There's not a lot to report right now. I'm feeling great. The doctor's office is having a new group start treatment on Friday and asked if I wanted to talk to the group. I'm going to do it. This time I'll remember to bring the list of side effects with me. The last time the nurse from the drug company kept asking me if I had restless sleep. For the life of me, I couldn't remember but when I checked the list, sure enough, I had it on there. Ironically, this coming Friday is when all the Hep C stuff started two years ago. Well, I thought I was having a gall bladder attack and had to get a hotel on the way to DC. Oh, it was so scary driving down the interstate with the kids in the back. Pete was out of town, etc. The pain was so severe. You can read about it here if you like.

I have a lot going on in my life right now. We bought 23 acres and we're trying to get our house ready to sell. I'm so thankful I'm not dealing with the treatment now. Life does go on...

2 out of 3

I met with Ron and Sandy on Tuesday this month for our support group meeting. Sandy had some great news: She got SVR!!! I'm so happy for her and her family. Ron starts treatment again in the future so, hopefully, we'll be batting 1000 one of these days.

Six months in a leaky boat....

I'm running again. I'm up to 45 minutes. I could pick up the pace, but for now, I'm enjoying being out and feeling great. I listen to my iPod while I run and recently I've downloaded some old 80s music. When I was in junior and high schools, I liked pop music from England, Australia and New Zealand. At the time, I didn't realize one of the groups was from NZ--I've just figured that out in the last year or two. But, one of those groups is the Split Enz. I had an old cassette which has long been gone. It occurred to me to look them up on iTunes. I decided to buy some old songs that I used to enjoy. I bought I Got You, History Never Repeats, Six Months in a Leaky Boat, and some others. While I was running the other day, Six Months in a Leaky Boat came on. The lyrics go like this:

When I was a young boy I wanted to sail 'round the world
That's the life for me, living on the sea
Spirit of a sailor circumnavigates the globe
The lust of a pioneer will acknowledge no frontier

I remember you by thunderclap in the sky
Lightning flash, tempers flare, 'round the horn if you dare
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
Lucky just to keep afloat

Aotearoa, rugged individual glisten like a pearl
At the bottom of the world
The tyrany of distance didn't stop the cavalier
So why should it stop me? I'll conquer and stay free

Ah come on all you lads, let's forget and forgive
There's a world to explore
Tales to tell back on shore
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
Six months in a leaky boat

Shipwrecked love can be cruel
Don't be fooled by her kind
There's a wind in my sails, will protect and prevail
I just spent six months in a leaky boat
Nothing to leaky boat

My treatment regimen was six months. Yep, sometimes I felt like I wasn't going to keep afloat. I did, though. I can't describe my feelings when I heard these words as I was running--and running with vigor! I survived the leaky boat. Yes, "there's a wind in my sails, will protect and prevail....."

Happy Days are here to stay...

My doctor contacted me the other day to ask if he could pass on my contact info to a newly diagnosed patient. I gladly obliged. The lady contacted me via email and I hope we can chat soon.

I truly believe that things happen for a reason. I survived Hep C treatment and lived to tell about it so that I can be a resource for others. I don't want to waste this opportunity.

OK, now for something trivial. My hair has come back and it is so think. It used to be thick but I kept it short so I didn't realize just how much hair I had! So, I'm covering the gray now and growing it out for something different.

Hello! Life is just flying by.

I met with my support group last Wednesday. It's still just the three of us. Maybe I should be more aggressive at getting the word out. Not sure. Or maybe most Hep C people don't want an actual physical support group. Still don't know. Nevertheless, it was good to catch up with S and R.

I'm afraid I'm a broken record. I'm still feeling good (except I'm recovering from a cold and the cough is hanging on), still running fairly regularly, and sleeping well. I'm not working much due to the hospital being jerky, but I'm scheduled to work this Friday and two weeks in July. I'm looking into getting out of nuclear medicine. We'll see.

Yeah, life is good (right now)!

no more antidepressants!

I am officially weaned off of the antidepressants. It took about two months to slowly come off of the citalopram. I have started exercising a little more often and I hope to lose those pounds I put on.

I have more energy than I have had in years and my mood is great. I'm enjoying every day because I know it's a gift.

Hang in there.

I'm still here and feeling great. I volunteer at a free medical clinic on Tuesday mornings. I draw blood and it is so gratifying. Today I had something happen that has never happened before. I was looking at a guy's arm for veins and noticed a lot of scarring. I asked him if he gave blood and he said "no." He admitted to being an IV drug user. My heart almost sunk to my stomach. He had used drugs just recently and still had bruises on his arm from it.

He told me he was sober for 9 months and then started using again. He was in his twenty's. He was negative a year ago for Hepatitis C, but wants to be tested again for it. I could feel my heart beating faster as I stuck him and tapped into his vein. I was so nervous and did not want to get stuck by that needle.

But here's the rub: I should be nervous every time I draw blood. People with Hepatitis C can look like anyone. I had it and never knew it. I never "shot up" or snorted cocaine. I can't believe I'm back to my ways of letting my guard down. Oh sure, I wear gloves, but to really respect someone's blood as if it could give me a life-threatening disease? I really needed to have this guy as a patient today. It was a gentle reminder to always be careful.