Friend with Hep C

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Jeff Mowatt - 29 Oct 2004 21:06 GMT

Hello all,

I'd like to ask a question on behalf of a friend who for a start has no
medical insurance.

He's an American. I'm a Brit and he stayed with me here in the UK for some
weeks, before being refused a second visa after 3 months so he had to find
somewhere to live and I'm doing my best to help him financially. It's ended
up with him in a remote but cheap location in Eastern Europe who have quite
reasonable medical services, unfortunately they are not open to him as they
might be to be with a reciprocal treatment arrangement between the two
countries.

I only found out about his Hep C yesterday, apparently he picked it up 10
years ago but has managed to keep it under control until now. I know he
drinks alchohol, not to excess, which I realise, in retrospect, can't have
helped much.

Funds are limited and about to dry up as my income is being reduced as I
approach retirement. Substances like interferon are out of the question as I
can't ship them even if they were affordable. He believes that this flare up
has been brought on by the stress of his current situation with no prospect
of income in an alien environment

My question is this. What can he do to improve his health or reduce the
discomfort for the minimum expenditure? He lives on a budget of $200 a month
after housing costs and that just about covers basic necessities there. Are
there for example affordable food supplements that might do him some good
without any other kind of treatment? Might treatment be available, possibly,
if he were able to get in touch with a medical charity where he is currently
located.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Jeff

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Thomas Wagner - 30 Oct 2004 02:32 GMT

>I only found out about his Hep C yesterday, apparently he picked it up 10
>years ago but has managed to keep it under control until now. I know he
>drinks alchohol, not to excess, which I realise, in retrospect, can't have
>helped much.

The understatement of the year... someone who knows he has Hep C and
still drinks is really committing slow suicide.

>Funds are limited and about to dry up as my income is being reduced as I
>approach retirement. Substances like interferon are out of the question as I
>can't ship them even if they were affordable. He believes that this flare up
>has been brought on by the stress of his current situation with no prospect
>of income in an alien environment

How does he know it has flared up? Did he have a blood test? A biopsy?
Without that, he normally can't really know. Major symptoms are rare
unless he's already cirrhotic, which isn't usually the case after just
10 years, though not impossible given bad nutrition and alcohol use.

>My question is this. What can he do to improve his health or reduce the
>discomfort for the minimum expenditure? He lives on a budget of $200 a month
>after housing costs and that just about covers basic necessities there. Are
>there for example affordable food supplements that might do him some good
>without any other kind of treatment?

No. Not buying alcohol from the limited money he has would surely help,
but other than that there is no supplement. Milk thistle is OK for
someone who can afford to spend the money without knowing whether it
will benefit, but at his budget, it doesn't make sense.

>Might treatment be available, possibly,
>if he were able to get in touch with a medical charity where he is currently
>located.

Why can't he go back to the US? Is he running from something? Although
getting HCV treatment here without insurance and money is not easy, it
can be done with enough determination. Both Roche and Schering have
programs to supply meds free to qualifying people. There are a number of
free clinics throughout the country. It would probably be easier for him
to get treatment here than over there.

Thomas

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Jeff Mowatt - 30 Oct 2004 09:02 GMT

"Thomas Wagner" <tomw@capecod.com> wrote in message

> Why can't he go back to the US? Is he running from something? Although
> getting HCV treatment here without insurance and money is not easy, it
> can be done with enough determination. Both Roche and Schering have
> programs to supply meds free to qualifying people. There are a number of
> free clinics throughout the country. It would probably be easier for him
> to get treatment here than over there.

Thomas,

Thanks for the reply. No not on the run as such, only in the sense that in
the US he would be homeless and considers himself unemployable, and that is
what he wants to escape from, poverty. His last abode was a tent in a
friend's garden. He has a college degree but cannot obtain it due to an
outstanding debt brought about by the Savings and Loans fiasco. He once
worked as a carpenter but sustained a leg and back injury which prevents him
being on his feet for a full day. Within these constraints he's willing to
do anything anywhere to get some kind of economic independence and sees this
US as the last place on earth where he can achieve what he desires rather
than live on handouts in his country of origin. I'll check out Roche and
Schering, just in case they have overseas facilities, thanks.

Regards,

Jeff

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Gordo Mondragon - 30 Oct 2004 14:13 GMT

[...]

> He has a college degree but cannot obtain it due to an
> outstanding debt brought about by the Savings and Loans fiasco.

This statement doesn't make any sense. You don't have to produce a copy
of a college degree when you apply for a job, and I don't know of any
college or university which would not confirm that someone has completed
their degree just because they still owe money on student loans.

Gordo

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elmoemerson@webtv.net - 30 Oct 2004 15:14 GMT

Re: Friend with Hep C

Group: alt.support.hepatitis-c Date: Sat, Oct 30, 2004, 1:13pm (CDT+5)
From: ga_mondragon@yahoo.com (Gordo Mondragon)
In article <clvhqf$5o$1@hercules.btinternet.com>, "Jeff Mowatt"
<Ilovespam@btinternet.com> wrote:
[...]
He has a college degree but cannot obtain it due to an outstanding debt
brought about by the Savings and Loans fiasco.
This statement doesn't make any sense. You don't have to produce a copy
of a college degree when you apply for a job, and I don't know of any
college or university which would not confirm that someone has completed
their degree just because they still owe money on student loans.
Gordo
//////////////
I think I saw this guy's friend on the Jerry Springer show a couple of
years ago. His father kicked him out of the house and made him live in
a tent behind the garden. To get revenge, the guy started screwing his
dad's new wife. That's probably why he migrated to Europe and started
drinking heavily. ehehe
Elmo

http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/DocElmosHepFile

http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/TheFamilyAlbum

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Jeff Mowatt - 30 Oct 2004 16:08 GMT

>> He has a college degree but cannot obtain it due to an
>> outstanding debt brought about by the Savings and Loans fiasco.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Gordo

That's only what he's told me Gordo, I'm in no position to verify the
university policy.

Jeff

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Gordo Mondragon - 30 Oct 2004 17:50 GMT

> >> He has a college degree but cannot obtain it due to an
> >> outstanding debt brought about by the Savings and Loans fiasco.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> That's only what he's told me Gordo, I'm in no position to verify the
> university policy.

And it's also not what you posted asking about, sorry. It just leapt
out as strange to me and a few other people here. Maybe it's true,
maybe it's a falsehood, or maybe it's something he's mistaken about.

Gordo

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Thomas Wagner - 30 Oct 2004 16:35 GMT

>Thanks for the reply. No not on the run as such, only in the sense that in
>the US he would be homeless and considers himself unemployable, and that is
>what he wants to escape from, poverty. His last abode was a tent in a
>friend's garden. He has a college degree but cannot obtain it due to an
>outstanding debt brought about by the Savings and Loans fiasco.

Hmmm... that sounds extremely fishy. The S&L scandal of the 80's had few
(if any) effects on the average guy because of the massive government
bailouts. A college issues a degree as soon as you complete your
studies, while student loans generally only have to be repaid much
later.

I understand that friendship should not depend on the veracity of
someone's back story. If your friend has problems defining his life, and
takes some freedoms with the truth, it's not for me to judge him. But
(sorry for the cynicism) make sure you're not being taken advantage of.

Thomas

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Paul - 30 Oct 2004 16:49 GMT

On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 11:35:43 -0400, Thomas Wagner <tomw@capecod.com>,

> But
>(sorry for the cynicism) make sure you're not being taken advantage of.

Thomas. I had considered this too and was wondering whether to say
it. My gut feeling says that this may be the case - though it's
difficult to rely on gut feelings when not meeting any of the people.

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Paul

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