hepatitis

I have this helper that has been in a lot of trouble over the years. He is a good worker and reliable. He hasn't had a drivers license in years. Anyhoo he got caught drinking and driving, not the first time, second or third. They threw him in jail, the turnkey went to get him to see the judge. He looked so terrible, the turnkey took him to see a doctor. He ended up in intensive care with hepatitis. Apparently a few weeks back he had gotten a tattoo tO cover up a old girlfriend's name. He got this hepatitis from the tattoo ink. Ya never know.

Have they determined the type of hepatitis?

I haven't heard for sure, lots of speculation. I've only known this guy for about a year. Over the years he would come in and put in a application. He hung with a rough crowd so I never would hire him. Then it seemed like he grew up a bit. He gets stopped for drunk driving, for him that was a blessing. He probably would have not went to the doctor otherwise.

Hopefully it's treatable. I know several people that have hepatitis C. Two of them tried the interferon treatment. One has had no symptoms or signs of it for several years. The second had to stop treatments because the docs said one more dose of it would kill her.

A (probably not likely in this case) usually clears up. B is also not as sever most of the time.

Hope he is able to be treated.

That's sometimes that's how it goes....seems like some people don't have any luck at all unless it bad luck....yet maybe it saved his life?

Let us know how it works out........Hopefully it a positive outcome.

My father had given 20 gallons of blood in his lifetime, needed to have three pints when he had his hemroids operated on and one was bad. He had hepatitus B, and it took seven years to cause his death. This happened 32 years ago, and science has made huge changes in treatments. I hope the best for your helper.

Sounds like he went to an artist who doesn't sterilize the equipment he uses in dank, mildewey basements of his parents house. The ink cannot and does not carry disease any more than a rock can or does. Dirty needles on the other hand (also consider the artist might pour unused ink back into the bottle), can and do. Let's not create a new fearmongering topic without considering realities. He didn't go to a professional studio and if he did, it's time to get that studio shut down.

Didn't mean to sound like tattoo ink causes hepatitis. In this case the tattoo artist reused contaminated ink that had been poured back into the ink bottle.

Yes, the risk is real, and its worse than you think!

I remember back in the mid 80's when I was on the rescue squad, we didnt focus much on wearing gloves. Now days I can imagine NOT wearing gloves when treating a patient.

Pegasys is a "new" drug that shows great promise and success.

Hep is something you can get from someone else, even if you dont run with a rough crowd so its certainly a problem.

It would be something to be mindful of when dealing with people at any time... period.

EB