HI, its so confusing. My Dr didnt even run the viral load after the first week, my Dr only disucced blood component tests. I was disappointed.  I find it really odd that there are so many variables to how each persons Dr handles things, it doesnt seem like there is a clear cut time frame *or is it the Drs not knowing enough about treatment maybe?  I guess maybe some variables might be what insurance companies will pay possibly?  Ok, its shot time.

Wow, I am all kinds of confused.

I started treatment yesterday and was given a lab slip and a follow-up appointment for March 19.  

I keep looking at the calendar and I am pretty sure March 19 is in the beginning of week 4 for me.  Only I was instructed to get the labs drawn on March 14th, which is in the middle of week 3-exactly 20 days in.  28 days would be March 22nd.  

Seems kind of soon be be getting my labs drawn...

What do you guys think?

Hope everyone gets to Undetected soon. It is a relief. I felt like jumping for joy I was so excited when I learned my result. Love to everyone.

Seems like it's different depending on whether you are doing Victrilis (sp?) or Incivek.  I'm on Incivek and had my blood drawn yesterday, my 5th shot coming up this Friday.  I'm told I'll have my results tomorrow or Friday, so I'll post them when I know (fingers crossed!).  I have great confidence in my practitioner and live in a medically progressive area, so I feel like they don't mess around.

yea.. my doc said the same. i was ahead of labs by a week. don't get their plan of this but hey.. i let them figure it out!! 

That is indeed a good question, one that caused me a lot of grief for a while. I actually started Victrelis at the end of the 5th week (6th shot), but I was just following the doctor's instructions. After studying the various product literature over and over, I believe that I started a week late, and my labs may be off a week as well. After I started the Vic, I was so confused and frustrated that I had to force the nurses to give me a definitive schedule for the labs. So now, I know what to do and when, and whether its off a week or not doesn't matter anymore. I have been doing once a week CBC and hepatic function labs since starting Vic, so I really just need to remember when to do the viral load, too. This Thursday is my week 12 viral. Did one at week 8 (UND), but not at week 4 - just following the instructions I had. I use my Outlook calendar to track just about everything, but that's just the way I operate.

I need to have blood work done and the Dr left it up to me to go in to get it done and told me to make an office appt 10 days after taking the test.

My 4th shot is friday. That means that 3 weeks have gone by, so next friday after would be shot 5 and that would be the completion of 4 weeks.

Do people go in like the following Monday and then get their results 10 days after that? I will be starting with the Victrellis with the fifth shot (end of four weeks of treatment). Am I figuring this out correctly? My Dr did not do a viral load test after a week, so this upcoming blood work will be my first to do that test since starting tx.

thank you, Suzanne

I questioned my Physician Assistant why she ordered 4 week labs for Incevik three days before my fifth shot. I was afraid it would come back positive if done 3 days early and told her If it did happen to be detected I would end  up having to do 48 weeks total TX.. She said it did not matter if done 3 days early and it was done 3 days before 5th shot. It was undetectable.I go to a big hepatology/liver transplant  center at a big teaching hospital. She was very sure it did not matter if done 3 days before the 4th shot, and she was correct.

This is an excellent question. Because the shot usually marks the beginning of the week, you feel like you are one shot ahead all the time. The fifth shot marks the end of the fourth week. So, anytime after the fifth shot (like the very next Monday) would be time to get your labs. I get so confused when I look at the doses left in the box in the refrigerator, but after I think it over for a minute it always starts to make sense again.

Did they give you a starter kit with a journal book in it? I find mine to be a very useful tool, because there is a line for the date for all the major events, and the Week # is in bold type on the page. It helps equate date to week.

I almost said "Welcome aboard and good luck on your labs", but I realized I have seen you here before. Good luck on your labs anyway.

Alan

-- Edited by news on Wednesday 22nd of February 2012 04:37:40 PM