New and nervous

[shelbs44]

I had some blood work done at my new family dr office and found out I have hep c I go to a specialist on june 30th the wait is killing me. I am scared to death afraid I am gonna die just don't know a lot and I am scared. Also I am ashamed, I have no clue how I contacted it, and I am afraid to tell certain people. My husband, my mom and sisters know, I am afraid to tell my son because I baby sit my grand kids everyday and I am so afraid they will freak out and keep them from me. I have been so careful and over cleaning with Lysol and everything so they will be safe. I am just scared to death. I don't know what to do

[Lynn K]

The risk of transmission in a household is very very small transmission of hep c requires blood to blood contact so not that easy to get just use care if you cut yourself and bleed.

Also if you have only had the hep c antibody test that only means you were at some point in your life exposed to the hep C virus.  About 25% of people who are exposed to hepatitis C are able to beat the virus on their own.

Have you had a test for the hep c virus itself called a HCV RNA by PCR? You can test positive for the antibodies to hep c but negative for the virus meaning you are not currently infected. You will always test positive for the antibodies to hepatitis C even if you do not have the virus and are not currently infected.

Hepatitis C FAQs for the Public
http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/C/cFAQ.htm

There is no reason to be ashamed anymore than if you had cancer or any other illness. There are a significant number of patients who have no idea how they contracted hep c.

There are new treatments  released in the last two years that are very effective with minimal side for most people and of relatively short duration. Could be as simple as one pill a day for 12 weeks and you are cured.

So no worries, get tested, get treated, get cured. I know it is a long wait to see the specialist but trust that everything will be ok. You could be cured in less than six months from now



Best wishes

[Thipper]

Try to relax, shelbs. I was diagnosed in 2002, thought I was gonna die, and here I am. If you have Hep C, you've been disgnosed at a good time, because there are new drugs that really put a whammy on the virus without knocking you down.

I've probably had this since 1974. I was married and had 3 children, and no one else in my family has it. Its not all that contagious. You need to take routine precautions--my big rule was "Don't touch me if I bleed"--but then I think about all the times I cut myself peeling potatoes, etc. You'd think everyone around me would have it.

You've done nothing wrong.  What would you do if it was cancer?  My husband and I presented it to everyone in a matter-of-fact way, and life went on. Learn about the disease so you can answer questions, hold your head up, and live.