Philzone.org Discussion Board: Archive 2004: Hep C Archive: So who's counting anyway?

I gave up long ago.

Nowadays, I just dig into the daily pill case in the morning and evening and do my prescibed dose. No set time...I do them as I awake or remember to take them.

The dreaded weekly shot? I can't bother to keep track of what week I'm even on. On shot night I just drag another vial of pegs out of the fridge and jazz up. I thought untill recently I was on week #41 here. Tonight, I did the math.

I figured out that I am acually on week #36 of these Pegasys treatments. Halfway through this round of tx....my third try at finding the "cure". Yippppppeeeeeeee!

I did a little more math too. In these three trys at treatments here are the numbers I came up with.

So far I've done:

228 Interferon shots
5760 Ribavirin pills

but who's counting anyway?

Major Domo
David Maxwell
geno 1a
stage 2-3 fibrosis
50 million viral load-pre tx

Pegasys/Copagus week #36-and currently............UNDETECTABLE!

I'm sorry to say this, but the drug companies must love you. Sometime earlier on I did the same thing, I was one box of shots ahead in the count than I had actually taken. As this is my first attempt at clearing the virus, and hopefully the only attempt, I was rather discouraged. #35 tomorrow night. I truly hope you clear it this time, I believe you have tolerated more than any one person should have to.

Best regards,
NYJIMMY

Thanks...I'm a bit sick of lining somebodies pharmecutical pockets here too.

My first go at tx I kept a journal to keep track of EVERYTHING. I religiously took my ribas exactly 12 hrs apart, my shots always at a precise evening hour. After 48wks. I was a nonresponder.

My second go at tx, I ditched the idea of a keeping any journal. My first is still collecting cobwebs somewhere in the closet. I still took my meds at set hours of the morning and evenings. My weekly shot was done at exactly 9pm. Post treatment week 48 I relapsed.

This tx, I threw all caution to the wind. I opted to go treatments without anti-d's. I take my ribas in the mornings at no set time. Whenever I wake up, be it 7am or 1pm...that's when I do them. When night comes around, I take them again, no set time. Monday comes shot night. Same with this. I do it whenever I feel comfortable at whatever hour. So far, it seems to be working. All I give a rat's ass about is that ONE word. UNDETECTABLE.

My two previous trys at tx were awful experiences. I was miserable. In retrospect, I believe this was somewhat caused over anxiety and stress as to whether these meds were working. In the end, even though I'd not "cleared" my virus, I did reverse my progression of liver damage. For that I am thankful.

This tx...I refuse to dwell on it. I take tx at my own pace. I don't fret the small stuff. Taking my daily meds and weekly shot along with keeping regular bloodwork and dr. appts. is enough for me. This round of tx I feel has been a "piece of cake" compared to past attempts. Possibly due to Pegasys and less side effects? Maybe. Possibly due to my current attitude about these treatments. No doubt.

So get the band together or the coven or both...oh let's see who'x countin dot dot dot

Going on shot #8 but somethimes I think I momentarily lose all my brain, then, shu, keeping time whit a disemboweld bass, four strings two steel two olf nylon or some shit. Wish it was better, who the wuck was that great guy on DAT? sheesh the music is good....fffffff...ckkkk

I took excruciatingly detailed notes the second year of treatment, mostly about side effects, even the ones that were the same week after week after week. I can hardly believe I did that, it must have been a side effect! I never took antidepressants or sleeping meds during either year of treatment for the simple, and probably stupid, reason that I never much liked how any of these drugs make you feel. (I got hep C from being a junkie back in the daze, it's not that I dislike all drugs it's just that I was always picky about it, go figure.) Undetectable, that's the ticket! Whatever gets you through treatment is the right way to go about it! My attitude slowly improved as the weeks went by, well, except for that note-taking thing! To those of you new to treatment, it really does get easier in most ways, you really can adjust to treatment enough to get more casual about it. Peace

Same here. As I look back, all that wasted energy and time spent taking notes and such when I could have been doing something phun and enjoyable.
My first tx's I followed most of the "good" advice and did the anti-d's for depression and took the sleep aids for the insomnia. I believe I had my fill..Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Ultram, Trazadone, Risperdal...you name it. About all they did was make me too dopey or dissinterested to really give a shit about anything.

This time...nada. I'm happy to say it's a whole different ball game this time around. A winning ball game for me.

MAJOR DOMO=UNDETECTABLE 4GOOD

Hi Dave& Fran, Good to hear your stories, I listen to this and helps me a great deal, I haven't been around for a week or so, I just had to burry my Grandma yesterday. I'm tired, but start tx monday. I've been to the doc and his attitude was just like you Dave don't sweat the small stuff, I agree. I won't be going on tx on the most possitive note, but I'll go in on the 13th and they give me my shot. I'm tough enough to do it and will get by. I don't think I'll take notes and doc doesn't want to start anti depresants. All I know i'm gonna do is, DRINK LOT'S OF WATER! PEACE Rose

I'm so sorry about your Grandma. You will do fine next week, and you know where to come with questions..... Take care, God bless, Peace, Fran

Hello Everyone, I'M Back !!!! ha ha ha !!
Rose, I am sorry to here that your Grandma passed
away !!!
All of you have been discussing the treatment,and
tx- I will be starting at the end of the month,
with the tx and after doing some research about
the combo interferons on the market, and need to
decide what would be best for me!!
As most of you already know, I am on disability
for manic depression(with sucidal thought and
tendencies)/paranoid schizohenia !!
I learned that some of the side effects are the
same as my diability, and that really concerns me
alot because that means for me that they are going
to be twice as bad !!! Any suggestions !!!!!

The Hippy/Deadhead-

Bruce

Rose,

I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother.

Rememeber the secret formula for water intake:
Your weight in pounds divided by 2. Drink at least that number of ounces of water every day. More is not at all a bad thing, and even if it is just a walk up and down the block, get some exersize every day. It really helps.

Good luck,

Jim

Oh, and not only did I count both up and down, I educed the fractions (8 down out of 48 = 8/48 = 1/6 = .166667) to lowest terms and decimals....I know, I know, us engineers are weird.

Jim

Jim Thanks i figured i have to drink about 9 glasses a day, yes it's been tough with my Grandma i was in the hosp 9 out of 10 days then about dropped between her and my dad they keept me hoppin, this is the best though long story i didn't want to be down and post lord knows that this site needs to be uplifting, and i just could not speak about it i've been to church , had had long talks with the pastors, i even seen alot of things that would make you cry, so.. thanks and take care, oh Bruce, sorry to hear about your condition be strong and don't give up! PEACE Rose

Bruce, If you have not already, you will be advised by your psychiatrist and gastrointerologist. I find it highly unlikely that any Tx will be attempted until they both are convinced that you are stable and taking your medications regularly. Oh, by the way, what VA did you say you seek care from? I may be able to assist you if you can make me more aware of your info.