OT: News I was hoping not to hear

A few months ago I gave blood for the first time at a Red Cross blood drive. I have type O neg blood so my blood could be used for pretty much anybody and that I thought was a good thing. They do a type and screen of the blood though when you are a first time donor. I got back a letter stating I had tested positively for Hepatis B so I asked my doc to double check it. I got the news last night. I had definitely been exposed to Hep B. Thankfully I am now immune to it apparently but how do you get something like Hep B and not ever know it? I never had any symptoms that I can recall. I never had to have any shots for it or anything. I know exactly who I would have gotten it from and it's just one more reason I am glad I divorced the ass but its still kind of shocking since I have always been so careful except when I was married to him. I was married for crying out loud and could see no reason to have to protect myself from him.
Anyway, thanks for letting me vent this here it's not generally something I would call my mother and talk to her about you know?

So sorry to hear that but I've known others in the same boat as you and they did the same thing - divorced him! lol Just research and find out what you can do and talk to your dr about it.

Hepatitis B and C are bloodborne in their transmission and exposure. The most common ways to become exposed and develop antibodies are through unprotected sex and the sharing of used needles (not only from illegal drugs, but also "dirty" tattoos where the needles and/or ink used were contaminated, as well as the practice of serial injections used in the past in many branches of the military-- they used to "sterilize" and use the same needles on all of the soldiers during these routine vaccinations), but transmission can also occur by coming into contact with contaminated blood in any situation, for example during traumatic injuries such as natural disasters or automobile accidents where there are large open areas on the body and the potential for intermixing of blood between patients occurs, also during childbirth (and potentially breastfeeding if the mother's nipples are cracked/open/bleeding).

I'm sorry this has happened to you. You might want to consider more counseling from your general practitioner on this diagnosis. If you had been exposed it doesn't mean that you are immune necessarily but that you have the antibodies present in your bloodstream. And while you may not have any symptoms now or for a very long time, hepatitis B can cause some very serious physical problems down the line with your liver.

Check with your doctor for more specific counseling and for treatment options when and if you ever do become symptomatic. Ask him or her for reading materials on the virus so that you can become aware of your new diagnosis.

Good luck to you!