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Ex Husband and Hep C
Hello,
My ex husband just found out he has pretty serious Hep C. He has had it for about 10 years. He actually knew he had it, because he gave it to me 7 years ago, but I was one of the lucky ones that had an acute case. He was just in denial even though I told him many many times he needed to go get tested and get treatment. His is apparently pretty bad. He won't tell me what his doctors are telling him, but lately I have had transplant doctors calling my cell phone to leave messages looking for him. Also, in the past 6 months, his hands, feet, and face have become extremely swollen. He looks old and terrible, and he is only 26 years old. While we were still living together last summer, I remember him telling me he was having a lot of trouble peeing.
My question is, does it sound like he could possibly be dying? I mean, not on his deathbed, but like within the next 10 to 15 years? Could he still get some kind of treatment for this? I asked him if he was dying or if he needed a liver transplant, and his response was, "it's not important." It actually IS important because we have two young girls who love their daddy very much, and I don't want to see them have to watch him die. Also, he was a really really bad drug abuser until recently, and I can't be sure he isn't still abusing drugs, because I don't get any child support, where is his money going? After we split up he started drinking heavily, and I am fairly certain he is still drinking. I know this is really bad for you when you have Hep C, but I thought I would add that info in because that is going to factor in on how long he is going to live or not.
Can someone please give me some advice on what the future will hold for my ex and his disease? Thank you.
My ex husband just found out he has pretty serious Hep C. He has had it for about 10 years. He actually knew he had it, because he gave it to me 7 years ago, but I was one of the lucky ones that had an acute case. He was just in denial even though I told him many many times he needed to go get tested and get treatment. His is apparently pretty bad. He won't tell me what his doctors are telling him, but lately I have had transplant doctors calling my cell phone to leave messages looking for him. Also, in the past 6 months, his hands, feet, and face have become extremely swollen. He looks old and terrible, and he is only 26 years old. While we were still living together last summer, I remember him telling me he was having a lot of trouble peeing.
My question is, does it sound like he could possibly be dying? I mean, not on his deathbed, but like within the next 10 to 15 years? Could he still get some kind of treatment for this? I asked him if he was dying or if he needed a liver transplant, and his response was, "it's not important." It actually IS important because we have two young girls who love their daddy very much, and I don't want to see them have to watch him die. Also, he was a really really bad drug abuser until recently, and I can't be sure he isn't still abusing drugs, because I don't get any child support, where is his money going? After we split up he started drinking heavily, and I am fairly certain he is still drinking. I know this is really bad for you when you have Hep C, but I thought I would add that info in because that is going to factor in on how long he is going to live or not.
Can someone please give me some advice on what the future will hold for my ex and his disease? Thank you.
How could you help someone if they don't want to help themselves? He needs to clean up badly.As the other post have said if transplant Doctors are calling him he is very bad. You must convince him to clean up and follow the Doctors advice if he wants any chance of living. First thing he NEEDS to do is stop the drinking and dope tell him to do it for his Daughters. Good Luck.
No, the virus does not come back when the person's own immune system spontaneously fights it off which it what happened in your case. You will always test positive for antibodies but they pose no health threat. However, that makes you ineligible to donate blood.
It's very possible for your ex to have advanced liver disease if he has continued to drink and drug heavily. The sole purpose of the hepc virus is to attack the liver and when you add other substances which do the same the perfect storm can happen.
Life is about loss and it is sad when someone tries to hurry that process along but it's obvious he's not interested in living a long life so there is nothing you can do except take good care of yourself and your child.
Trinity
It's very possible for your ex to have advanced liver disease if he has continued to drink and drug heavily. The sole purpose of the hepc virus is to attack the liver and when you add other substances which do the same the perfect storm can happen.
Life is about loss and it is sad when someone tries to hurry that process along but it's obvious he's not interested in living a long life so there is nothing you can do except take good care of yourself and your child.
Trinity
Yes, I take good care of myself and was told I was virus free about 4 months after I was initially told I had the virus. I really felt truly blessed but the because of this I failed to continue to educate myself on the disease. To see my ex husband in the condition he is in, even though he is my ex, is heart breaking. I have told him in the past that he would not be eligible for a liver if he ever needed one if he continued his lifestyle, and that is really one of the reasons he is now my ex. He wanted to keep partying and I wanted to be a good mother.
I have a question and maybe someone will know the answer, because I try to keep this at the back of my mind but I have been wondering - since I am virus free, is there any chance someday out of the blue I won't be? Can it come back like that? The specialist who told me the virus had cleared made it sound like it wouldn't come back, but I do worry.
So it is possible to have such advanced liver disease at 26? He started sharing needles at 16, so he has probably had it for 10 years. I knew it was pretty serious when transplant hospitals were calling my cell phone, but to really think about the actual facts is sad.
Thank you guys so much for your replies!
I have a question and maybe someone will know the answer, because I try to keep this at the back of my mind but I have been wondering - since I am virus free, is there any chance someday out of the blue I won't be? Can it come back like that? The specialist who told me the virus had cleared made it sound like it wouldn't come back, but I do worry.
So it is possible to have such advanced liver disease at 26? He started sharing needles at 16, so he has probably had it for 10 years. I knew it was pretty serious when transplant hospitals were calling my cell phone, but to really think about the actual facts is sad.
Thank you guys so much for your replies!
There is no way of telling what is really happening with your husband as medical issues are a private matter between patient and doctor.
If doctors from a transplant center are trying to contact him then he must have taken a number of steps to either get evaluated or to get listed for a transplant. For him to be listed he must have advanced liver disease (cirrhosis of the liver). There may still be time for him to at least manage his disease before needing a transplant. There is no telling how much time he has without a transplant, as the time varies greatly for each individual . If he continues to abuse drugs and alcohol he will lessen the time he has before needing a transplant as it will destroy his liver more and more. He will NOT be eligible to receive a liver as livers are in very short supply here in the US and a liver will not be given to someone who potentially will abuse a new liver with drugs and alcohol and not be compliant which the medications that a person who has had a transplant needs to take daily for the rest of their lives.
The best thing you can do is take care of your own health and your children's and hope that at some point he will share what is happening with his health with you.
As nygirl asked you are virus free at this time? Is this correct?
Best wishes.
Hectorsf
If doctors from a transplant center are trying to contact him then he must have taken a number of steps to either get evaluated or to get listed for a transplant. For him to be listed he must have advanced liver disease (cirrhosis of the liver). There may still be time for him to at least manage his disease before needing a transplant. There is no telling how much time he has without a transplant, as the time varies greatly for each individual . If he continues to abuse drugs and alcohol he will lessen the time he has before needing a transplant as it will destroy his liver more and more. He will NOT be eligible to receive a liver as livers are in very short supply here in the US and a liver will not be given to someone who potentially will abuse a new liver with drugs and alcohol and not be compliant which the medications that a person who has had a transplant needs to take daily for the rest of their lives.
The best thing you can do is take care of your own health and your children's and hope that at some point he will share what is happening with his health with you.
As nygirl asked you are virus free at this time? Is this correct?
Best wishes.
Hectorsf
If he is still actively drinking / drugging and has not treated the virus and is as swollen as you say with transplant doctors calling you then yes it sounds as if he is in end stage liver disease to me.
You said you had acute hep did it clear spontaneously as confirmed through followup PCR tests to see if you still had a viral load? I am assuming so but since there is not too much you can do about your xhusband I am just hoping that you are taking good care of yourself and are one of the 20% that does clear this virus on it's own because that leaves the other 80% of us who do not and you dont want to be in that club. But it's better to know one way or the other.
You said you had acute hep did it clear spontaneously as confirmed through followup PCR tests to see if you still had a viral load? I am assuming so but since there is not too much you can do about your xhusband I am just hoping that you are taking good care of yourself and are one of the 20% that does clear this virus on it's own because that leaves the other 80% of us who do not and you dont want to be in that club. But it's better to know one way or the other.
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