Sunday, June 27, 2010

Status Quo

  Things are pretty much at a status quo right now, which is good.  I am actually stronger and feeling better than I expected to at this point, and I attribute that to starting the procrit early, and also to taking a day off work each week.
   I am still pretty tired on the week-end, after my shots, and I guess I might be crankier than I think I am. (according to my husband). 
   Saw the dr on Wednesday and things seem to be going well from his perspective.  I discussed a new sleep aid, switching to Nexium from Prevlacid, and changing my shot schedule.  I can move the time of my shots by 12 hours each week, to get them more in the middle of the week and then I'll  have some quality time on the week-ends for the summer.
    CANNOT WAIT TO GET DONE WITH SCHOOL!!  3 more days.  I've been operating a lot on adrenaline this last week, and know that I need to crash a day before my daughter and grandson get here for a nice long visit!!!  Thanks for checking in!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Lab work is in

Well, the confirmation genotype lab work came in this week.  Just as suspected, it confirms that I am a gen 1a, not a 3.   I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that I endured 6 months of grueling treatment and complications for nothing.  It even states right on the first lab results that a gen 3 is typically treated for 24 weeks, but that a gen 1a always requires 48 weeks of treatment!
    The good news is the viral load is undetected (UD) at this point, which ups my chances of totally beating this thing.  The other up side is now I am considered a first time treater again, since I was not properly treated the first time.  Statistically, that also ups my chances of reaching SVR (sustained viral reduction).
    Still pretty wiped out from fatigue, but otherwise hanging in there.  Did my second shot of procrit last night, but know that it is too early for it to really be kicking in.  I'm anxious to see my hemoglobin levels; have sort of lost track of them in the past few weeks.
    I still have 8 days of school left, so I'm plodding along with no thought of anything but getting my work finished so I can totally relax and take things at my own pace.  Thanks for checking in!!
  

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Look Out Below!

   Well, the crash has happened.   I have been more and more tired this week, and that school field trip about did me in, even though I didn't do a whole lot more than facilitate it.  But even with more rest, I'm dragging pretty slow this week-end.
   The procrit was ordered on Wednesday, and delivered on Friday!  Can't get a whole lot better than that!!  So Friday evening I did my 2 injections.  It has been a struggle to stay awake for more than an hour or 2 at a time, and I just feel totally zoned out.  Don't know how long it will take for the procrit to kick in, but it can't be soon enough. 
    Watermelon has hit the spot right now, and I've eaten about a half one today!  And a grilled cheese sandwich!  I've been trying to actually think about what I WANT to eat, and that helps my appetite some. 
    I see the thyroid dr. Wednesday to see how I'm holding up in that area.  I won't be surprised if my thyroid counts are responding to the meds too.  I thought I'd be real tech savvy and gave the lab my phone number to fax the results of Saturday's blookwork to me.  Well, that new 4 in 1 machine still didn't get connected to the phone line, like I had planned,  because I was too tired.  So the phone rings last night at 2:10 a.m. and startles the heck out of us.  I grab it, and there's weird noises, and I hang up.   It rings again, and I realize the caller ID says Quest labs.   So, I just took it off the hook and went back to sleep.  Good thing I did!  There were 18 missed calls listed on the phone this morning!! 
    That's about it for now.  Still haven't had the energy to get back down to the marina and our boat, but we're hoping once I'm done with school that will happen.  Thanks to everyone!!  

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Am I Missing Something??

     Do you ever feel like you just have to be knocked upside the head to get the message??  That's where I am right now.   Things continue to go wrong, and I am beginning to wonder if I'm just not getting the message I'm supposed to get!
    First the good news.   MRI came back free and clear and there's no sign of any growths or malignancies.  Yeah!  And I don't have diabetes!  BUT.....I wasn't supposed to be even tested for it.  The genotype test from 2 weeks ago got sent in as a diabetes test!!!  i.e. human error at the drs. office.  So I still don't know what I'm dealing with.   And the first viral load test came back inconclusive! i.e. another lab error!  What is going on here??
     Good news is I changed labs very easily on Saturday, had them all redrawn, and we'll see what happens this week.  Turns out my insurance covers all labs, and all I had to do was show up with the paperwork!
     My hemogloblin has dropped to 11, so the order went in for Procrit to help build up the iron again.  Chances are it will take some time to get that approved, but I like that my dr is being proactive, instead of waiting until it really bottoms out to get started on that.  They tell me its not an immediate fix and will take some time to really notice a change.
    I'm hanging in there.   Finally started feeling a bit stronger on Thursday after a day off, but then had field day on Friday and was just physically wrung out by evening. My big outings this week-end were for blood work and a pedicure, and then the grocery store to pick up milk today!  Mostly I sit and look at my back deck and birds, and sleep.  I feel guilty not making better use of my time, but I literally don't want to write, read, or even knit. 
    A friend of Steve's sent us pasta for dinner Friday night, and it was wonderful.  I pretty much only want to eat fruit , cereal, and yogurt, but it tasted really good and was nice to come home to.  Maybe it is time to take my friends and family up on the offer to send some food in once in awhile. 
    I did shop for a visual reminder of my treatment progress.  This is what I came up with.  2 identical vases with polished river rocks.  The one on the left has 6 rocks in it for the 6 shots I've done, and the one on the right has 42 rocks left in it. What do you think???   They remind me not only of the treatment progress, but also of all your prayers and support!  Thank you!