Whoa! I say WHOA there, son!
Take a deeeeep breath....exhale slowly....there ya go....

Ok, so you've been waiting for 2 years to get treated through the VA, and now
that your doc has pulled the trigger, you're excited.
I'd say that's a good thing!
It'll likely still be a month from today before you take your first injection,
so you should have time to get your stuff in order.

You'll be on Peg-Intron, Schering-Plough's brand of pegylated interferon.
It'll show up in half-milliter syringe kits, one for each Friday night for 24
or 48 weeks - see next paragraph. You'll also be eating two handfuls of
Ribavirin daily - somewhere between 800 milligrams and 1600 milligrams total
per day.

Which brings us to genotype: do you know yours? If you are genotype 1 or 4,
you're in for a 48 week long ride on the therapy train. If you are g2 or g3,
you only have to take the 24 week ride.

You're seeing a shrink because underlying depression can get magnified
big-time while on therapy. This can almost always be countered with
anti-depressants, and some docs will put you on the anti-Ds two or more weeks
before you get your HCV meds, just to give the anti-Ds a head start (bad pun).

You've probably heard a lot about side effects from treatment. Well, some
folks cruise through their entire course of therapy with no major issues,
while others battle just to get through each day.

It's a genetic crap shoot where you end up in the spectrum of possibilities -
just as it's pretty much a genetic crap shoot whether your immune system can
beat the crap out of the virus before it has a chance to mutate and thus evade
your attack.

As far as the machinations of the VA health system, I have zero knowledge of
such matters, but there are others here that are well-versed in "How The VA
Works - Or Doesn't" that may chime in. On the up-side, you've made it through
enough of the bureaucracy to get within reach of treatment :-)

So, things to do while you're waiting for the train:

Get a dental check up. If you have any issues they can be treated before you
get onto therapy, which can cause low white blood cell counts which in turn
can allow a lurking infection go bananas. Easier fixed before than after.

Get your eyes examined, with particular attention paid to the retinas.

Your hair may start growing out much thinner, drier, and prone to breakage
while you're on therapy. Don't panic, it'll all go back to normal within 6
months of completing the drug regimen. You can try fighting back with shampoos
recommended for chemo-heads like Nioxin - start using it before you start the
combo drugs - and using a silk pillowcase, using a soft brush instead of
combs, etc, but start thinking about a shorter hair style ;-)

Start lining up your support team, the family and friends that will be
impacted by you being on treatment. You'll likely be leaning on them from time
to time.

As for encouragement, hook yourself to a support group - like this one - and
you'll get all the support you can handle. Ask any question you can think of,
someone will be along to help...

Cheers

/greyhackles

Get your eyes checked.  I am 48 and it is time to start loosing my eye
site, but I noticed my eyes going bad during the first go at
treatment.  They are still getting worse.

I know that old age does this too, but it is listed as a side effect.
Ask your doc.

As long as you stand on the shrink's desk and yell 'KILL KILL", you
should get your meds.  :-)
In the past couple of years, my experience with the VA has been pretty
good, overall.  Are you seeing a specialist?  You'll do fine, Glenn.
Relax.  
elmo    

http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/DocElmosHepFile

http://community.webtv.net/elmoemerson/TheFamilyAlbum

I did my tx through the VA also.  But it only took about 3-4 months to
get on tx.   Got my psych eval, ultrasound, skipped the biopsy because
of a hemangioma on my liver and being a Genotype 2.  One thing though
was I never spoke to a doctor throughout treatment.  A certified
Physician's Assistant was it for me which was typical at the VA Great
Lakes facility in Illinois.  Did you have take a little written
psychiatric profile that asked depression related questions and stuff
like have you ever had "suicidal ideations".  I think telling them you
have had "suicidal ideations" will pretty much kill your chances of
getting on tx with them.   They don't take kindly to recent drug
and/or alcohol abuse.  Good luck.

Don