Hep C Discussion Forum

Oh yea I remember you!

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/06/11/man-oozes-green-blood-before-operation.html

Day 28

Bitten by a Vampire today ...

... apparently my blood is still red, not green ... except when it's blue ... which it's really not.

 

-- Edited by Linuxter on Tuesday 16th of February 2016 07:56:17 PM

... Ya, as for the carrots ... the Green Smoothie Ranch ordered 27 pallets of those just the other day ...

... not ... I agree, getting to the bottom of that bag before they went bad would be rather difficult and if you managed to pull it off, like SF said, you will, no doubt, be one shade of orange or another ... 

Good Plan ... Try to test one or even two times a day if possible at ~ same times each day, be conscious of your diet (i.e. sodium intake in particular). You Doc will greatly appreciate that you have a record over time ... even if not a real long time period.

Best,

Dave

I was feeling the same thing the other day, getting very light headed upon standing and if I bent over to pick up a toy it would hit me. It felt like I was just going to completely black out, I was just dehydrated, after chugging water it went away. Haven't felt it since. Like everyone said you should mention it to your dr. just to be safe. Hope you get it taken care of and feel better!

Scott18927 wrote:

---

I hear ya Dave, I wouldn't be on the train if I hadn't have taken the steps to get here.  The first place I was getting looked at wasn't going to treat me and never even did a fibroscan.  My biopsy was 8 years old and I was F1.  I knew I felt horrible and they just kept blowing it  off.  So I had to make different appointments and finally got one to do the Scan and bam, F3 so got put on treatment.  But if I would have waited around for the first place to treat me, I can guarantee, I would have cirrhosis by then. 

---

 Ya, if just plain old age didn't get ya first ... LOL!

Don't know ... should discuss with the Doc though.

 

Dave

My ID Doctors office told me they had faxed the order for 4 wk labs to my local clinic (5 miles from home) so I don't have to make the 130 mile round trip to the ID Doctors clinic, called to verify that the order was received by the local clinic today (I need to take them tomorrow) and, Of Course, my clinic says they didn't receive anything.

I called the other local clinic (20 miles away, same Medical Network as mine, just different office) and they said they hadn't received it either.

Sent Message to ID Doctor's office and told them to please resend the order to my local clinic.

Couple of hours later I called local clinic again, they confirmed the order had been faxed.

Now I can go get my labs tomorrow, Boy, I tell ya, it sure does take being proactive, if you aren't, odds are you will NOT get adequate medical care, period (End of Rant ... actually not a rant, just another day dealing with dysfunctional medical systems).

Question: Why, in this day and age do medical offices even use fax machines (a totally outdated technology if you ask me)?

I'm aware of security concerns via the InterWebs but that's what encryption technology and secure servers are for. One of our referred doctor's offices doesn't even use electronic record keeping yet ... they do everything via hard copy (paper) ... boy are they behind the curve (Ya, like at least 20 years behind).

At least our local clinic does everything via electronic with the caveat that they still use fax ... but they are getting MyChart which is pretty cool, so patients actually have access to their medical records and messaging to/ from Dr's/ patients online.

 

Dave

 

 

Day 27

Feel surprisingly normal today, of course I'm pounding down water like the world will run out of it tomorrow.

The sun actually came out for a short while today (that always seems to lift the spirit).

Having fun with learning how to eat in a healthy way.

Think I'll take my 4 wk labs tomorrow and I have an appointment with my PCP on Friday, hopefully the labs will be back by then, don't know. If not, I'll discuss re-evaluating one or two meds I'm already taking and touch bases with her since I haven't been in since I started Tx.

 

Life is Good,

Dave

lol ... dogs will be dogs, Kayla looks/ sounds like a wonderful friend ... we say Hi back.

All makes sense, do pace yourself, think about the possibility of limited duty in case you need it, being around the very high voltage and dizziness are NOT a good mix. I know Tig knows some legal tricks if you need to use them to get time off work or at least some light duty. The decisions you are making seem to all be quite logical so it's good that you are doing what you can to cut yourself some slack right now. Great looking pup, we have a couple and they are as much a part of the family as we are ... ya gotta love that unconditional love they bring into our lives.

 

Take Care,

Dave

Hey Mike,

Maybe it would be easier if I had a larger container ...

... I will look for a larger glass container, I don't like drinking out of plastic for some reason, I know it's a bit weird but I worry about the chemicals leaching from the plastic. (Probably completely unwarranted but I have the preference non the less).

Regardless, I need to be drinking more (I thought I drank plenty but can see now that's not the case).

... I swear though, if I start growing fins and gills, I'm cuttin' back a little.   (Even if it would make swimming a lot easier)

 

Dave

Rev 3.10 ...

Ok, I got out a measuring cup and the water bottle I'm using holds exactly 2 Cups. (Forget the Ounces, forget the Gallons)

16 Cups = 3.78541 Liters

So I should be drinking 8 - 8.5 of these per day ...

... ya got an IV I can borrow 

Dave,

I hate to tell you this, but from the looks of that photo, you're taking way too much Cod Liver Oil or Fish Oil capsules. It has really changed your features buddy!! Steady as she goes mate, lol!!

I must have been using some of that "Fuzzy Math" ... (or is that "Foggy Math")

... I use a 26oz glass bottle to drink from

I have been forcing myself to drink a Minimum of 4 of those per day.

That's 104 oz = 0.8125 gal.

So it looks like I'm within the range of 3-4 liters/day but I can increase that to:

5 of the 26 oz containers which would be 130 oz = 1.01563 gal

1.01563 gal = 3.84 liters

I'm afraid 6 of those plus smoothies might make my teeth float, either that or I'd just have to just move into the bathroom altogether.

 

5 it is then,

Dave

-- Edited by Linuxter on Monday 15th of February 2016 03:44:47 AM

"Real Carrots" made me chuckle a little ... hehe ... 

Obviously I'm a true believer that plenty of good nutrition can't hurt any ... glad to see ya doing all you can to take care of yourself thorough this. Fortunately I think there are nearly as many good days as rough days if not more. Perhaps it's just that we find ways to circumvent the sides or maybe our bodies/ minds just keep adjusting, not really sure.

I haven't always been this nutrition conscious, I really need to feel as though I'm doing something to remedy things rather than just letting things take their course with Tx/ side effects etc, I think. For me, once I got past the initial shock of finding out I had HCV every thing seemed to change. As slow as it seemed at the time, the succession of events came relatively rapidly. Going from knowing virtually nothing about HCV to learning as much as possible about my condition, the treatment combinations used, how to maneuver through the health care system, the specific drugs and their side effects, whew ... concentrating on what I can do to improve my chances of SVR, improve my liver and generally take better care of myself.  Learning that you have a virus that will eventually kill you if you don't do something about it has a way of grabbing you by the shoulders and shaking some sense into you. I'm sure glad my PCP was on the ball, my ALT/ AST was not even out of range, it was high but not exceptionally high ... she had the wherewithal to dig deeper and give me the HCV test (ya gotta love those "A" student types when it comes to medicine). 

Nice to be doing something positive for our bodies after all those years of, "Taking Care of ourselves ... Not-So-Much".

 

Dave

Day 26

Pretty good day today, made a good batch of smoothies then tried making some V8 juice ... that turned out a bit iffy (I didn't feel like adding salt and sugar as is in the canned stuff). It'll work for a good soup base for sure, may taste a little better if a pinch of salt and pepper is added per glass, seemed to help.

Drinking LOTS of water today, I think my down days I may have slacked on that just a little ... dang, this stuff just requires a Minimum of half a gallon of H2O/ day, no exceptions.

Got a little exercise (maybe 15 minutes on the new bike trainer stand), it was pouring rain out and I felt like doing a little bit. Didn't push it too much, didn't want it to hit me like a brick. Felt good, I probably could have gone a bit longer without over-doing it.

All-In-All an all around good day ... Jo and I put off dinner out till we both feel more like it, she's still down a bit from that flu bug she had.

 

Hydrating,

Dave

Scott,

Perhaps you can just tell them that you are currently taking some meds that limit you physical endurance and strength.

If they ask more you could just say that you'd rather not discuss that but if you need to you could get a doctor to sign off on a "light duty" note of some sort.

That protects your privacy but also lets them know that you will be limited in what you can/ should do for the next couple of months.

Just a thought.

I certainly wouldn't change your meds at all until you talk to your specialist.

Good that you got a message in, they should get back to you fairly quickly, at least by tomorrow sometime (I doubt they are closed President's Day).

 

Dave

Hi again Scott,

I'm glad to hear that you are doing what you can to take it easy, sounds like you are doing well with the situation in spite of the fact that it's a tough one. Being reasonable and allowing yourself to rest WAY more than usual, eat some breakfast in the morning (time for those steel rolled oats) and hydrate well should all help, even it it's just a little.

Like I said, you do sound like you are being reasonable and trying not to overdo it ... keep those thoughts with you as you proceed ... and do get help wherever possible right now ... even if you have to spend a little extra $ to do it, you can make that up later when you're free of the HCV and the meds.

Hang in there, keep us posted ... the meds are doing their stuff and your system is fully saturated by now ... that's all a good thing.

 

Dave

Hi Dragonfly and Gracie,

Happy Valentines Day to you both!

Thanks for the encouragement, I'll be sure to let myself relax and make room for more of those "Do Nothing Days" ... 

Pretty easy for me since I'm retired now and try to live my life like that in general ... but it's easy to get a bit wound up sometimes (especially taking the Riba) ... it takes being conscious of how we are doing in terms of dealing with things and staying relaxed. That's where feedback from my friends here is so helpful ... every day I'm glad I found this place.

 

Scott,

This must be a most difficult time to be moving, that's even rough when you're feeling fine. Can you get help from friends and/ or family? Can you delay the move, you really shouldn't have to push yourself physically right now. It is good that you are pacing yourself so far, you may need to even slow down a bit more if you must continue. Don't let getting busy get in the way of drinking huge amounts of water, perhaps keep a water bottle with you all the time, it will help remind you to hydrate a LOT.

I haven't felt the near black outs, that sounds like you may be starting to get anemic, you should tell your Dr or at least the nurse and arrange for checking your red blood cel count, they may need to adjust the amount of Riba you are taking. Give them a call right away, and try to find a way so you don't have to do the move right now if at all possible ... that's a lot of stress both physically and mentally right now.

Dave

 

It seems to take long, but honestly, it goes by quick. Before you know it, you'll be done. And while good nutrition and hydration are important, so is letting yourself off the hook from time to time. Spend a day in you pjs watching a movie marathon and eating whatever you want. These type of days can leave you with a sense of rest fullness and peace that you couldn't get any other way. I called them "do nothing day" and actually planned them in my calendar as I'm kind of a workaholic. 

Keep on truckin.... You are on you way to a hep c free life .... Xo

Hey Tig,

I do have my daily spreadsheets that have room for notes and mood etc. Didn't really feel like filling it out for a couple of days but got things caught back up today.

I also use a calendar as a backup so I keep my "meds taken" straight along with a pill container, of course.

Writing things down is probably a good idea but it'll have to wait 'till I feel more like it.

I got a few more supplies for smoothies and snacks and stuff so I can at least keep the nutrients up.

Hey, I'm glad to have good times along with the carp ... this morning was good, I'll hit the hay early again, seemed to help and get me through most of the next day last time.

 

Thanks,

Dave

Hang in there buddy! Next week, those awesome test results will supercharge your desire to go on. You'll get proof that your hard work is doing more than just serving up more "carp" each day. I kept a journal of my experiences during treatment and recommend it. It will be a reminder of how important the journey was on those days you were just too burned out to care or remember. 

Same ol' yuck, different day ...

Trying to keep myself occupied so I don't dwell on feeling like carp.

Actually this stuff gives carp a bad name.

I dream of a day when nobody ever has to take this stuff again (fortunately that day is going to be a reality soon thanks to the brave souls doing trials right now).

Hydrate, Headphones and keep the Heck away from everyone ...

... that's my plan and I'm stickin' to it!

8 wks 3-1/2 days to go ...

 

Dave

Scott,

I occasionally will put steel rolled oats in a piece of cheesecloth tided at the top, into a bath as it fills. Natural and helps your skin without stripping the oils away (And Really Helps with the Itching). I agree with Tig, every other day is about the max one should shower/ bathe while on Tx. Try to protect your skin when outside from not only the sun but from dry air (i.e. Wear long sleves when outdoors even if it's a tad on the warm side).

I don't use much soap at all, just the shower water and a very small amount of Dove hand soap that has no fragrance etc.

The Riba does permeate the system, no doubt and makes most anything in, on or around you stink but that's what it does and I just go with the flow and let it do it's thing.

As far as skin feeling bad, my skin is actually feeling more soft and pliable since I've been hitting the greens and other veggies and fruits. Seems to help a LOT. I try to eat a bowl of Oatmeal for breakfast, whole grain and not the Instant kind. Seems to also help.

I've been experiencing a little rash but very minimal so far. I noticed wherever my skin was compromised (like I had a burn on my arm from the wood stove before I started Tx) the area of the burn blistered up and got very itchy ... so I think doing the most you can to keep the natural oils and top layers of skin in good health is very important.

Eat Foods Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Flavonoids

Both groups of nutrients are strongly associated with healthy blood vessels, which are essential to experiencing optimal blood flow to and from your skin cells.

Healthy foods that are naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids include:

• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Raw walnuts
• Wild salmon
• Fresh or dried seaweed
• Freshly ground flax seeds
• Freshly ground hemp seeds
• Free-range eggs

Healthy foods that are naturally rich in flavonoids include:

• Lettuce
• Acerola cherries
• Citrus fruits
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Spinach
• Goji beries
• Asparagus
• Lima beans
• Kidney beans
• Raw cacao

I didn't watch the Podcast here but you might find the text here helpful ... it's about our skin.

 

Hope it helps,

Dave

-- Edited by Linuxter on Saturday 13th of February 2016 12:02:58 AM