Meds came today!

[gibsongal]

Tonight I will start Sovaldi and Olysio!

i just want to say as much as we complain about health care and insurance and medicare and medicaid and government and insurance and bankers…..

they have been taking care of me and I am alive today because of it. I have raised my healthy son to be a great person, see him graduate high school then college (although he can't find a good job) and live a clean and love filled life despite the physical pain and hardship my body endures)

These meds cost a fortune…my hiv meds cost a fortune… and i am blessed to get them at no cost.
(because i have not been able to work for so long now and am financially poor…a mixed blessing )

i hope to clear this virus and get my energy back, my pain subside and in the future i wish to volunteer somehow to give back..

wish me luck!!!!
peace

[gibsongal]

Blue,
May i ask what is your insurance. ? you mentioned transplant center?i am always confused about that.. seems like they would treat to try to clear the hcv and then do a transplant.. or is it the other way around? ..hummm
i got 2 denial letters from medicare although I didn't have to file the appeal forms myself ,,the docs did it all…
the docs had to prove it was the only treatment for me..Sov /Oly and no ribaviron or pegasus  as adding that may put me over the edge with side effects .i have controlled hiv UD VL and excellent t cell count..didn't need to mess around with becoming anemic and more depressed as my labs are really good now…

then the doc and pharmacy called and it went through… it took 3 weeks or so, and they mailed me the meds.. keep trying..

, hcv type 1a  and i think i still have just stage 2 fibrosis yet i have chronic pain and fatigue(started when the quack took me off hiv meds to see if my leg pain would stop.and when i re started meds my whole body became full of pain and fatigue…just found out i have  medication induced reduced kidney function due to quacks in the past missing it and they kept me on hiv meds known to be bad for the kidneys..urrrgh!!

i have no legal recourse  and that depresses me at how i was mis treated and told there is nothing wrong..they never checked my urine and told me my pain and fatigue was in my head.. and i was given meds that did more damage.

there were other meds/choices that i could have been taking that would not have been a s bad for my kidneys..i think kidneys are stable now, yet not normal..

[bluebird305]

I have been waiting a very long time for clearance to treat.  I was supposed to start treatment with sosofubar and riba.this month.  Then I got a call saying I did not meet the criteria.  I was devastated.  My doctor said I needed to treat right away. But insurance is giving me a hard time.  However the head honcho down at the transplant center even asked if she could forge my name for something or other. She said she could not see me having to suffer until I was on my death bed to treat.  So I took more blood tests and I am going for an MRI.  Well guess what I just got a phone call while I was writing this and the nurse said that their were 2 orders, and they only did one.  that was a waste of a week and a half of time.  She is in the process of callling them now, so I guess I better get going.  But on a good note, I am happy for you for your treatment.  You will be allright.  Keep a stiff upper lip.  Blue

[candyce1953]

Hi Gibson girl glad you are on S/O TX

I had bad fatigue going into it

Just want you to know that even after I cleared the virus during treatment ( am now 3 weeks done with treatment )

It took 2 weeks before I got my energy back

So be patient, not being tired doesn't mean the virus is there

I am 60 with other medical issues and will always have omen fatigue
But you will feel better eventually

I just didn't till two weeks after treatment ended
Good luck

[gibsongal]

one week down…11 to go… !!
feeing fine..no changes so far…no sides, a few headaches but that is normal for me. Maybe a little mental relief..as i have never treated this and finally the new meds and a bigger chance of clearing it..as i am 1a ...

just my usual really bad fatigue and chronic pain.

I don't want to get my hopes up but yes I do….!

I want the fatigue and pain to go away when I clear this virus.. I have been depressed for 3 years because of the pain and fatigue and have been going through an existential crisis.

I  am trying to make plans for a new future.. to move to a warmer climate when this treatment is done..to get healthy and stay healthy,  living in a cold snowy climate, being shut in and isolated is not good mentally and physically…

cheers to a brighter future for all of us!

[mzkity]

Good luck to you gibsongal, your going in with a great attitude!!!!

Kitty

[dontworry_behappy1]

Be extra careful going out in the sun.  Hepatitis C treatment drugs have a tendency to bring out the worst reaction when it comes sun exposure. Sun screen is great but test the waters first.   Go out for a short time and see how you do.  I have had no problem being in the sun before treatment.  Worked outside for many years and never burned much.   While on hepatitis C treatment I got this weird red skin that never tanned.  It come on really quickly so keep sun protection with you like candyce suggested.  Reading  her post brought up a red flag that reactions due to the sun are pretty common with hep C treatments.  I had very few side effects but this was one I did experience.   Sun screen wasn't enough.

Good Luck

[gibsongal]

sun.. ok..thanks..i'll get out the sunscreen,  and put it on the kitchen counter so i remember..

[candyce1953]

Congratulations!

I just finished two weeks ago, feeling really good energy wise

Side effects weren't"t too bad, fatigue and a tny bit insomnia 6-7 nights out of 84 days of tx

I did not have headache or nausea
Be very careful of the sun, hat long sleeves, sun block
Good luck!