Monday, June 12, 2006
Some Treatment Tips For Hepatitis C
I would like to say, I am far from being
an expert on Hepc, nor do I claim to be....
Trust me, I am not a Chatroom Doctor!
I'm just a sister that made it through her journey
and would like to help my fellow brothers & sisters
with their's!
You might say I was the "Poster Child for Interferon"
since it took me, 3 years of interferon injections
to become Virus Free, Hey I'm a blonde want do you want, lmao
I soon realized, not at first, that if I wanted,
to get well, I would have to be in charge!
So I gathered, as much information as
I could from the liver foundation,
because at the time, I did not have access to
the internet....
I would also prepare my questions for my doc
at home & wrote them down, because the treatment
was doing havoc with my memory.
I also joined Sherring Plough's "Be in Charge Program",
they sent me some information about Hepc,
that I found useful. They also assigned a nurse to me,
and she would call once a month, to see how I was doing.
That is great especially, if live by yourself,
at least you don't feel alone.
Most important tip, I can share is water, water,
water .... drink plenty of it!
Water helps to flush the toxic chemicals that we are
putting into our bodies.
After work, I would make it about about me!
I surrended my kitchen skills, lol and handed
them over to my family, or I ordered in!
I also assigned chores to my daughter, son
and husband. If they wanted me to get well....
Well, they would have to pitch in. Was tired of being
"Wonderwoman". I needed help, and
wasn't too proud to ask.
Most nights, you would find me on my couch,
listening to my favorite cd's. My husband bought me
a cd of nature sounds, that was that relaxing.
I always had the lights out, and surrounded myself
with candles and incense. Every Saturday,
I would go to the florist and buy myself some flowers.
I desperately needed to be surrounded by beauty,
since interferon was so very ugly!
For my achy, breaky, body I took lots & lots
of long bubble baths with mineral oils,
hmm that feels good! I also had an affair with my heating pad,
for three years! I'm happy to report that I ended that,
and me & hubby are back together, lol.
I also took tylenol or comtrex flu medicine
about 1/2 prior to injection to sort of get a jump start on the sides.
I ran a fever for three years, so this helped.
I found that by taking my injections between 7-8PM
that worked great for me, as soon as the
sides kicked in, I would take a sleeping pill,
and check out.
I decided to play with my calendar,
and started putting x's on my shot days.
When, my journey seemed endless, I would look at all
the x's and forcus on how many I already taken,
not how many I had ahead of me....
For my spiritual side, I was into meditation and
visualization, I would always see myself running
along the beach, laughing, and very healthy,
looking oh, so good with a great tan.
I felt if I believed that, I would be well,
just maybe I would.
I also kept a journal, for my inner most feelings.
I was undergoing so many emotions, and didn't
want to bother my family, with all, of what,
I was feeling. Besides they would have thought
I was nuts, lol ..
So, I expressed myself in writing, not in talking...
It felt great, to really express how I was feeling,
however, as I sometimes read my journals,
of which I have many, (three years worth)
I ask myself, hmm, now what was I thinking.
I did not suffer from serious depression.
When I felt, a little "out of my dish" I would remind myself,
that these thoughts were being induced by interferon,
and was not my thinking, it was the interferon. I was lucky,
that worked for me ....
However, many experience severe depression and
need anti-depressants, please inform your doc.
There are also some that have contemplated suicide,
please take this very serious and contact
your doc immediately.
Happy Trails to you!
# posted by Joyfulstill @ 12:14 PM 
