Treatment Week 3

I've felt SO much better the last three days with the nausea and headache FINALLY easing off. My hypothesis is that those 2 nasties might mostly be related to my sinuses/allergies/barometric pressure and with the weather shift I'm starting to feel great. We've been having big changes in the weather/pressure going from several days of thunder storms, to now very coolish weather. We're forecasted to have a few days straight of that absolutely beautiful weather that I love this time of year for....low 80's, sunny with a light cool breeze! Might that mean a few more good days??? Crossing fingers and toes!!!

It also helps that I've figured out (for the most part) the eating thing...small meals and lots of liquids seem to be key for me. I still have the bone-deep fatigue but WOW...I feel like a new person w/o the nausea/headache.

The ginger products I've found seem to help so much...candied ginger to chew and 'real' ginger ale from the health food store. I don't usually drink soda AT ALL, but sipping these do seem to help. They are made from Chinese and Jamacian ginger, cane sugar and no preservatives and are very zingy! My SIL, Erin made me some absolutely delicious carrot and ginger soup that it good either hot or cold...cold seems most comforting to my tummy. And let's see...there are these other good ginger things I've found called Ginger Chews at Whole Foods that are really helpful as well. It's so comforting and encouraging to know that the whole year won't be bad, but there will be good days mixed in with the not-so-good.

I've been trying to write this update for several days, so the way I feel keeps changing thus affecting my ability/desire to look at a computer screen :) I AM still having intermittent, severe headaches, and and I'm still not sure if it's from the meds OR the weather. But ice packs, tylenols and a sleep mask to block the light are all helping a bit when they strike.


We went in yesterday for my 2 week lab work so we'll soon get to see how how these meds are affecting the virus (I'm to call back next week for the results). I've lost 4-5 lbs but I'm eating better with the nausea subsiding so I don't know if that will continue...only time will tell. All in all, they thought I was doing great w/treatment so far.



I was thinking at first of talking to my doctor about getting on a low dose of anti-depressants. Depression is a side affect of the interferon and is very common during treatment. There's been a lot of discussion on the hepc forum wrt to the use of anti-depressants during treatment w/most of the people saying that it was very helpful to be proactive. I'm beginning to see the signs and I don't want to even go further down that slippery slope. I've snapped at both Kevin and Emma :( and even though I quickly apologize and they are very, very understanding....I find it very disconcerting.

Tuesday I cried at a television commercial about home insurance :-/ AND, in true riba rage fashion, I yelled at a woman in Walmart on Thursday. Well, to be honest, I wasn't the only one yelling at her :)



Here's what transpired to set me off. I was feeling deeply tired but felt I needed to pick up a few things and return a couple of things at the nearby Walmart (black hole). We went to customer service first and got a ticket. There were about 7 or 8 people ahead of us, with only one person behind a register so I say to Em, "Let's go pick up a few things to give the line a chance to go down." The lady who came right after us says that's a great idea and we were off. We come back about 5 minutes later and was rewarded by hearing our number called just as we were sitting down to wait. There was a woman in line who had an absolute fit (I actually wondered if SHE were on treatment!) and thought we should go to the back of the line. Now, why it mattered to her whether we were physically there or not, I don't know...the fact was we had number 39 and number 39 was being called just when we returned. She, btw, had number 42... OY!

First I didn't say anything to her ranting, and let the other customers diss her, but then she kept on and on and I simply couldn't take it any longer. I told her, "LOOK LADY! I am on chemo therapy and not feeling that great. We were trying to minimize our time standing around by picking up a few things on our list instead of standing her doing nothing, and we HAVE number 39. Life is full of hardships but her waiting her turn is not one of them". She had no sympathy, no understanding and refused to back down. I don't know what all I said after that, but it didn't phase her one bit. She kept on and on, more at the cashier than me, who was yelling at her, too. Finally they called 2 managers in and told the aggravating sod to shut up or leave. I was shaking like a leaf but the employees and other customers were all very kind. I'm sorry to have had that rage spewing with Emma right there to witness my lack of control. Again, I apologized to her for my outburst and the way I handled that whole thing. She thought we were right though so we had this long conversation about how you can feel right, but express yourself calmly...and that the other woman might be dealing with some hardship that we know nothing about and having trouble communicating, too. :(



I'm sorry this is so disjointed....back to the doctors 2 wk visit....The doctor was reluctant to prescribe the xanax as he said, in his experience, people tended to use them for 'instant gratifiction' and they are highly addictive....and this would be a year treatment...etc.



He had no qualms about prescribing Lexpro (an anti-depressant) though. I'm not sure I get the reason why he was so gun ho towards the antidepressants and hesitant towards the anti-axiety. I'm much more nervous about using an AD than xanax and would rather take things slowly and only progress to the ADs if I or the people around me think I've become depressed. I think this is mainly due to the fact that I tried wellbutrin for a short while after my dad died years ago, and after one very strange and incredibly euphoric day, I felt awful. I don't like taking MORE things that will mess with my brain chemistry! I feel the xanax would be much more mild on my system...and I'd rather start there...I've had very good advice about this, I think.



My gf (who is well acquainted w/depression and all of these different meds), suggested to me that if I was having emotional moments, then go the anti-axiety route first, but that if I were having dark moments of despair that wouldn't life, then it was time for the anti-depressants. Just like I trust people who have gone through Hepc treatment for advice about hep c treatment, I trust someone who has and is dealing w/depression all their adult life, to give good advice regarding depression and anxiety. I told my doctor that this is how I felt, so he acquiesced and prescribed the xanax. He was a bit condescending however, saying that we will 'watch how I do with them (meaning see if I use them little or much during the next two weeks). :)



Emma and I left the doctor's ofc and went to my SIL Gretchen's house and had lunch outside on the patio with she and Ganny (Kevin's mom). She had picked up some delicious salads from Whole Foods and it was absolutely perfect :) Gretchen has just gotten back into her home post Katrina, having been dealing with rebuilding for almost 2 years now. Afterwards, we went by Roli's house a few blocks away to see the progress there...it won't be long now before hers is finished, too. Then all that will be left is Timmy's house and all of our family will be back in their homes FINALLY!



It's still so painful for me to see such a beautiful and amazing city in such a state. There are a few areas absolutely unscathed by 'the storm', while MOST areas of the city are STILL, almost 2 years later, in varying stages of being rebuilt, and worst, many left to decay... destroyed and abandoned after Katrina and many more would would LIKE to rebuild but simply don't have the money or can't find contractors to do the work yet. The scope of work that needs to be done and the lack of workers and supplies is simply mind boggling. There are so, so, so many people suffering. I may try to post some pictures of the extremeness of the situation down here soon. It's really heart-breaking and mind-boggling to me. Will we EVER be the same? When will we, as a city, be able to put this all behind us???? Every time we drive into the city, we have to drive through miles and miles and miles of New Orleans east, which has been abandoned for the most part. It's just a huge ghost town, with buildings destroyed, some being cleared away, just mounds and mounds of trash...furniture, cars, pieces of buildings, a few people struggling to rebuild their homes, FEMA trailers spotted here and there for them to live in. I don't know how they can even think of rebuilding out there...there is no police or fire protection...it's a perfect place these days for outlaws and druggies :( Breaks my heart! My worries seem so miniscule in comparison.



Okay, you all get to see how my brain skips around w/this treatment - LOL...back to my story...

Emma and I went over to the zoo after lunch and spent a couple of hours checking out the elephants, the primates and others and then enjoyed an ice cream before heading back across the lake. This is one area of town that has bounced back amazingly. We were two whupped puppies afterwards, Emma falling asleep in the back seat and me, well, I fell out on the sofa when we arrived back home. Beautiful day though...the weather was absolutely *perfect*.



I'm to call in one week to get the results of today's labs. Did my 3rd pegintron jab after I'd rested a bit, then after dinner took my ribavirin dose. Now it's the next day and still no flu symptoms, chills or well, nothing so far...well except the headache that I'm getting used to showing up at some point.



We're planning a sleepover at our house tonight with Emma's friend Emily. They're already decided to turn the empty FEMA trailer into a private clubhouse and decorate it and eat all their meals out there :) Hope they'll have a great time!