Support Group in my home town.

My staff and I are currently working on getting a Hep C support group for our Hep C patients.  I work for a doctor that specializes in Hepatitis and this not something that is offered here in our town.  I was wondering if I can get some input from anyone to help me in putting this together.

Thank you

[Arlene3452]

Living with a spouse with HepC-1A. Treated 9 months, viral count zero, virus free 11 months, recurrence. Back to peg-interferon, ribaviron treatment. The side effects were hell for him and difficult to live with. Wish there was a support group in central NJ. Anyone out there?

[Arlene3452]

Interested in support group. I also work in a doctor's office, not related to this specialty. Which state are you writing from? I am in central NJ.

[Deb_c430]

Have you contacted the drug companies? My Nurse (from drug company) is trying to also start one,  She asked me if I would help her, she said they would help with building funding , flyers and information.  

Not sure either where you are, but maybe it would be a good place to start?

Arlene, Same boat here as your spouse, only was SVR (virus free) for 9 months.

I am on infergen now.

Good luck and will be happy to send any info along to as I get it.  She also mentioned doing an on line chat,  like once a  week or something and she would come in and answer questions.  

Hard for some to get out, so that may be an option also.

Deb

[Susie2007]

Does this help?

Ocean County Support Group

Medical Center of Ocean County

425 Jack Martin Boulevard

Brick, NJ 08724

Meets: 1st Tuesday of each month, 7:00pm - 8:45pm

Phone: [phone]

[giddyup]

Hi. Contact your local hospital and ask if there is a meeting room.   Call the American Liver Foundation and ask/tell them. We have a small but consistant support group that has been meeting the second Tuesday of the month at our local hospital. When we joined four years ago it was run but a local nurse who worked for a gastro MD, when she left, a nurse from the ALF started running it but truthfully we run it ourselves.The only rule is that anything said in the room stays in the room, confidentiality...the hospital provides some advertising in their bulletin, the local newspaper takes free health ads and somehow whether it is the hospital or the ALF, there is coffee/tea, water provided..even if you decide to run it yourselves ask the ALF for printed materials, they have tons!! For a while the nurse was able to get doctors to speak and drug reps to speak at meetings as well. Good luck, Su

[Mr Liver]

Contact The HepC-Connection @
http://www.hepc-connection.org/Page/73.aspx

Call the toll free number found on the above link. and tell them your intentions. They used to carry materials written to help interested parties start their own support groups. Perhaps they still do, but if not I'd bet anything they can point you in another direction to get helpful info for you.
I hope this is helpful for you.