will i be able to work

[JAY0914]

just diagnosed seeing specialist this tuesday...since i have to get on treatment most likely will i be able to work while on treament...need my job to support family and have insurance to help with all the cost this will be.

Jay

[newleaf09]

Depends on what your job is.  Inside desk job, little physical strain needed, you should be fine.  Very tired evenings and weekends but you'll make it.  Many, many have worked during treatment (self included).  A job out in the heat that requires much activity, you'll just have to try it.  I think it would be very hard.

[JAY0914]

thanks for reply...work inside as store manager...scared to death of this...feels like a death sentence.

[newleaf09]

The diagnosis process and beginning treatment is terrifying for everyone, but there is a very reassuring feeling of taking back just a little control when you actually start the meds.  Then everyone just muddles through and makes adjustments to be able to sit down a little more at work, adjust activities to the things that matter and not just "keeping up" with everyone else.  You'll want to take advantage of "rescue meds", such as drugs that can increase your hemoglobin, mood medications to help with possible mood side effects, things like that to manage the side effects of the interferon and ribivirin treatment drugs.  You'll manage fine and forums are a good way to ask about the experiences of others who have already gone through it.  

[ladylucy1]

I have the same worries as you do. I need to work. I read the other responses to your post and everyone is very positive. But I drive, within a 25 mile radius. No desk job. I worry about the cost of treatment, and treatment for whatever goes wrong, like RBC count, weight loss, needing a shrink and more drugs...Doctor recommended treatment almost 2 years ago but I didn't have insurance.  Now I have insurance. went to the doctor, sat through his treatment plan. got a prescription. Guess what. The copays on these drugs !!!  YIPES!!  Unaffordable...I applied to Roche (866-247-5084) for help and I got my first month of meds two days ago.  I can start now.

[newleaf09]

While it's easiest to get the right antidepressant prescribed by a shrink, most TX doctors easily write prescriptions for AD's for you to try while treating.  There are several classes of AD's and the ones you want to try (if needed, some folks get through on nothing with just a little crankiness as the interferon side effect) are in the SSRI group.  Try one for a week and if you can sleep on it, try it for longer.  It's not hard to switch to another if that particular one isn't working well for you.  Your TX team will be helpful with prescribing mood drugs.

[JAY0914]

thanks for reply so much...im absolutely freaking out about it all...job, cost, and family, my daughter is 6 and only child ive ever had, love her so much..so scared.

[banarep]

I am a teacher and have not missed a day yet.  Just finished shot 24.  The summer time, when I am not at work is harder on me than when I was in the class.

[JAY0914]

thanks buddy for reply..anxiety is killing me...hopefully i can maintain my job...im a manager at a pharmacy, make good money, this is so depressing to me, is the treatment just going to extend my years of life ?

[banarep]

that no one really knows.  i am on my third round of treatment and each time i have seen my liver improve, so i know that is good.  right now, i am in week 24 and as of week 21 was undectable for the virus - so i am hopeful that this will help,

but then again, i could get hit by a car today.

[JAY0914]

thris round? you mean like a yr and a half of treatment?

[ladylucy1]

Thanks. what's SSRI? .

[ladylucy1]

Roche will help with the Pegasys and Copegus. I think that if you are prescribed something else, you might get the help from the pharmaceutical company that manufactures that drug. A tip: I called them in the first week of June, and I got approved last week, third week in July...  They tell you that it takes 2 days, but it takes time. They will ask you for your financials, your insurance and your doctor's info. They fedexed the meds to me. You have to be home to receive it, because the retail value is about $5000 and the vials need refrigeration.

[ladylucy1]

or a plane could drop out of the sky! I live in New York. When I was a kid a whole section in Brooklyn was burnt to a crisp when a section of plane fell on the ground. At the crack of dawn.

I guess it's been a long journey for you. I hope I can bear it as well.

[Bill1954]

Jay, a lot of us treat for longer than a year and a half. I treated for the better part of 3 years before I achieved sustained viral response. Actually, it was for 152 weeks, but spread out from Feb. ’05 through Aug. 08.

This treatment can be challenging, but most of us find it doable somehow.

Best to you—

Bill

[meakea]

I am in week 47 of 48 with treatment and I have worked full time throughout all of it.  I have a desk job that is very demanding mentally and I believe it helped keep me sane by going to work.  It was hard finding a pace that would allow me to get to work and get through the day but I did it.

I did find that there wasn't much else I was able to except go to work and come home and rest.  My husband picked up the slack around the house - he's retired so there was no excuse - haha.

[JAY0914]

thanks for reply...besides worrying about not living...alot of anxeity is will i be able to keep my job...if i cant work will on treatment...i will lose my house, where will we live , how can we afford it, hard to be positive about all this, feel so hopeless....ugh..then theres ny 6 yr old daughter...means everything to me...not sure if i need to tell my boss what i got, will he terminate me, everything is so hard..

[JAY0914]

not sure whether anxiety or the virus is making me feel worse...will the doc give me anything to help with the anxiety that will help me cope a lil better?

[annieCinMD]

The doctor can give you something to cope with the stress. I've heard of people starting on anti depressants beforehand because they can take like a month to fully take effect. The SSRIs are one family of anti depressents. I think it stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. I'm not sure about the "Selective" but pretty sure the rest is right. I got put on Xanax for my anxiety. It really helps. The anti depressants tend to have a calming effect, too. You might want to tell HR at work, maybe start with your boss. I almost lost my job over brain fog and poor reviews and I told my boss during that review. She was actually really helpful and strongly suggested short term and maybe even long term disability. I had my treatment stopped for 2 weeks and the brain fog cleared up. I'm dose reduced on interferon now, and if I take my Xanax, I'm fine at work. Usually about out of gas by the time I get home, but I'm OK. I've only got a few weeks to go. I strongly suggest telling HR at work, at least if you start having side effects (some people don't have them, however) because of something I read on this forum. If you don't tell them and end up getting fired, it's pretty much on you for not telling them. I regret not doing it sooner. I was worried about the house and the kid, too. I'm a single parent. No second income to fall back on. Are you looking at a 24 week treatment or a 48? Makes a huge difference.

[meakea]

Jay, yes, your doc can give you something to cope with the anxiety and stress.  Some use antidepressants.  I did not use antidepressants because there were too many side effects for me but I do use an occasional Xanax for the anxiety.

Once you get into a routine with your treatment, I believe your anxiety will lessen.  The worst part of this disease for me was the anxiety leading up to starting treatment.  Once I started treatment, that seemed to get much better and I didn't worry about it so much.

If you are like me and you have no choice but to work, you will find a way to work.  I would, however, suggest that you check out all your options before you start treatment so that you know what is and what isn't available to you as far as time off.  I'm not saying you'll need time off but it's a good idea to know everything about it before you start treatment.

I stated earlier that I worked full time through treatment but I should add that for the first 12-15 weeks or so I used one day of my accrued vacation each week and I took every Monday off so that I had Saturday, Sunday and Monday to recoup after the shot on Friday night.  I needed to use my vacation days anyway (use them or lose them) so it was a good way for me to give myself a break in the beginning of treatment.  I saved my vacation for this year (2009) and as soon as I'm done with treatment in 2 weeks I'm taking 4 weeks of vacation to build myself back up again.

You can do this!!  Do you need 24 or 48 wks of treatment?  

[meakea]

Jay, since you were just diagnosed give yourself some time to learn more about Hepatitis C and please try not to worry quite so much.  I understand your worries because I was feeling it when I was first diagnosed last year too.  You will, however, come to grips with having Hep C and you'll find that life goes on and it will be okay.  You are in good company here and you are NOT alone.

You will need to know your genotype (1, 2, 3 or 4), and depending on your genotype you might be well-served by getting a liver biopsy to determine if you have any liver damage.  I had a liver biopsy and it was not a big deal - it sounds worse than it is.  Take it one step at a time.  

[JAY0914]

thanks annie for reply...seeing specilist tuesday for first time since lab work from primary doc...so hopefully ill get answers then about genotype and length of treatment, my primary doc said my viral load was extremely low and that was positive i guess...as for my boss telling him about it has been scary...ive been an a hard working employee for 7 years always exceeded performance and he is a good guy, hopefully he will have some sympathy for me and not fire me or something...thanks for all your replys they give hope when i feel i have none..

[JAY0914]

thanks  so much...you guys on this site are awesome and i appreciate very much...go to specialist tuesday yeah...hopefully ill understand it all then and start to get positive again... is there anything you can take for energy been real fatiqued prolly mostly anxiety...pains in my arms driving me nuts back and neck as well...arg...so weird i found out i had this **** last monday..then i started having all the pains before that was ok just  go figure.

[meakea]

Jay, you don't have to tell your employer.  In fact, why don't you consider just waiting on that until after you have more information about your genotype and status, etc. and then think it over and decide if you want to tell.  I'm not saying that you shouldn't tell your employer but you certainly don't have to tell your employer.  

[JAY0914]

my concern is that i wont be able to handle the sx and it will show and i will have to tell anyway...ugh...how do they figure ur genotype? thru blood work?

[meakea]

Yes, genotype is determined from your bloodwork.  In fact, since you don't know what your genotype is or your viral load, I'm wondering if you actually have had the 2nd round of tests that show you have active Hep C.  Remember that the first test that is done will be positive for Hep C even if you just have the antibodies.  Some people can have the Hep C antibodies and not have active Hep C.  

So, if you haven't had the 2nd round of blood tests (where they take several vials of blood) you could still turn out to not have active Hep C.

[JAY0914]

i can only pray..................second round tues at specialist...find geno etc. my viral load was 1620 unless im reading it wrong from first test...normal was <50

[JAY0914]

maybe im misunderstanding..my first lab test doesnt show my viral load just that i have antibodies to hepc...and ill find out the the viral load at the specialist?