Sorry to hear about your difficult experiences, @19Kaipe59. Really appreciate you sharing your story and hope you are in a better place where you can find peace and strength.
TT
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Hello Thomas,
Thank you for your empathy, and establishing this marvellous site for everyone’s benefit of info exchange, advice and to vent and now a film absolutely brilliant!
Greetings
Kaipe
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Hi Stephen,
I was recently diagnosed with hepatitis B during my medicals as I was processing to move to Australia to study a master of nursing.
The immigration doctor requested for Liver function tests and they came out normal.
I just don’t know the impact it has on my visa.
I am really stressed.
Given that I intended to study masters in nursing, I have been scared that I may get a rejection because it’s a course in healthcare.
Do you know of anyone like me that finally got their visa?
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Hi Happysang,
I am very sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis of HBV.
I know of many cases of students with HBV from mainland China coming to study at Australian Universities.
So I think students with HBV will be allowed to come to Australia. You will be asked to get standard medical insurance
for all overseas students. However, the insurance will not cover HBV, and you will not be able to get the local subsidized HBV
medicine should you be required to go on medication. However, the insurance will cover many medical conditions.
Some Chinese HBV students arrange to import their HBV medicine from China, which is allowed.
There is a shortage of nurses in Australia, so I think your chances are very good. I also don’t believe that is
any ban on nurses with HBV working in Australia. If you want to work as a nurse while you are studying, you should inform your employer so that they can make suitable arrangements.
Be honest with Immigration and the university that you want to study at, they will do their best to help you.
I hope this helps.
Best,
Stephen Wong
Sydney, Australia
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Thank you so much Stephen for your kind words. I am really praying that my visa gets accepted.
HI all,
I’ve lived my whole life in China. was diagnosed 30 years ago and now I’m approaching 44. I would say 20-25 years ago or even before that there were a lot of discriminations against HBV. Like one poster mentioned above the job employment restrictions. But things have been greatly improved over the past 20 years. Many discriminations being removed.
Personally I think I was discriminated on two occasions: health checks for university entry 27 years ago and first job. On both occasions nothing happened really. Just a fear that I may get rejected because back then the government did not officially ban the discrimination measures (I may be wrong about this statement though). Since then I haven’t encountered any discrimination at all. But I didn’t volunteer my condition either, which I guess may be seen as not completely free of discrimination.
All is just my personal experience. China has a vast population that I cannot say for others who may get a lot of discriminations.
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Dear @bloke,
That’s great to hear that China has changed a lot. I have heard some reports from others that discrimination occurs, but it’s good to see that there’s improvements.
Dee Lee at Inno works a lot with HBV-based discrimination in work places in China, so if anyone is experiencing it, they would be a good place to go to: https://www.theinno.org/
Thomas
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Actual i deal with stigma my one principal “The only way to fight phobia is to be exposed on it” i started to take easy and making people believed that im like, slowly people adapted and ateast stigma diminished
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Hi Theo,
I am glad I find your post here. I am in Canada too, and prepare for going to a nursing program. But when I talked with my family doctor about my Hep b, she told me I can’t practice injection, caring the wounds for patients at work, which is the reality there. I feel so upset and helpless on this. If it is true as my family doctor described, i don’t know who will hire a nurse that can’t do basic things like injection. Theo, is it really so hard to get a job for a nurse with hep b here? Should I give up my study? (I really don’t wanna give up) I keep finding answers recently, but just in vain. I hope i could get some advise from you here. Thank you so much.
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Hi Liz,
Please keep us informed regarding your career path.
Wishing all the best of great support
Kaipe
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Hi Kaipe,
I will keep you posted about it while I am progressing. I will keep my fingers crossed and wish everything will turn out to be good.
Liz
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My scholarship was cancelled in Malaysia because I was diagnosed of hepatitis b, I was sent back to my home country Sierra Leone. I lost everything and had to start all over again. The university even refused to give me my transcript so the education was useless. A church in the town had to help me with money for rent and schools fees for a year so I don’t go homeless on my return.
I was ostracized, and felt really embarrassed. I am still in university but completing this year and only my most trusted friends are aware of my illness. I feel pains in my legs and always tired. But I have faith in GOD that I will recover some day.
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I’m sorry to hear all that you have gone through. Have you gotten recent labs done? Always being tired could be a symptom of CHB. The pain in the legs shouldn’t be caused by CHB unless you have ascites (swelling of the stomach, legs and feet with fluid).
I am not a medical expert but I think I am sharing pretty common knowledge points. Of course, the best thing would be to go to your doctor and let them know of your symptoms, because there are probably things they can do. If it is ascites, they can give you water pills (diuretics). If you do have ascites, then you could be at an advanced stage of CHB and need further labs and diagnosis. So please see a doctor about these issues and update us and let us know how things are going.
I also wanted to say that when life hits us hard, it can be difficult to have a positive attitude and have strong faith. I am glad you are holding on to faith and staying strong throughout such difficult obstacles in your life.
-Paul
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Hi Joseph_Ellie_Cooper,
I want to first welcome you to the platform. Take some time to read around as you will find some hope and inspiration from the stories and experiences of other hepatitis B patients around the world on here. Secondly, I am sorry to hear about all the struggles and problems you have faced and some still ongoing. I have not dealt with pains in my legs, but with fatigue/tiredness I can write a whole book on that. It was actually my experience with it that led to my hepatitis B diagnosis. I have been dealing with unexplained fatigue or tiredness since 2014. I don’t have to do anything to trigger it. It is always there with different variations from one day to another or one hour to the other. Enough sleep or rest does not help with my tiredness. I awake each morning tired even before getting out of bed. I can tell you it is not the best feeling in the world, but I have tried to manage, live and plan accordingly to this change. I used to work but It got to the point that I had to resign from my job. I have not been able to work since 2016, which I am not proud off but it is what it is. It is hard some days just to get out of bed and use the bathroom or walk to the kitchen. I have gone through numerous tests but nothing has been found.
I try to do the best I can with my condition. I plan ahead of time for almost everything. I used to be very active playing sports, but I had to completely give up on that. Hanging out with friends is now impossible because I will not last an hour before needing to lie down. It is not living, but over the years I have adapted to this. I am able to go to school part-time and just limited to one or two classes per semester. That keeps me sane and going. Being active in the hepatitis B world also keeps me grounded and something to live for. It is hard living this way, but you have to try and adapt by changing a lot about your life to suit your new condition. Not ideal that I know, but I am not sure there are many options.
I feel your pain and frustration. I do empathize a lot with you. Try and take it one day at a time, I understand it is not easy. Try and celebrate the little victories, like being able to still go to school. That is a huge achievement. I have learned to appreciate the little things even more now. I hope at least you can take some comfort here knowing that there are others out there going through the same or similar problems/struggles. Take it one day at a time. Keep up the good spirit.
Best, Bansah1
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I am sorry for all that you have encountered and enduring. Please know that despite all this GOD has a plan for us all. I believe that you will someday wake up with the strength of a horse and recover the lost days. I am holding up as much as possible too.
Everything will be okay if we believe.
GOD bless you and thank you for your kinds advise and for sharing your life experience with me.
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I struggled at the beginning but over the years I have and keep learning about what I can and cannot do. I understand my body more and give it all the necessary care it needs. It is not fun, but I still keep one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward. It is more of a learning process as my body and life has changed. Continue to dream big, we shall overcome whatever challenges we face. Best, bansah1.
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Hi @Joan_Block . Thank you for sharing. Did the hospital later accept you back into practice after suspension.
Is there still discrimination out there for new nurses that tested positive to hep b.
I’m going to nursing school and I would love to know if I should continue or not waste my time
Thank you so much
Hi Bee so my situation occurred almost 35 years ago and Yes, I was allowed to back to work. But that was in 1989. Today, the CDC updated its recommendations for HBV-infected healthcare workers and made it clear that it should not prevent anyone from studying or practicing in a medical, nursing or dental profession. So I say definitely stay in nursing since there’s a desperate need for nurses and you will have a job for life! As far as discrimination there may be some rural areas where you could face a problem, but the law is on our side. Not only are the CDC guidelines clear, but the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA law) has made hepatitis B a protected condition.
If you have more questions the Hepatitis B Foundation has a lot on their website about discrimination and resources. Please stay in nursing!! You most likely will not face discrimination, but if you do it would be against the law. Hope this reassures you!
Thanks, Joan
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Thank you for your detailed and assuring message.
This means a lot.
Sending you lots of hugs
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