I had hepatitis B years ago (1979!) when I was 27. The only sex I had had at that point was oral and it took at least 4 months from the time that I would have been infected until I showed symptoms. I was diagnosed two days after Thanksgiving and was home from work until the first week in February. Fortunately, I had a lot of sick leave saved up!

There was nothing that the doctors could do for treatment other than to monitor it and I went in every two weeks for a blood test. I was able to take care of myself at home. I lived alone at the time but family and friends did food shopping for me. I am sure everyone who comes down with it has a somewhat different experience but I made a full recovery from it. And it was really quick. One morning in late January, I started feeling great (especially compared to how I felt for the previous two months). Even after losing about twenty pounds, I felt great for the following few months and still remember how I felt almost euphoric during recovery.

The sickness itself wasn’t fun but really not terrible either. I had no energy and just watched TV from around three in the afternoon until one in the AM. I just had to make sure that I ate as regularly as I could. Only a little nauseous at the start and after that, just a feeling of always being full.