My hepatitis B story

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my story with all of you today of how I survived hepatitis B. I believe that by doing so I will be able to help other in situations similar to mine, and also raise a little awareness as to the importance of vaccination.

So... how exactly did I catch this deadly illness? Most likely it was through a sexual contact I had after a drunken night. It was a nice African American boy who managed to persuade me to use no condom - as none of us had any. What a mistake! I was diagnosed with Hep B just about a year later. After talking it through with my doctor, we came to the the conclusion that the likely cause must have been the above encounter.

So what next?? Well, what came next I could best describe as hell on earth. Antivirals upon antivirals for almost a year. Many days and thousands of dollars spent on medication and related costs - and I was lucky I had insurance! I could even say I was lucky as I really had access to proper medication, even if at such a high cost. I many times wonder what happens to those who are not covered for this.
What needs to be known of Hepatitis B is that it is quite a deadly illness - even with proper medication.

The funny thing is, there IS vaccination against both Hepatitis A and B. They are both quite effective also. The problem is, I was not vaccinated, and didn't even know such vaccinations existed until my doctor told me so.
GET VACCINATED EVERYONE! A course of three shots could save your life.

I made this site so that others too can share their stories for the benefit of all. In particular, if you are a sufferer of Hepatitis A, B, C, or any other strain, I would like you to share your story. How did get infected? Are you/have you been receiving treatment? Your prospects, outlook. Your advice.
You can and will remain anonymous throughout. No need to send any personal information, only what you want to share on this blog. (send a comment first, and I'll get back to you)


Sincerely,

Kate
(a survivor)