Aa
My son is newly diagnosed
My son 30, has battled various drug addictions since about 18. He was just diagnosed with Hepatitis C. He lives in Florida, and is uninsured. There are very few treatment alternatives for uninsured patients. I am a registered nurse and unfortunately my only exposure to caring for Hep C patients has been when they are very, very ill. I know very little about the acute and chronic phases.
He lives about an hour away, because of his addiction my relationship with him is not one of trust. I have not seen him since he states he was diagnosed. He tells me he has horrible headaches each and every afternoon. He states he does not take tylenol or aspirin. He states he takes 800 mg of ibprofen with no relief. My questions are:
1. The severe daily headache--Does this mean he is acute or has moved to chronic? Does it mean anything else?
2. What is the best thing to do for the headache?
3. Should he expect to feel better, or will he feel this way all his life?
4. He has shared needles with his girlfriend many times. She tested just after him. He tells me he had a high viral load and she tested and results for her were normal. How can that be? She believes she is in the clear---I told him that is not so. I read it can take up to 26 weeks for the virus to appear. Is this true?
He lives about an hour away, because of his addiction my relationship with him is not one of trust. I have not seen him since he states he was diagnosed. He tells me he has horrible headaches each and every afternoon. He states he does not take tylenol or aspirin. He states he takes 800 mg of ibprofen with no relief. My questions are:
1. The severe daily headache--Does this mean he is acute or has moved to chronic? Does it mean anything else?
2. What is the best thing to do for the headache?
3. Should he expect to feel better, or will he feel this way all his life?
4. He has shared needles with his girlfriend many times. She tested just after him. He tells me he had a high viral load and she tested and results for her were normal. How can that be? She believes she is in the clear---I told him that is not so. I read it can take up to 26 weeks for the virus to appear. Is this true?
Well, *I*......nevermind.
This was the right place for her to come and ask questions. Maybe there are times when we should look past wounded sensibilities and see the bigger picture. The details of this particular situation warranted an extra measure of compassion and understanding so that the SON might get the help he needs by providing information that we have to give. How many of us landed here asking the RIGHT questions right from the start? Isn't that why people come here? For information and support? If we can tackle someone who wants to know if they can get Hep C from the dog that licked the infected mother-in-law's underwears, surely we can dig a little bit for THE SON - who needs his mom to have the right information - it just might save his life.
A mother and son lost to each other, a mother who says she doesn't have anything left for her son but is here asking questions just the same, even if not exactly the right questions - yet - and an opportunity lost to educate and inform. How tragic all around.
hepcson - keep digging, Mom. Your son is in there and you need to "see" and feel him again and differently. Out of anyone else in the world, it's you he needs. For the rest of his life. Forget the social worker jargon and all that. Just be his Mom. Just please...never give up. Good luck with this.
This was the right place for her to come and ask questions. Maybe there are times when we should look past wounded sensibilities and see the bigger picture. The details of this particular situation warranted an extra measure of compassion and understanding so that the SON might get the help he needs by providing information that we have to give. How many of us landed here asking the RIGHT questions right from the start? Isn't that why people come here? For information and support? If we can tackle someone who wants to know if they can get Hep C from the dog that licked the infected mother-in-law's underwears, surely we can dig a little bit for THE SON - who needs his mom to have the right information - it just might save his life.
A mother and son lost to each other, a mother who says she doesn't have anything left for her son but is here asking questions just the same, even if not exactly the right questions - yet - and an opportunity lost to educate and inform. How tragic all around.
hepcson - keep digging, Mom. Your son is in there and you need to "see" and feel him again and differently. Out of anyone else in the world, it's you he needs. For the rest of his life. Forget the social worker jargon and all that. Just be his Mom. Just please...never give up. Good luck with this.
My only experiment was did I get high or not. And if I didn't I was more than happy to experiment again.
Yeah James I experimented with drugs........for 20 years until I proved my study was complete ;)
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