Meds Finally Here! YIKES!!!!!

[Forseegood]

LOL...yeah, be careful what you wish for huh? and i was complaining about a hold-up...the Alinia is being delivered too ...anyway, I guess I gotta squirrel some away for a rainy day right? they deliver a month's worth at a time..guess I'm going to pre-load with the alinia for about a week anyway, that way I can tell if it's going to give me any sides, etc...if they do too much, might rethink taking it...also to distinguish which sides are from what, etc...so, I have to find out how to give myself shots, is there an online place I can see a video? think there is...also maybe get a lesson...also have to figure out when I should take my shot...have bad insomnia sometimes so I'd like to take the riba earlier then later...better go do some deep breathing, HA HA HA HA!

[Lady Lauri]

I only did 2 of my shots! Mu acupunture Dr. did most and a nurse friend the others.

I'm spoiled :)

Note to women tho.....when I did them in the stomach I had a period every week! Constant! Not good for the ol Hgb! I switched to hips and had only 1 or 2 more thru out tx.

LL

[Marcia2202]

I equally do my own shots, in the stomach. It doesn't hurt at all. I have a hard time finding where I injected last, so I have to make a note of it. No marks, no reddening, nothing. I always massage the area before I disinfect it and after the shot.

Marcia

[Isobella]

My hubby said he would do mine, but only in the hinny---said he didn't want me watching or some such.  

I had heard about those red blotchy things you could get from the injections and didn't think they would be fun to sit on all day, so I declined his loving offer :-)

I do my own shots--right in the tummy.  

As to those red splotches...at first I thought it would be fun to make them into a tx tatoo- I wanted to make a big smiley face(think belly button for nose, LOL!!) but the darn things don't last long enough--they were way over-rated, let me tell ya!

The shots are nothing...you can't even feel it-eerie in a way because you are looking at it thinking you should be able to feel something--but nothing!  

Good luck!

[gauf]

Roflma. i think it is great your ex found her calling. Helping to preserve endangered feces.

[Mikkimoe]

My hubby gives me mine in he hinny - some how makes life a little better in a weird sort of way.....

[GoofyDad]

Jacob asks: How many of you dudes had your wife give you your shots?

I dunno about that, but mine would give me an enema once in a while. But then she feft me for another a$$hole.

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The shots are a piece of cake once you get a couple done. Take care.

[Trinity4]

Timing is everything.  Strange this thread should resurrect now.

[Jacob43]

How many of you dudes had your wife give you your shots?  Mines a nurse.  I guess it would be one of those times they could stick it to you.

[Mikkimoe]

Hey There - I love getting my meds delivered. My Enbrel comes in a real nice little cooler and even after 4 years I still use every ice pak they have delivered. (I carry an ice bag with me everywhere I go to have my juice and water cold). I have a standing order to leave at my door without me being home but to always call and notify me so I don't forget them.

TTYS

[scratchinghead]

I was almost shaking when I had to practice on the pin cushion, I can't believe what a weenie I am!
---------------------------------
That ain't nothin'. I'm ready to faint just reading your post.

[Forseegood]

just went to the NP for my shot lesson...I was almost shaking when I had to practice on the pin cushion, I can't believe what a weenie I am! Just kept telling myself to grow up and do this! scheduled to start really soon now...don't worry, won't put it off another year or so...lol....

Willing: You know, I've heard what you said about going to the pharmacy and everything, but my people, the nurse, etc...said they are very good at delivering...the nurse calls ahead of time to find out when I'm going to be home, and then they call again to make sure, then call again once they are ready to deliver...then they came with a nice icepack, etc...so maybe this is okay...just the traffic is a little different then up in the trails where youre at:) but give me your take...maybe it's really important that I go get them....

[can-do-man]

Wow gal, been busy and away. Glad i checked in and saw this post... me thinks we all have that sick feelings in our tummys when were about to start. No matter what we say, won't help much, just knowing its time makes the nerves go crazy.

You have alot of people pulling for you (me included). Since i've been here never seen you back down from a fight or a debate. Summin tells me you will get the last word in against HCV also:):)

Wishing you only the best girl. And don't forget to eat ICECREAM.
canny man still pushing his icecream

[nygirl7]

Ah I thought you would have started last weekend and I was dying to see how you are doing!  It's your turn girl.............you gave me courage and strength and peace and laughs - so to those of us you gave we are waiting to give back.

Now come on!  You wanna say SVR just like we can don't ya?

When are you starting? (PS Ambien DOES work you will get a few precious hours that way that if you are on a good high dose of riba you just won't get otherwise (but remember you need that riba!!!)

[frijole]

So

It is really happening.  You probably have the longest line of anxiety going into this as anyone could.  I am glad to see you are finally taking the big step so you can put that anxiety to rest.  Have you decided yet on the day?  

Good luck to ya, girl.  My good thoughts are headed your way
frijole

[orleans]

I feel ya girl! (in a totally platonic kinda way!) I'll be right behind you, starting in about 3 months, gauf is fixin' to start too. Good luck darling, jerry fingers crossed on Alinia

[Ginger12521]

Hey...just wanted to wish you an easy time with the treatment. Hope it goes as smoothly as possible, and you get the gold!
Best wishes :o)

[GoofyDad]

I was watching a lecture by a major grad school prof recently in which he laughed at how, evaluating a significant decision, a CEO said the old "Well we've got so much invested" line. The point being, that's yesterday's news. Unrecoverable milk, spilled under the bridge. You've got to divorce yourself of the previous investment and look forward in making your decision. Sometimes that's hard to do.

I like the idea of mapping out the decision tree ahead of time, as FL-dude did. Brilliant.    

[willing]

hey - it couldn't happen to a nicer person.. Like Mr GD says, you're past the gate now (for me it was actually getting into the plane on my first skydive). It's too late to turn back, all that's left now Is to think about how many people have survived this..

I'm gonna pile a couple more pieces of advice on the bon-voyage card:

- re the delivery options. IFN is a protein; proteins are touchy and don't like heat - they quietly denature (lose their shape) and their activity with it. If you go with pegasys, my experience is that the shortest path from a large-pharmacy fridge, maybe a hospital pharmacy, to your fridge is the safest path. Not an issue for peg-intron.

- think about when you're going to bail if the odds don't go your way *before* you start. This is the old biochemistry vs psychology struggle. The biochem says if it's gonna work, it's usually obvious early on. The psychology says by golly I'm gonna beat this thing, besides I've invested so much in it I can't get out now.  You know how that movie ends.

Wishing you all the best..

[wyntre9]

Congrats to you 4c for finally biting the bullet.  i can't beleive I've been reading your posts for 16 months (that's how long I've been on TX) and you're finally getting started just as I'm getting near the finish line.

You will be fine.  For insomnia, ask for ambien or lunesta and don't beat yourself up if you haveta take it.  SX can be enough to deal with without sleep deprivation making things worse.

but I hope you will be one of the lucky ones and sail through TX symptom free.

I'm going to say again that now I'm on wellbutrin, I could kick myself for not having insisted on it a year ago.

Let us know when you start.

[R Glass]

I wish you the best. May you be an  early responder and have very little or no sx

[Trish77]

4C:  gee, I somehow thought that the Riba would be in a big, dark Red jar...maybe with a black label, but the thing looks so innocuous! he he he...
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I know...pretty little pink pills..then again...they're not the enemy to US..they're enemy to the virus and they're our weapons.  Just.. pretty little pink ones...lol  :)

[jdwithhcv]

In less time than you can imagine, this will all become routine.  I suppose its the brain fog, but I can barely remember the first weeks of tx.  Anticipation of it was far worse than the reality.

However much these drugs affect my life, I know they are working and I am getting the desired result.  So I focus on that part, and I'm doing this thing with all my might because I want to put it all behind me once and for all.  Can't wait to find out what the new "normal" will look like when that day comes.

Think of this as a chance to reinvent yourself, you're gonna come out of it healthier and stronger - a whole new woman!  Never forget we're all here for ya.

Hope you had that excellent Italian meal.  Be gentle with yourself and fierce with the Hep C and you will amaze yourself with what you can do.

jd

[Forseegood]

gee, I somehow thought that the Riba would be in a big, dark Red jar...maybe with a black label, but the thing looks so innocuous! he he he...

and the Alinia bottle looks absolutely cheery! A friend here on the forum used to kiss the syringe every time she was supposed to giver herself a shot, thanking it for killing the virus...

I know, a little odd, but she said it set her up psychologically to value the meds for what they can do positively, instead of focusing on all the ill they could cause, if any...

Don't know if I'll go that far, but I'm trying to change my attitude towards them, and value them as well, for my own purposes of getting well...it's been a long hard road to get there, ha ha ha, we'll see how it goes, can only hope for the best!!!! thanks to you all, really value your contributions now, and over the years....

And thanks to Pigeonca for holding my hand, taking me to my shot lesson, ha ha ha! Sounds like I'm getting an academy award, you veterans must be giggling your butts off!

[Trish77]

Forseegood,

I just started tx yesterday morning and I can tell you that thinking about it ahead of time is worse than the actual start of it.  I felt alot like Goofy described...only for me it was more of a feeling like I was getting ready to jump off a cliff  .. then I'd rein it in and I'd be okay for awhile and then a bit of panic set in.  All in like the two days before.  Up until then....I had become SO anxious to start that I was simply excited to get there and was counting sleeps!  lol  :)  The night before I was a bit of a wreck, emotions up and down like a rollercoaster.  Mentioned to one of my guy friends that I was scared under all that feisty talk and he said words that made sense to ME but don't know if they will help you.  He some good things to me.. but summed up with "this is something to get psyched up about, not psyched out about".   That jolted me out of it.  God, I love my guy friends for that.

So .. I guess I want to say to you...try not to let yourself get psyched out about this.  Whether you can psych up is another matter and not sure that's required for everyone...but don't get psyched out about it.  And you'll find that the first day is mostly a non-event...and you'll take the rest of it a day at a time.  You obviously have loads of support here and well-earned.  I know that talking about it and doing it are two different things...but that first day IS an event...a big moment...changes your life.  Just don't get psyched out about it.  

The shot is easy, btw.  I was nervous of the pain, cause it hurts when they take my blood.  I only have one good vein usually and that actually hurt more than my first injection, which I didn't feel at all...and I did my own, which was a great mental boost.  But that's what was good for me.  Some people lead into that...others I know have someone else do it for them.  Whatever WORKS for you.  

Let us know when "lift-off" is and we can get you through. So many great people here. Wishing you all the best.

Trish