Week 22 of 24

I have 2 more shots left and I am done, Geno 2b. It has not been a picnic,,, and I have really been feeling bad now for the last couple of weeks. I cleared at 8 weeks. Very anemic now, and the heat has been kicking my ***. Became dehydrated last week almost passed out, ended up at the emergency room. People when they tell you to drink water,,,, drink all you can stand, not only just water but something to replace your electrolytes. I have been going through accupunture to help with some of the sides and it has seemed to help me,,,, just ask my wife!!!! I can say that a support group is the thing that helped me most,, somewhere to vent that they know what you are going through. I pray every Sunday for the people that have this disease,,, and the people that go through treatment. I feel I was let off easy at 24 weeks.
When the rash comes don't wait to long to see someone,,, I waited for 2 months before seeing a dermatologist, he prescribed a steroid and auqaphilic compound. It worked immediatly and I was better in a week. I would recommend trying just the Auquaphilic, you can get it at the Pharmacy and put it on 10 times a day if necessary. Mine was mostly dry skin but everything else I tried did not work,,, everyone is different on how they will react to treatment.

[IAmTheWalrus]

Congratlations on having only two more shots left. I hope the two weeks goes by fast and SVR follows.

Thanks for the advice on the rash. I think I let mine go too long, but I am taking something for it now.

Stay healthy,
Brent

[Marcia2202]

God bless!

Marcia

[kimmypoo2]

congrats  youre almost there

[Andromedae]

"I have been going through acupuncture to help with some of the sides and it has seemed to help me,,"

That caught my eye - and BTW congrats on getting through this so far!  
So about the acupuncture - after having acquired this thing myself I have a whole new awareness of sterilization and needles and such.  

So how do you know for an iron-clad fact that your acupuncturist is sterilizing your needles properly?  Are the needles disposable these days?  From my experience working in the Operating room I know that the only way to fully sterilize something is to auto clave it at over 250 degrees for 30 minutes under pressure.  Furthermore, the autoclave has to be inspected regularly and the needles have to be packaged properly inside the autoclave (not too packed together, wrapped in fabric, etc).  So unless the acupuncturist is using single-use needles (and you are sure of that) I would tend to worry about them not being conscientious enough (or worried about cost control perhaps) to properly sterilize .  

Of course I've never been to an acupuncturist in my life so i have no idea really - so what's the real story there?

[Marcia2202]

I would never use any sterilized needles... In Denmark they use disposables. When I lived in Indonesia, my acupuncturist asked me to buy my own needles and to take them home with me. I would go back and forth with my own needles put it a alcohol solution.

Marcia

[fretboard]

Good for you, just a couple weeks longer and you'll be done.  That's Great news!  Also TY for that acupuncture tip, I'll be txing soon mysef, geno 1.  God Bless

[DennisTM]

My accupuncurist uses disposable needles. If you decide to try give it more than one shot I would say at least 4 before they begin to show progress, my first time was just weird enough that I have been back every time since. Stomach gurgling, weird things happenning inside of me... She explains it as the rearrangment of the energy inside your body,,, sometimes it gets stuck and does not flow very well, accupuncture helps with that flow. I know it worked for me. And my wife will tell you, "I don't know what it does but it helps!!!" God bless you all this week. Everyone was in my prayers this morning at church.