end stage liver disease

my hubby was diagnosed in 2001 and was told he had hep c fromagent orange i n Viet Nam, he is a veteran. now he has end stage and we have five grown kids. i was tested in 2002 but they didnt find any. now im goin to inform my five kids to get tested out of concern. my primary question is: is there any financial assistance to help families? my four kids are willing to donate to their dad , if all matches apply. we are basically living off my husbands disability, for i am disabled also from a car accident in 2004. my kids all live independent except for one son, he was diagnosed with schiznophrenia in 2000. please , can you help with resources?

[copyman]

sorry about your husband & your family having to go through this. i do have to tell you that you have some misinformation. you can NOT get Hepatitis C from agent orange. Hep C is  blood to blood disease. so if he had a blood transfusion while over in vietnam then that is where he could have got it. or if he used IV drugs then he could have got it that way. it really does not matter how he got it but how to get rid of it. i have read that many vets get treated out of VA hospitals. also there is a doctor cecil that works with vets & prisoners,  do a google search of his name and go to his website. you can also email him about how to proceed with treating in VA hosp. Best of luck.

[lanier]

vietnam vet...do you have any American History from 1945 to the present, not only did that war take 58k of our great Americans, it provided many of them to become "drug addicts"  I mean that with to in no way insult your or your great husband.  were you married when he came home?  Have you asked him ?  I have 3 brothers who went to vietnam and came back half crazy for a few years, chain smoking, unable to relax, drinking like fish not little fish orka the what mamal fish...so at this point who cares anyway.
what do you mean "end stage" 4&4 ?  Is he still at home ?

where do you live which state?  you should get assistance for your, him and your ill son right?  
I know their are parents on this blog who have written their children have HCV, but as for statistics with regards to this virus and all the underlying "other" factors.  The rate of passing it on for me is a clost to correct statistic.  5%  did you have a vaginal birth any complications, those  added might raise the numbers a tad depending on what.  

Read, get out your phone book and look at the services in the front section. call everyone, if your a registered voter call them...all of them from counsel to senators.  

I have cared for a person who is dying a horrible death MRSA, I do not write this to upset you, but to give you praise.  It is a job so many would never undertake and yet for some of us we could never not do theses things and ask a stranger to face them.  

I preface that last paragrah with the thought maybe your husband is not really at the "end"  it is a loong and winding road when your blessed with this virus, up and down and on and on it goes, never give up until you and nobodt else sees it is time.

best regards
Lanier

[angel456]

thanks for your sharing. Yes, this is hard stuff. its toiling on us. I am doing alot of research and thank you copyman for your resource. i will check it out. lanier, my hubby and i are clean, respectful people and dont drink or drug. we were fortunate in our lives but blessed with many tragic life events every two years. living and seeing the physical deterioration of my hubby is heartwrenching. but he is much loved and i know there is some help out there= i just need to find it! thanks  and have a good day all.

[copyman]

also there have been cases of the vaccination guns they used on recruits spreading HCV.  just another possibility.

[lanier]

that is an excellent point and since there were not any at risk behaviors, you may have just hit the nail on the head, those vaccination"guns" were as bad as shring a needle in every way.  good point.
Lanier