beginning tx and family reunion

Hi My Friends,
Plan to begin tx around 10th jan when my VL and geno come thru

there is a family wedding out of the country and the occasions start 2nd feb...friday thru 5th feb...monday

would be probably taking the shot on 2nd feb friday....would I be in a condition to take part in the occassions?

Normally would not have considered going..but its my nephews wedding and a family reunion after several years

Would it be advisible to go with my 10 year old daughter?

As always...your suggestions will be very valuable in deciding

Thanks
shastri

[dperry10]

I just took my 2nd shot last nite and the way I feel today is Nothing compared on how I felt the first night.  Either something happened with the Redipen and I didnt get a full dose, or this time its mild.   But from what I read, it effects everyone different.  So you should be fine, but who knows how its going to effect you.  Maybe you should wait till you return from the Wedding.

D

[aiuta]

I'm happy to hear you decided to treat soon!  In my experience, some weeks are harder than others, but, I never got advanced warning as to which weeks those would be.  You may be one of the fortunate ones with fewer sides.  Time will tell.  In the meantime, congratulations on making your decision and thank you for your recent compliment.  I am glad my experience can be of some use to you.  Looking forward to more Indonesian updates.  All my best, Aiuta

[Lady E]

It is so hard to predict how we are going to feel on any given day. The 1st shot is usually the worst, & many of us don't even feel sx with the second shot, but everybody is different. I find it better to take it just one day at a time. Even if I don't feel too good, sometimes when I just get out and do something (including my part-time job), I feel better & glad that I took some incentive to do something. Other times it's the opposite..just walking up the stairs makes me have to sit down. Just when we think we have the side effects down pat, tx will throw us a curve. Like a day with no energy along with brain fog. Personally speaking, even tho I do have some really good days, I am staying away from extensive travel until I am finished slaying this dragon.
Best of luck to you as you begin your treatment. I hope you are one of the lucky ones with little to no side effects.
-E

[dperry10]

Have you ever had any trouble with the Redipen ?  Last night when I prepared the shot, the dial would not move after pushing the pen down & mixing the shot.  the it did, and did get some leakage, as well as the needle looking like it was crooked.  What do I do if I don't think I got the full shot ?

I don't remember any sx during the night and I feel fine right now, except some achiness in my wrists and ankles.  

the circle on my belly is half the size of the one from last week.

I also find your remedy to take the edge off works for me too.  ;)

[Lady E]

I also use the Redipen. There is always a little leakage when I push it together..like 2-3 drops that leak out of the little yellow cap, I was told this is normal.
I was the same way with my second shot...I was stressing, wondering "what did I do wrong"? If you have the redipen, you probably also have access to the Be In Charge program. I can't be sure if you got the full dose, but I would call Be In Charge, they have a nurse on duty 24/7. I found it to be extremely helpful in the beginning..like I had found a guardian angel. (that was before I found the forum)..but I still recommend the program. They can answer any question.
1-888-437-2608 of beincharge.com

My red spots start to fade after about 2 weeks. Try not to scratch them with your nails if they itch. Mine are just a little bit itchy, so I just touch it lightly with my arm or back of my hand. It works for me. Also, I'm glad my remedy for anxiety helped you.

You must also be on the east coast to be up this early. LOL
-E

[Lady E]

Be In Charge.com also has a helpful weekly diary document that you can print up & keep track of all of your weekly statistics like location of your shot, side effects, weight, appointments, etc. I printed up 48 of them & use a new one every week to keep track of myself. It's right on their main page & I'm glad I've been using it.
Week #18 of 48 for me this week. Almost half way there! Woohoo!
-E

[dperry10]

I am actually on the West coast of Florda.. Tampa area.  I cannot sleep past 5 am.   Either my internal alarm goes off, or my 14 year old dog wakes me up, when she is ready to eat ..  she slams the bowl and if I don't get up.. she goes for the trash can.. LOL   I have had to make a hard decision regarding her quality of life at this point.  she is very arthritic in her hips and draggs her back feet and cannot feel when she has to ' go ' ..   so we have decided to go ahead and put her down.  She and her 11 year old daughter both have breast cancer and had emergency surgeries this year.  I spent about $3500 between the 2 of them.. But with going thru treatment, I know I cannot continue to clean up after her and should not have to.. drives me nuts.. she is now eating sand.  I think she has completely lost it.  So I think next week, while I am home after Dental surgery on Tuesday, to have the vet come and take care of it.   I was putting it off till after Xmas.. wanted her to be around just one more.    I just do not know that I can handle it mentally.. It makes me soo sad.. she is one of my babies.. 14 years is old for a doberman.  they usually are around for 9 - 12 years.   We also have another 14 year old dog, she is a shab..  So I am sure 2007 will bring alot of tears.

[Lady E]

I was reading your post on a previous thread re: your spot being half the size as the first week. Mine usually take 3-5 days to show up before they actually appear red & start with the minor itchiness. Give it time, it'll probably get a little bigger.

[dperry10]

I will call Be in Charge this morning.  Yes I got a nice little kit to carry all my water in from them from the Dr.

[Lady E]

You poor thing. I had to put my best dog down a couple of years ago too. She was half rottie/half shepard..she had 3 legs (due to an accident) & her other 3 legs became arthritic..we tried everything, but had to put her down. She was a special dog, and I understand what you are going thru.
I also had my top teeth out in 2000 & have a denture.
Email me at ***@****, and we can banter back & forth instead of here. (If you want to)
-E

[dperry10]

I am thankful that so far had not had any itchiness.  I had long fingernails and cut them off last week before starting tx, just due to what I read about the itching.

[Lady E]

I had long nails for about 8 years & just got rid of them about a month ago. (I was worried about getting knicked at the salon again) Possible way of contracting HCV? My fingertips have been really bad since I cut the nails. The are now so shriveled and cracked that I am constantly putting moistureizer on them..it's not working well. I think the combination of them not actually touching anything when I had the nails & maybe some dehydration is causing it.  I get papercuts alot at work now..they are killing me & ugly as hell. ouch!

[dperry10]

I sent you an email..   Yes that is exactly what I am having done,  My top denture.   I had already started having some extracted from the back, before finding out about other health issues.  HCV & Diabetes, so was making alot of visits to the Drs and tests.. etc. so put off the final pulling of back teeth, and kinda messed up the plan we had in place for the extraction and denture.. instead of having just the front 6 to pull , they have 2 on the one side to get yet.. so guess that will take extra fittings after healing.   I just hope the tx doesnt magnify the pain from extractions.   I want them to knock me out to do it, but tried to call this week to discuss and they were closed since xmas and not open till the 2nd.. when I go in.   Did you have an immediate denture too ?

[shastri20032003]

thanks d,....will probably wait and see how my tx and sx progress until the d-day.....
must be a comfort for you that the 2nd shot was mild but hope that you have taken the shot correctly!
best wishes
shastri

[shastri20032003]

So....will take one day at a time...hope your vomitting has stopped or reduced?
best wishes
shastri

[shastri20032003]

thanks for your opinion...you are probably right...logical thing would be not to travel as you are doing
how many shots have you already taken?
best wishees
shastri

[Lady E]

Im on week 18/48. 53 yr old female, geno 1-a.

[shastri20032003]

thats half done with..i am already itching to start and complete it after reading so many horror stories here...
wish you best for the remainder tx
shastri

[Lady E]

Just remember- to me, the anticipation of tx was actually more stressful than the tx itself. I drove myself nuts with anticipation, and by the 2nd week, I realized that I can do this. It's do-able for most. We just have to take this time aside from our usual lives & take better care of ourselves for a while.
-E

[copyman]

have you considered waiting the few weeks until you get back to start the treatment? i do not think waiting a few weeks would matter all that much. best of luck

[Lady E]

I agree with you 100%. If I had the choice to travel out of the country & have a family reunion vs treatment, I'd put the treatment off for a couple of weeks & go have fun first.

[shastri20032003]

Dear copyman/Lady E ,
wish i could...but the advise i have recieved on this forum is the faster I start tx the better the chances for achieving SVR...since mine is a suspected acute hep c case...and the possible infection probably took place sometime in august...so i am already running on a thin line here

[FL_Gal]

My third week, I messed up two Redi-Pens.  I forgot that it self-primes, and when the plunger pushed the liquid up and drops came out (it seemed like soooo much liquid at the time, LOL), I thought the pen had emptied and I threw it in the sharps container. Then I had my daughter help me, and she thought the same thing, so we threw a second one away.  Then we watched the movie again, and figured out that it had been me malfunctioning, not the pens.  I prepared a third pen, and when I pushed the plunger, it is so hard to push that the needle came up and out of my skin instead of the the pluger going down and injecting the medicine.  So I jabbed it back in my thigh, held the barrel with one hand, and pushed the plunger in with the other hand.

WHY do they make that plunger so hard to push?

Be-in-Charge replaced the two pens I had messed up.

[shastri20032003]

think will do that...and then decide....hope his opinion is the same as yours!
thanks
Shastri

[Lady E]

Have you ever had any trouble with the Redipen ? Last night when I prepared the shot, the dial would not move after pushing the pen down & mixing the shot.

Did you remember to pull down the bottom of the redipen before you tried to turn it to your dose?

[chcnme]

Congratulations, Shastri!  January 10th?  I bet you are excited and scared all at the the same time.  My doc told me most patients report feeling the worst a day or two after the shot in the beginning and that gradually the sides improve.  He said some do fine and that some report even feeling better.  He did recommended to me, though, that no matter waht -- the day after the shot (maybe two days) I plan on doing nothing, schedule no outtings, and be content with being a couch potato.  I can do that because I don't have a clock to punch, and I have a supportive family who will help me if I need it.  I have a job at home (7 days a week, no weekends off, on-call 24/7)  I'm caretaker to elderly parents (one demented who requires my help and supervision), do the yard work, house work, shopping, cooking, take them to docs, and I'm an occasional baby sitter for my son, too (with another grandchild on the way in Feb with family coming from out of town AGAIN for the new baby.)  It's going to be an adjustment for everyone when I start treatment, but it's one we can all adjust to.

It bothers me that my treatment might start at or around the same time the new baby is arriving.   If I do start tx before the baby arrives, I seriously doubt I'll be going to the birthing center at the hospital, and it's possible I won't be attending "new baby" celebrations, either.  But that's just the way it's going to be, and everyone is OK with that.

Maybe you could tell the ones who are dependent on you now that things might change (probably will change) once you start tx. Telling them now might take some stress off you.

Best of luck.  Let us know how you're doing!

[chcnme]

OH! ... (well first I need to congratulate you on starting tx!) I hope you'll do OK and that it won't be too hard for you.  I loved reading your note about your 14 year old dog rummaging through the garbage -lol.  It was a great story (the side of dogs we dog lovers know ).  I could relate too, to the sadness of your dog getting old.  I had to have my 16 yr old mutt put down last year. It was one of the worst days of my life.  I knew how that day would affect me no matter how much I prepared- it was still awful, but at least she had the dignity to leave as peacefully as possible.  I pretty much vowed after that (since it was so heart-breaking) that I would not take on anymore dogs (or cats) until I got through Hep C treatment.  It's a lot of work being owned by a lot of pets :)  Plus I didn't think I could bear to lose another (and to be on treatment, too).  But one day?  One day I'm going to have a house full again of 4-legs, rummaging through garbage cans and getting in trouble.  I still have two dogs and three cats, and so I'm not "pet deficient" yet.  

Best of luck to you on tx!  And  best of luck with your decision on your beloved dog.  You'll get through it.  I'm sure she's had a great 14 years with you.

[ladybug52]

For me every shot has been different, with the first being the worst. I did shot 4 last night and don't feel too bad, but I got to lay around and sleep alot. I went into work last Sat after my Fri. night shot, did patient care and paperwork, but I felt like **** all day. It's doable if you have too I guess, just don't expect quality time when you feel so bad. BUT maybe you won't feel bad. Just take tylenol or ibuprofen to help with the aches pain and fever if you do.
Bug

[Cindy10]

If you can wait I think I would, in fact I did. I had a big wedding in the family and lots of relatives around. I decided to put it off until after the wedding. I was glad I did.
You would probably be fine but a big trip like that, and it sounds like you going to want to enjoy every moment, and to be honest even if the sx (side effects) are mild its not the same as feeling normal off tx. Have fun first (only if you can wait) then begin your journey to slay the dragon. Best wishes to you!

[ladybug52]

I tried to do my shot at work yesterday so I could get a jump on the weekend and the same thing happened to me. Did all the steps correctly, then the redipen would not turn to set the dosage. I was so frustrated. I had a coworker try to help me, we got out a pliers and flat head screwdriver to try to pry it loose and finally it turned. Then after I injected it counted to 10 and when I pulled out liguid was spraying everywhere. I was ready to scream. I have my grandaughter today, plus some work to catch up on for end of month, I really wanted to do the shot a little earlier than usual. I had to wait till I got home at 8:30 to try again. Second attempt worked just like it should, no problem turning the dial or injecting. Symptoms were mild, went to sleep at 12:30 with my little ambien aid.
I'm gonna call b-in-charge Tuesday to get a repalcement pen. In fact this Was a replacement since I messed up shot two by leaving the yellow cap on the needle!
Bug

[ladybug52]

If you find a solution for dry brittle nails and rough chapped cuticles please share. I also gave up the manicures back in June when my dx was confirmed for the 2nd time. I use cuticle oil and handcreme constantly but I also wash my hands constantly so I just don't have much relief. Several times I have pulled at the cuticle and caused bleeding which freaks me out. I'm wondering about those moisturizing gloves you wear at night? Ever tried them?
Bug

[chcnme]

Bug! Oh I feel for you on the pliers and that Redipen!  You did it at work?  It's great a co-worker was there to help you.  Sorry it shot all over the place or came out after you injected.  I've never seen a RediPen.  The few shots I did so long ago, it was TB syringes supplied.  It was real simple - taking the cap off, pull it up, and stick it in.  I hope I don't get Redipens when they start me.  I just want the simple, ole-time sub-q syringe :)

On the hands, I keep A&D ointment everywhere, and I use it regularly on my hands and lips. But I'm not on treatment, but my hands and nails were still in bad shape  (but they improved a LOT with the A&D).

[ladybug52]

Thanks for the A&D tip. I'll try it today. As far as the redipen goes, I hate that thing. You have to push it together to mix the dose, turn it upside down twice, pull down on the end to be able to turn and set the dosage, then pull off BOTH caps, (that's the little step I forgot in week 2) and then use your thumb to inject the meds while your hand is wrapped around this huge plastic vial. It's slightly larger than a dry erase  marker. You being a nurse will probably have no problem tho.
Bug

[ladybug52]

Hey hows the thyroid doinmg? Has that handful of table salt cured it? jk, I know it was just a little bit.

[dperry10]

Thank you for your support.  I just had a nice nap and decided to get back up.. I do not feel anything this time,except maybe tired.

Just wondering if I call the In Charge nurse about the Redipen trouble I had last nite, if it will be ok to do another shot, as I did get some, just don't think it was the full shot.  

Will it hurt just to continue on, and hope I got enough of the Peg ?  

Dana

[Lady E]

Hi Bug. I still haven't found a good lotion for my fingertips, but I did buy something at the grocery store called Zim's Crack Creme...I know, weird name LOL
I started using it a couple of days ago. It's got aloe & other natural herbs in it, so I'm hoping it works. I have tried bag balm on my fingers also, swathering them in the stuff before going to sleep. It seemed to work a little, but I am very hard on my hands at work. I work in a paint store & always ripping boxes open & washing my hands all the time doesn't help much.
I have thought of lotioning up & putting white gloves on at bedtime, but it makes me uncomfortable. I can't sleep with socks on either. LOL

I'll let you know how the crack creme works out.
-E

[chcnme]

lol - it's amazing what a person will consider eating when someone says "goiter".  I have decided to wait and to TRY not worry about it because ... well, for one - the prominence went away (it's like it came and went POOF!)  And also - I had a normal thyroid panel (TSH) in Oct from my regular doctor, and I also had labs done at Duke (the research facility) just as early as late November (and I'm assuming they did a TSH, too, and that I would have gotten a call if it was abnormal.)   I don't know that Duke did one, but I think it's almost a given that they'll do one for the trial enrollment  (which I've been told I'll be getting a call on in the next few weeks).  And so for now, I think I'm going to just uh ... look in NO mirrors and continue to salt my food ... A LOT!  :)

[dperry10]

Well I just called the In Charge nurse and registered in the program.  The kit the Dr gave me had all that informaton.  I wanted to know what to do about my Redipen that appeared to malfunction, and whether I should do another shot or not.  She said not.  To call my dr Next week and let him know what happened and call them ( the incharge nurse )  when I do my next shot next week, so that they can walk me thru and make sure I am doing it correctly.   And that they should send an extra shot to do at the end, to make sure I got all of them.  Asked alot of questions about including my info in a study.

[Lady E]

Yes, it is quite a lengthy interview that Be In Charge gives you. I volunteered that they can use my information, but they gave me a choice for that, yes or no.
They'll call you about every 3 weeks to check on you and then it stops after 12 weeks.
I had nobody I could ask questions to at the time, and I found them to be pretty helpful & reassuring.

[shastri20032003]

Sorry for the delay in my responses since I am having breakfast when you guys are having dinner
You are right

[shastri20032003]

Bug

[Lady E]

Well, that's true, but nobody here is a doctor. Bottom line is to ask your doctor if a couple of weeks is going to make a difference. Most of us have had hep C for years/decades, and a couple of weeks is like a pimple on an elephant's butt (in my humble opinion).
-E

[dperry10]

I called them yesterday afternoon about the redipen of mine that malfunctioned.  But she never even offered to replace it.  Told me to tell my dr, and maybe can get an extra dose at the end to make up for that one.  why didn't she offer to replace it ?

[ladybug52]

Because you never know who's going to answer the phone. Just call again and say your redipen malfunctioned and you want to know what to do about getting a free replacement. I called 3 times for my replacement and got 3 different people with 3different answers on what I needed to provide. Good Luck.

[FlGuy]

I vote for waiting to begin AFTER the trip.  When you finally get started, treament is THE priority in your life, all other things come in second. Enjoy the trip the virons will be waiting for you.

[shastri20032003]

Thanks FlGuy. At this point I am leaning  towards the reunion first and then tx.will keep you updated
Best wishes
Shastri