First Night Advice

Tonight is my first night.  I'm ready...but nervous.  Does anyone have any words of wisdom? Anything unusual (besides the recommended - lots of water and otc pain med if needed)that worked for you?

[Mister beagle bailey]

Welcome to the forum,  Do you work?  If so I would take the shot on the last day of your work week, that's what many here have done.  You will probably have flu like sides, just take the over the counter pain meds before your shot.  For me I found the first shot gave me a fever, chills like you wouldn't believe and a headache.  Then after that it got a lot better.
What are your stats,geno type, etc.?

BEAGLE

[can-do-man]

Just one, don't worry. For most thats the worse part. I kept waiting and waiting knowing this was the end. Did have some chills for a while and kinda felt yucky. But after a day i felt fine. That was me, some have it different, but i think for most the worry is the worst part. Like you said  lots of water and otc pain med if needed) Good luck to you you'll be fine.

[mmr]

Thanks for your support.  

This is the last day of my work week so I have given myself a little space.

Quick stats - I am 55, in great health, except, of course...Fotunately, I am Genotype 2b, with a current viral load of 3,000,000.  I have a very supportive boyfriend and family and great health coverage.  The fact is for a person with Hep C, I am very blessed, but the support of fellow HCV people is really important, so I appreciate being able to share with you.

I will probably be back tomorrow.

[can-do-man]

mmr says.....Fotunately, I am Genotype 2b, with a current viral load of 3,000,000. I have a very supportive boyfriend and family and great health coverage.
---------------------------------------------------------------

You lucky gal you. Besides the hep-c which will soon be gone. Who could ask for anything more? Best to you, hug your boyfriend and do come back and keep in touch. Id like to hear how it goes tonight.

[mmr]

fyi - I am a guy not a gal.

[can-do-man]

OPPS, sorry about that. Sure didn't mean anything. Thats why i put man after cando. Again very sorry.

[Mister beagle bailey]

That is good today is your last day of work and shot night, so you can recover a bit before your back to work.  I'm a 2B also with a VL at start of 318,000.  At my 12 week PCR I was undetectable and now have 6 weeks left.
Good luck tonight.

BEAGLE

[fishdoc]

So, your a guy, and its your first time... have you talked to your dad?  Does your SO have any experience?  I would definitely not recommend supportive drugs-ie viagra, think about dead kittens and all will be well!!.... (saw that in a movie once).  Seriously, the shots are the least of our worries... most times they don't even sting.  Plan on benadryl (2) or other sleep aids, tylenol/ibuprofen at drs suggestion, and go for it!! One down,...

[dyce]

Whats happenin fish , Seen yur educated on mr coon always ready for action. They take after thier pursuers(LOL). Ya I've saved a few toothpicks for the real hillbillies around here.

  How's the anxiety goin today ?, did the xanax help? I seem to really be toleraten the tx better, I believe I'll cast the ole dog a couple nites next week. Anc's krept back into normal range, along with the platelets.

  If all us guys could be like mr coon , I bet there'd be less divorse!

[mmr]

Can-do Man - Absolutely no offense taken.  Thanks to all of you.  On line tomorrow.

[fishdoc]

Hey Dyce, a thought? I just got a new three months supply of the riba.  what are the odds that quality control is lacking? Stronger when first opened?  I am really feeling crappy today too, sick to my stomach, not at all like the last couple of weeks...

Hope your up to at least sittin under a tree and listening to the song... thats the best part!  I just never could make myself wanna use one of them cocktail things either.... just the thought...

to your health...

[dyce]

My riba scripts show a 6 month experation date ,so I quess it's ok to get all the scripts at once. Your meds are mail order like mine thru caremark and I believe it's a cheaper co-pay that way isn't it?
                       Ya I'm like you fishdoc , I don't like not bein able to do alot of things , I quess you could say ,it's something out of my control and I don't like it. Back to work tomarrow and I'm not lookin forward to it but a guy gotta make a livin. I did no manual lobor this weekend, I needed the break and got it, thank god! Toiled with the pups a little but that was it. Gotta rest , it's inperative to the tx , even if I can't sleep .

                     How'd the day go for you?

[fishdoc]

really a pretty rough weekend.  A six month expiration date leads me to believe it degrades pretty quickly....I am supposed to work tomorrow, but I am going to have to feel better than I do right now (riba was 1.5 hours ago..)... take care and have a good week,
c.

[lionesss]

ahhh, I do get it cheaper.  $4.70 a month for both the riba and the peg.  You would have to move to australia to get that deal tho'. sorry

Yes, sight hounds are a bit batty. He thinks that small dogs are rabbits and loves to chase them and grab them around the neck (no damage, as yet) he also does the same to staffy's.  He loves jumping on kids too and licking their face. freaks the parents out.  He is a lovely dog tho' with a nice nature, has never bitten anyone.  He is not shy or timid tho'!  unlike other whippets I have met.

Doing some research on Irish Wolfhounds, I think I might get one one day (after my whippet).

[lionesss]

What kind of dogs have you got.  I have a crazy whippet that gets out me out the house and down to the creek each day

[lionesss]

Wow! mail order, what a strange land you live in.  My doc only gives me one month supply, after I get bloods done.  I think so she can reduce my dose or take me off tx if need be, and i haven't got a secret rebellious stash at home

[dyce]

I have what we call raccoon hounds , the english strain is what I'm workin now . Keeps me out a trouble there lioness .Good exercise when I can get out but on this tx it's almost out of the ? . I'm gonna give it a whirl this week hopefully. Two big hounds on a leash can be a handfull when your feelin good , let a lone when I'm all bent up on thease drugs . Them whippets are some nice dogs , fast runners, aren't they in the sight hound group?

[fishdoc]

Hey there, we had a whippet for a while, sight hounds drive me batty, I have a fox terrier now thats 9, and she still can't get it that I'm a gonna kick her butt if she don't leave the birds alone.  told hubby I needed a sling shot, so i dont have to strain myself... dyce suggested one for booger unloading also...

as for mail order, I pay $45 copay for a three month supply of the riba and interferon. Very much cheaper.  I would be in my docs face if you could get a better deal...

BTw what happened to ??? that lost her prescription benefits right in the middle of treatment... I think beagle/strator/cando... several offered to bail her out, but I missed how that all shook out?? Is she still on meds...

[strator]

Welcome to the forum. I also first posted here on my first shot night. All's I can say is I'm still here at week 33, and most of the strength I was gifted with to get through, I got right here on this forum.
Hard to judge what happens on the first night to any individual, but look at this way. You wake up experienced. With me it's gotten so the day after shot night is usually one of my best of the week. Did #33 Sat/Sun at 12AM and was up at 9, wwas orkin in the yard rakin, mowing,etc.,by 11am until 6pm. Home from errands at 9. It's not always taht productive a day but you learn to adjust how you go at your day if your not up to par.
Good wishes for all this with you,
Don

[OnAPrettyPoison]

Hello and welcome!  I found the shot was a big fat non-event for me.  I do sometimes have a 20 hour sleepfest on a bad weekend.  Now the riba, that is a different story, and it takes a while to build up in your body.  Glad you got good support, you will need it while treating - you will have good and bad days.

[friole]

mmr
Welcome to the forum.  I hope you are feeling well the day after. I never had any shot reactions and even stopped taking the tylenol after the first few weeks. I had incredible energy the day after the shot for a few weeks but that has leveled out now.  I am glad you only have to do 24 weeks.  I am a 1a and am on 42/48 now.  Did you get a biopsy before treatment?  If so what were the results?  I am glad you found this forum - it has been a life saver for me.

fishdoc -
I think you were talking about tator who's medicaid was running out and was trying to get on the peggasist program. Everyone here was very helpful to her, but the doctor dropped the ball and she never got into the program. She decided to quit.  She was on her second round and planned to do 72 weeks, but ended up with about 54, I think. She is doing well, off the meds for over a week.  I don't know what her plans are for post treatment pcrs.  She got booted off the forum, bty, because she asked for help with meds here.

[fishdoc]

Booted off. thats scary.  I keep waiting to get my PP whacked, (since I am a fishdic, implicit in that assumtion is that I have one!!).  Please let her know we are all thinking of her, and wishing her well.  How about cquest?  did he get the boot too?

[friole]

I understand cquest also got the boot, but I wasn't reading posts for a couple of months and have no idea what that was about.  I am sorry tho, because I liked her.

I haven't seen any reason for you to get booted.  You are funny and straight forward, and I love reading your posts.  MH said tator was violating law, soliciting help to get prescription meds. (And she did get some help to go a few more weeks.)  Then her mom offered to max out her cc for another month and she decided that was too much to ask. I think she is happy with her decision as she has been clear since week 12, I think. I will pass along your concern for her.

[sunspot]

Thanks for that update on tator. I was wondering how she was doing. I hope she has SVR this go round. Is she on the janus site?

[Shanaenae]

Just a little positivity here. I get my shot #3 this wednesday and i have not had one side what so ever. I feel completely normal, i can't even tell that i am taking anything. NOTHING at all. So it is so person specific that you can't really rely on one persons experience, just know that it can be okay and you can live your life normally just as you did before treatment. So, so far i have had 13 fabulous days. Been biking both weekends, haven't taken any time off of work, have so much energy and lately i feel i have been extra hungry cause i have been eating like a mad woman. Hang in there and give updates. I would be curious to see if anyone else is having such a good experience as i. I was starting to wonder if the hospital is injecting me with water HA HA.
So...... good report hear... shanaenae is doing AWESOME!

[Fisheress]

So glad you are not having any sides, I was the same way at the beginning of tx.  Lil sides here and there as time went on but shot #33/48 kicked my royal butt therefore my conclusion on this is I do think that my new meds were very fresh as I had picked them up the day before.  Must have been a new batch the clinic got in.

Fisheress

[mmr]

Just wanted to complete the loop.  The first 24 hours have gone well.  Once again thanks to everyone for being there.

[Bill1954]

Thanks for taking the time to check back in. For some of us, the anticipation of the unknown can be more traumatic than the treatment itself. From your post above, it sounds as if you