ton on you. I thought it was just my family ;) Take care of you is what everyone tells me. R I G H T !!!
Di
Dedada you have been through so much..I wish you the best and send prayers your way.
McKenzie - will make sure to tell my mom about the Milk Thistle. She has been to the doctor and the doctor told her she is eligable for treatment but she said she needed time to think it over and that was a year ago! So seriously enough time has passed! I am so frustrated!!!!!!!
it's so sad how your mother is behaving. next time she says "why do treatment if only 50% get better" tell her to start being positive and to think of herself as one of the 50% who do get well!
sounds like your mother has most likely been in this mindset her whole life. ask her if she'll stop drinking and at least take milk thistle. and you could tell her how much you love her and that this is hurting you to see her do this to herself cause you want her around for a long long time.
in the end, you can't make anybody do anything. it is impossible.
you sound so wonderful and loving. be sure that you take care of yourself. eat healthy and keep a positive mind set. make sure you don't borrow her razer or ever use her toothbrush!
sending you much love, q
Do you guys all recommend the treatment?
"Alcoholics who are infected with hepatitis C are more prone to develop cirrhosis. "
"alpha interferon." Encyclopdia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopdia Britannica Online. 21 Jan. 2009 .
alpha interferon. (2009). In Encyclopdia Britannica. Retrieved January 21, 2009, from Encyclopdia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/17132/alpha-interferon
I sent her an e-mail late last night and told her how I feel about all this and she told me that she cried when she read it and that she would be willing to try to stop drinking but that she is going to need my help in reminding her why she is doing this. She said that she loves me and that she promises to try.
No, your mom does not have to do tx; there are lots of people who are not doing tx for a variety of reasons. Some want to wait until there is something more kinder to the body, some tried tx and failed or relapsed so they are waiting for something new, and others just don't want to do tx.
Having hepatitis is not a death sentence, and if a person has no damage, they can easily postpone doing tx. This virus is slow progressing in many cases.
To set your mind at ease and better support and advise your mom, you need to know some info. What is her genotype, her stage and grade from her biopsy, and her viral load. Depending on her genotype, tx would be 24weeks or 48 weeks. If her stage and grade are showing little or no damage, then she could easily improve her diet and quit drinking and smoking to help her liver.
Sure, she can continue to drink but maybe if she understands that she is making her liver work harder, she may pass on a few of those glasses of wine. The liver is able to heal itself, but if it's doing its best to be fighting off the virus, why distract it with alcohol? As soon as I was dx, I quit drinking completely. Honestly, we don't need it and if your mom likes, I bet she can find some tasty non alcoholic beverages to enjoy.
It seems like your mom already has had health issues so you may want to get some info on a person doing tx and the effects if no thyroid. Maybe some people here can comment on that sort of issue.
Instead of stressing, which does nothing positive, take control and gather info for your attack on her to do tx if you feel it is the best thing for her. You may just find that it's quite OK for her to wait a bit, and you can relax.
Find out her genotype, stage, grade, and viral load. From there, you have a good starting point in your info gathering. You could change your tactic to suggest to her that if she does not see to at least trying to clear the virus, she may get too sick to be able to take care of her father. That statement may be just enough to get her thinking and taking her own health a bit more seriously.
By doing tx, she may have a 50% chance of clearing and remaining clear.
By not doing tx, she has a 100% chance of clearing.
Ask her which one has the better odds.
By not doing tx, she has 0% of clearing.