etiquette question

[wyntre9]

I was going to treat myself to therapeutic massage for  a solstice gift and realized I don't know whether or not I should inform the shiatsist of my hep-c status?

Any advice?

wyntre

[merryBe]

giggle, yup, lots, but I was locked in a library as a child, lterally with no tv and just encyclopedias so it kinda happens when kids don't have games to play..they read!!
.
I got a license for massage and physical therapy in 71, and it paid the bills for the whole earth farm and thousand critters I liked having around. But by practicing IN peoples homes through doc referrals I got to work on the truly sick and needy, plus skipped the overhead, plus had no split with a business owner....it worked well until the carpel tunnel and elbow tendonitis that the job creates in those who really WORK on people became too much pain for me.
Having run 3 businesses now, and gone back for a theological, I think life is one long learn process...it would have been boring to only do one thing!!!

[wyntre9]

You're a licensed massage therapist who has practised for 20 years, too?

Is there anything you can't do or don't know?

w

[merryBe]

speaking as a licensed massage therapist who practiced the art for 20 plus years, I don't think it's wisdom to aggravate the skin while using Riba, either with massage, or sauna/steam/soaks. In fact none of that is recommended.

reason, the skin is one giant organ basically. It is one that is particularly sensitive to Riba and suffers from dryness, heat, too much water AND stimulation. It is basically overstimulated already by the drug.

If you want some deep compression on the muscles, as opposed to any rubbing motion that would be OK.

However given what we now know, any minor breaks in your skin could put your therapist at risk and since my rash has been known to bleed a little, if I am bad and scratch at it, it might not take much to expose someone, and we all know any exposure is too much.

I would recommend you thoughtfully inform your therapist, in a "do unto others as you would have them do unto you modality". They could wear latex gloves and give you a good accupressure type therapy that would be beneficial to your muscle tissues without over stimulation your skin.

An educated therapist, like a doc or dentists will appreciate the info, take precaution, and still treat you, being grateful for you not putting them at any undo risk as some folks might.

MAry

[wyntre9]

Thanks for letting me know.  I was going to the steam room for the first 4 months of TX, before I moved, and it felt great.  I can't tolerate saunas, though.  That dry heat does a number on me.

I have never liked jacuzzis so I'm not likely to take one of those.  I'm still pondering the massage part . . . . . .

Won't it be wonderful when we don't have to take all these special circumstances into consideration when planning our activities?Thanks, Cruel

wyn

[cruelworld]

be careful if you go to a steam room and/or hot tub. it can kill us in our weakened state.
i made the mistake of ten whole minutes in steam and 10 minutes in a hot tub.
and it took all day to recover. i could barely walk afterwards.
finally, i had a chance to go relax and soak up some heat and boy did i pay!
i wouldnt recommend more than 3 minutes in one day.
it did feel great though!

[wyntre9]

Thanks for posting.  Now I'm even more confused!  (as if that's possible.  *LOL*)

Maybe I'll keep the appointment and if it gets uncomfortable I'll cut it short.  I used to love massage.  I haven't been in over a year, nor have i been to a steam room.  I was so looking forward to those treats . . . . sigh . . . .

web52,

The Hawke was absolutely looking for lunch, or a midday snack.  I used to get them in the NJ suburbs, whenever it snowed, and it would become a toss-up as to whether to continue stocking the feeders and risk a couple of stragglers getting picked off or stop feeding the little birds altogether.

I have the same problem now in the mountains with a couple of feral cats.  

BTW - you do know about the Quaker parrot colony at Brooklyn College?

Just in case you haven't heard, here's a link.

www.brooklynparrots.com

They have monthly tours.

wyntre

[web52-1]

i went for massages allot during tx, it really helped, albeit temporarily.  i did not tell the therapist that i had hep c, as i felt i wasn't putting him at risk. off topic, i live in brooklyn, ny and have 4 bird feeders in my back yard.  on saturday we had a visit from a very large hawk who landed on my composter & spent about 10 minutes there and on my fence. i was in awe. he/she was beautiful. i would even say regal. i think he was waiting for the sparrows & chickadees to come feed so he could have himself a snack.

[wyntre9]

My rash isn't bad at all, except to me!  It's inactive, mostly some grainy blotches on the chest, the sort of thing that in the summer you wouldn't want to wear a tank top.  

Ya know, I'm so glad I posted this coz it SOUNDED like a fantastic idea when i got it but, d@mn, this virus sure makes everything complicated!

And i do looooooove massage.  The spa offers a hot stone treatment but that raises issues, too.

(What doesn't??????)

Cruel World, I get PCR's every month and I've been UND since week 17.  Just got December results and it's the same.

Hawke,

That's a good idea about saying it's a non-contagious rash, which it is.  (OK ladies, I'm gonna confess, the other thing i realized AFTER the fact is my personal grooming hasn't maintained it's pre-TX high standards, especially with regards to legs and arms..)  As a matter of fact, now I'm wondering how the guys deal with daily facial shaving?  Do y'all just grow beards?  


Elaine,

Aren't you glad you don't have to think abut this stuff???????  (I wouldn't imagine Nick is a huge therapeutic massage fan).

Maybe I'll cancel.   :(

wyn

[jmjm530]

LOL. No problem and thanks. But it was a horror. Thankfully skin is normal now (psoriasis gone) except for some post tx rosacea that appears to be under control as long as I watch the sun. The interferon in treatment is known to flare pre-existing psoriasis or even bring about new bouts.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

FWIW and it's probably coincidental, but I did have a vigorous shiatsu type massage very early in treatment before my skin problems. I later developed a severe case of Palmo-plantar pustulosis Psoriasis on my palms and feet where the therapist worked. Probably would have happend anyway, or maybe the foot part was further aggravated by walking on a hot beach one weekend, but the point is -- at least with psoriasis -- that sensitive skin sometimes may not react well to vigorous poking.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

Child: jeez... what was I thinking? I forgot about the rash.
I would be embarrassed also !! still, sounds good though !
ummmm ask Jim what he would do? LOL
-------------------------------------------------------------------
If you saw what my skin looked like on treatment -- rash, psoriasis (plaque, guttate and pustular) , seb derm, etc -- you wouldn't even think of having a massage -- not to mention that I would be shocked if any massage therapist would even touch me. As to a simple rash, I suppose the massage therapist might want to ask what it was, but I still don't think that requires more than "it's not contagious". That said, not sure if a shitatsu-type massage would be helpful or perhaps further aggravate sensitive skin on treatment.

-- Jim

[cruelworld]

not that it matters in this case, for the record, you cannot give that disease to someone else while you are undetectable.
you are virus free for now.
its true that you could have had a breakthrough since your last pcr. that risk is minimal
though and the vl would would still be very very low. (not so contagious)

[orphanedhawk]

It is so rampant where I live that the only danger for me was having to listen to stories about the people they know with HCV.

Its up to you.You can easily say, I have a non-contagious rash.
Enjoy!

btw;: the wild turkeys were back today,3 groups, 30 in all. gobble.

[wyntre9]

I KNEW I'd get some serious counsel from you.  :)

wyn

[wyntre9]

Desert,

hahahahaha!  

elaine,

I know I'm obsessing. . . . this disease makes ya do that . . . but i'm also slightly embarrassed about the riba rash . . . . . It's much better than the first couple of months but I'm beginning to think this isn't such a good idea.  And it sounds great to me, too.

mm,

come on, now.  Don't you think that's a tad bit presumptive?   You got a better abbreviation for shiatsu massage?

wyn

[jmjm530]

Only if I  was HCV positive and planned on having a high-risk,  sexual encounter with the therapist which could be quite a gift :)

[mremeet]

Ask your "shiatsist" if he has HCV...or HBV...or HIV...etc.

[desrt]

I only tell professionals who deal with (or might have to deal with) my blood - dentists, phlebos, acupuncturist. I don't know if I'd want a massage where blood was involved ;-)