Just wanted to check in and let you all know how I'm doing. Well, by the title of this blog, I am experiencing some more side effects. I had a pretty rough weekend starting Saturday evening. I was feeling a little sick all evening and ate peanut butter and crackers for my 11 p.m. Incivek. It made me feel even more sick. I barely was able to finish it and I had a horrible night. I couldn't sleep and felt very, very sick. I got up Sunday and still felt sick. Of course, I have to eat the high fat at 6:30 a.m. and it is very hard. I couldn't even get dressed all day. I laid on the couch with a quilt over me and drinking lots of water. My dear, sweet loving and supportive husband took care of me all day. He was out in the kitchen all day and made a homemade turkey noodle soup. It is so good and really helped me. He also made some homemade peanut butter cookies that I can take for my high fat Incivek time. They are so delicious and easy to eat. What would I do without him???? I couldn't get through these hard times, I just know it.
Later in the evening my lower back began to hurt. I have degenerative bone disease and have had it for years. It normally is not a big problem and when I get pain from it, I can handle it with Tylenol. Well, the pain now was excrutiating. I couldn't get comfortable no matter what I did. I couldn't lay down, I couldn't sit up and I couldn't walk. I was in so much pain that I was actually crying. I went to bed and never slept a wink...tossed and turned and was in so much pain. On Monday I got up and the pain was still intense. At this point I was so tired, sick and in pain. Wow....never thought it would get like this but I was told that there would be good days and bad days. I guess I was just hoping to avoid the bad ones but it was not to be. My husband came home from work in the morning and was shocked to see the state of me......in pain, sick and crying my eyes out. He told me that if I didn't take something, Advil or Tylenol, he was taking me to the emergency. Well, I did take an Advil and I put on one of those Icy / Hot Patches. It did the trick....not sure what helped the most but both of them took the pain away. I looked this up on the internet and discovered that one of the side effects of the Interferon is joint pain. I found out that if you have a history of joint pain (DBD, arthritis, etc.) the Interferon can make it worse. That is exactly what is happening with me.
Tuesday was a good day for me. I took another Advil and put another Patch on. I did not have pain all day and I actually felt good enough to go for a 3 mile run. That felt so good and I actually felt "normal". I had a shower, got dressed and enjoyed some of my homemade turkey soup!!!! Later in the day the pain in my back started up again and I decided I would make an appointment with my family doctor.
Today is Wednesday and I am going in to see my doctor at 11:30 this morning. My back is hurting again, not so bad, but it is hurting. I need to get this under control and I need to have my doctor help me. I will write another blog later today and let you know what my doctor told me. Hopefully I'll get something that won't interfere with my meds and that will help with the pain. I'm sure I'll get it worked out.
I should really say here that if it wasn't for that awful pain in the back, I would be feeling pretty good. I don't have any really bad side effects other than a slight sick feeling, but that isn't really bad at all. I am unusually tired but I also look after that by taking needed rests and not doing too much. All in all, the treatment so far is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I am going into my fourth week and when I see Carla on November 1st, I will have bloodwork done to see if I will be Undetected (RVR). That is my hope and dream and I'm sure it will happen!!!!!
Anyway, will let you all know how the doctor visit went. Wish me luck!!!!
Love to you all....
Believer