Cathy Johnson

It's done. I had two weeks to go to make the full 24 weeks, but my doctor has ended it.

Four more pegylated interferon injections left, which means only four more weeks of treatment! I can't wait for it to be over.

For the past few weeks, I have been very itchy and ready to rip my skin off.  Here's what I went through:

I now have more time behind me than in front of me. Lots to tell!

The last few weeks have been pretty rough. No stamina... breathless... very tired all the time.  Guess my hemoglobin is VERY low. It's down to 81 and now I'm giving myself another injection of EPREX weekly.   My ribavirin is down from 5 pills to 2 pills a day.  
 
I was close to saying the hell with it, especially when I was told at week 4 there "was no detectable virus."

I usually can't sit still. I always have to be doing something. That's who I am (or was). Sit for a bit then get up and maybe do dishes or wash the kitchen floor or vacuum or garden or something. I was finding that I couldn't do a thing. Getting out of the chair was a chore that left me breathless.

 Depression set in and I was ready to quit. Thanks to Tim and Ann for encouraging me.
 
 My poor son, who is 12 years old. He'd ask for us to do something like we used to -- go for a walk, play a game, whatever. The response, however, has been "Mommy's too sick, sorry maybe in a while." The look in his eyes and on his face is enough to break my heart. Well, that "in a while" isn't until friggin August when I'm done with these treatments 

But...
 
Today I feel good. I made him an apple crisp and finally filled his cookie jar (he's been asking for chocolate chip cookies for weeks now).  I can't wait to see the look on his face tonight when I pick him up from school and he finds that! YAHOO!!  It's the little battles that count and the little things that count for a kid.
 
He is having a hard time with his "new" mom and wants his old Mom back. We have -- a suggestion from Ann -- written the timeline on the calendar and we are tracking progress that way. He seems to be OK with that. However, he's still having problems with other kids when they do things like 'Yo Momma' jokes.  Last night at scouts, one kid said to him" "Yo momma is so old she forgets everything." He took that to heart because that is one of the symptoms of the meds. There were another one or two "yo momma" jokes, including a "fat" ones.  When he told me that one I had to laugh and he got upset. I explained that I'm not fat anymore; I've lost about 18 pounds -- another side effect of the meds.  

Love the weight loss, hate the way its being done.
 
As for my sister, she is so depressed right now because of what I'm going through and what her brother -- not mine; that's a story for another day -- is going through that she is eating constantly and is the heaviest she's ever been. I'm worried about her too but, I can't do anything right now. I need my strength to encourage myself to continue going through this for my son. But I love her dearly, she is always there for my son and that is important to me.
  
Things are looking up and I know this is only one day of more energy than usual and it came at a very important time for me. Tomorrow might be different but for today, I'm happy.
 
Keep fighting the fight everyone.

"NO DETECTABLE VIRUS" after the 4 week viral load test.
 
 I don't have to tell you how happy I am!

Treatments will continue for another 19 weeks and the funny thing is... I'm happy about that! I was worried that I'd have to quit.

 

Went for my 4th week viral load blood test on Monday.  Now it's a matter of waiting two weeks for the results to come back, to figure out if my treatment is doing what it should. 
 
My oxygen levels in my blood are way down and I can feel it when I walk upstairs. According to my doctor, my level is four-fifths of what it should be!
 
Other than that, the week has been the same. No new symptoms -- just the same old, same old -- with a hair-trigger temper, as a truck driver found out yesterday. 

One of my neighbours was moving and the transport truck was blocking the driveway to our parking lot. My first sentence to him was polite, but it quickly went down hill from there, on account of the fact that he wasn't cooperating. There is a by-law in our town where you cannot park within six feet of a driveway entrance.  Well, he was blocking it. Push came to shove and I called the cops. He ended up almost getting a fine and he had to drop the trailer and move the cab. I won and was satisfied. I had to laugh every time I went in and out on account of him scowling at me.

Didn't lose my temper again yesterday.
 
Injection night again Monday and I still cannot figure out when to give it to myself.  I'm trying to judge it so I am sick when my son is at school, but I can't. I'm only sick with flu-like symptoms on Tuesday.
 
Sleeping well every night because I am really tired, but that's OK.  I certainly don't mind having a good night's sleep.
 
My sister still cannot figure out what the medications are doing to me. She doesn't believe they're affecting me and, besides, she thinks I "deserve it." Maybe she's right, given that I was stupid enough to share needles 25 to 35 years ago. However, I don't need to be told that -- I'm the one living with this and going through these 24 weeks of treatments.
 
I just don't want to end up like Canadian ice hockey player and legendary fighter Robbie Probert -- change your life drastically and still end up paying for the mistakes of youth.
 
 'til next time.

I'M LOSING MY HAIR!

OMG, I have baby fine hair as it is, I can't afford to lose any. Just on the side I sleep on too.  I'll look pretty funny bald on one side and not the other.
 
Climbing stairs is such a hard thing to do. I can make it up about six before I start getting really breathless. Another thing I noticed this week is that I'm coughing a lot more. About 45 seconds after I cough, I am so dizzy, its scary. I can't afford to pass out.
 
I'm meeting with the doctor in a week and this is one of the things I must remember -- it's getting harder and harder to remember the little things I have to do; also a side effect of the meds -- to discuss with her.  I do write things down and this helps.
 
Two things I recommend for everyone going through this: 

1) Drink LOTS of water. I've been incredibly thirsty.
2) Use lip balm. My lips have have become very dry.

 
I'm astonished about my temper and how easily I erupt -- just like a volcano, without warning. I'm worried about my son and how he sees me now. I can just see it, when he's 30 on a shrink's couch, telling him how much his mother screwed him up mentally when he was 12. 
 
I had my Week 4 injection last night and am not feeling well today -- the flu-like symptoms and chills have started. The chills are pretty bad and my hands are so cold I can barely type.
 
I've noticed I'm extremely emotional too. Time for a nap.

Until next week, after the doctors appointment.

I'm feeling amazingly fine.  About 18 hours after the injection, I feel flu-like symptoms for about 10  to  12 hours and, after that, I'm fine.
 
A friend of mine started his treatments and ended up quitting because he was so sick all the time.  He said he was amazed at how little this is affecting me.  That being said, I'm not stupid enough to think it'll be like this throughout the next 22 weeks. 
 
I have always had a quick temper and, if its possible, its even quicker now. I have to try very, very hard to keep my cool because I am worried about my son.
 
I finally told my sister about having hep C and she was amazingly fine with it.  She is extremely naive about what it is and how you get infected with it. She went on the internet (you know those informative sites that just can't be wrong) and asked if I had AIDS too because that's what that site told her, the two diseases go hand in hand, you don't get one without the other.  I had a hard time convincing her otherwise.  I did get tested for both, only hep C showed up.
 
She did give me shit about telling my 12 year old son that I am going through treatments.  Again, he doesn't know what it is called or how it was contracted and that's fine.  I still believe he HAD to know there was something going on.  He is quite intelligent so he'd be able to pick up on it.  Kids are pretty smart that way.  It keeps him in the loop and lets him know he is very important to me.  I totally disagree with her there.
 
I do have some shortness of breath when I climb the stairs but that can be attributed to being a smoker too. 
 
A rash about 2 inches in diameter around the injection site again.  Takes about 3 to 4 days to show up.  At first I didn't think I did the injection right but, then those flu symptoms showed up and I knew I did it right LOL.
 
I am extremely tired most of the time and sleep through the night with no problem. 
 
On to week 3!

Well, the first week is over and it hasn't been as bad as I feared.
 
There is a rash around the injection site about 2 inches in diameter and yesterday, for the first time, that area hurt a bit, especially when I climbed the stairs.
 
My appetite is the same, I'm thirstier for sure and finding I'm getting cramps in my feet every now and again.  At the worst possible moments sometimes, like when I'm driving.  Ever try to NOT step on the gas when you get a foot cramp?  Its really, really hard not to speed. LOL.
 
One thing I have noticed though, is my temper is hair trigger.  That makes it really hard for my son. but he's been told that it isn't really me, its the meds.  He's getting lots of hugs though because of it.
 
I am finding myself a little winded and more easily tired.  Slept for 12 hours the other night and that is very unusual for me.  I'm a 6- to 6 1/2-hour a night person.
 
Other than that, things don't feel and look so bad. 
 
On to week 2!

Finally.
 
So this morning after breakfast it was two of 200mg ribavirin.  My first injection was at 1130 this morning.  Injection site little sore but, I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to needles. At suppertime it was three of 200 mg ribavirin.
 
Little bit of a headache around 4 hours after the injection but I was told to take care of it right away so it was some advil for that and an hour later seems to be gone.  
 
Took two advil about 5 minutes before the injection and this is the recommended thing.
 
Just about bedtime now and I don't feel any different than I did yesterday.  Maybe tomorrow will bring more, don't know.  Love not knowing. LOL
 
I was told I have Genotype 2 with a viral load of 1.24 e4.  Not sure what this means but I know it needs to go down.  Every 4 weeks I will be getting the viral load blood test at the hospital.  Will find out then if there has been a decrease.  I was also told there is an 80 % chance of ridding myself of the virus to start and, if there is a reduction in the viral load after 30 days, there is a 90 % success rate.
 
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.