What to tell people?

[Greta2012]

I've chosen not to tell anyone I'm going through treatment, except my husband and some close family.  I work and live in a little gossipy town so I really don't want anyone to know, but everyone keeps asking me what is wrong.  I've said the flu, but that excuse won't work for long.  Anyone have any good ideas??  I could go with the anemia since that is pretty true, but not sure how long that takes to fix usually.

[Tekelcat]

Disclosure at work and disclosure with family and friends are two completely different matters. My policy is not to lie or avoid in either space, but I don't volunteer the information at work. Friends and family are a different matter, and I have to confess I am horrified when I hear that people haven't told their partners or their in-laws and so forth. I did not disclose with my last partner until we were about 10 months in and it was getting serious. My failure to disclose ruined the relationship, not the fact that I had HCV, but that I did not trust her enough to disclose. I've had some friends turn away, for sure. And recently a pharmacist asked why I was taking Oxycodone and without thinking I replied, "Oh, I'm treating for HCV and have bad bone pain as a side-effect." He looked at me in the middle of the drugstore and said, "What, are you a junkie?" I reported him to his professional association and he lost his job. I've had people act like I am going to infect them with Ebola, and I'm pretty sure I failed to get a professional gig, not so much because of the HCV, but because they felt I might not be strong enough to do the work effectively, thanks to the sometimes very obvious effects of tx. Without a doubt, people must make their own decisions about disclosure, but also without a doubt, HCV is not simply a private matter as many suggest. HCV is very much a social, cultural, economic and political matter, like every pandemic disease. In my view, if you can't own up to your place in this matter, you're doing yourself, your HCV peers and the future generation a disservice. It's not about educating, it's about being honest when a question or an opportunity gives you a choice between prevarication and the truth.

[orphanedhawk]

They do them in Arizona, or at least they did when I was there:)

My only experience in Texas was on my way to N.O on Amtrak.
The train hit a truck outside El Paso~true story.

One thing I'll say for Texas. . . it is a BIG state.

[stormy456]

I can tell you that they do NOT do drumming circles in Texas, OH.  We live on a different planet ;)

[orphanedhawk]

So true bean.
We do live in different realities.

Although I forget sometimes, especially when I get off into my riba rants, I'm very thankful to live the life I'm living and know how different it is in other places. My daughter's in Arizona, just across the border but a world apart.

( Prayer circles? Is that anything like drumming circles?  lol )

Wishing you peace and SVR,
OH

[frijole]

I guess it was greta that I was referring to on the original question, not faithforhealing.   This is a good informative thread with lots of opinions on both sides.

[frijole]

I live in an extremely conservative town and I have an equally conservative job.  I am the boss.  My choice to not tell anyone but my business partner at work was sound and discussed between the two of us.  I could convievably lose clients if the word got out.  It is not just the particular disease itself but that I have seen people bail from their accountants before when they got sick.

This is such a long treatment - at least for me. I think flcyclist spoke the closest to my feelings.  I don't like sympathy.  I don't like being put on prayer lists without requesting permission.  I had a business associate email me and ask me if I was sick a couple of months ago because I was on the prayer list of a certain church.  I have no idea who put me on the list but I do consider it invasive.   I don't want my employees asking how I feel every day, and I certainly don't want them to have to discuss with clients why I look bad.  It is not their responsibility.

In response to your original question, faithforhealing, I have begun to tell people I have anemia.  I get a lot of curious looks and they want to know if I am taking iron.  They really don't understand but that is okay.  When I got pneumonia on tx that was a good cover for far longer than it took for me to recover from it.

Orphanhawk.  I admire you but can't do it.  You are an artist in the bay area.  I am an accountant in Midland, Texas.  Believe me, there is a world of difference in our lives.  In my dreams I would like to be an HCV ambassador but that just does not seem to be my reality.  I think I am the elephant in the room sometimes but it is what it is.