Got my first labs after 2 weeks on treatment...

I really don't know, but it sure seems like this is a huge dip in such a short time. If anyone reading has any thoughts, please let me know.

HGB - 11.1 (was 14.1 prior to txt). The low end of normal is 11.6, so this seems like a very quick drop for just 2 wks, but maybe it's normal??

HCT - 33 (was 40)...again, low normal is 34, so I'm on the very edge on this one already.

RBC - 3.7 (was 4.5). Low normal is 4.1

WBC - 3.45 (was 6.19). Low normal is 3.80

Neutrophil - 1.45 (was 3.41). Low normal is 1.96

My viral load went from 10.8 million to 1.5 million during the first 2 weeks of treatment. Next thursday they'll do the 4 wk testing and that is what I really want to see. I don't really know if this is a good drop, average or not that good????

Can anyone tell me what you think of these numbers? What are the 'too low/alarming' numbers during treatment? How low can we go before it's dangerous and might need the rescue drugs (procrit for red blood cells and epogen for white blood cells, or something like that)? I'm so happy that Schering has agreed to pay for them as needed as I heard they are extremely expensive...Someone mentioned $3k per shot - don't know if that is in the U.S. or the U.K. but still....man!???? Ugh - maybe I'll level out instead on continuing to spiral???

The nurse who gave me the numbers (Margee) told me that it was very important to NOT over exert myself with these numbers....to take it easy and rest. Now I know why I've been feeling so incredibly wiped out, I guess ;)

But, still...all in all, I don't really 'feel bad'...just really tired, so it's still very doable. LOL - I guess having the awful nausea and headache was a blessing in disguise 'cause now I've got that feeling to compare this one to :)

Oh, and I had a pretty nasty run-in with a potato peeler 2 days ago (cut it all the way to midway my fingernail and it bled like the Dickens!), but amazingly it is healing very quickly, so I thought that a very good sign, right?

I've been a little concerned reading reports on the forum about how they're now finding that the virus can be undetectable (following txt) for YEARS and then CRAP! resurface and begin replicating all over again. That is so discouraging :( It all made me wonder if the percentages of success are really accurate then? I mean how long did they follow these people to get those percentages....seems to me the ones I read about mentioned only 1 year or maybe 2. It seems some people are relasping after a longer time than these studies? With the genotype 1, we're only going in w/ a 40% chance, or there abouts. What does this all do to that success rate??? How low is it really??? When will they figure this %^& OUT??

And then there is that post on the UK forum about this particular study I'm involved in. Apparently the person didn't respond and they've told her that the protease inhibitor has made the virus mutate... and now it's even more resistant to further treatment. There IS no treatment she can do at this time that would be successful :( This is all very worrisome :(

If I am undetectable at 6 months of the combo txt, then I'll just continue the course (but now it seems it can resurface up to several years...so you live in that limbo for quite a while, even with an undetectable status...you are not home-free :( However, if the virus IS still detected at 6 months, they want to add in the protease inhibitor to the mix for another 6 months. It all makes me wonder what the right course for me should be...what decisions to make. Oy, the wandering mind is so dangerous :) I guess maybe I need to just put all this out of my mind and focus on one day at a time, one lab report at a time and keep thinking positively.

Me, Em and her Fairies

Hmm...well, I didn't get to the walking on the Trace part of my post yesterday. Just ran out of steam. It's just like the other day on my 'spirit willing but the body ain't' post. They are just two such seemingly polar things right now! My head feels up to it...I feel almost speedy at first. Then once I dive in and get exert myself one little bit, my body gives out totally. I have to stop and rest, or even go take a nap before I can do another thing. I find myself moving in slow motion, and saying, "Whew!" alot.

I'm seeing this is going to be a very hard but necessary part for me to remember....to realize that I simply can't do all that I want to do and instead just do what I can and not feel guilty about it :-/

On an up note, Emma has been making the most delightful little fairies that you see on this entry! My friend Alison let a yahoo unschooling group which we're both members know that I am undergoing treatment for HepC ... One of the members, Robin, apparently read the post, felt an immediate connection (her dh has hep c, too) and emailed me last week. Her dh isn't being treated at this time, but she understood the changes it is bringing into our lives and wanted to send a little gift for Emma. She had discovered a book telling how to make these little fairies and fallen in love with the process, and wanted to share it with Emma - to send a little magic into her life during this time. I find it so amazing and wonderful that people like this exist in the world....thank you so much, Robin. Emma says it is absolutely the very best gift she's ever received and she's positively ~shining~! And thanks to Alison for setting the wheels in motion for us to connect.

Yesterday the book arrived and Em was totally and completely entranced! We read the book together and looked over Robin's blog where she has photos posted of some of her fairy creations, and then Em got busy and hasn't stopped. Here are the first two of her little fairy creations, Clarenda and Lucinda. Pure Magic!

Things are looking UP

This weekend, Emma had her friend, Emily, over for a 2 day sleepover and they had such a blast (well, except for occassional squabbles about who got to choose which thing to do next and that sort of thing :). They played in the FEMA trailer in our yard, converting it into a secret club house. Okay, so yes, it was all a bit draining, but I think it would be under even normal circumstances ~smile~

We learned it had been Emily's birthday last week, so I took the girls to see Shrek 3 (what a total hoot!), then made them pizza, ate ice cream and sang happy birthday to her. They spent most of the weekend parroting Shrek's "No you Did'ent" line - LOL. Okay, so I was doing it, too :)

I'm really feeling very optimistic lately about this treatment. I'm up and about and, apart from the occasional riba emotional thingie, I'm really okay. Yep, I got the fatigue, but it's not devastating by a long shot. Instead it just means that I'm moving a bit more slowly and not taking in the zip line (kidding ;)...and I have the ocassional speedy, rapid HB, breathless feeling from the ribas. But all in all, I'm sensing that things are evening out and I'm staying on top of it all! I know, I know...it's only week 3....but so far, I'm very encouraged by the way things are going.

I'm going to make this brief as Emma and I are heading outside to do a bit of gardening. Our little kitchen garden is becoming full of blossoms and filling in quite nicely. We've got a ton of tomatoes (cherry, creole, roma, yellow) that will begin ripening soon, and blossoms aplenty on the squash, watermelon, strawberries, several kinds of peppers and eggplants. It makes my heart sing just looking at their progress each day :) All of the 7 fruit trees (satsumas, navel, persian lime, meyer lemon, fig and tangerine), 4 blueberries, and couple of huckleberry bushes are bearing as well. I want to find some pears to put in at some point, too, and am investigating what else will grow in our zone.

I'm very interested in edible landscape and just want to keep planting more, and more, and more on our 3 acres. ~Imagine~! Eventually we'll be able to just go out and pick our food to eat, and maybe supply our friends and neighbors with a bit as well.

Afterwards, Em wants to go for a walk on the Trace. The Trace is a 40 mile bicycle trail that runs along the back of our property. It was an old abandoned railroad line that our parish purchased, pulled up the rails and paved for cyclists and jogger/walkers (and horses). It runs through woods, swamps, over bayous and is absolutely beautiful. The part that runs past our property is full of wild wisteria and honey-suckle and is about 1/8 mile from Lacombe Bayou.

When we first bought our wooded 2 acres here, we discovered by exploring it that the Tammany Trace was very close... but... we had to walk through a bit of property that was owned by someone else. We found out who owned that acre and arranged to purchase it so that we would have direct access. It is lovely being able to take a walk or ride bikes on it anytime we wish - and so easily!

Wishing everyone a lovely day and hoping your weather is as glorious as ours!

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!

Happy Mother's Day!

This is what it's all about!

When Kevin and I got married I was 40 years old and he was 39. It took us several years and quite a bit of help from infertility specialists, but I finally gave birth to our darling Em when I was 44. I feel so very lucky and estatic to be mom to this amazing princess (who, btw, as you see, makes her own crown) :) !!!

El, here's a piccie of Em riding at her lesson which you wanted to see.

Hope all you moms have a wonderful day!

Shot # 2 down

only 46 more to go! Okay, well, we won't think about that ;)

Well, I'm happy to report that the 2nd jab was pretty much like the first, with none of the flu-like symptoms that many get. I know some of the sides I'm experiencing are from the interferon but for the most part it's hard for me to say what side is caused by which drug. The side that has so far impacted me the most is the stomach stuff, but according to the product info sheet, that could be caused by either or both of the drugs.

Whichever it comes from, I think I'm starting to get a feel, by trial and error, for what I can and cannot eat....and I'm now getting a few things in my repetoire that I can force myself to get down. Let's see... here's my diet so far...smoothies, some cereals w/milk, a couple of bites of yogurt...hmm...that's about it so far. I really think if I can find something to help the nausea at bay, I'd feel SO much better. Kevin is buying groceries now and will bring me back some gingerale. He'd bought some tagament, but I read on the product info sheet that a study examining the effects of antacid on aborption of the ribavirin showed a 14% descrease ... so I don't want to take any otc stuff if I can find that ginger or ginger based things will help.

I'm really just not interested in food AT ALL. Not interested in eating it, preparing it, buying it...even writing about it :) I'm getting used to the fact that if I eat the 'wrong thing' (which is nearly everything), I will have an awful stomach ache and also feel nauseous.

Kevin has picked up my slack and is buying lots of those frozen gourmet dinners for he and Emma - and Em enjoys the soups and smoothies with me, too.

I also seem to keep a low grade fever (averaging between 99.4 - 100.9)...not bad but just enough to make you feel bad :-/

I'm finding myself to be totally heat intolerant (I can't stay in the sun/heat for more than a couple of minutes) but that's probably because of the fever, I imagine. Kevin is going to put up our pool today (it's one of those easy-set deals - 21x12x4) and I think it'll be a great help for all of us in tolerating this Louisiana heat. And for me, as there should always be a shaded area for me to float in :)

I really want to take Em to a nearby rodeo this evening...we'll see how I feel. I imagine I can do that..it will not involve anything strenuous for me and Emma would have such fun! She's taking horseback riding lessons so she'd get a kick out of seeing the barrel races (she practicing on barrels now).

The Spirit's Willing But My Body Ain't :)

I've been meaning to update the blog to record some of the sides I'm beginning to experience, but I've just been too tired the last few days.

I still feel like it's not bad and is very doable, but I think I'm learning some valuable lessons about how far to push myself (or NOT) while on treatment. I need to learn to slow down for this year! I'm trying to become more attuned with my body and anticipate and listen to what it needs.

Case in point...months before I even knew I was to do this, I'd planned a Shrimp Boat field trip in Biloxi for our homeschool group. Well, I'd been feeling so well I thought I'd just follow through with the plans. We went yesterday and while it was absolutely wonderful and fun was had by all, it totally and completely put me on my back once I was back at home a few hours later.

It was around a 3 hour drive (there and back), and while the boat tour itself was relaxing and the sea air invigorating, I probably shouldn't have tramped to the beach carrying lots of gear afterwards. That was what did me in, I think. I could hardly keep my eyes open on the drive home, and once back home I simply collasped on the sofa. I literally felt like my skin weighed about 5,000 lbs or something and every ounce of energy was drained out of me. It's really odd to experience fatigue to this degree.

I continue to feel waves of nausea, but they pass within minutes. I got the idea from someone on the boat tour today to try the motion sickness bracelets. Since I'm only having the nausea slightly, I don't want to use the phenegrin...that stuff makes me soooo sleepy and woozy.

The other side I've started experiencing is joint pain. I only have this, so far, in my left thumb joint and sometimes in my hips...the thumb is the ouchiest as it's getting to the point where I can't use that hand effectively, can't open jars, or doors, etc. Luckily, my right hand is fine and I am right-handed!

I have developed a rash at the injection site - odd that it's only popped up now - four days after the injection! It's like a flat, red rash with a darker reddish center (where the needle went in), slighly itchy and about the diameter of a baseball.

I've tried sleeping w/o the Ambien but it just doesn't seem like a possibility. The 2 ribavirin doses have to be 12 hours apart so the 2nd one is at bedtime. One of the reactions from the Riba is that my blood feels sort of electric and all buzzy, so sleep is impossible w/o the help. Warm baths, sleeptime tea, soothing music have all been tried, and while I do enjoy all those, they can't seem to override the riba effect. The Ambien is wonderful, helps me sleep fast, but wake up normally, not all hangover-y feeling like the OTC stuff does.

On another positive note, my friend Jeanie sent me a lovely 'healing and inner strength' bracelet that I plan to wear everyday. It's made of amythest and flourite and has chinese symbols on wooden beads, too. She also sent a little spa package of tropical smelling lotions and potions which I'll most definitely have to share with Emma :) Jeanie is such a thoughtful and compassionate person and I just love her!!

It's heartwarming to see my friends (especially Alison and El and Jeanie) being so supportive of me through this...plus Kevin and Emma and my mom and Kevin's family, not to mention all the wonderful new compadres I've met on the UK forum....okay now I'm going to cry!! :)

Yep, and that's another side I've started noticing...I'm very emotional and find myself tearing up easily and often over the past couple of days. I even cried watching Dancing With The Stars last night, once because the dancing was beautiful, once just observing the emotions of the contestants...really! Oh and on American Idol when Jordin sang her first song...OMG, I was really boo-hooing - her voice and the song was so breathtakingly beautiful it made my very soul ache!

Tomorrow will be time for my 2nd interferon injection.

You Can't Always Get What You Want...

But you just might find, you get what you need (or so the Stones said).

Well, it's official...I got the dad blasted control arm. I have to admit I was very, very upset, shocked and disappointed when they announced what the computer generated choice for me was to be. BLAH! Here I was holding off treatment all these years because genotype one doesn't have a great SVR (sustained viral response - it doesn't 'hold') to the the current standard therapy...something like 40%. I have been waiting for something more effective to come along...something like the protease inhibitor in this study, where my chances of SVR would rise to 60%....and the stupid computer spits out CONTROL ARM for me?!

The nurses tried to console me w/breaking news that early reports coming in from the study are showing serious additional sides in some patients (such as anemia, headache, stomach distress & something I can't recall) from the Boceprevir, and now Schering has added 2 more arms to the study to test some other angles. Margee and Sayde (my clinical nurses) seem to think the control arm might be the best one, after all. Afterall....I DO still have that 40% chance, right?! AND if the virus is still detected after 6 months of the standard txt (interferon/ribavirin), they'll kick in the new drug (PI - Boceprevir) for another 6-7 months, to give the hep c an extra heave ho! Plus my body will have had time to adapt to the other two drugs before adding in a third...should be a good thing, too, right?

Oh well, after shedding a few tears of disappointment, talking w/my husband via cell phone, and generally getting over the shock, I decided to push forward. Like my sweet almost 8 year old Emma said to me, whilst she's patting my arm and giving me a little hug, "Let's think positive, Mama!". What a darling....think she's heard that phrase a bit around our home? ~smile~ Leave it to her to help me get recentered.

Emma and I went through the txt orientation together (her insistance) The nurses were very supportive and even gave her a pratice redi-pin (which she had lots of fun using) and a weird piece of strap-on 'fake skin' that she could bring home. She has been practicing on all her lovies and dollies ever since ;)

So, now was the moment to give myself the injection. I gave a bit of tummy roll a pinch, hesitated (just thinking to myself This Is IT) and then I sent all the dragon slayer into my body with a CHARGE!!!!

I felt lightheaded and the surroundings immediately felt a bit surreal or something. I was told this was not from the drug but an emotional/physical reaction to everything that was happening. I had to sit a moment to come back to myself. Nurses Sayde and Margee told me to take extra strength Tylenol and an anti-nausea when I got home, along with my evening dose of Ribavirn (2 @ 200 mg). Then, with all my new battle gear packed and a Rx for Ambien (sleeping aid) and Phenegrin (anti-nausea) we set off for home.

We stopped at the pharmacy, p/u'ed the Rxs (and an 'icee for Em) and then headed home. I was feeling ever so slightly queasy and a vague headache and fogginess, so popped the suggested meds and took a 2 hour nap when we got home.

All in all not what I was expecting wrt to which arm I'd get, but also I had been expecting the typical sides of flu-like symptoms, fever and chills....and got none of that either! In fact, the most telling side affect I've experienced up to this point has been the drowsiness caused by the anti-nausea drugs. Think I'll hold off on them since the queasiness I've felt has been only slight.

It's now Friday morning, and I've taken 8 of the Ribas at this stage and I'm happy to report I still feel just fine! Amazing! Let's just hope it keeps going like this:)

Hey, maybe it'll be like some sort of covert action going on in my cells that no one else is aware of until we announce 'mission accomplished' at the end!

Tomorrow the wait is over!

I go into the city tomorrow to begin treatment! I have to be there at 1:00 for labs and for treatment orientation...and right before I leave the dr.'s office, I'll give myself my first Interferon injection (PegIntron). I'll also find out (finally) which arm of the study I'll be doing. Here's a brief run-down of the possibilities:

arm 1 - (control arm) - PegIntron/Rebetol for 24 wks. After 24 weeks and if you are undectable, you'll continue the same for 24 more weeks. If the virus is still detectable, they add in the boceprevor (aka SCH 503034) to the above combo for 24 more wks. Total treatment may be up to 54 wks depending on the time it takes to get the virology results from the treatment wk 24 visit.

arm 2 - PegIntron/Rebetol AND Boceprevor for 28 wks

arm 3- PegIntron/Rebetol for 28 wks, Boceprevor for 24 wks, added after 4 wks of combo.

arm 4- PegIntron/Rebetol AND Boceprevor for 48 wks

arm 5 - PegIntron/Rebetol for 48 wks, Boceprevor for 44 wks, added after 4 wks of combo.

They will be taking labs on Day 1, TW 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30, 36, 24, and 48 (for the arms that go 48 wks) and on Day 1, TW 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28 for arms 2 & 3)...and I'm going to be sure and get copies of everything so I can go back to the forum and find out what it all means from the experts :)

I'll try to post tomorrow to let you know which arm I got and what, if any, effects I feel from the first shot.

Imagine all those little virus cells shaking in their boots - I'm going after 'em tomorrow!!!! :)