Could I POSSIBLY have Hep C??

[DonMakaveli]

First off I was not completley sure about where to put this thread, drug forum or community forum idk, so a Mod please transfer to proper thread if needed..

Alright so the reason for me asking this is I have sub-consciously been pondering/worrying/stressing about this for about 6-7 months now. Last year of 2012 i was temporarily residing in a somewhat bad living situation, it was a 3 story boarding house that closely resemble a crack/flop house both inside & out..before this I was homeless for a couple months. Anyways, the roommate I had was a full-blown junkie that I had pretty much connected with right away/could relate too & we became good friends. He was on MMT like 100+ mg dose a day but was startin up his heroin habit again. Since his methadone dose was pretty high, most H shots that he could hit before that would get him high barley had any kind of effect at all so he got frustrated & would begin shooting up a 40 bag at a time, then half a gram at a time just to get a nod (to me this didnt make sense but to each his own). Now around this time Iv tried brown before many times but had only shot up only once or twice max. It didnt take long to find out that he had the Hep C virus, he told me. Although not 'active" I guess u could say (he went thru treatment few years ago n ish) but he still had it.. As you can imagine a young addict like me having this roommate in my room, settin up, cookin & shootin up in front of me every day got me tempted reaally bad after a while. Now back then i already KNEW NOT to share needles with anyone, ESPECIALLY with someone who had Hep C/ HIV/ whatever right, so I got myself a clean syringe from walgreens & clean 40 cap & let him hold onto it till we went half on a 40 the next day.... So gettin to the point, next day comes, in his fits of withdrawal/needing a fix he USED my tools on acident & FORGOT which one was which, if he did or did not use mine -_- Im like "dude wtf u serious bruh?" this is when we was ready to cook n shoot up, n hes tryna calm me down n reassure me that he knew how to "bleach the syringe and cooker" so well that it would be fine.. I ofcourse believed this, he was very convincing, & also did so infront of me. He cleans 'my' tools for about 10 minutes so I was convinced it was safe to use. So I cook up on the cap, draw, register & shoot up right, forgetting every worry cuz off of only 25 cc im noddin haard feelin good..

So that was the FIRST & ONLY time i had shot up around him or ever 'somewhat shared" a needle with someone (he could of or didnt used my needle, but realistically probably did cuz he lost which one was mine n yea) & I also remember him saying "when someone gets Hep C it takes like years n years for symptoms to show up"

I also read & learned that HEP C infected syringes CAN NEVER be cleaned by bleach or anything, only the cooker, or vice versa? Either way, i think one of the tools I use was dirty.. So THAT only be the first & only time I did it, is their a BIG chance I could have the virus already swimmining in my blood ? I have been thinking I could be infected already, not wanting to go get my liver checked for any enzyme changes so thats why Iv come here first for some INSIGHT. & if anyone thinks I may be, what can I be expecting soon or far later ?

Honesty please.

 

[tentram]

see a doctor and get the relevant tests lined up. it's as simple as a blood test and the results are back in a very short time. it's the only way to get a definitive answer rather than just asking for opinions, experiences, etc which could stress you out for no good reason at all.

so yeah, line up a test from your local GP or hospital if needed.

 

[DonMakaveli]

see a doctor and get the relevant tests lined up. it's as simple as a blood test and the results are back in a very short time. it's the only way to get a definitive answer rather than just asking for opinions, experiences, etc which could stress you out for no good reason at all.

so yeah, line up a test from your local GP or hospital if needed.

Yeah knew that, but thanks. Thing is I also have Hep A, dormant in my system ofcourse but still there doc says that I got years ago. So would I be even more susceptible to catching Hep C if I have A?

& 'tests' & hospitals means insurance, if not then money, which first I dont have & the second I have limited of, which means Im gona have to go to a family member for financial assist for whatever this visit/ appointment gona cost plus obligatory questions as to why I need the money etc blah.. Then facing the lectures, dissapointed faces IF I do come out positive. My mom went thru Hep C shit (recovery hardcore addict) & for years shes been lecturing me on harm reduction n not sharing needles so, dat would just be heart breaking... but gotta be a man n bite the bullet huh.

 

[thesameoldfears]

The only way you can know for sure is to get tested. There are places that will test you for free or on a sliding scale based on income. Try to find a needle exchange or harm reduction program...if there are none near you places like planned parenthood will adjust their prices to something afforadable. There is a lot of free testing avaiable, please look into it. Your peace of mind is worth it, I'm sure.

 

[DonMakaveli]

Thanks.

 

[tentram]

and i know this is easier said than done but in the case you do test positive for Hep C and you're given grief instead of support and love from your family just brush it off as much as you can and let it be known to them you need the support, not to be put down even further driving you to the edge of the brink. given your mother has gone through the same thing she should be empathetic towards you and should be able to help you out in dealing with it - if you have actually contracted the virus. also, there are likely support groups available in your region if needed, even your doctor/clinic will be able to provide you with a management plan, information pamphlets, etc as would a therapist if you were to see one in order for coping mechanisms, etc

sending positive vibes your way, mate. best of luck and i sincerely hope you're clean. i've gone through the same scare not long ago but thankfully have a clean bill of health in that respect.

keep us updated on your progress.

 

[DonMakaveli]

and i know this is easier said than done but in the case you do test positive for Hep C and you're given grief instead of support and love from your family just brush it off as much as you can and let it be known to them you need the support, not to be put down even further driving you to the edge of the brink. given your mother has gone through the same thing she should be empathetic towards you and should be able to help you out in dealing with it - if you have actually contracted the virus. also, there are likely support groups available in your region if needed, even your doctor/clinic will be able to provide you with a management plan, information pamphlets, etc as would a therapist if you were to see one in order for coping mechanisms, etc

sending positive vibes your way, mate. best of luck and i sincerely hope you're clean. i've gone through the same scare not long ago but thankfully have a clean bill of health in that respect.

keep us updated on your progress.

Thanks man, and everyone else who has chipped in for insight. I will man up 7 take the responsible, neccesary steps to figure this thing out. Ima pray about it & hope to come out clean. I've learned from irresponsible anti-HR risks like that among others & im too young to be living with that virus n all the pain it comes with it.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

If you're in a situation where you are around other injection drug users, you really need to get individually wrapped insulin syringes, or you should keep your insulin syringes locked up in a safe so other people can't gain access to them.

The best advice anyone can give you is to get tested. I got tested, for free, and am negative for both HIV and Hep C.

 

[bronson]

I'm going to close this as it can lead only to speculation. I'm glad to hear you're going to get it checked out. Please considered editing out some of the triggering parts of your main post and getting some support on here over in The Dark Side. Don't so much ask if you have it, as no one can answer that via web forum, just let them know what you're going through.

Also please PM me when you find out and I'll happily reopen this for you. The very best man. PM any questions.