I can't believe that a full week has gone by since I last wrote in my blog. It has been a somewhat uneventful week in terms of treatment, etc. I continue to tire easily and am always in bed before 8pm. The itches are still really bad and drive me crazy despite all the creams and piriton tablets. My piles get ever more painful and I suppose you could say that I'm beginning to feel a bit battle weary. ONLY 17 more weeks to go..........but there are no new bugs or symptoms to report, so that is something.
I finished that very difficult jigsaw on saturday and got myself two more from the local library. They look relatively easy compared to the one I've just done, but we shall see. Lots of trees and flowers instead of dogs.
I just wish the weather would warm up a bit and I could get out into the garden, or go for a long walk....
Well, I haven't actually had shot 32 yet, its here on my desk getting up to the correct temperature, so will be about another 20 minutes yet. I read somewhere that you are only supposed to use the top part of your thigh and of course I have been using the tops and the outside... too late now! The meds arn't supposed to go into a muscle or a vein. In that case I'm fine cos the hep c has taken away any muscle mass I had! I'm certainly gonna have my work cut out at the gym when I'm through this treatment, strewth! We are hoping to go abroad late in the year so I will have about four months to get myself into bikini shape. Somewhere very nice and and warm and exotic with some pampering...... bliss!! I don't seem to have been properly warm for months and months, despite thermal vests, warming soup and an extra winter layer of fat I still get shivery so some winter sunshine will be wonderful (I'm not thinking about the british summer - if its hot it will be a bonus!).
Once again I have been very tired all week. I haven't done much but we did venture out on Sunday and do a bit of shopping. I got one or two bits :-) to brighten up my wardrobe for spring and some books to read, but that evening I was far too tired to read any of them. Everyday is beginning to feel like pushing through cement and I have an awful feeling it will get worse before it gets better. I must be due a "good" day soon, I don't think I've had one in weeks, that would be nice!
I still have the terrible itches that won't go away despite all the cream I lather on and the piriton I take, and all the other bits of symptoms I've mentioned over the last few weeks, they are all still there. Nothing new to report.
Well, I am officially two thirds of the way through my treatment now... all these landmarks help to make it feel that time is passing quickly. Dee is due back from Dubai in just over 5 weeks, Lee's birthday in a couple of weeks and its easter next week - lots of things happening to make the time go quickly. A few years ago now I was fit enough (just about anyway!) to take part and complete the Lincoln 10k Run and I have been proud of my medal ever since and would love to do another 10k run. I understand my friend Mrs Matty (who helped me get round that time) has been training for it again, so good luck to you for the 30th and hope you beat your personal best!
The cream doesn't seem to be fixing the nasty patch of red skin on my forehead so I am back to the doctors on Thursday morning. Hopefully he will then refer me to a specialist as per Dr Sree's letter. The patch keeps growing so sombody has got to do something soon! The itches arn't quite so bad, but I am taking two piriton per day and absolutely refuse to touch my skin because that sets off a huge itching session. I still get very tired and guess that is something I have to get used to. I will be fine one minute and then its like somebody has pulled the plug and my energy just goes down the drain and I have to rest. I have been for a couple of walks with the dog this week - when the weather allowed and it was nice to be outdoors again. No matter how many layers I wear I just cannot seem to keep warm though and I am happiest - and warmest - in my pyjama's, dressing gown and fleecy socks.
Anyone readig my blog my have noticed that on the home page there is a page for Diet and Fitness which, when you click on it, is empty. That's because my diet is so bad and my fitness non existent that there is nothing to write about! My general diet before tx was pretty good and healthy and I expected to carry on that way, but there are some foods I just cannot face any more. Fish, ugh. Vegetables, carrots are too sweet, cabbage too bland, spinach to soggy. Chips, can't get enough of them and would never touch them before or if I did I would have "6", always six chips :) Potatoes, yep baked with loads of margarine and tofu cheese. Bread, lovely - hot buttered toast with lashings of marmalade. Fruit, anything and everything, can't get enough, apples, pears, pineapple, cherries, strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, bananas and oranges, the more the merrier. I ate very little fruit before tx but masses of veggies. I can smell garlic and wine a mile away! My weight goes up and down by about half a stone every other week and is completely out of my control. I am hopeful that after tx I will be able to put something useful in the diet and fitness page.
So, shot #33 later today, leaving 15 left to go. It still hasn't got any easier sticking that needle in my leg every week. At the very beginning Lee wrote me a little summary of the correct order of doing things in case I forgot and I still refer to that little piece of paper each week. It's like a little ritual. I get my shot out the fridge an hour before I use it. Then I find a plaster to have at the ready, in case I need one and my little note from Lee and we're ready to do business. They say junkies get addicted to the routine as much as to the drugs, oooerrr! I'm sure I won't miss the routine or the drugs - there are much better things in life than those!
Shot 34/48….7/leg left. 233 days passed, 103 more to go. After today. Time is passing isn’t it, albeit rather slower than I would like, but we are getting there! Nothing much to report since last week really, the weeks keep trickling by and nothing really changes. The tiredness is very hard, relentless really as is the itching.
I had my hair trimmed today and had been hoping to get a nice blond colour on it or at least some highlights, but I have itchy lumps on the back of my head and I would hate them to get infected with chemicals, etc. So I had to opt for the natural look. I was always a bit inclined to do things on the spur of the moment but have had to give that up since being on tx (damn, soooo boring!!)
I have been back to the doctors and the hole on my forehead is most likely fungal not bacterial, possibly ringworm and I have to put some cream on twice a day and that should do the trick. I don’t think its ringworm – just because it happens to be a bit of a round shape. I have seen ringworm and it didn’t look like my head does. Easter came and went amid a lot of wind, snow and freezing cold weather. We didn’t manage to go anywhere or do much at all, but stayed in and lit the fire and read books and the papers, and watched some sport on tv. Easter Sunday was the best day and we went for a long walk with the dog. I used to fly (not literally) up and down the hills around here now I have to use crawler gear to get to the top. At least I did manage to make it to the top though! I think those Nordic Walking Sticks might be useful in helping to get me fit again, so must do a bit of research and find out a bit more about them.
Madame Yu See once said that to help time go quickly you should mark as many anniversaries and eventful days as possible. So these are a few coming up to look forward to:
29th/30th March - Change the clocks – more daylight, yippee.
31st March – last day of March
1st April – first day of April 1st April – Week 35 of 48 weeks tx
2nd April – Lee’s birthday
8th April – Week 36 of 48 weeks tx
15th April – half way through April and Week 37 of 48 weeks tx
22nd April – Week 38 and only 10 weeks tx left
24th April – Dee returns from Dubai (hurry up!)
29th April – Week 39 of 48 weeks and just 9 weeks tx left.
Subscribe to this Site
January 2008