Hepatitis C Treatment; SVR is the goal, and humor is the rescue drug.

Happy Sunday folks,

Today is the second day of a nice long holiday weekend. For all of you getting ready to treat this serious disease, I thought I may offer up some advice from my own treatment experience, yuck. Hey, any seasoned patient who has treated will tell ya, you need to laugh, and laugh often!

10 Guideline's: Not In Any Particular Order, And Not Really Helpful

1-Before that first appointment take the time to print out the medication guide and prescribing information, ask the doc to read it to you. Then stand back and chuckle to yourself before saying; "Just kidding". 

2-Get prepared by getting your personal space ready, remove all family, sharp items, mirrors, and pets. I should mention my friend shot his dog during therapy, the dog was fine but his wife left him. We blamed it on the Riba Rage, she blamed it on his girlfriend.

3-Rash=Serious. If you develop a rash, move up your doctors appointment. Let the doc know he better take notice and then ask for your money back. Just kidding Vertex. Thank you for telaprevir !

4-Do not attempt to fix, manipulate, take apart, or re-wire anything in your household, unless its your teenager, and then do it just for fun.

5-If your hair is looking a little limp, thin, be grateful you still have your mind. If that starts to go, tell yourself its better then your limbo. If that's the next thing to go, then worry about your hair.

6-If you're working, ask the boss for a raise. When he looks surprised, blame it on treatment.  If you're not working- good- you won't miss work. If you're starting a new job, don't mention the high wage demands you made on the last job. Why make the same mistake twice ?

7-Hey, cooking during therapy is just silly and dangerous. STAND away from the kitchen. If you're the chosen one, the iron chef, a family of four can live on water and soup for around 24 to 48 weeks.

8-DO NOT look up your side effects on the Internet, I know you will, we all do. Warning; be prepared to ask the doc to test for yellow fever, chickenpox, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and intestinal parasites. An imagination is a terrible thing to waste on treatment.

  

9-Sorry, but no sun or tanning booths during therapy folks. Looking pale is the new tan, and who needs to walk around looking healthy all the time ?

Disclaimer typed in very small text so you can't read it.
<----The image is not a person on treatment, silly you,  its my doctor after I finished treatment. He still won't take my calls, just kidding.

10-Try to keep busy, move around, put up a birdhouse, get out, see friends, or talk on the phone; call your kids on the weekend, just to see if anyone answers. If the kids live at home, call their cell phone. If you have no kids, call a friend and tell them you're busy.

If you follow these ten guidelines, after treatment you'll either end up living alone, friendless or homeless.

Sending all my readers a huge smile, and a warm embrace. Wishing you all a safe and successful journey. SVR is the goal, and humor is the rescue drug.