no support

[debbie49242]

my husband made the comment, "lots of people have hep and theyre not crippled". i have bad pain in my joints, foggy headed, sick to my stomach, ect but that all started before treatment. ive only had meds a week.

[IMstacie]

I can't really tell from you post if your husband was being "uncaring" or more so asking a question in the form of a comment.  But, if he is being truly unsportive you may ask your doctor to speak with him and by all means give him some literature to read.  You may need real support since you are just starting your tx if you have a bad time of it.  The meds may cause emotional distress.  You need encouragement now.  You don't need any additional depression in your life.

Regarding your problems before tx, Similar to what Trish stated above, it's not uncommon that the symptoms being some other kind of illness triggered by the Hep C, such as a whole host of auto-immune disorders.

[Trish77]

debbie, just wanted to add a further comment .. I don't know your husband or you or your relationship ... without going so far as to say he's an unsupportive jerk, it could be a matter of him not really understanding why this is affecting YOU so much and not others he's known with Hep C and that's actually a really good question.  The truth is there ARE others with Hep C who are impacted in the ways that you describe and I hope you're under the care of a doctor who is very knowledgeable and experienced in treating persons with Hep C.  Then he/she would be able to explain to your husband why you're having this kind of impact.   Hopefully his comment is because he truly does not understand and both of you need better information on this.  I would think YOU would be wondering also why this is hitting you harder than others and what else is going on with your health that you need to be aware of.  

Good luck with this.

Trish

[spectda]

When you are stating that your husband was in a coma 6 weeks after tx, It give people the impression that tx might have caused his coma. He is very sick from what you said. Did the doctors think that he was in a coma in response to treatment or because his condition was not good before tX, and was continuing to get worse throughout and after?

[Trish77]

Your husband is actually right in what he said to some degree.  Hep C doesn't show symptoms for alot of people and that's why it gets dubbed the silent killer, because it can be there a long time and you don't know about it ... until it starts to show symptoms when things are further along.  This line of yours caught my attention:

"i have bad pain in my joints, foggy headed, sick to my stomach, ect but that all started before treatment. "

You said you were feeling this way BEFORE treatment. The kinds of symptoms you were having BEFORE treatment are ones I've heard mentioned by SOME people with Hep C.   It's also possible that these symptoms are for some other kind of illness that the Hep C may or may not have triggered.   If you don't mind me asking, did you have a biopsy before treatment and did they tell you the condition of your liver?    Just wondering if you've been thoroughly checked out on all of this.

[jeanette483]

so sorry to hear ur virtually on your own at home some partners are very selfish , my husbands very ill at moment he has hep c with all the complications it brings with it, hes has the treatment and it didnt work , 6 weeks after he stopped the treatment he was in a coma im not telling you this to scare u off treatment it doesnt happen to most people,he was a big strong scotsman who ,well to put it litley not the guy he was, your husband needs to be looking in2 hep c so he can understand how serious the problem u have is....

[jankar]

I was on treatment for six months and it was hell. You really need to get your husband educated - get him to come on this site and ask some questions so he can help you and understand what this illness and treatment can do to people.  It's a long haul and you need his help - I felt like an emotional, psychological and physical disaster - yes, cripple, for all the time I was on treatment and recovery from treatment. Believe me, I couldn't get off the couch for days at a time.....

[Marcia2202]

I remember someone in my family who lives in another country telling me something similar. Just that they used cancer patients as an example. All I could reply is that I feel how I feel and that that has nothing to do with anyone else feeling like they do. I mean, do you think that I purposely want to feel like krap?

It drove me kinda nuts.

Just to be realistic, some people have no problems going around with a headache and others get migraines so bad that they have to have all the curtains shut and cannot move, without their head feeling like an earth quake.

Everyone is different and I'm sure NOBODY WANTS to be sick!

[Diane12855]

Here's one for your hubby....... Everything you read about Hep C says one of the symptoms is "flu-like illness" right? If that is such an easy thing to deal with, why do they spend billions of dollars trying to come up with a vaccine to prevent people from catching the flu every year? Why do perfectly healthy people die from it?

I'd love to hear his answers to these. Sorry, but it pisses me off to hear that somebody trivializes what we are going through...REALLY BAD!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRR

OOpps... must be Riba Rage leaking out again.
(:-)
Diane

[nygirl7]

Most people don't have any clue of what heppers go through, especially when we are on treatment.  We look normal enough usually so they think we're a big drag and a bunch of cry babies. I'd like to see him try to deal with it all, you know how much stronger men are than women can you imagine what it would be like? that's why making friends in a support group such as this is really crucial. Everyone here understands exactly what you are going through and is willing to help hold you up. Without it I doubt I would have made it through my 72 weeks, when I wanted to quit they wouldn't let me. When I needed to cry they listened to me and then made me laugh it off.  You can't beat that especially when the person at home is so not understanding or compassionate! I'll kick him in the keester too!  :)

deb

[debbie49242]

thanks for the reply! this is what i need! a little bit of encouragement and understanding goes so much further.... thanks again and have a great day! deb

[Diane12855]

I used to have a husband who seemed to get pleasure out of pointing out that I wasn't as strong as other people. It is really hard on your self esteem, I know. You need to tell yourself that you are OK, and focus on what you read in this forum. Don't let his ignorance hurt you. Also, you could read him some of the posts from here. I know that I did that with my new husband and it helped him to understand me and what I'm dealing with better. He probably has gotten a little tired of hearing about it, but it is what I need to make it through this, so he'll just have to get used to it... I'm tired of feeling tired too, but that isn't going to make it go away, now is it?

Hang in there... you can always vent on us.

[medicmommy]

Let me give him a good kick in the keester for you...(Or somewhere else!) And now some words of encouragement...I too had similar symptoms before I tx'd...The good news? About 6 weeks into treatment, I suddenly felt "different"...Lighter somehow...I was tired, and beginning to feel the effects of the growing anemia, and achy for a few days after injections, -but somehow, I knew I was winning the battle...It will be 2 years in August since I finished treatment, and I am still Hep C free...No joint or back pains, no (well, not much!) brain fog, and plenty of energy. The gut issues are gone, and the weird episodes of disorientation have resolved as well...Something you should look at is if your blood calcium levels are elevated. For some reason, I had a parathyroid tumor that started growing around the same timeline as I was infected with hep C..Probably coincidental, but it gave me headaches, joint and muscle pain, kidney stones, heartburn, constipation, and in the end, made me urinate about every 1/2 hour. Once it was removed, many things improved (this is how the hep C was discovered...) but of, course, the Hep C remained...I hope this helps! Feel free to ping me if you have any questions relating to treatment or whatever. I hope your hubby becomes a bit more supportive...You will need it in the weeks to come...P.S. If you don't have one, -invest in an electric blanket.-Very nice for post-shot chills, and feels good with achy body issues...(((((((((((((HUGZ)))))))))~MM

[tashka]

You can tell your husband that people with hepatitis have different reactions to the disease. Some are not only "not crippled", but have no symptoms at all. Others suffer from the same symptoms that you describe-often for many years before the correct diagnosis is made. It just depends on the person.

I hope, he can understand and become more supportive in your journey to beat this disease. You also can always find support here on the forum. Welcome and good luck with your treatment.

[denisef714]

I started my meds 5/22. 1 week on also