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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Hepatitis / December 2005Hi, I'm Curtis
I've been lurking here for a couple of months. I think I instinctively like most of you. So I come to you with three strikes against me. Strike One - I deliver mail for the United States Postal Service. Strike Two - I live and work in Roswell, New Mexico, USA Strike Three - HCV Feel free to insert an 'alien going postal' joke here. LOL. > I've been lurking here for a couple of months. I think I instinctively like > most of you. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Feel free to insert an 'alien going postal' joke here. LOL. Hello Curtis, won't hold one and three against you, but I'm from Hobbs, so its hard to forgive number two. :) This is a good group of people (most of the time) sorry you have to be here though. Dwight > Hello Curtis, won't hold one and three against you, but I'm from Hobbs, so > its hard to forgive number two. :) This is a good group of people (most of > the time) sorry you have to be here though. At least Hobbs has a racetrack and a casino now. All Roswell has is little green men (or are they grey?). Curtis >>Hello Curtis, won't hold one and three against you, but I'm from Hobbs, so >>its hard to forgive number two. :) This is a good group of people (most of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Curtis But your closer to the mountains. There are some things I miss about New Mexico, but I don't think I'll be moving back. My parents are still in Hobbs, so I go back once or twice a year. I've even made it out to the casino. I managed to break even and played for an hour on my $2. :) I have more fun watching the people. Take care of yourself and remember if you have any questions there are people here that can help. If they don't know the answer they might be able to give you a good laugh. Dwight ( an ex-Hobit) > But your closer to the mountains. There are some things I miss about New > Mexico, but I don't think I'll be moving back. My parents are still in > Hobbs, so I go back once or twice a year. I've even made it out to the > casino. I managed to break even and played for an hour on my $2. :) I have > more fun watching the people. You'd probably have fun watching me. I'm the guy in the lawn chair at the finish line in Ruidoso. Hey! We all have our vices. LOL. Curtis Hey Curtis: Glad you came out of the closet(the lurking one) :) This is a smorgasboord of personalities.....Jump in, the water is warm, for the most part. Paul2 > I've been lurking here for a couple of months. I think I instinctively like > most of you. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Feel free to insert an 'alien going postal' joke here. LOL. Leave your guns at the door and come on in and sit a spell. elmo http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/DocElmosHepFile http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/TheFamilyAlbum Hey Curtis - your in the right place for strike three. Are you being treated - what are your stats eg. genotype etc. Strike one - you must be in good shape and Strike two - better than the snow in Ontario! Look forward to your posts. Mags > I've been lurking here for a couple of months. I think I instinctively > like most of you. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Feel free to insert an 'alien going postal' joke here. LOL. > Hey Curtis - your in the right place for strike three. Are you being > treated - what are your stats eg. genotype etc. Strike one - you must be > in good shape and Strike two - better than the snow in Ontario! Look > forward to your posts. Hi, Mags. Stats - genotype 1a, 1.3 million per something or other. Strike one - I walk around 3 or 4 hours a day and sort mail on my feet another hour and a half. Strike two - It does occasional snow here. (Yeah. Sort of like hell freezing over. LOL.) Usually it's somewhere between a dusting and 4 inches. And melts by Noon the next day. But occasionally it snows like crazy around here. Roswell is only 75 miles (120.675 kilometers) away from the furthest south you can go in the USA and ski. Strike three - thanks! Curtis >> Hey Curtis - your in the right place for strike three. Are you being >> treated - what are your stats eg. genotype etc. Strike one - you must be [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > >Curtis Hi Curtis and welcome. Welcome Curtis!! Did the Aliens really land at Roswell, c'mon you can tell us!!! Nobody will believe us if you say yes, because we're heppers!!!!!!!  SignatureShawn (use the "reply feature on your browser to send a private reply via E-Mail.) > I've been lurking here for a couple of months. I think I instinctively > like most of you. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Feel free to insert an 'alien going postal' joke here. LOL. > Welcome Curtis!! Did the Aliens really land at Roswell, c'mon you can tell > us!!! Nobody will believe us if you say yes, because we're heppers!!!!!!! ROFL! > Welcome Curtis!! Did the Aliens really land at Roswell, c'mon you can tell > us!!! Nobody will believe us if you say yes, because we're heppers!!!!!!! LOL. The aliens landed only because you inhaled. Curtis > > Welcome Curtis!! Did the Aliens really land at Roswell, c'mon you can tell > > us!!! Nobody will believe us if you say yes, because we're heppers!!!!!!! > > LOL. The aliens landed only because you inhaled. Ah, to be so powerful. > I've been lurking here for a couple of months. I think I instinctively > like most of you. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Strike Three - HCV > Feel free to insert an 'alien going postal' joke here. LOL. Hi Curtis, and welcome to our dysfunctional family. If you've been lurking for a couple of months you should know what to expect, and congratulations for getting the jump on us with alien-goes-postal (LOL!). I have to admit that Strikes One and Two have piqued my curiosity and there's lots of discussion possibilities there, but you're here because of Strike Three, hep C. About that, I have questions... When were you diagnosed? Have you had a biopsy? How are you feeling? Do you have any treatment plans? And last but not least, do you have any questions? Of course you do. Please remember, the only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask. Take care, Waterspider > If you've been lurking for a couple of months you should know what to > expect, and congratulations for getting the jump on us with [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > About that, I have questions... > When were you diagnosed? Early September. There's a long story there. I was out on my route at the end of last May when I started feeling major chest pains. I'd had minor pains for a couple of days. A couple of days before I had done most of the work installing a swamp cooler. But when it really started hurting, I was afraid I was having a heart attack. I brought the mail back to the main office and they called the fire department and ambulance. I spent the night in the hospital sucking oxygen through my nose and hooked up with more wires than Frankenstein. After observing me overnight, the hospital let me go. But they did some blood tests on me. A couple of my liver functions tested high. Did you know there is a medical specialist known as a 'Hospitalist'. He told me I should quit drinking and referred me to a Primary Care Physician and a Cardiologist. The Cardiologist reran the blood tests and the same liver functions were running high. He ordered an ultrasound and the Hepatitus ABC blood test, In the meantime, I took the stress-echo test. I managed to stay on that treadmill for the whole time even as it got faster and the incline increased. The Cardiologist tells me I have less than a one percent chance of having a heart attack in the next year. But the ultrasound showed that my spleen is 'slightly' enlarged, My right kidney has a couple of cysts but I'm told that's normal for my age (I turn 52 next month). The initial blood tests came back negative. I thought I was done with doctors for awhile. Then the Cardiologist calls me in again. He tells me I have tested positive for hepatitus-c. He refers me to a gastroenterologist. Did I spell that right? LOL. > Have you had a biopsy? Yeah. It wasn't much fun lying on my side for nearly three hours, Apparently my liver is slightly fatty and sliightly inflammed. No suprise there as I've imbibed WAY too much beer over the years. > How are you feeling? I feel pretty good. There is stuff that hurts. Much of it is part of this job. I've got symptoms of carpel tunnel syndrom in my left hand, And I think I have bone spurs in my feet. I KNOW I have floating bone chips in my right ankle. But my thyroid is good, my cholesterol is good, my blood counts are good. My blood pressure is good under medication. > Do you have any treatment plans? I'm going to get things started nest month. I put the treatment off for a couple of months because I wanted to change my health insurance. Being a federal employee, I have a fairly wide choice in insurance plans. I never thought much about my insurance before this year because I never went to the doctor. Suddenly, I'm seeing doctors all the time. Deductables, co-pays, and the 15% I had to pay ate a nice hole in my checkbood through the non-heart attack. I didn't think putting off the treatment for two months would affect my chances at success or failure. I needed to pay off the last of the bills from this last year I also needed to shop insurance plans. And it gave me time to set up a Flexible Spending Account to take care of the co-pays with nontaxable dollars. I go back to the gastroenterologist January 10th. Dunno how long it will take before I start after that. I'm ready to start now but I gotta wait for the wheels of bureaucracy to grind. > And last but not least, do you have any questions? Of course you do. > Please remember, the only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask. No questions yet. I sure I'll think of a dumb one at some point. But I've done plenty of research. Hell, I've been lurking here for the last three months. LOL. > Take care, Thanks. You, too. Curtis >> If you've been lurking for a couple of months you should know what to >> expect, and congratulations for getting the jump on us with [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > afraid I was having a heart attack. I brought the mail back to the main > office and they called the fire department and ambulance. I had forgotten about this, but I used to get the same thing occasionally, even drove myself to ER once. Docs said it was panic attacks and prescribed some stumbler drug or other. Coincidentally, I have not had any chest pains, shooting pains in my left arm or difficulty catching my breath since doing tx for hep c. I haven't heard of this being a hep c symptom (but there are *so* many and everyone seems to have a different batch), but your story makes me wonder. > I spent the night in the hospital sucking oxygen through my nose and > hooked > up with more wires than Frankenstein. After observing me overnight, the > hospital let me go. But they did some blood tests on me. A couple of my > liver functions tested high. Did you know there is a medical specialist > known as a 'Hospitalist'. Treats hospitals? He told me I should quit drinking and referred me > to a Primary Care Physician and a Cardiologist. > The Cardiologist reran the blood tests and the same liver functions were [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > tells me I have less than a one percent chance of having a heart attack in > the next year. Which is probably as good as they can guarantee for any of us over 50! > But the ultrasound showed that my spleen is 'slightly' enlarged, My right > kidney has a couple of cysts but I'm told that's normal for my age (I turn > 52 next month). You beat me by four months, old man! The initial blood tests came back negative. I thought I > was done with doctors for awhile. Then the Cardiologist calls me in > again. > He tells me I have tested positive for hepatitus-c. And isn't that a quite a little shocker? He refers me to a > gastroenterologist. Did I spell that right? LOL. Very good, but BCLD is much easier. >> Have you had a biopsy? > > Yeah. It wasn't much fun lying on my side for nearly three hours, > Apparently my liver is slightly fatty and sliightly inflammed. No suprise > there as I've imbibed WAY too much beer over the years. The biopsy results should include stage of liver damage. Mine showed bridging fibrosis/cirrhosis but then I'd had hepatitis c, I think, since 1982 and imbibed WAY too much wine! Hopefully yours won't be that bad. Oh yeah, you spelled "slightly" wrong <grin> >> How are you feeling? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > my right ankle. But my thyroid is good, my cholesterol is good, my blood > counts are good. My blood pressure is good under medication. The most common symptoms seem to be fatigue and depression; sounds like you've missed out on both. I doubt the bone chips are caused by hep c unless you kicked something really hard when you got the diagnosis. >> Do you have any treatment plans? > > I'm going to get things started nest month. <but he can spell gastroenterologist...> I put the treatment off for a > couple of months because > I wanted to change my health insurance. Being a federal employee, I have [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > for > the wheels of bureaucracy to grind. Your doc can write the scrip for you as soon as he wants to, and if you let him know that you're really eager to begin the battle he may fast-track things for you. >> And last but not least, do you have any questions? Of course you do. >> Please remember, the only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > done plenty of research. Hell, I've been lurking here for the last three > months. LOL. Yes, it does sound as if you've done your homework; congratulations on that. I found that the more I learned about hepatitis c, the less frightened I was about it and the more I wanted to get cured of that nasty little dragon. You'll do just fine! One bit of advice from Been There Done That, talk to your doc about anti-depressants and, ideally, begin them a few weeks before you fire up the big guns. Depression and other weird and wonderful mental side effects are perhaps the most common of treatment, and no one needs to make the ride any rougher than it is. But then, if you've been lurking for a few months, you know that already. Right? All the best to you and the aliens in Roswell, Waterspider > I had forgotten about this, but I used to get the same thing occasionally, > even drove myself to ER once. Docs said it was panic attacks and [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > symptom (but there are *so* many and everyone seems to have a different > batch), but your story makes me wonder. Nah, it wasn't a hep c symptom. I just pulled a chest muscle a couple of days before while shoving around a swamp cooler. I made it worse loading mail into the truck on the morning of the incident. I ignored the pain and went out onto my route. The pain didn't go away. It wasn't typical heart attack symptoms. It was a couple of inches too low. But we'd had a health and safety talk a couple of weeks before about heart attack symptoms sometimes being atypical. After a couple of hours of delivering, I brought the mail back. I didn't think I was having a heart attack, but I couldn't rule it out either. My supervisor called 911. Thus was set into motion a chain of events where I find out I'm chronic Isn't 'chronic' really good weed? LOL. >> Did you know there is a medical specialist >> known as a 'Hospitalist'. > > Treats hospitals? A Hospitalist acts as your PCP during the time you stay in the hospital. Coordinates your care. I was in the hospital for about 24 hours. I saw him three times. He referred me - no, he ordered me to see a PCP and a Cardiologist. > You beat me by four months, old man! OLD MAN?!?!!??!?!? This isn't gray in my hair - it's platinum blond. LOL >> He tells me I have tested positive for hepatitus-c. > > And isn't that a quite a little shocker? I suppose 'Yeah' would be an understatement. >>> Have you had a biopsy? >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > 1982 and imbibed WAY too much wine! Hopefully yours won't be that bad. Oh > yeah, you spelled "slightly" wrong <grin> Sheesh! I didn't have my bifocals on. LOL. And who are you calling me an old man? LOL. Stage 1 - no fibrosis/cirrhosis. >>> How are you feeling? >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > you've missed out on both. I doubt the bone chips are caused by hep c > unless you kicked something really hard when you got the diagnosis. I gotta confess the I do get fatigued. Must have been that 54 hour workweek. >> I'm going to get things started nest month. > > <but he can spell gastroenterologist...> Did I mention not wearing the bifocals when I proofread that post? LOL! > One bit of advice from Been There Done That, talk to your doc about > anti-depressants and, ideally, begin them a few weeks before you fire up > the big guns. Depression and other weird and wonderful mental side effects > are perhaps the most common of treatment, and no one needs to make the > ride any rougher than it is. But then, if you've been lurking for a few > months, you know that already. Right? I'm gonna take a wait-and-see atttitude on the antidepressants. I know I may regret it. I've gotten crankier as I've got older and I deal with the public. But I'm not quite ready to smooth off all the rough edges yet. > All the best to you and the aliens in Roswell, Thanks, Curtis >> You beat me by four months, old man! > > OLD MAN?!?!!??!?!? This isn't gray in my hair - it's platinum blond. LOL Hahahaha! That's my line too! >> The biopsy results should include stage of liver damage. Mine showed >> bridging fibrosis/cirrhosis but then I'd had hepatitis c, I think, since [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Stage 1 - no fibrosis/cirrhosis. That's excellent! With treatment, your liver damage could easily disappear altogether, then it's back to the occasional brewski with no worries. >>>> How are you feeling? > I gotta confess the I do get fatigued. Must have been that 54 hour > workweek. I found that spirulina helped tremendously with my fatigue. It's a seaweedy stuff, highly recommeded if you don't have any problems with high iron levels. > I'm gonna take a wait-and-see atttitude on the antidepressants. I know I > may regret it. I've gotten crankier as I've got older and I deal with the > public. But I'm not quite ready to smooth off all the rough edges yet. You may be setting yourself up for way more misery than necessary. When you first start antidepressants, they don't do their anti-depressing work plus you'll have side effects from them (dry mouth and maybe a few others like headache, dizziness and nausea). Much more pleasant not to have those sides added to tx sides, and much more pleasant not to have to wait weeks for the damn things to have any effect on you. Just my two cents; it sounds like you've done your homework, have a great doctor and (most important) have the right attitude to kill the dragon. All the best to ya, Curtis, and let us know how its going, Waterspider >> OLD MAN?!?!!??!?!? This isn't gray in my hair - it's platinum blond. >> LOL > > Hahahaha! That's my line too! Great minds think alike. >> I'm gonna take a wait-and-see atttitude on the antidepressants. I know I >> may regret it. I've gotten crankier as I've got older and I deal with [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > sides added to tx sides, and much more pleasant not to have to wait weeks > for the damn things to have any effect on you. <~sigh~> You may be right. But until I actually feel depressed, I think I'll avoid the antidepressants. Don't get me wrong. I've been depressed for a couple of days over this. But I find life is good. And the highs out number the lows. So far anyway. Curtis, Roswell NM Hello Curtis! And welcome aboard! I had to jump in on this...the heart attack, panic attack thing. That's how I found out I had hep c. I went to the doctor because of a panic attack....even though I swore it was a heart attack. The doc ordered all these blood test and an ekg which came back abnormal, but he didn't seem to concerned to follow up on that. Anyway the blood test came back with high liver enzymes so he ordered a complete hep panel...the rest is history. I am still having issues with the panic attacks. I am thinking maybe it's due to a switch in my anti depressant and I haven't hit the theraputic dose yet? Or could it be something related to hep c? Anyway....hope you had an easy go this season. I was a courier for FedEx for years and dreaded Christmas. Hope the folks on your route took it easy on ya and were nice to you as well! dort >> I had forgotten about this, but I used to get the same thing >> occasionally, even drove myself to ER once. Docs said it was panic [quoted text clipped - 91 lines] > > Thanks, Curtis > Hello Curtis! And welcome aboard! > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > dort Hi, dort. And thanks for the welcome. Christmas is actually kinda easy around the USPS. Sure we get a LOT of extra packages. But a lot of the bulk mailings disappear. And nobody gets the Christmas cards they use to get. The two Mondays before Christmas tend to be our longest delivery days. Sunday gives the Postal Service an extra day to move packages from point A to point B. I worked about 3 hours of overtime over two weeks, but I went home a half hour early a couple ot days, too. The folks on my route were VERY nice to me. I guess they think I'm too skinny. I'll be snacking on unhealthy food for a month. I LOVE IT! LOL. Curtis http://www.usenet-replayer.com/cgi/content/framebanner_3?http://www.usenet-repla yer.com/L/8/8/1/1/1124071188.83.MP3 Roswell NM Welcome to the group, Curtis. You seem to bring some common sense to this group. Freaky, man! elmo http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/DocElmosHepFile http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/TheFamilyAlbum > Welcome to the group, Curtis. You seem to bring some common sense to > this group. Freaky, man! > elmo Commen sense, me?!?!?!?!?!??! You must have me confused with someone else. Curtis Re: Hi Curtis! Group: alt.support.hepatitis-c Date: Fri, Dec 16, 2005, 5:29pm (CST-1) From: curtisstinnett@cableone.net (Curtis A Stinnett) <elmoemerson@webtv.net> wrote in message news:23342-43A2C302-259@storefull-3252.bay.webtv.net... Welcome to the group, Curtis. You seem to bring some common sense to this group. Freaky, man! elmo Commen sense, me?!?!?!?!?!??! You must have me confused with someone else. Curtis //////////// I probably do. :-) elmo it must have been 'the little smoke' http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/DocElmosHepFile http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/TheFamilyAlbum Hi Curtis. Welcome. I've been getting my tx under Fed Employee's BCBS Standard Option. The meds are incredibly cheap, but must come Fedex from Caremark. Big problems starting tx a year ago when Carmark took over the mail order pharmacy contract, but since then (mostly) smooth sailing. Office visit copays $15 with Preferred Providers. Big legal ruckus with Blue Cross in this Montana town of 50K, though. Causing problems for sick folks. Do keep in touch. Kathy Welcome Curtis!You have come to a place of abundant information.Ask anything about Hep C.All are welcome,all are welcome. BrianD > I've been lurking here for a couple of months. I think I instinctively > like most of you. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Feel free to insert an 'alien going postal' joke here. LOL. > I've been lurking here for a couple of months. I think I instinctively like > most of you. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Feel free to insert an 'alien going postal' joke here. LOL. Welcome Curtis!.................................eileen |
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