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New and I just found out I got hep c from my husband of 25 years

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Posted 6/23/2006 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone!
I am new to this forum and I am very upset, angry, confussed and just lost about getting a possitive letter from my local blood bank after giving blood. My husband is an ex introvenious drug user and found out he had hep c 5 years ago. I got it from him by sex. He has psoriosis on his penis. It bleed after hard sex with me. I knew what I was getting into when I came into this relationship but had not really thought of myself as getting it from him. He feels so bad about giving it me and I feel for him, but now I don't know what to do, well, I do but I am sooooo in shock. What about menstration, I read that is the worst. That scares me the most. There is a 6 month old and 2 other kids that live here. I need help and lots of support!! Can anyone help me!!?? All I want to do is cry.
Very desperate sad
Posted 6/23/2006 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
Free, welcome to the forum! I can understand how surreal this must seem to you. I have to tell you that I was diagnosed with hep C in '93 (got it in the 60s) and this is the first time I've heard of a sexual transmission. I know that it is possible, and the fact that your hubby bleeds from the penis explains how you got it. I am also wondering if he is getting treatment. He should have known to use condoms. What's done is done, though, and I can only suggest that you see a hepatologist and start on treatment. I don't understand what you mean by "menstruation is the worst." Certainly, you could pass on hep C if you had intercourse during your period, but other than that I personally didn't notice any difference.

Who is the mother of the 9-month-old? Hep C can be passed on to a baby in the womb. Otherwise, the children should be okay.

I'm glad you found us. Be sure to read as much about the disease as possible, and get treatment!

Hugs,
Connie
Posted 6/23/2006 8:34 PM (GMT 0)

Welcome Free,

I'm sure you will find the support and information to get you through your concerns, frustration and Tx for your Hep C. Feel free to join in any of our threads.

My husband has cirrhosis unrelated to hep c but we all share similar problems and needs on this forum.

Hugs,

Barb

Posted 6/24/2006 12:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi again,
Thanks for the hugs and support! No, my husband is not on treatment. He was on it for one and half years and it did not help him and he did not like the side effects and everything it has done to him. He has already been told that there is no cirrhosis or liver damage and when he dies, it will not be from the hep c. At this point I have no real symptoms. I have depression, which has made this harder to deal with, but I will do it and my life will go on, its the initial shock thats killing me. What I mean about menstration being the worst is that what happens if I get blood on my underware. Do I have to throw them away? How do I was them? and with what? I have an irregular cycle, for unknown reasons, and I bleed during sex sometimes. What do I need to do? I read that the pill is hard on the liver and should not be taken when you have hep c. My eldest daughter, the babys mom, just gave blood 2 days ago to make sure she does not have it. We hope to find out soon. Thanks, Ellen
Posted 6/24/2006 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Ellen! You needn't worry about the underwear. The virus does not live outside the body, or at least not long. A regular washing with the detergent you now use should be enough. You might want to do your own dirty clothes separately, which I've always done anyhow.

What you should do: Get treatment. It sounds like your husband was a non-responder; however, that doesn't mean you will be. Don't share toothbrushes or razors.  IF YOU DRINK ALCOHOL, STOP COMPLETELY!  Also, have your husband use condoms; otherwise, you are just passing the disease back and forth. Let your dentist know, as well as other medical professionals, especially those who take your blood for testing or attempt to access an IV. You should ask your gynecologist or whoever prescribes your b.c. pills, whether you should continue on them now that you have been diagnosed with hep C. Since they are made of hormones, I think you may have to go off of them. I developed a large, cancerous liver tumor, and the first thing they had me do was to get off hormones. Hormones feed a tumor.  Check out the Hepatitis Resources at the top of the hepatitis page here.

I don't know that I concur with your hubby's doctor. If he already has active hep C (which he must have if he was put on treatment), then the hep C is causing damage. My liver tumor is the result of hep C. Damage may not show up for years, but if the hep C is active, it is continuing to attack the liver. This can lead to liver failure, liver cancer, or cirrhosis.

Who diagnosed you with hep C? If he was not a hepatologist, I recommend you find one and "pick his brain" about all the things you should and shouldn't do, as well as treatment.

Hugs and best of luck. Let us know how everything works out, or if you have more questions, or just need a hug.

(((((hugs))))
Connie

Post Edited (hep93) : 6/24/2006 8:46:52 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/26/2006 11:25 AM (GMT 0)
hi free,
glad ya found this forum! Id definately make sure to see a hepatologist,as the blood bank may have said you have hep c,but it may not be active,it may be youve had an acute case and your body kicked it,,active hep c is not confirmed until the second blood test,which goes into more details about the hep,,,,,,so dont give up so quickly.Also as Connie said,get treatments if you dr recommends them,,many people kick this with treatment. Even your daughter should go to a dr for testing,not to the blood bank,as should the children,though they should be fine. im sure the blood bank just tests for hep c,not for antigens and antibodies,,,good luck
trish
Posted 11/1/2006 2:56 AM (GMT 0)
I know how you feel. I am STILL in shock. I just went through the 1st phase of testing which came back positive. I am a Stay-at-home Mom with 3 kids who never used needles, but I was involved in the sex industry 14 years ago before I turned my life around...and now this. They never tested my pregnancies and I breastfed, so now I am a nervous wreck!!!! This just isn't fair!!
Posted 11/1/2006 10:33 AM (GMT 0)
Coppa and Ellen,
Welcome to the Forum. I hope you continue to visit and accept the caring support of those here. We can only listen and support (and pray). you need good medical assistance. A heptologist is essential.

So glad to see some of the regulars back (Barb and Jennifer).

Looking forward to hearing updates from you both soon.

Take care.
Marg
Posted 11/1/2006 10:34 AM (GMT 0)
Just realised Jennifer's and Barb's posts were old ones.

I miss the old regulars. Wonder what they are up to??

Marg.
Posted 11/1/2006 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
hi marg,i think theyve moved on to other forums,,,but i do think barb still comes here to read the posts,,hope shes doing ok,,,i wonder about her and gene often myself,,,take care marg
Posted 11/2/2006 1:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hi trish, Jennifer was posting on another forum but I haven't seen anything from her for a while. She emailed me about it. It seems very slow - no new posts for days and weeks at a time. I've given up checking -

Marg
Posted 11/2/2006 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, y'all.  I'm still here!  tongue    I tend to go back and forth between this forum and an AVN (avascular necrosis) forum I belong to, depending on which

disease is causing me the most difficulty at the time.  I just had left hip joint reconstruction on Sept. 26th, am still on crutches and non-weight bearing on the left...so I'm on the AVN site more often now.  Once I have healed from this surgery, I will continue with treatment for the liver cancer, whether it be surgical or medical treatment.

For the 2 "new" ladies who posted:  I hope you have seen hepatologists and gotten liver biopsies.  Biopsy is the only sure way to know what sort of damage has been done to your livers, if any, and plans for treatment.  Meanwhile, it makes good sense to insist that your partners use condoms.  To make sure where everyone stands, the children should be tested, especially the 6-month old.  People do not die from hep C, but from diseases caused by the virus, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) and end-stage liver disease/liver failure.  I hope you will come back and give us an update on your current status.

Hugs,

Connie

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