HELP MY SISTER WILL NOT GET HELP?????

[PattyLin]

Hello,
My name is Patty and I am very worried about my sister that want go get help for the hepatitis C that she was told that she has from 10 years or so ago:(
She does not want to go to a doctor for them to tell her she is dying with this or let's say that is what she is saying....I am not sure what is wrong with her right at this time but she DOES look as if she is dying....I think that I have talked her into going to a doctor but not sure when it comes down to it she will....She looks really bad and I am not sure what you look like when you are dying form hep-c....PLEASE I NEED HELP>>>>PLEASE...I love my sister and need any help to know what to look for...oh I didn't tell you that she is taking meds such as pain pills that i am afraid is going to hurt her as well...PLEASE any help!!!!
Help me save my sister!!!!!
Thanks Patty    

[Jakied]

Does your sister have a risk factor for hep b or c?  Risky sex, blood transfusion, drug use etc?  These are the primary ways to transfer hep b and c.

Symptoms of hep are yellow skin and eyes, fatigue and joint pain.  Does your sister have any of these?

Sometimes, all you can do is love someone but you cannot help someone who will not help himself.

[niceguy2007]

Patty,

your sister is not dying.  Please take her to a doctor, she may well be treatable for Hepatitis C.
She may be cured if she treats.

you don't die in 10 years, it takes more like 30 years in the vast majority of cases.

[Forseegood]

sometimes when we're addicted to substances, we can even be more likely to go into la la land denial about what's going on with us, (even though some people can be like that without any of these substances) .... you hint at her taking pain pills additively....

But like Meki said, find out about the disease, Janis and Friends is a wealth of information, look at the newly diagnosed section. It's usually not as bad as people imagine, then go from there...but in the end, like she said, we're all masters of our ship, and there's only so much sway we can have with another grown adult, even our loved ones. (no matter how much we desire to help them) Sorry to say. Best of luck with this.

[meki]

Sometimes we cannot save our family members from themselves.

Sometimes - it is hard to tell family members what is wrong with us.

Sometimes - it is easier to bury our heads into the sand - before admitting the truth.

Sometimes ---- as I think may be the issue with your sister, is that she is not educated about HCV. (Hepatitis C)

HCV can be contained - the virus can be stopped from replicating, and doing damage to the liver. There is --- for a lack of a better word --- permanent remission from the damage of the virus.

What to look for?

Nothing.

What to do?

Everything that you can.

Get educated about what HCV is --- and what it causes.
Teach your sister the same information.
Work with her - get her to a different doctor.

Having Hepatitis C is NOT a death sentence.

Doing nothing about it can be.

There are people who are healthy for 30-40 years after they catch HepC.

The progression of the disease is slow.

However - if your sister is drinking --- or taking other drugs - without a doctor's instruction - she might be causing serious problems to her liver, which is already compensating for the disease.

Please try to educate your sister... Read through the forum... Ask questions.

There is nothing specific we can point to and say AHA!!! That's a HEPC problem...

However --- there are things that add up --- things we all had in common... Things that we understand now that were probably caused by the HCV in our bodies...

OK?

Good luck --- we are here if you need more information... Learn from these boards --- and look for Janice and Friends... Excellent resource of information there.

Meki