INTRODUCTION THREAD: People affected by Hep B

[ThomasTu]

@SL12345

Hi, I am Sarah. I live in New York, the U.S. I’ve been living with Hep B my whole life, and I am so glad to find this community. For the most part of living with Hep B, it’s been a mere inconvenience of getting blood drawn twice a year. I never smoke or drink, which don’t bother me. Though when I was in my 20s, I had to constantly find excuses to dodge the question why I didn’t drink. And whenever I had a new partner, “the talk” always gave me tons of anxiety, which is why I have stopped dating for a very long time. Recently, my liver enzyme has elevated a lot, and my doctor is asking me to start Vemlidy. I am very anxious about it because it’ll be a life long commitment. I won’t be able to afford the drug without health insurance, even though I have health insurance under my employer now, it makes me anxious about what’ll happen if I get laid off. American healthcare system is awful, and God forbids if I lose my job, what should I do then if I am on Vemlidy? I’d really love to get some insight from those who are taking Vemlidy, and learn about your experience.

Dear @SL12345 and @Adam1

Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your stories. I hope you will get the support you need from this community. You are definitely not alone and there are others who have shared your experiences here.

@SL12345: as Adam mentioned, starting treatment has been quite a well-discussed topic here: Deciding when to start treatment. It definitely is a big decision in the US, but there are some coupon schemes available (e.g. as mentioned here and here). @Eddie has also shared some great news about reductions in price here: Hep b medications info.

Hope this helps,
Thomas