West Valley Latina needs spanish speaking helper to explain to my family!

I know you don't know me, but I am in the San Fernando Valley (a suberb of Los Angeles). Does anyone know a spanish speaking person with Hep C who could possibly meet face to face with my parents to soften the blow when I tell them? They are very religious and old fashioned and won't understand. It may help to have someone with me. Or, does anyone know of a Spanish speaking doctor in or around the West Valley/ Northridge/ Chatsworth area?

[NYgirl]

I'm sorry I dont know of anyone (i'm in NY).  But you are right someone needs to explain it to them or they will completely misunderstand how common this disease truly is and how many different ways people get it and that they wont get it from you among a lot of other things.

Good luck.

Can you call a clinic or church in the area? Do they have a priest that you can talk to and then could in turn talk to them?

[cajunlady]

I live near this area, and work right in Chatsworth, but I do not speak spanish.  I would think if you have a spanish speaking doctor help talk to your parents, try a Gastrologist or Hepatologist.  They would have more insight of information than just a primary care physician.

Your parents will understand if it is explained proper to them; and you hang in there, it is not going to be as bad as you think.  You need everyones support.

Are you seeing anyone now, and have you started treatment or will you be starting soon.

Good Luck,
Lanette Lane

[Carolengy]

I do!!!!!!!!
and perfectly I think............ it's just that I live in Southeastern Canada, Not much help Ehhhh!

[Kalio1]

Here is some info. in Spanish that might help you explain

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/hepc_ez/index.htm

[Forseegood]

Hi, don't live tooo far from you, maybe 15 miles, am really busy right now or I'd go down there, but would it be okay if I spoke to them on the phone? My Spanish isnt as fluid as it once was, but it's still conversational, would be glad to help, if that's okay, i'll explain how to get in touch with me...glad to help....

[amirtracy]

see that's what i love about this place.

[cuteus]

same here, I'm in NY and would be willing to speak over the phone with them, if you like.
If they are like my parents, raised catholic, they might relate to my parents better.  They live in PR and can be reached by phone also.
There is the Latino organization for liver disease awareness or LOLA that can give you some names in your area also.  You can speak with Debbie Delgado by phone and try to get connections through her. http://www.lola-national.org/_debbie.htm
anyway you if you need more info, add belleus to my name and send the email to yahoo.  
good luck to you

[NYgirl]

This is a perfect thread to show my doctor tomorrow so that he begins to see how this place works........it really is.

I love you guys, more than words can really say.  I NEVER would have made it without you = have I reminded you in the last ten minutes ;)

[Forseegood]

as you can see, there are a few Latinas at this board as well..you've gotten some good leads...my mom's a Catholic (and very understanding about this disease) but my dad's an athiest (don't know where that puts me, ha ha) anyway, you can reach me at Janis and Friends website if you'd like,

http://forums.delphiforums.com/friendship7/start


under Forseegood in the search engine there, you'll get my profile and you can email me from my profile there, once you go there it's easier then it sounds...

but Cuteus has got you covered too, so whatever you want to do, at least your covered...

[thatgirl1967]

Thank you so much. I found someone to help. Wish me luck!

[SoCal Lady]

Your doctor probably has brochures that explain HCV in Spanish.  I go to a doctor in Ventura who has many Spanish-speaking patients, and I've seen the brochures.  There must be many clinics in your area that cater to Spanish-speakers.  Surely they would also have such brochures.  Get a brochure that explains how you got HCV from a bad batch of Girl Scout cookies. (Thanks I-horn...)  :)

[aiuta]

Thanks for the compliment.  It's hard to believe myself, but prior to 6 months back, I actually had some other talents, besides sharing in sexual assault groups and the Hep C Forum. It was nice to once again remember that there's more to me than this illness and its treatment.  I'm glad thatgirl got a lot of feedback.  This place is the best for that.  Cuidate, cutanea!  Tu amiga, Aiuta

[aiuta]

Vivi en Espana por 2 anos y tengo un Master en Lengua y Cultura espanola.  Vivo ahora en San Diego.  Estoy dispuesta de hablar contigo o con tus padres por telefono y posiblemente en persona.  Digo posiblemente solo porque mi coche esta muy viejo y no se si llegaria alla.  Cuantos kilometros son?  

Me puse mal con l'epatiti C como el resultado de un incidente muy desaforuntado y triste.  No me gusta explicarselo a mucha gente, o al menos a los que no conozco muy bien.  Me he informado mucho sobre esta enfermedad y ahora cuando las personas desconocidas me dan preguntas sobre la maniera en la cual me puse enferma, les digo "SANGRE".  ES LA VERDAD. Siempre puedo anadir mas, pero nunca tengo que arrepentirme por haber dicho demasiado.

Si te gustara hablar mas conmigo fuera de este Forum, me podrias escribir a este correo electronico:  ***@****.  Mientras tanto, hay buena gente aqui en este sitio; me imagino que ya lo has visto con las respuestas que te han dado.  Ciudate y no te deprimes si sea posible.  Es posible que la situacion no es tan drastica como lo veas en este momento.  Y creame, lo puedo decir, porque yo he sobrevivido una tormenta en estes 6 meses pasados.  Te deseo todo lo mejor.  

Un abrazo fuerte,

Aiuta

[amirtracy]

hey deb,
just wanted to say hello and wish you the best. i know it's hard for me, i can't imaging what you've been through, but i wanted to let you know i've been thinking about you and to tell you thanks for all your encouragement during my own tx. you find a way to lift others up inspite of your own problems. it's been inspirational knowing you as well as everyone else here.  tracy

[cuteus]

hablas bastante bien el espanol!  tal parece que aparecio alquien que la va a ayudar.

de seguro que van a haber muchas lagrimas.

Hopefully, she will stay in touch with this forum now that she found it!  How can she not? it is the best one in the cyberworld!
cuidate tu tambien

[headsrtails]

your parents are not one of those non-speaking English immigrants that pops out babies for free medical care and food stamps that nygirl claimed in one of her previous posts??? Buena suerta y lastima que no te puedo ayudar. Cabezaoaguila?

[Pdilly]

My gosh you all just jumped in to help someone new in need.  I wish I could hug all of you.  Really this place has such good people willing to help anyone in need.

[Forseegood]

gee, I hope there is some humor in there somewhere, cause it sounds rather rude without the subtext...my mom's an immigrant, with a college degree and the various real estate my parents worked for....she pays plenty in taxes with no hand out to anyone...accept the people she's helping...

[friole]

The CDC has free pamplets and brochures on hepatitis C.  I think cuteus posted this months ago.  I ordered some and left them in some racks at the pharmacy.  You might order some of these for your parents to read.  Here is the link to the orderblank site.

http://webapp.cdc.gov/ixpress/pubsprod/hepa+book/hepa.dml

[Forseegood]

thanks Rev...with all it's traffic probs (and there are many) there are many beautiful places here and it's a very interesting place to live, lots of different cultures and different things to do....course I'm biased...the weather sure ain't bad either...it's 75 and clear and sunny and will be like this for awhile...though I do hate the summers, too hot...

[headsrtails]

Exactly, that was rather rude and it was a way to draw attention to the callousness of the email I had tried to draw attention to about "illegals." Regardless of an immigrants' status, they love their chldren like anyne else, and to say that they just pop kids out for other motives than simple love for each other and wanting to start a family dehumanizes them. Its akin to the ignorant who say that HIV people have it coming to them because of their (sinful)lifestyle (I know there are religious people on this site whose ideas I find offensive, actually; but I have to draw a line somewhere); or, you got HEP-C, tough s***; evolution's way of weeding out the weak in the herd; sound absolutley awful and stupid doesn't it? I am glad you were offended, for I was equally offended by the email that characterized "illegal" immigrants as nothing but "cretins" who come over to pop out kids so they can get handouts. By the way, my Aunt was Pai-Pai indian, a native MEXICAN group that has lived for thousands of years along the northern Mexican border, Southeast Calirfonia, and Southwest Arizona before there was ever a Mexico or U.S. When she was alive, she always crossed the border "illeglally." She says that the "borders" are somebody else's problem and creation, for there are none as for as she was cocnerned. She knew at least 10 native languages, never went to school, and would go as far as Sacramento to do her business. I put that in quotation marks because there was no border when her ancestors lived there. Some johnny-come-lately gov. comes along and throws up a damn border. Who actually has HISTORICAL and CULTURAL rights to that contested region?? Do I need to spell it out?? Headsrtails