Hep B

I was up for most of the night researching Hep B.

I talked to a Public Health Nurse this morning, and she was really helpful in answering my questions. The internet and sites I found were all accurate, but talking to a real person about it was that much more comforting.

I'm still worried and stressed, but not as much as I have been.

Most people recover from Hep B within 3 months of contracting the virus without any serious complications and the virus is no longer in their body. Other people recover from the virus but remain a carrier, meaning they remain symptom free, but still have the virus and can unknowingly give it to others.

The vaccine is effective in preventing the disease in 90% of people who get vaccinated. The drawback of the vaccine is that it takes three shots over the course of one year to be effective.

Also, I had to look into the future and put my mind at ease. If we stay together and look at starting a family, the baby would not automatically be infected with Hep B. As long as I wasn't a carrier there are no worries. If I was a carrier, then during delivery there are steps that can be taken to help prevent the transmission as well as drugs to be administered as a precaution.

So all in all, my boyfriend should be OK, I'm praying he will be! I am making an appointment with my doctor to have a blood test done, just to be sure! Then I'll be getting my first round of the vaccine hopefully by weeks end! I have had bad reactions to vaccines in the past, so hopefully this one goes well...

I rather like how I work! I'm a very factually driven person when it comes to this type of thing. I have this need to fill my brain with as much information as possible to calm any emotions that may come up. The more I know, the less scared I am; the less scared I am, the more proactive I will be.

Now if only I can apply that to this healing thing...