Week 28 – Saturday
We have now been back from holiday for a few days. There was the usual experience of ’slotting’ back into the schedules and routine of everyday life – household jobs, work and ‘catching up’ on things (contacting the roofer to arrange revised dates for repairs, the garage where my car was serviced while we were away, etc). Suddenly life seemed to have speeded up again. So today, as the first day with no commitments, I have been lazing about and can’t say I have done much really.
Just worked out the numbers (again). On Monday I will be doing injection #30. With 18 remaining to Week 48.
As I read the Forum and begin to catch up on the blogs I am feeling both very fortunate and somewhat boring at this stage of treatment. I have moved away from that heightened sense of awareness and anxiety about side-effects that I initially had at the beginning, accepted (for the most part) the limitations of living ‘inside’ treatment and feel generally ‘well enough’ to get on with everyday life in a limited sort of way.
The sides I experience (riba-hum, riba-rage, trouble sleeping, occasional days of fatigue, etc) are now all familiar and I employ my usual strategies for coping. And for the most part they work well. I feel fortunate not to have the severe effects others describe of headaches, rashes or pains. So I am feeling this blog doesn’t make very interesting reading at times.
On the other hand, this is my experience of the treatment and adds to the general ‘knowledge base’ of Hepatitis C treatment we are developing through our blogs.
I am interested in the idea I read on the Forum about various stages of tx and I guess this stage (getting on with everyday life in a limited sort of way) is one I will be better able to articulate with some hindsight.
It’s funny. While I am writing that I don’t have much of interest to say about treatment in this blog right now, I am aware that I have missed blogging and the blogging community while I was on my break. I couldn’t resist checking the Forum several times, enjoying the lively debates and discussions taking place and seeing how people were doing.
May 29th, 2005 at 1:16 pm
Hi Ron
Good to see you back blogging. The forum is going really well, and there’s no end of interesting discussion going on.
Hope you had a great holiday
Lu
May 29th, 2005 at 12:55 pm
Hi Ron,
Nice to see you back. Wonderful that you both had such a lovely vacation. I’m waiting until after treatment end to take some (August), but it seems a long way off.
Your blogs are never boring. The familiarity and ease you describe feeling at your current place in treatment are inspiring and provide me with comfort and security. Thank you,
Sue
May 29th, 2005 at 1:21 am
Welcome back Ron. After my own absence, I was a little concerned when you hadn’t posted since before my holiday – as for your blog getting uninteresting – I find the fact that your side effects are getting less ‘interesting’ interesting in itself! Using blogs to find commonality amongst so many diverse experiences is very reassuring – I hope after 30 weeks of treatment, this is another shared experience.
Ron writes: Hi Nick
Good to see you back blogging now after a long (and sounds like eventful) interlude.
Ron
May 28th, 2005 at 10:32 pm
Well I for one am glad you’re back Ron. I look forward to your regular imput. I finally got a treatment start date after seeing my nurse this week – 17th June. The meeting went well and I feel well prepared and grounded (thank you) despite being highly symptomatic at the moment. Please tell me what is Riba-hum??
Best wishes, Jayne
Ron writes: Hi Jayne
A start date at last ….. good news. Many have said that waiting for the start is one of the hardest parts, so hang in there.
Riba hum is mentioned by several bloggers. To me, it is the ‘alertness’ in my mind caused by the ribavirin, despite any physical fatigue. Someone recently said they felt like they had forgotten how to fall asleep (as the riba-hum keeps going despite their tiredness). Not too difficult to deal with and not too great a problem.
Ron
June 1st, 2005 at 7:32 am
hi ron. i’m glad you’re back online. our hep c awareness week went really well with michele’s photos used for several of the events with a great repsonse from the punters. there are some photos online at http://www.ntahc.org.au if you are interested. there’s even a couple of moi!
hope you’re well and rested
tom pryce
June 1st, 2005 at 12:05 pm
Hi Sue, Lu and Tom
Thanks for your comments and good wishes.
My comments about ‘nothing interesting to write about my treatment’ are leading me to realise there are other hepC related ideas and issues I would like to write more about. Watch this space…..
Ron
June 2nd, 2005 at 12:22 am
we’re watching!