Aa
Really need Info
Let me recap real quick, my study dose not alowe rescuse meds untill we stop vx at the end of week 12, Sunday is the end for me. Monday I go to study nurse for blood and more meds, I know I am not in group D which stops all meds at week 12, so I either have 12 more weeks of meds or 24 more weeks. My riba started at 1200mg cut in half at week 3 for low hbg, so I think I should start procrit so I can go back up on my riba for my remaining time. Who knows I may be on placebo!! and vx has no track record let! I need to do what is best for me and my health. Now my problem my DR will not give me procrit, told me I do not need it my hbg is 9.5, but I feel o.k. I showed Jim a paper (study) my DR wrote that said after you become und lowering riba will not hurt chances for svr, I hope you remember that paper Jim. Shoud I demaned procrit?? or should I just keep going like I am?? I KNOW vertex and all of our study nurse's read this site , My nurse, PDS nurse and MRE, Dr all got a letter about this site and the vx lab rats that post, I have been a good patinet, But should I put my foot down now?? I tried to get a pcr at week 4, was told no, so I had one done at week 11, I know that will not tell me placebo or soc BUT I did not want to go to week 20 and not know,sorry jen, I will find out my pcr today. What would you do. Thanks Pam
LOL That doc subscribes to the "once a drunk always a drunk" thinking to the point of being a rotten doctor. That tells me that he is dumb as a post because his thinking seems to be that since your enzymes continued to rise, the sole cause had to be drinking. What a dopey head. I guess it didn't dawn on him there actually are other reasons for raised enzymes!
Good thing you got out of there, bad enough he didn't believe you but he was compromising your health too!
Talk about thinking with blinders on!
Congrats on giving up drinking.
Good thing you got out of there, bad enough he didn't believe you but he was compromising your health too!
Talk about thinking with blinders on!
Congrats on giving up drinking.
LOL That doc subscribes to the "once a drunk always a drunk" thinking to the point of being a rotten doctor. That tells me that he is dumb as a post because his thinking seems to be that since your enzymes continued to rise, the sole cause had to be drinking. What a dopey head. I guess it didn't dawn on him there actually are other reasons for raised enzymes!
Good thing you got out of there, bad enough he didn't believe you but he was compromising your health too!
Talk about thinking with blinders on!
Congrats on giving up drinking.
Good thing you got out of there, bad enough he didn't believe you but he was compromising your health too!
Talk about thinking with blinders on!
Congrats on giving up drinking.
LOL. Yeah lots of things go better with strippers :) I think you've got a good plan going. While you don't want to do things at the 11th hour, I found the time at my doc's better spent dealing with more here and now issues than something 30 weeks ahead. Can't believe your old doc BTW, sounds like a real loser.
I didn't press the issue because I figured that was a bridge that didn't need to be crossed at this time. IF I clear at 12 weeks AND I continue to have minimal sx AND my blood work holds up I may bring it up when I'm at week 40 or so. A lot can happen between now and then. The thing is, if he won't write the Rx and I do want to extend, then I'm 'on the clock' to find one who will. I'm not opposed to changing docs if there is good reason. A reason like THIS:
My first GP I had when I moved here was arrogant beyond the pale. When my ALT's were high he asked me how much I drank, which was A LOT and I told him that. He told me to quit drinking and come back in 3 months. So I quit for 90 days and got retested and the AST/ALT's were even higher. Then, he started going on about AA and 'treatment' and told me to continue abstinance for another 90 days and retest. Come back in 90 days, AST/ALT even HIGHER.
NOW he's talking about admitting me to some 'chemical dependency' program. That was the only 'reality' he would accept for the cause of my high AST/ALT's, like he didn't believe me when I told him I had not drank, and I hadn't. I refused the treatment 'plan' and he tells me 'If you can't stop drinking you will need to find another doctor.' I was just stunned at this guy. His nurse comes in and writes down a meeting place for AA and tells me 'That's where I go'. It just didn't sit well with me AT ALL. I may be a drunk but I'm not a liar, damnit !! LOL !! So I changed docs, got my records sent over, and was diagnosed with HCV within about a month. So THAT turned out to be the right move.
I do miss drankin' though. I do. So many things go well with it. Football, strippers, smokin', unprotected sex, drivin' fast ....Hell, they just lowered my car insurance I'm so boring. And stupid me, I married my first wife for the sole purpose OF getting cheap car insurance. At least, that's what I told her when she kicked me out.
God bless, and good luck !!
My first GP I had when I moved here was arrogant beyond the pale. When my ALT's were high he asked me how much I drank, which was A LOT and I told him that. He told me to quit drinking and come back in 3 months. So I quit for 90 days and got retested and the AST/ALT's were even higher. Then, he started going on about AA and 'treatment' and told me to continue abstinance for another 90 days and retest. Come back in 90 days, AST/ALT even HIGHER.
NOW he's talking about admitting me to some 'chemical dependency' program. That was the only 'reality' he would accept for the cause of my high AST/ALT's, like he didn't believe me when I told him I had not drank, and I hadn't. I refused the treatment 'plan' and he tells me 'If you can't stop drinking you will need to find another doctor.' I was just stunned at this guy. His nurse comes in and writes down a meeting place for AA and tells me 'That's where I go'. It just didn't sit well with me AT ALL. I may be a drunk but I'm not a liar, damnit !! LOL !! So I changed docs, got my records sent over, and was diagnosed with HCV within about a month. So THAT turned out to be the right move.
I do miss drankin' though. I do. So many things go well with it. Football, strippers, smokin', unprotected sex, drivin' fast ....Hell, they just lowered my car insurance I'm so boring. And stupid me, I married my first wife for the sole purpose OF getting cheap car insurance. At least, that's what I told her when she kicked me out.
God bless, and good luck !!
It is difficult getting as much of your doctor's time as you'd like, and the method that works best for me is to do as much homework as possible beforehand and have in mind the exact issues you want resolved at any particular visit.
For example, early-on in treatment I was obsessed with riba dosing and made that the focus of our meetings after going over the usual labs, etc. I brought in studies, we chatted, and ended up "negotiating" an approach that we were both comfortable with.
Later in treatment, the issue on my mind was how long to continue treating, i.e. stay with 48 weeks or extend, and if extend for how long? So again, that became the focus of our meetings-- I mentioned my studies, he gave his input, and again, we negotiated an end date we both ended up being comfortable with. I'll also add that I consulted with three other doctors on the end-date as well during the two-week period prior to week 48 but ended up going with my doctor's suggestion to extend to 54 weeks.
Lastly, I was able to commuicate with my doctor via email. I found this very useful both to resolve issues between appointments as well as to discuss issues perhaps not covered during the visits.
I found involving myself in my treatment very useful, but I also had the time to put into the process and it really does involve an awful lot of time. The only downside is to avoid getting involved to the point where you're treating yourself almost without your doctor's input. Some doctors will pretty much allow this once they have confidence in you. The problem here is that you may no longer get all the critical advice out of your doctor as you would want.
Personally, I found it a fine line to play. Directing my own tx on one hand, but on the other getting the best out of my doctor who was extremely knowledgable.
All the best,
-- Jim
For example, early-on in treatment I was obsessed with riba dosing and made that the focus of our meetings after going over the usual labs, etc. I brought in studies, we chatted, and ended up "negotiating" an approach that we were both comfortable with.
Later in treatment, the issue on my mind was how long to continue treating, i.e. stay with 48 weeks or extend, and if extend for how long? So again, that became the focus of our meetings-- I mentioned my studies, he gave his input, and again, we negotiated an end date we both ended up being comfortable with. I'll also add that I consulted with three other doctors on the end-date as well during the two-week period prior to week 48 but ended up going with my doctor's suggestion to extend to 54 weeks.
Lastly, I was able to commuicate with my doctor via email. I found this very useful both to resolve issues between appointments as well as to discuss issues perhaps not covered during the visits.
I found involving myself in my treatment very useful, but I also had the time to put into the process and it really does involve an awful lot of time. The only downside is to avoid getting involved to the point where you're treating yourself almost without your doctor's input. Some doctors will pretty much allow this once they have confidence in you. The problem here is that you may no longer get all the critical advice out of your doctor as you would want.
Personally, I found it a fine line to play. Directing my own tx on one hand, but on the other getting the best out of my doctor who was extremely knowledgable.
All the best,
-- Jim
Exactly. The thing about 'studies' is they are still a 'sub-group' and yeah, human beings tend to be pretty similar 'parts wise', but the variables in behaviour are *HUGE*.
And yeah, I don't care who your doctor is ( not YOU specifically, but patients in general ) , I just don't think many of 'em are interested in chatting with patients as 'peers'.
It's out of our control, Kalia, all we can do is what they say, sit back, take the ride and be as positive as we can.
God Bless and Good Luck !!!
And yeah, I don't care who your doctor is ( not YOU specifically, but patients in general ) , I just don't think many of 'em are interested in chatting with patients as 'peers'.
It's out of our control, Kalia, all we can do is what they say, sit back, take the ride and be as positive as we can.
God Bless and Good Luck !!!
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