Treatment Worked, Patient Died

I have not been very active on my blogs for the past three weeks because it is hard for me to do anything but lay in bed and feel bad. I started treatment with Interferon and Ribavirin for Hepatitis C and I am truly ill. I am on 1200 mg a day Ribavirin and a weekly shot of Interferon.

The side effects feel like having been beat up with migraine headaches and the flu thrown in for good measure. I am bloated and have gained weight even thought I am not eating?! The diet is out for now. I eat what I can keep down so I can take my medicine. I alternate between having gas, diarrhea and vomiting. Needless to say, this is not a good summer to visit San Marcos. LOL!

My garden, including the water feature have been totally taken over by weeds and Johnson Grass. All the work I did this spring and summer has been covered in weeds. I cannot go out in the sun because one of the drugs interacts with sunlight. Not to mention it has been in the high 90s and extremely muggy lately.

I have been so depressed I cry all the time. I feel like a weenie. I have always been tough, you know? Childbirth with forceps and no drugs, walked around with collapsed lung for 2 days, just made it to the ER with appendicitis because I have such a high pain tolerance. Tough woman. Hear me roar . . . Not any more. . .

I did go to the doctor today and had bloodwork done. The doctor says I have Hemolytic Anemia. Hemolytic anemia (HEE-moh-lit-ick uh-NEE-me-uh) is a rare form of anemia in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their usual lifespan is up. Healthy red blood cells usually live about 120 days (4 months) in the bloodstream before the body removes them. In hemolytic anemia, the body breaks down and removes red blood cells faster than it can replace them. The breakdown of red blood cells is called hemolysis (he-MOL-i-sis). In short, the medicine is attacking my red blood cells as well as the virus.

The doctor cut my dosage of Ribavirin by half and wants to see me in two weeks. Unfortunately, she did not request the viral load test or thyroid blood work, so I do not know if 1) the treatment is working while it is killing me or 2) if my thyroid is okay.

Just knowing there was a reason for why I felt so bad actually cheered me up. I thought I was not going to be able to continue to undergo the treatment, but now I think if the doctor monitors my anemia and adjusts medicine as needed, I will make it okay.

I am not as active on my blogs as I would like, especially the do-following which I love to do. Please hang in with me and comment. It would make an old sick woman happy. LOL

Any prayers, white light healing, Reiki, magick, health energy or other help you want to send to me is much appreciated it.

I leave you with this:

Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open. ~B.K.S. Iyengar

I am ready for the gates to be wide open.

Tags: hemolytic anemia, ribavirin, interferon, hep c, treatment worked but patieint died