Former councillor Andrea Reimer shares Hepatitis C diagnosis, treatment
Credit to Author: Stephanie Ip| Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2019 16:37:20 +0000
Former Vancouver city councillor Andrea Reimer is speaking out about her experience with treatment for Hepatitis C, and urging other former or current drug users to get tested.
On Monday, Reimer revealed publicly in a series of tweets that she had been taking medication for Hepatitis C, an illness that can be contracted through the use of intravenous drug paraphernalia among other ways.
She wrote, “56 days, 168 pills and a lot of bouts of nausea later I am very happy to say that yesterday I took my last round of treatment for Hepatitis C.”
Reimer goes on to say there has historically been stigma associated with a Hepatitis C diagnosis and that treatment options weren’t previously covered by the government until the illness had progressed to later stages.
“But last year the new B.C. government made treatment available for people with HepC who are still healthy which ups the chances of recovery to 95%+. You also get to miss a lifetime of wondering if and when liver failure will happen and if you’ll be strong enough then to handle treatment,” she wrote on her Twitter account.
56 days, 168 pills and a lot of bouts of nausea later I am very happy to say that yesterday I took my last round of treatment for hepatitis C. /1 pic.twitter.com/MS9GKNv62o
The former city councillor said it will be another six months before she knows whether the treatment worked or not but that she is grateful treatment was an option.
“It’s humane healthcare but it’s also hope for a world where everyone is seen and valued regardless of the trauma they carry with them.”
Hepatitis C is spread through blood-to-blood contact and often shows no symptoms. The contact can happen through the use of injection drugs or sharing drug equipment, through contact with improperly sterilized equipment when getting tattoos, piercings, pedicures or manicures, or medical procedures, through the sharing of personal hygiene items with an infected person.
While some people may recover from Hepatitis C without ever feeling sick, others may fall ill and suffer fatigue, loss of appetite and jaundice. Hepatitis C can also progress to liver scarring and failure, and possibly cancer.
In March 2018, the B.C. government announced chronic Hepatitis C medication would be covered by the province’s PharmaCare health plan regardless of severity. Several drug options were made available, allowing the estimated 73,000 British Columbians living with Hepatitis C to choose which treatment is best suited to their case.
Reimer served on Vancouver City Council from 2008 to 2018, first as a Green Party candidate before later joining Gregor Robertson’s Vision Vancouver. She has spoken frequently about her childhood in foster care, and her history with homelessness and drug use during her time on city council and in her advocacy work.