It was abnormal day at work. A health related NGO came to carry out free health screening exercise of some common ailments including HpB at the workplace. I initially hesitated but had a change of mind when I noticed how friendly they were. I interacted with them nicely and made them laugh throughout their stay whiles they were attending to my colleagues at work. Eventually I agreed to take part in the screening. Imagine my utter shock and devastation when the test result came out and I was informed that I tested positive of Hepatitis B. This has got to be some sick silly joke I said to myself, or perhaps there was an error.
They further recommended that I follow up for Profile test at at a government health facility in our city. I went the following day for the test and it was confirmed that indeed I had chronic hepatitis B.
I could not sleep for 3 days. And the days after, I had lost energy, zeal and desire for anything. My mind was filled with pessimism as if my life had come to an abrupt end.
Months of nonstop thinking and anxiety led me into the abyss depression.
I could not eat, no appetite at all and worse off I needed antidepressants to sleep soundly.
I couldn’t tell anyone but my wife. I instantly pushed her to go do the test, fortunately, hers came out negative. I insisted she take the vaccine shot immediately. She did take the first shot but failed to go for the 2nd dose up until date.
It’s been 5 years now. I age rewired my mindset and thinking. I feel okay, I eat well, I live normal and and interact with relations okay. I have stopped taking alcohol.
I have positive mindset to live even though occasionally I have some fears. I have read countless testimonies of living decades of healthy lives with CHB. I am in my early 40s and I believe I will live a long liver-complicated free life.
I since then I have not done any blood work again neither have I taken any of the antivirus drugs. Also though there are much touted effective herbal medicines around that claim to cure hepatitis B. (herbal medicines are very common in Ghana here)
My simple reason is that, I do not want to worsen the situation by toxifying and burden the liver even more.
In addition, I don’t want to start what I cannot continue. I wish to stop here with some few questions
How much on the average does the Hepatitis B antiviral drugs cost for a month dosage? Is is not expensive?
Can I start taking it by myself or unless a doctor prescribes?
Can someone develop immunity for taking just 1 shot of the vaccine of of two shots?
What is the chances that I will transmit it to my kids Less than 10 years?
Are herbal remedies truly more efficient in combating the virus and eventually clearing you of the infection?
Dear, community members, I just discovered the forum and I must say that, indeed the platform is outstanding and relevant. What do you recommend I do to stay more healthy?
I hope the experts on the arduous mission of discovering a functioning cure leverage on the ever improving AI powers to fast track the cure finding process. I am positive that, in the next 6 years, we are gonna have the good news that we so much crave for and that we would look back in time and laugh at ourselves for being too worried for nothing.
Hi @Yawson,
Welcome to the community and thanks for sharing your story and experience with us. It is always difficult after receiving such a diagnosis. This is something we all have gone through and I am glad to hear that you have adapted better now to this condition. It is tough, but we have to take it one day at a time. We just have to remember to live no matter what, because sometimes we focus a lot on the diagnosis that we forget to live our lives.
The cost of antivirals depends on where you are. In the US it ranges between $800-1500 a month without insurance for the 3 first line treatments. I think in Ghana, a 30 day supply is around 1000gh which is a lot. Not something many people can afford. Hopefully, there is a better way to get some of these prices down so the people who need them can actually benefit from it. In most countries, I think it requires a prescription. A doctor has to give you a script or order for it. Self-medicating can be dangerous so please don’t do that.
Regarding the vaccine, all doses are required in order to be fully protected against hepatitis B. Your wife does not need to start the process all over again, but rather she can just receive her second shot. It is important that she gets vaccinated to avoid you infecting her. If you infect her, then she can pass it on to her children. If she is protected and you can’t infect her, then the chances of her infecting her children becomes negligible.
Please, be careful around those herbal claims in Ghana. The issue here is we do not know how safe any of these herbal stuff are, which can be dangerous. It is because of this that we encourage people to avoid such herbal medicines since we do not have any idea about their safety for human consumption. There are also just some bad people out there who are willing to pound on the desperation of patients to make a buck. Which is sad, but that is the crazy world we live in.
I will recommend that you find a doctor to follow-up with about your health at least once a year. It’s not good to go for 5 years without checking or knowing about what is going on inside your liver or the current picture of your hepatitis. You can reach out to the Hepatitis Foundation of Ghana and they can help you find providers. I hope this is helpful. Best, Bansah1
Hello Bansah 1, I am delighted to receive prompt respond to my post. It’s a relief knowing there are people there, selfless and dedicated enough to try their best to ensure that people living with CHB have home and platform to vent their fears, experiences Your recommendations are in actual fact welcoming and tangible. I will work around it. Hope to take more from the platform and give more as well. My regards!
Hi Yawson, finding out about HepB can be devastating. I was supposed to get married this year but we couldn’t go on with the marriage due to my status.Thankfully, your wife is negative, please let her complete her vaccine dosage.
Here in Nigeria, the price for antivirals is about 11000 to 18000. It’s kinda expensive especially with the economic situation. I’m only grateful that I work so that’s how I can afford mine.
Also, there’s a lot of noise about herbal treatment but I do not subscribe to it because some of them are mixed with other unknown substance which could become more dangerous to the body.
I am very disappointed that these life saving drugs are not made more affordable and easily accessible from doctors for those that are not in better financial situation than some. I read that the generic version of the drug were made available but the prices still remain high. Unbelievable greed by pharmaceutical companies.
Hello my brother, I am grateful for your words of advice. It’s good to know we have people in similar situation out there and living life to the fullest. I am truly sorry you had to go through such horrible experience. Was it your own idea to stop the marriage plans or she walked out?
By the way your advice on me abstaining from the herbal concoction is absolutely spot on. I was privileged to belong to hepatitis B WhatsApp platform. The Administrator explicitly warned us against the use of such herbal drugs that claim to have completely cured the virus.
On the amount you spend on the drug, 1800 naira is about Ghc 200.
Is this how much you spend monthly or it’s more?
Also which of the antiviral drugs are you on?
