Howdy Jeannie-
Talked to the U of A Hospital here, where my HCV specialist is, this is happening quick,
since I quaulified for their program, it appears I am on their list.
I will have to go in before Christmas for a battery of tests, yikes, I hope they do not want a biopsy just yet, that just occured to me.
Anyway Roche has supplied 50 complete kits, I am not sure if it is the hospital that is adding the ribavarin, I am thinking that it is, the kits are to be picked up at the hospital because, of course the drug stores will not supply Pegasys until it is fully passed here in Canada, again there will be no charge for me.
The kits are a 48 week supply, however the hospital states that if after 12 weeks if I was not responding to the Pegasys combo , they would cease the treatment , I believe the hospital received the kits because they had been a large part of the Pegasys original study and testing since the beginning.
Also the treatments start right quick after the new year, like the begining of January, I was hoping to have more time to prepare, physically I am ready, mentally needs work, ha ha.
So if everything goes good for both of us, we may again be going though this together, if you do not get one of the 15.000, I may be your guide instead of you being possibly mine, interesting how things work out huh
Have you heard back from your doc if you made the list?
I sure hope you can still pass a test at your age http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
I haven't heard anything back from my doc's office that I know of but if I get in on this I have to start before Jan 1.
I'm not gonna worry though because my dad had a heart attack Saturday and I would not be in any shape to deal with treatment and this. (God knew this was coming and that's why He didn't let me start already!)
Saw your post and wanted to make a quick note. I'll get back with ya'll later.
Be blessed,
Jeannie
DOCTORSLETMEDOWN
12-06-2002, 08:03 AM
I hope everything works out for you.
Just stay positive & keep busy.
Jeannie-
How is your Dad doing?, was the heart attack very bad?, I wish him well-as well as you, how you doing?
hope to hear from you soon.
Be well also-
Things aren't too good for my dad. They can't "do" anything for him and will try their best to rehab him and send him home. The MI was pretty bad and damaged the heart beyond repair (mechanical)and he has 4 blocked arteries. Now he has developed pneumonia. They told us today that he might be home by Christmas if all goes well.
I still haven't heard back from my doctors office about the PegS and at this point its not an issue because starting treatment right now would not quite fit into my current lifestyle (of course a hospital is the place to be when you are sick). I really have decided to wait on God in this respect and trust the He will be on time. Only He knows what my future will be and He may be seeing something coming where I don't need to be taking this right away. That is my belief anyway.
Have you heard anything on your end of the spectrum??
Take care,
Jeannie
LOST1
12-11-2002, 10:44 AM
Howdy Jeannie-
Very sorry to hear on your dads condition, sounds very serious, but medical advancements dealing with heart attacks have come a long way, it will amaze you what they can do now days,
lets hope that the pneumonia is taken care of quickly,he really does not need that at all,I will be thinking of you though this, and wish both your dad and you the best.
I agree that you do not need to think of all that goes with treatment right now, it will be there when you are ready,its funny how things compound when you need it least huh?
As I suspected I will have to take the cryro test again,we live too far away from the labs to get a real fresh sample, if I am accepted as a one of the fortunte fifty people receiveing the treatment, I will get tested again at the university hospital for the cryro, where I will have to do a load of other tests before treatment.
I will have to drive two hours one way each month to receive the Pegasys/Ribavarin, but I think this is a real oppertunity as my first shots will be done at the hospital, under professional care, and will be moniterd very closely each month/week with testing and very thorouh check ups each week, it will be a lot of driving but will make me feel a lot better than taken the treatment over the drugstore counter and kinda being on your own.
Neil, thanks for your kind words. I think the "wait and see" game is the worst part.
Neil, do they think you have cryo? I know a woman that has that and she said it gives her more of a fit than the HCV ever did and that the treatment exasperated the cryo.
Is the cryo the reason why you will be monitored so closely or is that just Canadian protocal to have you in the hospital?
My thoughts are with you and I pray you get in on the "Fortune 50".
Jeannie
LOST1
12-11-2002, 05:51 PM
Jeannie-
I think most of my problems lean toward cryro, I do not have any big HCV related symtoms, either way If I do the Pegasys I can throw two birds at one stone in the bush???,he he-
The reason I would be monitored so closly is that Pegasys will not be passed by our FDA for a while yet, so I would be the end part of another phase of their Pegasys study, same protocal and treatment doses,time etc, as the USA, this fifty may even be what the our FDA makes their desison on.
