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dealing with hep c how to boost your energy
My husband has hep c and he wont go for the treatment but the last two mns has been bad all he wants to do is sleep. I cant get him out of the house so what can I do.
I wanted to let you know that I just found out I have hep c and I was worried about money since I have none...There is a lot of help out there, everything is paid for by the state for me. I live in NJ and charity care pays for the Doctors visits and blood work. Contact pegasys and merck for patient assistance with the medication, they will pay for some or all if you have low income like myself. He needs to get treatment before it is too late and he needs a new liver. There is help out there, but He has to be his own advocate otherwise he is going to go through the depression and there will be no light at the end of the tunnel. Contact the hospitals in your area and ask them about Doctors in your area that take low income appointment. There is a lot of paperwork involved, but there is help. He needs to have a plan and get out of bed and push himself!!! I understand the depression I have spurts daily, but He has to continue for himself and you.
Sorry to hear of your husbands problems.... I am also from Ont.,however I see two others from our fine Province have responded to you,so hopefully you are in touch with them by PM.
It seems a little confusing by your posts if your husbands problems are stemming from HCV or,as others have suggested clinical depression.
There is help for both ,here in Ont.even without a private or group medical plan,however as the others have mentioned the your husband must want to seek help.
You say your husband won"t get out of bed.however you are asking for someone to suggest something to help boost his energy,which is a little confusing as it would seem from your post the lack of motivation to seek help is more the problem
Feel free to send me a PM as I am in Tor. also, and would be glad to help in any way and I see Trish has been in touch with you and is also very knowledable about the medical services in Ont..
Good luck
WILL
Hi Grace,
I'm not too far from you geographically and there are a variety of resources that I can refer you to that might be able to help you.
I'd like to know why you think your husband's liver is in bad shape despite your doctor saying your husband could live a long time? I know we had a woman at our support group meeting a little while ago that didn't really understand much about her Hep C and thought she was in danger of dying and lived with that thought in her mind daily and she was actually very far from that. Can you explain more about your husband's condition? Has he had a biopsy recently and what stage and grade of liver damage has he been diagnosed to be? I'm wondering what you mean when you say his liver is "in bad shape"?
As far as covering the cost of treatment drugs go - If you're not on social assistance, there are two other avenues you can investigate for coverage for treatment drugs - one is Trillium Drug Plan - "The TDP is available to all Ontarians who have high drug costs and who do not qualify for drug coverage through a different program. An annual deductible and co-payments (based on household income) apply to all recipients of the TDP, which is paid in four installments throughout the year." Your doctor would need to submit forms to the TDP and they would assess eligibility, determine what your co-payment amount should be based on your income and once you're approved and registered with them, you'd have to send in an update form every 3 months to maintain the coverage ongoing for the duration of treatment.
The other is PegAssist or PegCare - here's a link to a Hep C newsletter and if you scroll down, you'll come to a section that explains these programs and what they offer in good detail - - it's also a really good newsletter, just happens to be out of BC.:
http://www.hepcbc.ca/bulletin/2011/2011-02.pdf
As well, sounds like you either need a different doctor or you need to know what questions to ask this doctor. Might seem easier said than done but can be done. Wondering how far you're willing to travel - London? Some of our group are seeing specialsts in London and you could ask your doctor for a referral. As far as closer, there are some other options to consider.
There ARE options and avenues for support. If your husband feels like he has NO options and is doomed to let this overtake him, I can understand him being overwhelmed with hopelessness. However, I'd like him to know there ARE options, there ARE people not too far from you who have been through this and who might be able to help you locate resources for support and assistance. I'm going to send you a private message about where you can start and hopefully hook you up with real people and resources in your area and ensure you have more support than you're getting from your doctor at the moment.
Watch your mailbox here....incoming. :)
Trish
I'm not too far from you geographically and there are a variety of resources that I can refer you to that might be able to help you.
I'd like to know why you think your husband's liver is in bad shape despite your doctor saying your husband could live a long time? I know we had a woman at our support group meeting a little while ago that didn't really understand much about her Hep C and thought she was in danger of dying and lived with that thought in her mind daily and she was actually very far from that. Can you explain more about your husband's condition? Has he had a biopsy recently and what stage and grade of liver damage has he been diagnosed to be? I'm wondering what you mean when you say his liver is "in bad shape"?
As far as covering the cost of treatment drugs go - If you're not on social assistance, there are two other avenues you can investigate for coverage for treatment drugs - one is Trillium Drug Plan - "The TDP is available to all Ontarians who have high drug costs and who do not qualify for drug coverage through a different program. An annual deductible and co-payments (based on household income) apply to all recipients of the TDP, which is paid in four installments throughout the year." Your doctor would need to submit forms to the TDP and they would assess eligibility, determine what your co-payment amount should be based on your income and once you're approved and registered with them, you'd have to send in an update form every 3 months to maintain the coverage ongoing for the duration of treatment.
The other is PegAssist or PegCare - here's a link to a Hep C newsletter and if you scroll down, you'll come to a section that explains these programs and what they offer in good detail - - it's also a really good newsletter, just happens to be out of BC.:
http://www.hepcbc.ca/bulletin/2011/2011-02.pdf
As well, sounds like you either need a different doctor or you need to know what questions to ask this doctor. Might seem easier said than done but can be done. Wondering how far you're willing to travel - London? Some of our group are seeing specialsts in London and you could ask your doctor for a referral. As far as closer, there are some other options to consider.
There ARE options and avenues for support. If your husband feels like he has NO options and is doomed to let this overtake him, I can understand him being overwhelmed with hopelessness. However, I'd like him to know there ARE options, there ARE people not too far from you who have been through this and who might be able to help you locate resources for support and assistance. I'm going to send you a private message about where you can start and hopefully hook you up with real people and resources in your area and ensure you have more support than you're getting from your doctor at the moment.
Watch your mailbox here....incoming. :)
Trish
Your husband is going to have to take responsibility for himself and get off the self pity. I have sen so many that go to support groups but when we give them advice they go the other direction. Bottom line is does he really want to be well? Do you have the money doesn't sound like it but the pharmacy won't walk to him as he is going to have to make that effort. I am from Ontario and know that if one wants to help themselves they do so. You go to the Dr and tell them whats going on then you done your part and it is up to him either take medicines or not. WHY WILL HE NOT UNDERGO THERAPY? Every time that you take something to save your liver the better off you are, but if you just let it go then you asked for more problems. I have two hard headed cousins that live in Calgary and let me tell you they waited and waited until it was to late with their brother and they buried him all over stupidity!
Look I would make him go and that would be the end of the story if it were my husband. Surely he leaves the house at some point as then would be when I would have a appointment all set up and tell him that he is going. That's it!!! Put your foot down if you love him.
Look I would make him go and that would be the end of the story if it were my husband. Surely he leaves the house at some point as then would be when I would have a appointment all set up and tell him that he is going. That's it!!! Put your foot down if you love him.
Hi again, Grace—
The majority of us in here are from south of you in the States, and of course our health care systems are very different; it’s hard for me to give you much meaningful counsel in regard to patient assistance, etc.
I’m going to try to reach someone else from Toronto in here and see if they can offer advice on financial help in your province. Maybe Trish or Will have some thoughts?
From your description, it sounds likely your hubby is dealing with clinical depression if he’s closing the world out. I imagine if you and he effectively communicate this to his doctor, he’ll be able to help; through talk or drug therapy. The antidepressants out now can make a big difference sometimes.
Has your husband had a liver biopsy? Has his doctor used the term cirrhosis at any point?
Good luck, and check back later tomorrow and see if anyone else has left their thoughts,
Bill
The majority of us in here are from south of you in the States, and of course our health care systems are very different; it’s hard for me to give you much meaningful counsel in regard to patient assistance, etc.
I’m going to try to reach someone else from Toronto in here and see if they can offer advice on financial help in your province. Maybe Trish or Will have some thoughts?
From your description, it sounds likely your hubby is dealing with clinical depression if he’s closing the world out. I imagine if you and he effectively communicate this to his doctor, he’ll be able to help; through talk or drug therapy. The antidepressants out now can make a big difference sometimes.
Has your husband had a liver biopsy? Has his doctor used the term cirrhosis at any point?
Good luck, and check back later tomorrow and see if anyone else has left their thoughts,
Bill
thank you for all the information, its a lot to take in. I really dont know much about this. As for his doctor hes not much help Im just tring to find answers. As for programs you have to be on assistance which were not. His doctor said he could live a long time as long as he doesnt drink anymore. His liver is in bad shape. No its not me, I was checked and it came back neg. Yes I do live in Ontario. Depression has crossed my mind but how do you help him when he wont even get up.
Based on what you say, (although this is just one possibility) there is a good chance that he is clinically depressed.
Or have hypothyroidism.
Either way your husband needs medical help to over come there health issues. If he doesn't get help these illness can get worse in time.
The treatment for depression is talk therapy and anti-depressants. This will be difficult to do because you have no insurance. He needs to see a psychiatrist as they are qualified to diagnosis whatever mental illness he has and then prescribe the correct medicine(s) to help him manage his illness. If he is found to have depression, and he finds a medicine that works for him his energy will return. So it is a catch-22. If he lets his depression continue the chances are that he will be prone to depression in the future also. (Unless of course he already has a history of depression) The sooner the depression is resolved, the less change of having reoccurring depressive episodes in the future. (The reason I know this is that I suffered with atypical depression for decades but have now over come it. If I could have a dollar for every hour a slept I'd be a millionaire).
Fatigue, oversleeping are two of the most common symptoms of depression.
"Atypical Depression":
Atypical depression -- a type of depression that can be difficult to treat - has symptoms that include weight gain, sleeping too much, and feeling anxious.
The diagnostic criteria call for at least two of the following symptoms to accompany the mood reactivity:
* sleeping too much (hypersomnia)
* eating too much (hyperphagia), resulting in weight gain
* having a more intense reaction or increased sensitivity to rejection, resulting in problems with social and work relationships
* having a feeling of being weighed down, paralyzed, or "leaden"
Atypical depression is believed to exist as a distinct condition is that it generally responds better to monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
So somehow, someway your husband will need help and have to find a way to pay for it. Maybe there are inexpensive local clients that could help? State programs? Otherwise I am afraid you husband could stay in this state for years. Also if he has advanced liver disease and he doesn't treat his hepatitis he could end up needing a liver transplant which costs 100s of thousands of dollars if he wants to continue living.
Waiting when someone has a serious health issue can be very dangerous. It is not like a flu where it will go away it will only get worse in time.
Good luck.
Hectorsf
Or have hypothyroidism.
Either way your husband needs medical help to over come there health issues. If he doesn't get help these illness can get worse in time.
The treatment for depression is talk therapy and anti-depressants. This will be difficult to do because you have no insurance. He needs to see a psychiatrist as they are qualified to diagnosis whatever mental illness he has and then prescribe the correct medicine(s) to help him manage his illness. If he is found to have depression, and he finds a medicine that works for him his energy will return. So it is a catch-22. If he lets his depression continue the chances are that he will be prone to depression in the future also. (Unless of course he already has a history of depression) The sooner the depression is resolved, the less change of having reoccurring depressive episodes in the future. (The reason I know this is that I suffered with atypical depression for decades but have now over come it. If I could have a dollar for every hour a slept I'd be a millionaire).
Fatigue, oversleeping are two of the most common symptoms of depression.
"Atypical Depression":
Atypical depression -- a type of depression that can be difficult to treat - has symptoms that include weight gain, sleeping too much, and feeling anxious.
The diagnostic criteria call for at least two of the following symptoms to accompany the mood reactivity:
* sleeping too much (hypersomnia)
* eating too much (hyperphagia), resulting in weight gain
* having a more intense reaction or increased sensitivity to rejection, resulting in problems with social and work relationships
* having a feeling of being weighed down, paralyzed, or "leaden"
Atypical depression is believed to exist as a distinct condition is that it generally responds better to monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
So somehow, someway your husband will need help and have to find a way to pay for it. Maybe there are inexpensive local clients that could help? State programs? Otherwise I am afraid you husband could stay in this state for years. Also if he has advanced liver disease and he doesn't treat his hepatitis he could end up needing a liver transplant which costs 100s of thousands of dollars if he wants to continue living.
Waiting when someone has a serious health issue can be very dangerous. It is not like a flu where it will go away it will only get worse in time.
Good luck.
Hectorsf
I see… you realize you’re not giving us much to work with, right :o)?
Most folks with HCV don’t lock themselves away in the bedroom; that’s why I mentioned the depression angle. Are you suggesting a pharmacological remedy? If so, he or his agent (you?) are going to have to effectively communicate his needs to his doctor, eh?
If he’s depressed over not being able to afford HCV therapy, have you pursued every opportunity, including patient assistance programs, etc?
Where are you located; Ontario? If so, the big expense involves medication, correct?
--Bill
Most folks with HCV don’t lock themselves away in the bedroom; that’s why I mentioned the depression angle. Are you suggesting a pharmacological remedy? If so, he or his agent (you?) are going to have to effectively communicate his needs to his doctor, eh?
If he’s depressed over not being able to afford HCV therapy, have you pursued every opportunity, including patient assistance programs, etc?
Where are you located; Ontario? If so, the big expense involves medication, correct?
--Bill
He is sober, we dont have that kind of money and no coverage. He is depressed, with his illness, and other things that is going on in his life. His doctor is not helping out much. I tried everything to get him out of bed but nothing works, its along story I was just wondering if theres anything he can do to boost his energy.
Has your husband been diagnosed with cirrhosis? Sleep patterns often seem to be affected in cirrhotic patients. Do you believe he is depressed? His doctor might manage depression with antidepressants and or cognitive behavioral therapy.
In the end, he’s going to have to take responsibility for this; there’s probably not much you or his doctor can do for him unless he helps out. Why is he hesitant to undergo therapy for his HCV; is he sober?
--Bill
In the end, he’s going to have to take responsibility for this; there’s probably not much you or his doctor can do for him unless he helps out. Why is he hesitant to undergo therapy for his HCV; is he sober?
--Bill
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