Two positive events this week!
The first was my monthly support group meeting - a very wide range of people, a mix of people taking treatment, considering treatment, and going for alternative treatment. Very positive and supportive. We agree not to discuss the meeting so all I can say is that I realise I am getting off lightly with the side effects so far. It also reminded me that because it is so easy to cut oneself I always carry plasters with me at all times now to patch myself up - I cut my finger in the centre of London the other week (it was a paper cut) and ended up being late for a meeting as I had to go and buy plasters . So now i alsways carry some with me,
The second was my three month visit to the hospital. My basic ALT level has dropped to 28 (normal range is under 40) from the 50s.
I had a PCR test to measure my viral load today too at the hospital and the results will be ready when I go back in five weeks time. Yes five weeks! It should be four. But I had to postpone my September meeting by one week. I hadn't realised the impact this had on the system - I had to get a prescription for the extra week's drugs which (serves me right) meant waiting for over half an hour while the pharmacy in the hospital made up the precsription. Funnily, I did not get irritable!!
My white blood count has dropped from 290 before treatment to 211 now. My haemoglobin level now is 11.6 (from 16.0 before I started treatment) and my platelets are 118 (from 242 before treatment). The nurse said if the haemoglobin count goes down to 8 or 9 I should expect to get really tired. I was also advised that people on 48 week treatment often get a low and feel wretched about 8 weeks before finishing treatment. Some side effects may get worse, but then the longer one takes treatment the better one adjusts one's coping strategies.
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