Week 13 Post Treatment

I am having so much trouble with this blog these days. I cannot copy and paste.

Week 11 Post Treatment

Completed Week 11 post treatment

This morning I am sitting here absolutely exhausted. I had a huge day trip yesterday shopping a viewing a show in the big city. I didn’t get home until 1:00 a.m. and didn’t go to sleep immediately. I was going to try to do it without a sleeping pill, but I decided not to try as I didn’t want to put myself into major exhaustion today.

I want my strength back and even though it’s coming back, my joints are screaming in pain. I’ll have to break out the Tylenol this morning.

The changes in me have been subtle since returning from the “dark side”. My skin has improved even more since the last time I mentioned it here. I still have the speckled scars of the aftermath of the rash.

My hair is starting to return. Little sprigs and sprites popping up here and there and I have figured out how to fluff it so I look like my old self.

I probably look OK in appearance, but the inside is struggling to feel normal. Stomach problems are not gone, but improving. Eyelids are still giving me itching flare ups. Joints and muscles are giving me grievous agony.

I exhaust easily.

I want to do more, but cannot push it.

However, at the end of all this moaning life is much better for me these days.

Week 10 Post Treatment

Two words...acid reflux. I visited my regular doc over a week ago and he scribed me pills for acid reflux. I take two a day and I was dubious at the first as I didn’t have the obvious symptoms for acid reflux. However, I am pleased to say that after seven days of full meds I think they are doing the trick. It’s not gone, but the pain has subsided to a dull roar. I must have had it all through tx as I had that constant pain to one side. Interesting that I managed to get through 72 weeks of treatment and then once I stopped treatment it hit like a sledgehammer.

I still have the liver ache here and there. It is a different pain and the infamous “non-existent” liver ache is to be expected.

Still struggling with some skin issues. Mainly on my eyelids and lips. My eyelids are almost scalded looking on some days and itchy as heck. My doc agreed to let me use (sparingly) .05% cortisone cream on the lids. I must reinforce that I do use it sparingly as it is not supposed to be used close to the eyes and it can thin the skin. I am hopeful that this will go away soon.

Joint pain is hovering and has become worse as I purge the drugs from my system. I keep active by running up and down stairs and doing more things around the house. I intend to do minor light weight exercises this week. I cannot put it off as I can hardly open a jar and I need the strength building. That throb in the joints is there and those muscles scream from inactivity for 72 weeks of existing as two feet and a heartbeat.

I drive the car now and on Thursday I was driving to an appointment and I actually caught myself smiling. I am starting to have good days. The energy is zapped by the evening most days, but there are days I just want to do absolutely nothing.

By doing stuff around the house and being able to go and do what I want I am getting a sense of control of my life. While I was on treatment I had no control over anything that was important to me. I couldn’t be a Mom, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend as my whole life was consumed with treatment. I can do that now. The issue isn’t about me anymore.

Eight Weeks Post-Treatment

Completed Week 8 post treatment

Visited the clinic this week and received the results of my ultra sound I had the week before. Everything checked out and I was so relieved. I expected my liver or some other organ in there to be swollen, inflamed or diseased. It has been somewhat resolved and my treating doctor (who I met for the first time this week) indicated that it is stomach acid. Also, my right side pain is from a pulled muscle as in my weakened state I probably pushed myself a little too hard. He indicated that reaching up to get something out of the cupboard would cause this agony for someone like me who was inactive for so long. I accept that. However, I did have it to a lesser degree for two years so I must have had a low grade inflammation there.

Two days of a dissolving stomach pill and things are better.

I had my eight week post treatment blood tests done while I was there. PCR to be done end of July 2009.

I just want to feel like my old self and I am impatient. However, all those sides that were such huge issues during treatment have slowly subsided except for the fatigue. I have more energy and I want to keep going, but I get hauled back to my weakened state continually.

Minor stuff and as I said, I am so glad that the ultra sound came back OK. Phew! I dodged that bullet.

I think I saw a hair, yesterday. LOL

One thing I’m even more thankful for these last few days is that my younger boy walked away from a serious vehicle accident unhurt. It happened last Saturday morning. A van caused the accident and fled the scene to leave my son and his friend to struggle out of the crumpled vehicle. It was pretty serious and both boys were taken by ambulance and checked out at the hospital. They were both OK (tumbled and turned), extremely lucky, but my young fella’s car was written off. I hardly care, they are still both unscathed and healthy young boys.

Interestingly, the jerk that caused the accident and fled the scene has been caught on video camera that is a part of the security system of a business located in the area. The tape has been turned over to the police.

Seven Weeks Post Treatment

Working on week 7 post treatment

I do expect that my bloods (HGB and WBC, etc.) are up to normal by now as the symptoms of low blood have subsided. I can breathe.

Emailed the clinic and NP indicated that the symptoms I was having were not normal to post treatment sides. She suggested that I call the local hospital and see if they had a cancellation as she would like to have the ultra sound done prior to my appointment next week. They did have a cancellation and I’ll be done tomorrow.

I did try an over the counter acid reflux med yesterday. I’ll keep it going today to see if that helps. However, I am having reoccurring bouts of extreme pain within an hour and a half or two hours after eating. It lasts for approximately an hour to a point of extreme pain and then eases off. I am usually sore for a bit following the siege. I have to go to emergency, but I always find excuses not to go. I’m hoping it’s just a phase, but the phase is hanging on with a vengeance.

I’ll have to go to my own doc for more extensive investigation if the ultra sound is good.

Energy level is good for someone that has been dormant for 72 weeks of treatment. My weight is coming back up even though everything I eat feels as if I ate a lump of clay. Seeing very positive changes and my skin is improving. I still have the eye-lid scald thing so that will have to be investigated.

Had a few low dips in my mental attitude because of this stupid digestive thing, but I push through it and get out of it.

Working on Week 6 Post Treatment

I am coming along “detoxing” from treatment. I have noticed an improvement regarding my breathing and the cement block feels as if it has been lifted off my chest. Some colour is returning to my face and brain fog is lifting and my will is telling me to tackle projects, but the body is screaming in protest with sore muscles and joints with the exposure to new activities. The joints and muscles are protesting from being unused for 72 weeks. It was something I expected. It was a great piece of advice from NP not to go at an exercise regime for at least eight weeks. Just getting back into the grind is enough exercise for me. I am happy to report that I wore my knee high support hose yesterday and they didn’t fall down so my calves must be getting some muscle back. (You know you’re skinny when your support knee highs fall down)

A negative aspect is that it’s as if my digestive system has awakened from a coma and it’s giving me extreme grief. On treatment it seemed as if my digestive system shut down and the food just dumped through it. I ate but the weight loss was evident and I expect the digestive system just wasn’t doing its job because of the harsh drugs.

I have had a consistent side pain in the upper right hand side around the rib cage and under the back shoulder blade throughout treatment. It nagged me, but became more evident towards the last eight weeks of treatment. It was a symptom I had to a degree prior to treatment. I did have all the appropriate tests done regarding my gallbladder prior to treatment. It was indicated that it was probably a pulled muscle because I am right handed. (?) It is not a pulled muscle. It’s not the same feeling. It feels as if it’s inside.

The symptom has reared its ugly head with a vengeance since stopping the treatment and after consuming a turkey dinner later one evening this week I experienced severe pain upper right side to the point of vomiting. Being a sucker for punishment I ate a small plate of leftovers the next night and was rewarded with the same extreme pain to the point of vomiting again. The next night I ate cereal for dinner and I didn’t experience the severe pain. The next night towards the early morning I had the same excruciating pain. It seems to last an hour or so and then it subsides. After these “pain fests” I felt as if someone punched the heck out of my insides on the right side. I think I’m a pretty tough cookie (gloat), but these attacks of severe pain are almost intolerable. Tylenol does NOT even put a dent in the pain.

I did email my NP to see if this were a common occurrence coming off tx as I wanted to go to emergency both times I reached the point of vomiting. I didn’t go to local emergency because I’d have to spill out too much information and I’m not willing to do that.

NP will be off work for a week. There is no point in going to my local doc.

Something is very wrong.

End of Treatment - Undetectable :)

Working on Week 5 – Post tx

Nurse practitioner called on March 4 to tell me that my end of treatment blood test came back undetectable for the virus. It had been four weeks since I had it done and I knew it would take a while to get the results. However, I was pleased that it only took four weeks to receive the results.

I’m still in the game so I wait. Renewed hope...

I am pretty battle weary.

I am noticing that my breathing has improved more and more. Yesterday I realized that I seemed to have a bit of brain clarity and the fog is slowly lifting. I have introduced an Omega 3 type supplement into my recovery as I do need my brain to go back to work.

My runny nose symptoms have started to subside the last week.

I had to succumb to using very mild cortisone (over the counter 0.5 mg) cream on my eyelids. I tried for two full weeks to battle this renewed side effect that reared its head following tx. It wouldn’t go away and even though it’s not recommended to use this product near your eyes I had to use it, cautiously, for four days. I applied it sparingly, once in the morning and once at night. It took the edge of it, but I’m not clear of that lingering symptom yet.

Appetite is good and steadily gaining weight.

My skin tone is improving and I don’t think I look as ghastly white as my haemoglobin struggles to recover.

My joints and muscles are SCREAMING with protest regarding my renewed busyness. I know the joint and muscle pain is related to being inactive for 72 weeks and me trying to pick up with living a normal life (without regimented exercise). I was planning to get back into the swing immediately following tx and the nurse practitioner advised me to wait at least eight weeks following tx and she was right on the money with that piece of advice. I thought I could step right back into my regular life and I was so wrong. I have realized that just doing everyday stuff at a faster pace has made my muscles and joints sore and achy just as if I started a new exercise regime.

I ended up car shopping with my brother and my husband. They put me in the back of a Jeep and drove me around the city to car lots. Well, I was pampered up until then. I always sit in the front passenger side and I can usually drop right out of the vehicle (being just under 6 feet I like a higher vehicle to get in and out of). However, being shoved in the back seat was a whole different story for me following 72 weeks of tx. The two men tore out of the car and were at the door of the business while I was still trying to struggle myself out of the back seat. I was like a giraffe stuck and flailing. My muscles screamed in protest and I had no strength to pull myself out. I managed to get out (ungracefully) and my brother was looking at me as if I were the village idiot. It was as if I went to the gym and had a full work out and my muscles and joints screamed for several days following that scenario.

My eyesight problems are starting to diminish. I noticed a difference around week three, but this week it’s much better. I am not provoked into light flashes and pseudo migraine auras when I don’t wear my sunglasses in the house. I only had an estimate of four or five head banger migraines on tx, but I was plagued with the auras that bright light can cause. I would be sent into 20 minutes of whirly shimmering eyesight. Looking out the window, bright computer screen, television, fire place, over head light in a room would set me into these auras. I had to look like a rock star with the sunglasses on in the house all day no matter if it were a sunny day or not. I felt like an idiot.

The only thing that’s scaring me is the fact that I have lingering (sometimes nasty) side pain. It makes some days horrible and other days OK. I expect that it will pass once I purge more of the tx from my system.