Helping other people who have just tested positive for HepB

Hello family,
Today I received a phone call from my doctor requesting if its possible I can encourage a fellow young lady who received her results, cried and threatened to take her life, I told the doctor, its okay I can talk to her but also told him to share with her about our community, for her to take a second and read through to be encouraged and to know its not the end of life. The doctor talked about my strength in all this, if he can have half it, he would be perfect at handling his life issues and problems he encounters. I told him well Doc i have my own days also when i am not that strong and i am worried, its human to feel that way but you can learn to control it and focus on the positive side of life. After the phone call, I found my self thinking about it, and also thinking about what to tell this young woman and for the 1st time lost. Picked my phone and started texting here because maybe this my family can also help me now.

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Hi @Lilibet94,
Yeah, I hear you. That can be tough. Listen more and talk less. Acknowledge her fears and worry, then pivot to share some of your own experience and how you have dealt with it regarding HBV. Explain to her that being diagnosed with HBV can be scary, but it is not a death sentence. HBV is manageable and she is not alone. It is good to refer her to the community platform for more support. I hope this helps. Let us know how it goes. Bansah1

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Wooowuuuu thank you so much :pray:t6:…listen more and talk less…Your great :+1:

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Dear @Lilibet94,

Thank you for your work in this case, fantastic job in advocating and supporting others in our community in whatever way you can. We are happy to provide posters and business cards for the forum to this doctor.

With regards to your further role in this, @Bansah1 has provided great points. Also, be sure to check in with yourself and seek support, this can be emotionally taxing work and you shouldn’t do it feeling alone. It is easy to get emotionally exhausted when sharing your own journey, as you allude to in your response.

Perhaps someone from the hepatitis B Foundation can provide you with resources that they have for workers on their hepatitis hotline (@chari.cohen, @Suwang88, @beatrice.zovich).

I think it’s worthwhile to mention, that this is work and you’re under no obligation to do it. There should be funded mechanisms in place for people with Hep B to get peer support. Encourage your doctor to push for supporting this as a formal structure.

Hope this helps,
Thomas

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Hello Thomas
Thank you so much for advise.
Yesss its exhausting especially when you’re not ready for it yet but I told my doc about the forum and to always refer people to it who need emotional help and support, for the young lady, she chose to talk through a phone call so my doc will call her on his phone and we talk. Thanks for the work you do here. Blessings :raised_hands:

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Thanks @Lilibet94, great work! Let us know how it goes and if this community can help.

Cheers,
Thomas

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