I think he wanted frequent tests the first month to monitor our hemoglobin levels.  After this, it's wk 4, 8 and 12, with VL each time.  We're being treated by a transplant doc that Paul's GI sent him to.  Maybe that's the difference with frequency. 

Since we hit our out of pocket max early in the year, our costs are paid by insurance 100%...until January 1st for Paul, and when I'm forced to go on Medicare at age 65 in October.  Who knows how Medicare will handle it.  At least I'll have all my V-P/Riba scripts in my possession by then.   Long live bureaucracy!!...not.

P.    

Hi 3P,

No worries there! Everything is heading in the right direction. Relax and concentrate on all the good news to come. I'm surprised to see your doctor performing all these tests. Many get them before treatment, once during and 12 weeks after finishing. It's nice to know your doc is staying on top of things, as long as you're not having to pay for all of them! Cha-ching$$ Good luck on the viral load, but with numbers like this, I expect it to be good news as well.

Good Stuff 3P! Your AST and ALT are the lowest I have seen!- meaning your liver inflamation is very low. Carry on.

Just got my new labs back.  Though still out of range, my RBC, HGT and HCT are moving in the right direction.  The RDW is newly out of range, but B/C ratio and glucose are now well within range.  Much better!

I didn't mention platelets before cuz I've always had a ton, but even those went up from 206 in July to 249 yesterday.   Next Monday's labs will include VL - first time since SOT. 

Thanks again everyone for the new perspective; "I may feel crappy, but I'm getting better"!!

             Aug 10         Aug 3      Jul 11

rbc           3.51           3.48       4.72

hgb          10.5           10.2       14.3

hct            32.3          31.1       31.9

rdw            15.6         13.9         13.4

anion gap      9              9         10

glucose        78            116       92

bun             14             20         8

creat            .68           .66        .75

b/c ratio       20             30        10

total bill        1.4          1.8         .5

ast                16           18         28

alt                 16          20         28

 
-- Edited by Penelope PePod on Monday 10th of August 2015 02:58:12 AM

---

F,

Glad to hear your kidney issues are improving.  It may be slower than you'd like, but it's going in the right direction and that's what matters!  Crossing my fingers for your tests next month.

Penny

I didn't take any homeopathic remedies until after treatment, nor did I use any herbal teas.  I'm cleared for all of that now.  My 3 month blood tests will be in September.  Also, I saw my nephrologist and it seems that my kidney issues are improving, albeit slowly.  Kidney function, itself, has always been normal. More tests for that will happen at the 3 month mark along with the tests ordered by the gastroenterologist.  Nervous, of course, about remaining undetected.

F.

Well, you all made me cry, again, but it's a good cry.  I think I'll put a little sign up, maybe by the tissue box, that says 'It's because it's working!!!'  Thank you all for giving me this new perspective.  Guess it's like they say - you've got to break some eggs to make an omelet.

I love reading everyone's results - congrats to you all and good luck on you next results. 

Yes Femapples, I hear you. Reading up on Chinese homeopath for years  has given me alot of insight on the liver controling your mood. It controls the happy chemistry and the bad moods we get in. There are alot of natural plant varieties and tea that can lift it. But in NO WAY people on treatment should introduce during tx or post tx. What Penny is going through is normal. Her liver is alive and just battling the Dragon. But soon it will slowly subside. My stats went off a little too.  Oh.. F. I like your 12 week results. I asked the doctor about a EOT+4 weeker and drew blood Saturday. (it will be 7 weeks)  I have waited 8 yrs. for this determination and cant wait. (He only wanted a 12 week)  My muscle aches subsided last week. Liver pains seem to be lifting.

3P: You hang in there, you will beat that Dragon. You are just heading into the tough part of the treatment. I found when I got past 6 weeks I was good control and had a handle on what to expect.  You will be fine!

I agree with everything everyone said.  But I'd like to add a little something interesting.  During treatment, I saw an acupuncturist, a chiropractor and a homeopath, all of whom have an Eastern medicine point of view.  The liver is the organ that holds anger and the release of the anger may also be an indication that the liver is releasing the emotion associated with it, also indicating improvement in your health.

How about them apples?

F.

Hiya Penny

"I have no energy, my chest hurts, headaches, cough a lot, and cry on a daily basis because I feel just so emotionally raw and overall crappy."

All to familiar riba. side effects every bit of it. Some due to low hb but all caused by the riba. Hang in there and ride it out cause its working :) :) :)

Best to you. Stay hydrated 

Hi Penny, I agree with Tig that it`s the riba which is causing the drop in your Hgb and rbc and that`s why you`re feeling so tired.  With such a drop in you Hgb levels you`re bound to be noticing the difference in energy, and that`s also why you`re coughing and your chest hurts.  A lot of us who have been on treatment with included ribavirin will recognise those side effects.  It`s actually a good sign as it shows the treatment is working well!

Ribavirin is also well known for causing emotional upsets too, so try and remember that it`s the drugs which are causing these feelings and it will pass. 

ALT and AST look amazing!  You`re well on your way to SVR so stay calm, take extra rest, and treat yourself kindly. 

Keep us updated on your next results!

Your alt and ast look beautiful!!!

p.s. Yes, I'm flirting with your alt's and ast's :)))

I'll work on more water, I'm probably not drinking enough.  Thanks again. 

Are you hydrating enough? I think its a good idea to assure that you are drinking 3-4 liters of good water daily, without fail! Dehydration can cause some of the BUN and b/c ratio elevations. It's very important to hydrate properly, these drugs will dehydrate you without even realizing it.

I think that's it! If you have any questions, let us know. Tell us what you hear following the next tests. Good luck!

Tig,

Thanks for your response; I feel better knowing this is pretty much to be expected.  Guess I'll just hold on tighter and try to tuff it out.  Thanks!

Penny

I failed to mention that the Ribavirin is responsible for your emotional roller coaster. That stuff is well known for causing it. Lots of tears and anger are associated with it. That's one of the most difficult parts of treatment when Ribavirin is used. Avoiding the triggers that bring on these emotions is about the only thing you can do to minimize it. Let your doctor know about this and s/he may offer some options. These drugs can play havoc on your energy, mind and mood. We call it Riba Rage, it's real and it goes away after you have finished treatment. Hang in there!

Hi Penny,

I see the expected fluctuations from treatment expressed in those results. You are going to sometimes get some significant swings in your results, we all did on the old protocols, far more significant than the new treatments. We don't like to experience them, but these drugs are responsible for it. Since you're on Ribavirin, we expect to see the drop in the RBC's, WBC's, Platelets, Hemoglobin (Hgb) and the Hematocrit (Hct). Ribavirin causes hemolytic anemia and the changes in these blood values is the result. As awful as you feel, this is an indication that the drugs are causing the desired effect.

I have a feeling your doctor wants to check your Hemoglobin again, because it has dropped from 14.3 to 10.2. That's significant. If it reaches 10.0, many doctors will adjust your Ribavirin dose down. That is standard procedure nowadays. Regarding the higher glucose reading, many of us experienced elevations during treatment and they dropped after we ended. If you didn't have a fasting glucose when the last blood work was done, that may also explain it. They may want to do a fasting glucose or an A1C glucose test to confirm and monitor it.

The two tests that are impressive are your ALT and AST levels. They have both dropped even lower than July11th and that shows continued improvement in both areas. As long as things are improving, those scores drop. You are well within normal limits on both tests and that's great! I wouldn't be worried about this.

In less than a month, I'm out of range in 6 categories that were normal before, and I see a fairly large change in a few others.  My doc's office called and told me to get some additional bloodwork tomorrow, so I'm guessing they saw something concerning. 

I have no energy, my chest hurts, headaches, cough a lot, and cry on a daily basis because I feel just so emotionally raw and overall crappy.  

I started tx on 7/20, and begin my week 4 meds tomorrow.   Is all of this the 'new normal', or is there cause for concern?  Thanks - Penny

           Aug 3      Jul 11

rbc          3.48       4.72

hgb         10.2       14.3

hct          31.1       31.9

anion gap   9         10

glucose     116       92

bun            20         8

creat          .66        .75

b/c ratio     30        10

total bill     1.8         .5

ast             18         28

alt              20         28