Checkin in  

Group: alt.support.hepatitis-c Date: Fri, Jul 21, 2006, 11:17pm (CDT+5)
From: tairube@verizon.net (Firestar)
Hi folks,
Just checking in. I haven't had the energy or inclination to participate
in much of anything the past couple of months. Mostly just coming home
from work and going to bed.
This is week 14 (out of 72 total) and for the first time I'm having
doubts about whether or not I really want to complete round 2 of tx.
This time around the sides are much worse than before. I feel like sh.t
all the time, and like sh.t warmed over for 3 or 4 days after my
injection. Dried up tear ducts, eczema and the old familiar itchy riba
rash are back. Of course the usual shortness of breath, R upper quadrant
pain and GI spasms don't help much either.
I guess this was to be expected with the increased dosage this time -
210 mcg Peg-Intron and 1600 mg Riba daily.
I'm a bit worried that it has started to affect me in other ways as
well. Today I left work a couple of hours early. I passed off
responsibility for transfusing and coordinating emergency measures for a
patient with a massive GI bleed secondary
to a severe coagulopathy. Thank God my senior Blood Bank tech was there
to take over. In the past 30+ years I have never left work under those
conditions before. I feel like I ran out on the patient and my staff.
But I also knew (thought) that I needed to get away from the hospital
right away. I don't know what I'd do if my intermittent brain fog led to
a miscalculation for a patient. God, I hate this! When I think of Elmo,
Thomas and several others in the ng who have endured multiple rounds of
tx I feel like a whimp. Oh well, only six more days until shot #14. I
can hardly wait! Sorry for the mini-rant, but if I can't vent with you
guys I'd just be screaming in the dark...... Thom /////////////
You're no wimp, Thom!  Yeah, I think you should be expecting a rougher
ride this time with the high dosage of meds you're taking.  How are all
your labs looking?  Have you talked to your doc about reducing the
dosage of riba by a cap (200 mg) once you become undetectable?  This
might be a good time to talk to your boss about the concerns you have
for making critical errors.  Is there any way he/she can take you out of
the patient care loop far enough that you can't hurt anybody?
Unfortunately, most short-term disability plans only cover you for six
months, you may want to save that option for the 'downhill' ride (the
last 6 months).  Have you got other 'time off' options?  Maybe a shorter
work week?  About the only other thing I could suggest would be to make
sure you're well hydrated and that you are eating as well as staying on
top of your labs and treating side-effects as soon as they pop up.  Keep
sight of your goal....!
A little, or alot of, mj would help your outlook too.  :-)  
Thanks for checking in, Thom, would gladly take some of the misery
you're experiencing if I could.  Hang in there, bro.
Elmo

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

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

Hi folks,
Just checking in.  I haven't had the energy or inclination to participate in
much of anything the past couple of months.  Mostly just coming home from
work and going to bed.
This is week 14 (out of 72 total) and for the first time I'm having doubts
about whether or not I really want to complete round 2 of tx.  This time
around the sides are much worse than before.  I feel like sh.t all the time,
and like sh.t warmed over for 3 or 4 days after my injection.  Dried up tear
ducts, eczema and the old familiar itchy riba rash are back.  Of course the
usual shortness of breath, R upper quadrant pain and GI spasms don't help
much either.
I guess this was to be expected with the increased dosage this time - 210
mcg Peg-Intron and 1600 mg Riba daily.
I'm a bit worried that it has started to affect me in other ways as well.
Today I left work a couple of hours early.  I passed off responsibility for
transfusing and coordinating emergency measures for a patient with a massive
GI bleed secondary
to a severe coagulopathy.  Thank God my senior Blood Bank tech was there to
take over.  In the past 30+ years I have never left work under those
conditions before.  I feel like I ran out on the patient and my staff.  But
I also knew (thought) that I needed to get away from the hospital right
away.  I don't know what I'd do if my intermittent brain fog led to a
miscalculation for a patient.  God, I hate this!
When I think of Elmo, Thomas and several others in the ng who have endured
multiple rounds of tx I feel like a whimp.  Oh well, only six more days
until shot #14.  I can hardly wait!  Sorry for the mini-rant, but if I can't
vent with you guys I'd just be screaming in the dark......
Thom