Could I have Hep C?

[AmIJustParanoid1987]

Ok, let me just say that for the past few months I've been extremely worried about contracting Hepatitis or any incurable disease, anyway in september a man who may be have Hepatitis C was working here, and there was blood in the bathroom which my uncle stepped on, we don't know for sure where the blood came from. The following day while showering I had a flea bite above my heal and i scratched it causing it to slightly bleed, then when walking down the stairs after showering (the stairs are near the bathroom) the spot where the bite was touched the back of one of the stairs, I freaked out and ran back into the shower where i proceeded to rinse it off etc.

Does that sound like I'm at high risk, sorry for poor grammar etc. I'm currently really uneasy and worrying.

[Cali_CA]

don't worry, i'm paranoid like you too, trust me. i got my earpierce 10 weeks ago and now days and night i am living with paranoid that i will get hepatitis C.
if it make you feel better, go get tested. that is what i probably do if i have any symptoms.
anyone know how much it is cost to get hepatitis C test? about $300-$400 with people have no insurance right?

[IAmTheWalrus]

You forgot to mention Hanta virus carried by the mice!

[R Glass]

  I think your safe on the HCV issue. I don’t want to add to your paranoia but you may want to check this out.

Typhus
the name of any one of several similar diseases caused by particular bacteria in the Rickettsiaceae family and spread to humans by arthropod vectors (lice, fleas, mites, chiggers) from the endemic rodent hosts.

Plague
is a serious infection of humans caused by a bacteria called Yersinia pestis. It is usually caused by the bite of a flea that has fed on an infected wild animal, such as a rat, chipmunk or prairie dog. It usually causes large sores and abscesses in the glands of the arms and legs. Dogs, and especially cats, can also become infected and can spread the disease to their human companions

(I wonder how many more days in purgatory this one is gonna cost me)

[AmIJustParanoid1987]

Thanks so much for the help everyone, I'm going to work on my paranoia and worrying,

and just to clarify the bug bite after being scratched was sort of big (like a centimeter or something)

I still understand where everyone was coming from, thanks again for the help :)

[IAmTheWalrus]

Yes! You are just paranoid. Get some help, fast.
Great story, though :-)

[copyman]

as your name says....yes you are "just paranoid". You should use all this wasted energy into dealing with your OCD. I believe there is a forum here at MH that can help you with that.

best of luck

[Trish77]

I know what you mean.  Every time I walk past an apartment building I get uncontrollable shaking from the possibility of a piano being dropped on my head.  

The odds of that happening are about the same as the odds of you getting Hep C from a flea bite brushing the back of a stair.

So the answer to the question in your pseudonym is yes, you are being paranoid. I wanted to put it in perspective for you. Good luck with dealing with that.  

[WriteItDown]

No, really you should not worry!  If you could get it this way many more people would have it.  

For example, I have lived with my husband who has it for many years and I do not have it, even though I am sure I've come into contact with his blood many times.  We didn't know he had it for many years.  The vast majority of spouses of people with Hep C do not get it, even though they are in contact with each other's bodies every day and have sex, etc.

Your fears, on the other hand, could be seriously debilitating to you if you don't deal with them.  Stress can also make you unhealthy.  Maybe you should think about seeing a doctor if you continue to feel paranoid.  

Wishing you the best!

[AmIJustParanoid1987]

thank you for your response, but what I meant (just to clarify) is since someone stepped on the blood it could have been tracked down the stairs then the following day my open bug bite touched the stairs. So it could have been in contact with something that was touched by the blood.

Thanks again for your response and your advice, I really do need to do more  research and work on my paranoia/fear issues.

[WriteItDown]

No, it does not sound like you could've contracted Hep C. It sounds like you should focus on trying not to worry so much about contracting diseases in completely improbable fashion.

How does one get Hep C?  From blood to blood contact, such as: using needles an infected person used; getting a transfusion with infected blood; having medical or dental work done with unsterilized instruments; or sexual contact in which blood is exchanged.

And, by the way, Hep C is NOT incurable.  Read this board if you want to educate yourself: many people have been cured.  And also, some knowledge might go a way toward curing your irrational fears.