My mom got a letter from the health department today saying my lil brother has tested + for hepitis c. She called and told me because she knows i've used with him. She has not told him yet she was rather upset. My brother is now 21 been a addict since 15. I remember reading here before about some of "you guys" being hep c +. YEAH I have shared needles with my brother he was my room mate for a while. There was a time we shared needles on a daily. I do not know 4 sure when i was last test "i'm guessing they tested when i 1st got pregnant" i really don't know. In may 07 will be 2 years since i've shared a needle with him. Questions are how long would it take to show up? my brother is already having dark pee, side pain, yellow eyes, screwed up liver counts "how long would someone have it before getting those signs"?. Any suggestions on how my mom and i can tell him? I am going to call my doctor and get tested i'm worried if i passed it to my baby now. The letter my mom got said it can take 12-18 months to show in newborns. My brother still is a active addict. I'm thinking i may have missed the bullet because it has been so long since i shared a needle with him but if he already shows outward signs i just may well have this crap to.
Just what you need, honey.
Tres will come on and tell you everyhting. She's practically a Doctor. She comes on later, Herogirl.
O.K. I know this won't help, but in my heart of hearts I do not think you have it. I really don't. The baby don't have it. Of course you are going to worry out of your mind. Nothing you can do about it on the weekend.
How you doing otherwise? I am so sorry about your brother. Your poor mom must be worried sick as well. That's odd they sent something though for another person besides your brother to read. I'd say that's a breech of his privacy right there. Hmmmm, not sure how that works.
Hang on, babes. Someone will surely be on to help. Your baby is just fine. I know it. It's going to be O.K.
Tres will come on and tell you everyhting. She's practically a Doctor. She comes on later, Herogirl.
O.K. I know this won't help, but in my heart of hearts I do not think you have it. I really don't. The baby don't have it. Of course you are going to worry out of your mind. Nothing you can do about it on the weekend.
How you doing otherwise? I am so sorry about your brother. Your poor mom must be worried sick as well. That's odd they sent something though for another person besides your brother to read. I'd say that's a breech of his privacy right there. Hmmmm, not sure how that works.
Hang on, babes. Someone will surely be on to help. Your baby is just fine. I know it. It's going to be O.K.
Hi herogirl............Yup hep C positive here.........usually takes 6months after infected for it to show........sometime sooner......me ?, my partner was infected and despite an active sex life for two yrs i tested negative, then one night inour heroin stupor the dingbat <man now lives in a wigwam in w. va >picked up the wrong needle and hit me wiht his after he used it.......I was tested a week or so after that and was positive already...........there is a chance your brother contracted it in the past two yrs and you dont have it, but i would get tested right away...........I'm not sure how it works, but I would think that you should have been tested during your prenatal care, and the baby after being born. Of course you r worried sick, but everything may very well be ok......
Your brother on the other hand........is he still using? the fact that he is jaundice is not good.........but my doctor had told me that the pains in the side are not directly related to the hep...........I also get these at times and my liver levels have been ok............If you do test positive they will give you a liver biopsy and determine the extent of damage to your liver.........
Despite me using over a bundle a day at times and for a few yrs after being diagnosed, my liver still had minimal damage and my levels have been ok.......
I know many ppl who have done the interferon treatment and have tested negative for the virus after doing so..........This is not an option for me as the interferon is a tough one.........gives you flu like symptoms and makes you sick and i need to work cos if i dont there is no-one to pay my bills, and there r two genotypes of the disease, forget actually what type mine is, but I do know my genotype only has a 45% cure rate from the treatment compared to a 85-90% cure rate for the other genotype.......If I continue to take fairly good care of myself, hopefully it wont progress to much.........But i do live a completely sober lifestyle now.........I know that drinking can actually be more damaging than the drugs can <although one of my co-workers is a full blown alcoholic and has it and just told me her levels came back ok too.......so who knows>............and even though I had previously thought that because i was clean now i had nothing to worry about, my doctor has said that since its a virus regardless of living clean now it will still progess, although probably slower than if i was still using or drinking
You defintely need to tell your brother what you have found out and get him checked out. Hopefully he is stil not an active addict because I know many doctors will not even treat someone in active addiction.......
Hepatitis is a blood to blood contracted disease......it is common for a mother to be infected and still not pass it on to her children.........
also unllike the hiv virus which wil die upon air contact, the hep c virus can remain contagious for up to 48 hours........I am very careful when menustrating, and share no razors, nail clippers, and of course toothbrushes, basically anyting that could have been used to make me bleed.........I am certainly not a doctor <my bryn thinks way to highly of me, I'm a dip> All i can share is the knowledge i have gained since being diagnosed..........I live a relatively normal life.whatever "normal" is.........take milk thistle along wihtother vitamins to stay healthy <milk thistle and dandelion root are effective in promoting healthy liver functions>, dont really feel lethargic, just the usual tiredness from working a lot. Do get side pains a lot, but like i said the doctor said they r not to be concerned about ..I will find a website that can offer more information and post the link..........Hope i have been a little bit helpful..........I wil keep your brother and you in my prayers and pray that you do test negative. you would be amazed at how many ppl have this virus...........it is very common, yet not many ppl tak about it. I certainly dont offer the fact that I have it, especially since in my job i deal daily with the public..........
Your brother on the other hand........is he still using? the fact that he is jaundice is not good.........but my doctor had told me that the pains in the side are not directly related to the hep...........I also get these at times and my liver levels have been ok............If you do test positive they will give you a liver biopsy and determine the extent of damage to your liver.........
Despite me using over a bundle a day at times and for a few yrs after being diagnosed, my liver still had minimal damage and my levels have been ok.......
I know many ppl who have done the interferon treatment and have tested negative for the virus after doing so..........This is not an option for me as the interferon is a tough one.........gives you flu like symptoms and makes you sick and i need to work cos if i dont there is no-one to pay my bills, and there r two genotypes of the disease, forget actually what type mine is, but I do know my genotype only has a 45% cure rate from the treatment compared to a 85-90% cure rate for the other genotype.......If I continue to take fairly good care of myself, hopefully it wont progress to much.........But i do live a completely sober lifestyle now.........I know that drinking can actually be more damaging than the drugs can <although one of my co-workers is a full blown alcoholic and has it and just told me her levels came back ok too.......so who knows>............and even though I had previously thought that because i was clean now i had nothing to worry about, my doctor has said that since its a virus regardless of living clean now it will still progess, although probably slower than if i was still using or drinking
You defintely need to tell your brother what you have found out and get him checked out. Hopefully he is stil not an active addict because I know many doctors will not even treat someone in active addiction.......
Hepatitis is a blood to blood contracted disease......it is common for a mother to be infected and still not pass it on to her children.........
also unllike the hiv virus which wil die upon air contact, the hep c virus can remain contagious for up to 48 hours........I am very careful when menustrating, and share no razors, nail clippers, and of course toothbrushes, basically anyting that could have been used to make me bleed.........I am certainly not a doctor <my bryn thinks way to highly of me, I'm a dip> All i can share is the knowledge i have gained since being diagnosed..........I live a relatively normal life.whatever "normal" is.........take milk thistle along wihtother vitamins to stay healthy <milk thistle and dandelion root are effective in promoting healthy liver functions>, dont really feel lethargic, just the usual tiredness from working a lot. Do get side pains a lot, but like i said the doctor said they r not to be concerned about ..I will find a website that can offer more information and post the link..........Hope i have been a little bit helpful..........I wil keep your brother and you in my prayers and pray that you do test negative. you would be amazed at how many ppl have this virus...........it is very common, yet not many ppl tak about it. I certainly dont offer the fact that I have it, especially since in my job i deal daily with the public..........
Bryn thanks 4 the reply. The letter was addressed to my brother but, he use to live with my mom he just recently moved out he has not put in a change of Address he's running from a probation officer. She being MOM opened it ...she said she thought from the enevlope it was from the probation department it was a county envelope. The mystery of how to tell him was solved he was calling her yesterday saying he was sick he had a testical removed lil over a year ago due to cancer he has a new lump now on his side he was worried and he was dope sick said he's having issues peeing. She took him to the ER told him there he was upset. The ER said he was fine pretty much sent him home. Mrs.Tres THANKS a lot for the info it seems to me to they would HAVE tested me when i got pregnant that would have been April 06 I had not shared with him since MAY 05. One thing for sure if i had not stopped when i did i would think for sure I had it "we use to share so often" so yet another great reason to stay off it. He is still a active user not sure that he'll try to clean up now or not i honestly think he'll never get out of addiction alive.
just called my doctor today seems i was last tested January 05 and that was 4 months before i stoped using so i'm gonna get tested when i go for the 6 week check up from the baby being born.
Hang on there Herogirl. I know you will worry sick, but in my heart I think you are alright.
Ms. Tres is the best. Right? All the research has her now worried about her. No way am I ever going to let her go anywhere. She's an angel right here on this hell of an earth I tell ya.
I'm sorry about your Bro. He's been through the mill to, huh? Poor guy. I got him in my prayers tonight with you and yours Herogirl.
You doing alright? Feeling better?
Ms. Tres is the best. Right? All the research has her now worried about her. No way am I ever going to let her go anywhere. She's an angel right here on this hell of an earth I tell ya.
I'm sorry about your Bro. He's been through the mill to, huh? Poor guy. I got him in my prayers tonight with you and yours Herogirl.
You doing alright? Feeling better?
