How can I be a support to someone in this bad of shape?

[Talia429]

My husband was diagnosed with hepatitis c genotype 1a officially in 2011. He was told that he had the rare genotype and the doc referred to it as "The Big One." My husband believes that he got hepatitis c because he was a dumb teenager with a two year history of drug use. He also has 4 tattoos from non-tattoo shops. My husband and I have been together for 13 years now and he hasn't done any drugs since we've been together. That I know was a part of his past, but it hasn't been a part of his adult life. We have two children together, ages 10 and 9, and they are both taking their dad's sickness very hard. I am making this post for mental help. I don't know how to support my husband the way he needs me to. My husband and I are young, and we both feel like no one, doctors, friends, family, NO ONE believes how sick he is. He has been to 4 different doctors and all 4 of them have treated my husband like he is exaggerating his pain. He was even denied Medicaid for help getting treatment. I am a student and I work at a job that does not offer insurance. I have no money to help my husband, so I don't know where to go for help. My husband continues to drink beer because he feels like it's the only way that he can deal with the pain, even though he knows it's harmful to his liver. I have had to watch my husband curl up in a ball holding his stomach while he cries how bad it hurts. My husband did concrete for 15 years before he found out he was sick, and he hasn't been able to work for the past 2 years now because of how bad his body hurts. My husband was a very hard worker and to observe him going from working so hard to not being able to work, I know he's not making it up. Our children have to hear their dad every single night throw up in the bathroom before they go to school. My husband's pain is becoming mentally unstable for us all. He is becoming angrier and angrier. He has suicidal thoughts and tells me all the time that he wants to die because he can't stand the pain that he is in. He feels like me and our children don't support him with what he's going through, but I know that it's angry talk that he doesn't mean and he's just saying it because he's in pain. I don't know where to turn for help or how to get my husband the help he needs. If anyone has any advice that would be great. How can I be a support to someone in this bad of shape?

[bigt1947]

You're absolutely right Country that was my first post. I am a tenderfoot. I apologize if I came across as not having much sympathy, but that is the furtherest thing from the truth. Didn't have anything substantual to contribute so I added what I thought might help. Oops! You people are doing a great job helping Talia and others and I am very impressed. Keep up the good work and best of luck to you and family, Talia.

[countrygirlcansurvive]

I would like to say you have got some very good advice from some people that has been in your shoes and your husbands also.As for the big1947 up there,you can tell he hasn't been on here very long and not much sympathy either.I would like to help you out..
Find you a transplant center closest to you.Go to the Social services Desk and ask to speak with someone about getting on the Charity Program and get you an appointment with Hepatologist.They will take it from there and it will make him feel better also. Hep C takes decades to kill you. He needs some test ran by the Hep doctor to see how much damage he has and to see how much liver is functioning.I have Cirrhosis and have been treated for Hep C,do not know yet if I am undetected.You can do all the foot work as ( I call it) to get him where he needs to be. Once you get him in they will get him into treatment for the HepC , all the Clinical Trials are free for treating.I also want to say that HepC tx is nothing like Chemotherapy and now days they have hardly any side effects.Here is a link that will help you get started...Transplant Center - - University of Utah Health Care - Salt Lake City ...
healthcare.utah.edu/transplant/
University of Utah Health Care's Transplant Center offers patients and families comprehensive treatment and care for all transplant related diseases and ...
Hope he gets the help he needs..

God Bless you all.
~Country~

[Advocate1955]

If his gastroenterologist prescribed Tylenol 3 for him, he either needs a new/better gastroenterologist wh is familiar with hep c, alcoholism, and liver damage, or he needs a hepatologist, preferably the latter. Usually you will find hepatologists in liver care clinics or liver transplant centers located within university based medical centers. His next steps should be alcohol and prescription detox, a thorough eval by a good hepatologist, and depending on sobriety, later treatment for Hep C. As noted in other posts: drink water, reduce sodium, no iron supplements, increase fruits and veggies, no over the counter or prescription meds unless approved by hepatologist, and no alcohol or recreational drugs.

[Advocate1955]

You mentioned that a doctor gave him Tylenol 3. Tylenol is very damaging to the liver for someone with Cirrhosis. I'm not sure about the coedeine in Tylenol 3, but I do know that Tylenol damages the liver further in someone with cirrhosis and can even cause the liver to fail. We need our livers. Any doctor treating your husband for anything at this point should be talking to a hepatologist before prescribing anything.

[bigt1947]

Just a thought. After reading your posts it seems a possible avenue to follow would be presenting your story to the Dr. Phil Show. Having two children affected by the situation would be helpful when his staff make a determination. I watch the show and it seems that your husband would be a qualified candidate. Give it a shot. Can't hurt to try. Good luck!

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[BoceprevirGal]

  Oh, I didn't answer your question...hmmmmm. All my husbands were alcoholic or addicts also, and it made me miserable all the time.  An alcoholic has to make the decision to stop, them-selves. I did try everything though, but nothing worked.
   I did support myself though, by going to Alanon meetings. I learned that I didn't have to be angry with my husband all the time, because it was killing me, the stress, and it was unfair to my children.
   Alcoholism is a tricky and difficult disease to treat~