Mar.23rd 2007
Had fifth jab on Friday and felt best i have since starting treatment. I even thought maybe shot was bad or maybe tx wasn't working, because i had no sides to speak of. Usually i have some aches and nausea over the weekend. Very little to no joint pain this time. However that was short. Starting Monday morning i began to get really bad lower back pain. It's on right side above hip. Tylenol seems to help. I see Doc this Friday so will ask about that. Will also get blood labs copies from week 2 and week 4.I'm interested in seeing those levels, because the fatigue i was having is pretty much gone and seems from what others experience , it should be getting worse. Just goes to show we all respond differently. I am worried tx is failing.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Week Four
Friday Mar.16th - Mar.23rd 2007
Very little side effects from jab #4. Some joint pain in ankles, knees, hips and back which only lasted Sat and Sun. Felt great the rest of the week.
Very little side effects from jab #4. Some joint pain in ankles, knees, hips and back which only lasted Sat and Sun. Felt great the rest of the week.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Week Three
Friday Mar.9th - Mar. 16th 2007
Third jab last friday went well except for the ankle pain i have been experiencing since. Bought some sandals, that are more comfy, yesterday. Hope they help. Tired of hobbling around like an old lady. Tonight will be jab 4...... 44 to go.
Third jab last friday went well except for the ankle pain i have been experiencing since. Bought some sandals, that are more comfy, yesterday. Hope they help. Tired of hobbling around like an old lady. Tonight will be jab 4...... 44 to go.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Wild Ride
up until recently, year or so ago, i was the most co-ordinated person you ever met. i could juggle 5 things at the same time with out thinking twice. Throw a 3 course dinner together where every thing was done at the same time....Then.... it started to seem like i became really clumsey. Trip over cracks in the side walk, drop stuff, spill food. I chalked it up to just getting older, not paying attention and maybe not caring. Almost funny to a point, when i would slop ice cream down my shirt.
This morning i realized, on tx, there's a WHOLE new meaning to messy and uncoordinated. i have been having some brain fog and forgetfulness. i have to really concentrate sometimes when i am doing stuff. Literally putting one foot in front of the other and truly thinking through the steps to get something accomplished successfully.
~6:45 am in kitchen~
i had just puked the first cup of decafinated coffee....woke up feeling nauseous and gaggy and decided to get it over with, and did the deed, then got dressed for work. i placed a cup of water in micro for 2 minutes and stood there waiting for it to be done. In the meantime, i started to think how before tx, i could make toast at same time water was heating. But, ohhhh nooo not now. One thing at a time. i get the water out, set it on counter, put the package of cocoa in and i'm stirring and thinking time to locate the bread.....crash!!!! cup tips over. I WASN'T even touching it!!!!! Cocoa all over the counter, running down the dishwasher, my work clothes and the floor! Spent the next 20 minutes slopping up the counter and floor with gobs of paper towel, wiping down the dish washer, mopping the floor, and changing clothes...and started all over again. Finally ate a slice of toast,drank a cup of cocoa, glupped down 3 Ribas with my water and rushed off to work.
i debated if i was really capable of driving and getting to work safe. Except for blocking one intersection, when traffic stopped in front of a fire department, which clearly had a sign "Do Not Block Intersection", i made it safe. i chalk that up to automatic pilot. After i had been at work an hour, i looked down at my painted toes sticking out of my shoes and realized i had little brown spots of cocoa stuck to my nails. Sheesh. THEN worst of all, i noticed i am starting to grow hair on my toes! So let me understand this....tx is gonna cause my hair on my head to fall out , but i'm gonna GROW it on my toes???!!!!! No damn dragon is gonna call me a troll. He has a butt kicking coming!
This morning i realized, on tx, there's a WHOLE new meaning to messy and uncoordinated. i have been having some brain fog and forgetfulness. i have to really concentrate sometimes when i am doing stuff. Literally putting one foot in front of the other and truly thinking through the steps to get something accomplished successfully.
~6:45 am in kitchen~
i had just puked the first cup of decafinated coffee....woke up feeling nauseous and gaggy and decided to get it over with, and did the deed, then got dressed for work. i placed a cup of water in micro for 2 minutes and stood there waiting for it to be done. In the meantime, i started to think how before tx, i could make toast at same time water was heating. But, ohhhh nooo not now. One thing at a time. i get the water out, set it on counter, put the package of cocoa in and i'm stirring and thinking time to locate the bread.....crash!!!! cup tips over. I WASN'T even touching it!!!!! Cocoa all over the counter, running down the dishwasher, my work clothes and the floor! Spent the next 20 minutes slopping up the counter and floor with gobs of paper towel, wiping down the dish washer, mopping the floor, and changing clothes...and started all over again. Finally ate a slice of toast,drank a cup of cocoa, glupped down 3 Ribas with my water and rushed off to work.
i debated if i was really capable of driving and getting to work safe. Except for blocking one intersection, when traffic stopped in front of a fire department, which clearly had a sign "Do Not Block Intersection", i made it safe. i chalk that up to automatic pilot. After i had been at work an hour, i looked down at my painted toes sticking out of my shoes and realized i had little brown spots of cocoa stuck to my nails. Sheesh. THEN worst of all, i noticed i am starting to grow hair on my toes! So let me understand this....tx is gonna cause my hair on my head to fall out , but i'm gonna GROW it on my toes???!!!!! No damn dragon is gonna call me a troll. He has a butt kicking coming!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Feb. 20th,2007
i have decided to journal about the next year of my life, in hopes of maybe someday helping others who may find this blog. i have chronic Hepatitis C Virus, also known as "the dragon". i am about to start on a 48 week journey, taking the FDA approved combination of interferon/ribavirin medications known as:Pegasys + Copegus.
The Pegasys will be a once a week shot that i have to learn to give myself and the ribavirin will be pills i have to take twice a day. Both can have side affects ranging from flu like syptoms, headache, fever, rashes,hairloss!!!!!!, sore joints, anemia , low white blood count,depression, rage etc etc..Hopefully i won't have any side affects.Because this is a disease that silently and slowly distroys the liver, over a period of years, my doctor has recommended treatment.
I was first diagnosed in Oct.2001 . Two liver biopsies, 5 years apart, showed no fibrosis. HCV is contracted through blood contact such as blood transfusion, iv drugs, tattoos. piercings etc. i had a tattoo in 1996 at a very busy bike week in Daytona Beach, Fl and a belly button piercing in 2001. i went to the doctor complaining of fatigue in 2001 and blood work showed i had the virus. i believe the belly button piercing was the source of infection because it coinsides with the fatigue i was having that brought about the diagnosis.
My doctor decided to wait on treatment hoping a better drug would be FDA approved. Pegasys+Copegus only has a 37% cure rate for genotype 1 ,which is taken for 48 weeks, which iam. Genotype 2 and 3 have a better success rate and is only a 24 week treatment. But i am a 1. Lucky me. Currently there are several drugs in the pipeline in various stages of testing, but no FDA approval yet. At my last blood work, some of my liver function levels had become abnormal, so we decided it's time to treat now. AMA has recommended all HCV possitive people should start treatment regardless of severity.
Feb. 21st, 2007
Took the day of from work today to await the UPS shipment. My dragon killing hypodermics arrive today and someone has to be home or they can not deliver. Can't leave hypodermics laying around . Should be 4 prefilled syringes and the ribavirin pills. Day off sounds great. i have been soooooo tired. i suppose i am mid flair up of the virus because i have been so fatigued lately. Ha and they say it's symptomless! It was just such an episode of fatigue that took me to my doctor in 2001, which led to blood test and the discovery that i was possitive for HCV.
Feb. 22nd,2007
Dragon killer is in refridgerator. i will take one syringe to docs tomorrow to learn how to administer. My love will go with me. Altho i will have to learn how, hopefully he will too and be able to give me the shots on Fridays. i am doing on Fridays because that gives me two days to start feeling better from flu symptoms the meds can cause, so i can maybe go to work on Monday. So much for TGIF. Gonna be a rough night trying to sleep.
Week One
Friday Feb.23rd - Mar.1st, 2007
i went to docs office and learned how to give myself a shot. It was easy. i was worried for nothing. Needle is very small and i could barely see or feel it. So, first of 48 happened about 130pm. Around 730pm, i started feeling pretty bad. i was having pains in my lower back. Muscle pain and achy like flu aches. i could feel as the aches moved slowly up my spine until it reached my neck. Then they started at both shoulders and hips and moved down my limbs, Fast! ...... i felt them as they moved a long, so odd. Next i started having fever and chills at this point. The chills were the worst. i was shivering and no matter how many blankets i used i still shook. Felt awfull for the rest of that night. i woke up every hour it seemed. Finally after some sleep, i woke up and flu was gone. Felt somewhat dazed from the whole ordeal , but rest of weekend i felt pretty good.
Week Two
Friday Mar.2nd - Mar.8th 2007
Had my second tx jab last Friday around 6 pm. Fell asleep and woke up around 9pm to take the riba. Took two tylenols then and pretty much went back to sleep. I think that may have been a good plan, because just about the time any sides would have kicked in the tylenol would have too. I had no side effects like last week with jab one. No flu, muscle pain or fever. Woke up Sat and enjoyed the weekend. i do notice this week that i am feeling really tired and have some rashy itchyness. Left work yesterday at 2pm and went home and crawled into bed. Just exhausted. i do two week lab work tomorrow and will have jab 3, hope it goes as smooth as jab 2.
i have decided to journal about the next year of my life, in hopes of maybe someday helping others who may find this blog. i have chronic Hepatitis C Virus, also known as "the dragon". i am about to start on a 48 week journey, taking the FDA approved combination of interferon/ribavirin medications known as:Pegasys + Copegus.
The Pegasys will be a once a week shot that i have to learn to give myself and the ribavirin will be pills i have to take twice a day. Both can have side affects ranging from flu like syptoms, headache, fever, rashes,hairloss!!!!!!, sore joints, anemia , low white blood count,depression, rage etc etc..Hopefully i won't have any side affects.Because this is a disease that silently and slowly distroys the liver, over a period of years, my doctor has recommended treatment.
I was first diagnosed in Oct.2001 . Two liver biopsies, 5 years apart, showed no fibrosis. HCV is contracted through blood contact such as blood transfusion, iv drugs, tattoos. piercings etc. i had a tattoo in 1996 at a very busy bike week in Daytona Beach, Fl and a belly button piercing in 2001. i went to the doctor complaining of fatigue in 2001 and blood work showed i had the virus. i believe the belly button piercing was the source of infection because it coinsides with the fatigue i was having that brought about the diagnosis.
My doctor decided to wait on treatment hoping a better drug would be FDA approved. Pegasys+Copegus only has a 37% cure rate for genotype 1 ,which is taken for 48 weeks, which iam. Genotype 2 and 3 have a better success rate and is only a 24 week treatment. But i am a 1. Lucky me. Currently there are several drugs in the pipeline in various stages of testing, but no FDA approval yet. At my last blood work, some of my liver function levels had become abnormal, so we decided it's time to treat now. AMA has recommended all HCV possitive people should start treatment regardless of severity.
Feb. 21st, 2007
Took the day of from work today to await the UPS shipment. My dragon killing hypodermics arrive today and someone has to be home or they can not deliver. Can't leave hypodermics laying around . Should be 4 prefilled syringes and the ribavirin pills. Day off sounds great. i have been soooooo tired. i suppose i am mid flair up of the virus because i have been so fatigued lately. Ha and they say it's symptomless! It was just such an episode of fatigue that took me to my doctor in 2001, which led to blood test and the discovery that i was possitive for HCV.
Feb. 22nd,2007
Dragon killer is in refridgerator. i will take one syringe to docs tomorrow to learn how to administer. My love will go with me. Altho i will have to learn how, hopefully he will too and be able to give me the shots on Fridays. i am doing on Fridays because that gives me two days to start feeling better from flu symptoms the meds can cause, so i can maybe go to work on Monday. So much for TGIF. Gonna be a rough night trying to sleep.
Week One
Friday Feb.23rd - Mar.1st, 2007
i went to docs office and learned how to give myself a shot. It was easy. i was worried for nothing. Needle is very small and i could barely see or feel it. So, first of 48 happened about 130pm. Around 730pm, i started feeling pretty bad. i was having pains in my lower back. Muscle pain and achy like flu aches. i could feel as the aches moved slowly up my spine until it reached my neck. Then they started at both shoulders and hips and moved down my limbs, Fast! ...... i felt them as they moved a long, so odd. Next i started having fever and chills at this point. The chills were the worst. i was shivering and no matter how many blankets i used i still shook. Felt awfull for the rest of that night. i woke up every hour it seemed. Finally after some sleep, i woke up and flu was gone. Felt somewhat dazed from the whole ordeal , but rest of weekend i felt pretty good.
Week Two
Friday Mar.2nd - Mar.8th 2007
Had my second tx jab last Friday around 6 pm. Fell asleep and woke up around 9pm to take the riba. Took two tylenols then and pretty much went back to sleep. I think that may have been a good plan, because just about the time any sides would have kicked in the tylenol would have too. I had no side effects like last week with jab one. No flu, muscle pain or fever. Woke up Sat and enjoyed the weekend. i do notice this week that i am feeling really tired and have some rashy itchyness. Left work yesterday at 2pm and went home and crawled into bed. Just exhausted. i do two week lab work tomorrow and will have jab 3, hope it goes as smooth as jab 2.
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