help I'm scared!!!

I'm 21 years old! I've had a heroin problem since I was 15! Wen I was 16 I was in a car accident and ruptured my spleen! The hospital didn't relise this and sent me home, 5 days later after being in agony I went back in n that's wen it was noticed, I got rushed into theator and only had a 40% chance of survival but luckily I recovered but now don't have a spleen! I've just been diagnosed with hep c and I have no family to turn to! I'm totally alone apart from my boyfriend but he's the only person! I don't know how bad my hep is yet as I've only known I've had it for 3 weeks n still waiten 4 results back! Will not having a spleen mess with my treatment!? Will I be able to have the treatment?! And also I'm scared I've passed it on to my boyfriend n he has a lot going on n won't get tested at the min as he has mental health problems n has a lot of stress at the moment and don't need the stress on this aswell!! I feel dirty cos of catchen it and its maken my life a misery! Why me? I've had enuf problems in my life all ready and now this? Will it be treatable with me not haven a spleen n what if I've infected my boyfriend? I'm petrified!!!x

[BoceprevirGal]

  Yeah, I have friend who got cured (he had genotype 1)and he didn't have a spleen.
    Without the spleen, you dont have to worry about the low platelets, which the Treatment can cause..if I remember things right.
    Hep C generally moves slowly, and symptoms tend to appear after around 20 yrs. IF you have HIV, the it can progress much more quickly.
    make sure to get a Hep B vaccination series, becuz you dont want Hep B, if you already have Hep C.
    In a few years, some really good Treatments will be coming out, which will yield less side effects, becuz it wont include Interferon, whichis what we use now, with ribaviran, to cure Hep C...and sometimes anothe antiviral med is added, whichis called "triple Treatment", for people with genotype 1, which is the hardest to cure.
  

[can-do-man]

Here is a post from one of our older members that treated without a spleen.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Spleen/show/1417442

Has for passing it on to your boyfriend I wouldn't worry about that as its blood to blood, many of us here have had it for years with a spouse and its never been a problem... Your young so the odds are you would have little damage. No reason to feel "dirty" many people have it. We have had are share of Doctors here that has treated.

Put on a smile, try not to worry, find a good doctor and learn as much as you can. More then likey this is not something that you have to deal with in a hurry, you will have plenty of time.......... Welcome here and take care, your going to be fine.

[can-do-man]

Should add if you are still using you really need to get clean, and please don't share any needles with anyone as that would pass it on... Good luck to you, hope you work things out.... Peace

[HectorSF]

AS others have said, no having a spleen will not be a problem for you to treat your hepatitis. Many people don't have spleens and live normal healthy lives.

Hepatitis C takes decades to cause major amounts of damage so you probably have very little liver disease. Youth is on your side. Most of us with a lot of damage are in our 50s and 60s and were infected when we were young.

Don't worry about having infected your boyfriend. He might just as well infected you if you were sharing needles.

Hepatitis C usually has no symptoms so the only way it can ruin your life is how you decide to deal with it emotionally. You have already been using heroin which not only can expose you to HIV, hepatitis B and C but can also cause an overdose that can be fatal. The life style of a person that uses heroin is not a healthy one. The only person you can supposedly depend on has is own mental health problems and can't even take care of himself never mind you. "game_over" is the problem. You appear to have given up on life when it hasn't even begun.
In perspective hepatitis C is one of the least of your problems. If you want a better life it is time look at where your life is going and choose a better way. We all make mistakes when we are young, so you are not alone in that. But to throw your life away at 21 would be the worse mistake you could ever make. Why not try something different? Haven't you seen others around you and realize that a life of addiction is a miserable and unhappy one that only gets worse with time?

If you already have a primary doctor get a referral to see a Gastroenterologist (specialist in conditions and diseases of the digestive system) who is experienced in treating others with hepatitis C. Otherwise depending on the medical insurance you have get an appointment with a Gastroenterologist. You can probably find them listed in the phone book or online in your area. Make sure you ask if they treat patients with hepatitis C before making an appointment. Not all gastros do.

If you are feeling alone and isolated there may be local Hepatitis C support groups in your area. When you find a gastroenterologist ask them and they may know of some. Or contact a nearby teaching hospital. They may have support groups.

You need to stop using in order to prevent future infection. The exchange of blood during IV usage is the most efficient means by with the virus is transmitted. You can attend NA meetings to help you overcome your addiction.

"IV drug users represent the largest single risk group. Hepatitis C infection among intravenous drug users occurs at an alarming rate. As with HIV, the sharing of contaminated needles and syringes increases the chance of infection dramatically: incidence of HCV antibody rates among I.V. drug users has surpassed 50 percent in many studies and almost reached 100 percent in others. Within only six months to a year after beginning intravenous drug use, 50-80 percent of drug users test positive for the hepatitis C antibody. I.V. drug users account for about 30-40% of all identified cases, and about 50 percent of all new cases of the disease."

Here are some good resources that will help you understand more about hepatitis C and its treatment.

Testing Positive – Now What?

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/Testpos_10.pdf

First Steps with Hepatitis C for the Newly Diagnosed

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/First%20Steps/First%20Steps%20with%20Hepatitis%20C%20for%20the%20Newly%20Diagnosed.pdf

Easy C - A Guide to Understanding Hepatitis

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/easyfacts/Easy%20C%20Guide.pdf

I wish you the best of luck!
It is never too late to change.
Hector

[willbb]

You have been given some good advice above ,(especially what cando mentions being  )

"if you are still using you really need to get clean, and please don't share any needles with anyone "


and the reference links above are excellent reading material for the newly  diagnosed...

Welcome to the group....

Will

[frijole]

Sounds like you have already been through worse things than the treatment for hepatitis C.  However, if this is the trigger that will turn your life around, it cannot be a bad thing.  Six years of heroin addiction and only 21 -- my my.

In order to treat the hep C you have to get clean.  This may be a lot harder than treating the C but please find the resolve to do it.  You don't even know right now whether you need to treat now or can wait.  Hep C is not a death sentence.  If it is, I guess you are talking to a bunch of zombies here!
frijole
(age 64 now and probably infected in my early 20s)