Health issues for my son - is it Hepatitis C?

I am so thankful that it's Friday. Seriously. Work has been hectic and stressful. On top of that, I've been deeply affected by the plight of Haiti. I can't bring myself to blog any photos of recipes I've made (on my "other" blog) because the dichotomy is too strong. That is, I have so much and these people had so little...and they have even less than nothing.

I digress. My son. I've been very quiet on my blog. I think my silence is more a reflection of my desire to go on with my life. My son has been moved out of our home for almost five months. I've adjusted to his being gone. I no longer feel that his room is empty. I feel as though it's been morphed into a guest bedroom, and (I admit) that I don't have to put away my ironing board any longer. The cats have taken over B's bed, enjoying the window view while C and I are away at work.

I talk to B all the time. We really have gotten closer. So, how is B? He's eeking by. He still goes to work, because he feels the urgency to be able to pay his rent. This is a good thing. If my son was using, he wouldn't be able to pay his rent. I still help him out with some bare necessities-- milk, bread etc. He comes to wash his laundry, which is fine with me. It gives us time to be together. He has a home cooked meal, and sometimes I send him home with care packages of food I've cooked. He is very, very thankful.

I've seen a change in my son, that is encouraging. He has eyeglasses. It turns out he has 20-70 vision-- most likely attributed to his poor care of his Type I diabetes. While the eye doctor lectured my son on why he needs to better manage his diabetes, I could see my son's resistance. It has been an ten year battle for my son to accept that he has this disease. Even, today, my son is angry that he has diabetes.

All of the blathering is leading up to today-- my son took a UA and he met with the doctor (at the Methadone Clinic). The doctor suspects he might have Hepatitis C, because his liver count isn't good. B called me, freaking out-- which, of course, made my adrenalin flow. B says the doctor attributes Hep C could be from his snorting oxycontin, or it could be from not managing his diabetes.

I am trying not to panic. I've googled Hep C and have read that it's not necessarily fatal, and potential curable. I need to get him in for a test to confirm if this is so. In case you're wondering-- my son has never done IV drugs. Ironically, it grosses him out at the thought of injecting something in his veins-- though he uses needles to inject insulin. Unfortunately, my son "forgets" to take insulin and rarely tests his blood sugar.

So, there you have it. One more issue for me to take seriously. Obviously, I want to find out correct medical information.

As far as methadone goes-- I have to say that my son is doing really well. B says that he is so glad he's on methadone. He says he has no desire to use opiates. He is sleeping again. He's gaining weight. I am going to meet with his counselor (whom B really likes a lot) at the methadone clinic. B would like to extend the program for one more month. I won't get into the lengthy details, but it might be a good thing to give my son another 30 days.

B is still struggling to make ends meet. His roommate might be moving out, so he worries about finding a roommate.

My words of encouragement are probably hollow for my son-- I tell him that when these things happen, that it's not necessarily a bad thing. I tell him that God might be shutting doors, so he'll finally walk into one that is God's plan for him. Even the Hep-C scare... maybe this is a wake up call to manage his diabetes! My son is so rattled, that he says he needs to take better care of himself.

I haven't visited your blogs, and I am sorry. With my busy work schedule, and my church groups I just haven't had much time. I continue to pray for you-- my son's drug addiction isn't over. For now, I thank God, that my son is alive, arrest-free and I am so thankful for my abundant blessings.

I adore my son, and I continue to hope that he will continue to stay clean.