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My sister has just been told she has hepatitus C, she is an LPN, and she is saying she is going back to work.  She currently works in an "old folks home".  I am so angry over this, I don't think she has the right to put others at risk.  In my opinion there are other things she could do with the skills she has that wouldn't put others at risk.  

Question is legally can she continue to work in a hospital under these conditions?
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the laugh Lady..."Riba fed, stigma battling ,disease fighting 'nice' people :} ". Great way to start my day. I'm glad I helped with the manicure idea. Giving mine up would have just put me over the edge. It's one of the last nice things I do for myself.

Patti, the woman who just passed from HCC has lived in Florida her entire life and was not on this site. The other is a fella from NC and his fiancee and caregiver posts on my site. I haven't seen her here.

Have a great Wednesday.

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Avatar universal
When I revealed my HCV status to my laser hair removal nurse, she told me about several of her nurse colleagues who are HCV+ & are still working.  Having the disease doesn't preclude one from working in the medical profession in ANY capacity; in fact, HCV patients are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act & have a legal right to sue if they are fired for having the disease, from what I understand.  While your sister may no longer donate blood or organs, she poses no risk to the patients in her facility.  If she were to accidentally stick herself with a needle, I doubt she'd take said needle & inject it into one of her patients!!!
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250084 tn?1303307435
HEY! I hadn't thought of that and I used to have a 'healthy' nail tech that did just that, ALL your own stuff, never shared. OH BOY...... I may have nails again! Perhaps not this week as I have been in bed 18 hours a day, hair looks like a birds nest and won't even go into last time I shaved my legs!
Now THAT hair I could handle loosing :}
  Lookin' good hasn't meant much this week! Looked at my man yestersday, as he's trying to help me build Halloween monsters, hair on my head, looking like my gramma and said "man, you must REALLY love me". (as he still 'lust' me, crabby and looking like that :}
Sorry about the loss and is either of them on our site? ( or were you talking about Louisianna?)
                                                                          Lauri
      
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250084 tn?1303307435
Neither of you were out of line considering they way that post came thru, so don't feel bad. You said what we all thought, just more to the point :}
And I meant what I said to he/she........they really should pass our site on to the sister!
Thus far, looks like lookinnomore isn't coming back and is back to lookin'!
Perhaps others will be more careful in wording before messing with us Riba fed, stigma battling ,disease fighting 'nice' people :}

                                                                  Lauri
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Avatar universal
This is your "sister" WOW are you sure?  and what the heck is an "old folks home"  I have a bachelors in nursing with a certificate from a local university specializing in geriatrics.  soooo is this a skilled nursing facility or an assisted living facility for your see SIS there is a BIG FAT GREY AREA you need to educate yourself on their. LPN's in these facilitis do NOT handle BLOOD products or biohazards and for the most part dispense meds and take visual and vital assesments for on call physicans.  If there is any issue protocol is 911.  unless the client has a specific DNR on file.  I can not believe your post, you do not seem to swift regarding exactly where or what kind of place good old disease ridden SIS works a skilled nursing facility has a more facilitation for feeding tubes and dementia and alzheimer's clients, but the protocol is ALWAYS 911 for the LPN.  what kind of job do you have?  the perfect and best income any LPN can have is in many cases working in a elderly frail geriatric setting.  I hope you SISTER goes on to get her RN and keeps trying and does not spend to much time around you as long as you have this kind of mind set.  If I could work today I would be right there today tonight or tomorrow.  You need to get your head on straight.  Your sister confided in you, a very hard thing for anyone to do with thei VIRUS and your turned on her like an uneducated and unkind human being.
please excuse the spelling errors, this post really blew me away

Lani
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Avatar universal
Whiterose you did not stress me at all. Quite the opposite. Thanks so much for your kindness.
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Avatar universal
actually your response was very nice and certainly showed your sincerity to help the fellow.
please don't be hard on yourself. but, it did get my hair up in his reply to you. sorry but you did not deserve it and i was not gonna let it go. i hope i did not stress you!
i am truly sorry for the loss. sincere (((hugs))) to you.
Whiterose
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Avatar universal
Guys, Susie says *hiding her head in shame* she still gets all her maincures. What I do is bring my own nail files, scissors and cuticle pushers and mine are used only on my nails. I do not touch any one else's things. My manicurist says she does this for a few other clients who are HCV + and she is aware of the risk to herself. In the 7 years she has been my manicurist she has never cut herself or come anywhere close to my blood. The one time my emery board skinned a cuticle and it bled, I threw away the board and put a bandaid on my finger. She claims, and rightly so, that she feels more at risk from the people who are positive and don't even know it or don't own up to it because they are afraid of the stigma.

Thanks for all your support. I do apologize for jumping on lookinnomore. I hope he/she really will learn some more and be there for the sister and come back and ask good questions. The questions were good and important. But attitude has hurt so many so unfairly.

We lost a patient in Florida to HCC this week, Patti was 54 years old. We have another who was just taken off the transoplant list as he is too sick to be transplanted at this point. It's been a lousy week on our support board and again I apologize for my outburst.
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Avatar universal
my hats off to you both for your patience and advice to Look.  i certainly hope he at least comes back and reads them and shows his said desire to help his dear sister.
i usually have the patience of Job but this legal beagel kind of guy just pushed my irk button today.
for sure i will refrain from any more comments until Job returns, lol, and leave you gals to help this uninformed soul.
good work!
hugs   Whiterose
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250084 tn?1303307435
I know we had both said 'we miss our nails' :{ I am still not positive that is not how I got it ('sweatshop nail salons in a rush!) as my only other way was 32 years ago!

  But to note here.... I was also making a joke with the "do you 'guys', meaning the men here :}
try to lighten up the mood wherever I can :}

Lookinnomore.....and to show you the spirit here.....probably EVERYONE here would welcome you and TRULY WANT to help you, even now when you started out a bit insulting. It has happened before and they were told 'please come back in better 'form' and we'll be happy to have you.
Best to all, and to your sister. SHE need's to find us.It would be helping her very much to give HER this site.
                                                        Lauri
Helpful - 0
179856 tn?1333547362
We fight quite a stigma with this disease and it's people who are not educated about it (like you nothing personal) that continue to cause our problem.  Hep C is ONLY contagious when it is BLOOD TO BLOOD.  I am sure if your sister were to cut herself she would use appropriate measures. Even that would be a stretch to imagine a patient getting it from her.

You can't get it through bodily fluids or sex - only blood.  So unless she starts sharing needles in a back room with the old people...I'd think they are all a-ok.

"None of us get our nails done anymore (do you 'guys'? :}. "
  Nope.  Absolutely not.  And considering anyone that goes to the dentist or has been innoculated i the past is at risk...how do you know YOU don't have this disease too?  Would you then want to shrink up into a ball in a cold dank room and sit there forever or would you like to continue on to have a good quality of life?

Please think before insulting an entire group of people in ignorance.
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250084 tn?1303307435
Another note: IF your sister is denied a job because of this, she may be seeing a lawyer!

                                                                                  Lauri
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250084 tn?1303307435

Need to add to: "I have not heard of one 'passing it on' to them, other than at birth, mother to child, which is also rare."

And of course, anyone still sharing needle's.  
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Avatar universal
i had to chime in on this.
your indignation to Susie was uncalled for. you indicated you were looking for hepc information.
well you have a strange way of communicating it. your oringinal note only expressed your anger that she would work in a nursing home with hcv and your anger!  your real question...is there any legal way to stop her.
i wish there was a legal way to require people like you take a mandatory class on hcv before they can socialize with the community.
GROW UP and get informed.
if you come back with an honest attitude for information about transmission i know there would be many responses with truth and support, but already you have taken the "i will go elsewhere route!"
good ridance to you i say and maybe you will find an attorney to tell your woes to....or even better find other stupid people who will share your stupid fears with. i feel sorry for your sister to have to deal with the likes of you!
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250084 tn?1303307435
First of all, please don't come to this site and immediatley get po'd at any answer you get that you may not like. There are MANY, MANY very educated, very good people here.I have learned more here than any one of the 7-10 Dr.'s I saw for 3 years that continually misdiagnosed me! I learn more on facts, bloodwork, the disease, the treatment HERE.
YOUR comment
" I am so angry over this, I don't think she has the right to put others at risk." IS going to ruffle some feathers here, I assure you. MANY are treated like they do AID's and either is wrong. In fact, it is the many who don't know, don't get checked that are passing it along.The attitude of 'how dare her' is wrong and I promise you, hurting her feelings.
Your sister has a bigger chance of passing Hep from someone using her razor, getting her nails done than in a sterile health environment where I am sure she would take extra precautions.
None of us get our nails done anymore (do you 'guys'? :}. IF you do, you are at risk every time if they cut you and don't have NEW files, etc. on there. All of us are very careful as per blood to blood, but come on.....we've been with spouse's for years, children, friends , family and I have not heard of one 'passing it on' to them, other than at birth, mother to child, which is also rare.
Copyman is right, the health care providers are more at risk. And Terrylee8's post is right also. Calm down, slow down. If your sister is in this field, she is an educated person to make that decision.
What's really  more important question's here....... is your sister getting a biopsy, treatment , what type is she???  This CAN be cured you know. (or do you?)
Slow down, be nice. All questions here don't always have everyone agreeing.
Susie2007... I stand behind your original comment!
Get MORE educated, you'll understand better, which is why, I believe, you came to this site!?
                                                                       Lauri
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Avatar universal
it is usually the other way around, the healthcare worker is the one at risk. you can work any job you want with HCV. there are no laws or regulations stopping it. be glad your sister is able to work. now get off your high horse and support her !!!!
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150807 tn?1194955315
You go Susie lol.
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288609 tn?1240096756
I am a health care worker with Hep C and I work in a hospital. I asked Primary MD, GI Doc and rheumatologist if there was any concern with this and they said no. I generally wear gloves with my pts. but not always. The likely hood that I would be bleeding over an open wound on one of my pts. is nil. It has to be blood to blood like sharing a needle, a razor, toothbrush with bleeding gums or transfusing blood, I would never treat while I was bleeding and I don't do surgery or share needles. So I am quite sure it is OK for your sister to work.
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Avatar universal
Many health care workers are infected and they still continue to work in their field.  You need to calm down and do what's best for your sister and that is to love her and support her and allow her to make a living.  
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Avatar universal
and my question is how do you know if she can or can not work in such a profession with such a disease?  There are rules and regulations to being a health care provider, or are you passing on uneducated advice, cause now you have my back up.  I've been at the hospital supporting my sister for the last 5 days........................ better yet, don't respond at all, I'll get my answers else where!
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Avatar universal
Sorry. You're correct, it is a place to ask questions. It was the way you said she has no right and how angry you are that got my back up. We hep patients don't need to be any more stigmatized than we already are, especially by family members and others who are supposed to love us.
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Avatar universal
Ok take a step back Susie, I asked the question to know what I was talking about I never offered ANY advice to anyone.  Considering you can get this from a stick of a needle, it seems like a relevant question!
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Avatar universal
She can absolutely work in any field she wishes. She is no risk to others. Do you realize how many surgeons are hep C positive? Many. You need to apologize to her for your uneducated advice, IMHO.
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