Got my new Furniture

Love my New Furniture ! Love seat is awesome ! Has 2 recliners :) And finally hubby has a big enough chair for him and the 2 poodles ! Yeah ... life is good ! Bought 2 new Dressers and giving my old ones to my niece . The Sofa went to Chad and the old chair is going to Pat . So we are recycling : which is important to me !
Weldon has a Appointment on the 7th . He has to do the sleep study , then on the 15th he has to go in for a Pulmonary Test ! After all that being done then the waiting begins again

My Hep has really been hitting me lately : ( I can hardly stay awake for a long time ! But what can I say : " I enjoy my good days "
Sunday I went to the Veterans club to help out at the Parade ! We sold food and the proceeds went to help the Veterans !

Lung specialist

We seen the Dr. today and he looked at the Scan results and this is what he said ! " There are 3 spots on his lung , since he also has Sleep Apnea ;  when he stops breathing @ Night he is making his Lungs and Heart work harder . He has scar tissue around the Lung and they scheduled him for a Pulmonary Test tomorrow and blood tests . He also wants him to go back 2 the sleep study before we do anything else ! No doubt they will be freaking out when they watch him sleep !
Last night he kept taken his left Hand and tried to move something in I gently put his Hands down when he said " I am moving the Clouds " and he was still sleeping !

So needless to say it made me worry a bit :( Because he has been talking a lot about his mom and his sister that passed and then about the daughter that he lost ( we all loved her but HE was her Daddy and she was such a Daddies Girl .. It makes me uneasy because  he is such a positive Person and for him to bring all that up ... is just not like him .
He just has to be ok ! He just has to be ! Dr. said to keep an eye on him at night ....
The Video Camera is already set 4 tonight LOL

God will get us trough this and I believe !

Now here is something new

Four-Drug Therapy Wiped Out Hepatitis C Virus in Most Cases

 

By Gene Emery

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 18 - Combining the experimental oral drugs asunaprevir and daclatasvir with the established treatment of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin eliminated all traces of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the blood of every volunteer, even after ribavirin-peginterferon alfa-2a treatment had already failed, in small phase II study released online today by the New England Journal of Medicine.
The ten patients treated with all four drugs all had undetectable viral levels 12 weeks after treatment stopped, and nine still had undetectable levels after 24 and 48 weeks.
Another 11 patients received only asunaprevir and daclatasvir, and four of them had a sustained virologic response at 12 and 24 weeks after treatment.
"This is a watershed moment in the annals of HCV therapy because it shows that a sustained virologic response can be achieved without interferon," Dr. Raymond T. Chung of Massachusetts General Hospital wrote in an editorial in the January 19 issue.
Dr. Anna Lok of the University of Michigan and chief author of the study told Reuters Health that the cure rate for the peginterferon/ribavirin regime is low. "It's only 36%. But considering that these are difficult patients to treat, 36% is not too bad," she said.
All 21 patients in the current study had genotype 1 HCV, the most common in the U.S., and all had failed to respond to peginterferon plus ribavirin (i.e., they had not had at least a 2 log10 decline in HCV RNA after at least 12 weeks of treatment).
The response was far better when the four drugs were used. By the end of treatment, at week 24, all 10 patients in that group had undetectable levels of HVC RNA. Forty-eight weeks after the end of therapy, only one had any trace of the virus, and the amount was too small to quantify, according to the researchers.
About 4.1 million people in the United States and 180 million worldwide are infected by hepatitis C, with its associated risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer.
In the randomized phase II study, where patients knew what treatment they were getting, everyone received 600 mg of asunaprevir twice daily and 60 mg of daclatasvir once daily for 24 weeks. Both are made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, which paid for the trial.
Ten of the 21 also got 180 mcg of Pegasys brand peginterferon alfa-2a each week and Copegus brand ribavirin, where the daily dose was 1,000 mg for those weighing less than 75kg and 1,200 mg for those weighing more. Both are Roche products.
After 24 weeks of therapy, all 10 patients getting the four-drug regimen and five of the 11 patients receiving the non-interferon regimen had no trace of virus in their blood.
The six patients in the non-interferon group who had viral breakthrough during the treatment period all had HCV genotype 1a. Another patient in that group had viral recurrence after treatment ended.
By 24 weeks after treatment ended, the virus had returned in one of the 10 getting all four drugs. But that one person was retested 13 days after recurrence and levels of HCV RNA were undetectable, a phenomenon that was seen in other patients, said Dr. Lok. "Because it was not persistent, we believe 100% actually maintained virus clearance all the way to week 48."
"To be able to get to 90% or 100% is very remarkable," she said. "On the other hand, we all know that a lot of patients can't handle interferon and ribavirin because of the side effects. What we hear from the patients is that they hate interferon. They prefer not to get treatment. Everyone is looking for when can we have an interferon-free regimen."
In the new study, the side effects were similar in the two experimental groups. The three most common were diarrhea, fatigue and headache, reported by 45% to 73% of patients. Six patients had transient elevations of alanine aminotransferase to more than 3 times the upper limit of normal. Side effect rates were complicated by the fact six of the 11 volunteers randomized to receive only daclatasvir and asunaprevir received rescue therapy with interferon and ribavirin after a viral breakthrough.
None of the 21 dropped out because of the side effects.
Dr. Lok said 48 weeks of peginterferon and ribavirin usually costs about $40,000. Adding a protease inhibitor as a third drug costs another $50,000, and new biologicals often go for a comparable amount.
The eventual price of the experimental drugs is not known, assuming they are approved.
Thus, a four-drug regimen would add to the cost, Dr. Lok said, but "if this pans out, it's only 24 weeks of treatment. And if you get a cure once and for all, you don't have to worry about managing the complications of cirrhosis, liver transplant, liver cancer down the road."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/A5JnBy
N Engl J Med 2012; 366:216-224.

Did I almost die or was I already dead ?

It has been hectic the last couple of days . Hubby is still losing his voice and also has trouble breathing ! This waiting is driving me nuts !  Appointment on the 25th . Until then there is nothing we can do !
Well, I am doing really good now and even started cooking again ! The last 6 month where not the best ! But I also learned a lot by being so sick !
It might sounds strange to people but I really believe that August 29th 2011 I was close to death when my Body was trying to fight this damn decease ! I haven't shared this with many people yet , because I had to work that out in my head , myself . I felt like I was flowing in the air and I saw my Husband  and our sons sitting by my Bed , crying . I remember I was trying to comfort them , but I couldn't . I was wondering why they could not see me ! My Husband was sitting down and had his Head down and our oldest son tried to calm him down . I have never seen my Husband cry like that , he seemed broken ! But I wanted to walk to that " Light " because I was so weak ... I saw my Father who died in 1980 and he shook his head  " It is not your time " he said and my Grandmother was by the light and smiled at me " You are a grown woman now and you must fight 4 your life " Right after she said that , I concentrated on getting  " back " But I looked at both of them again and felt sad . My Dad waved and said I will be fine . That Night my Fever over 104. was finally falling ....
When I became somewhat aware of my surroundings , my Husband sat by my Bed and his head was hanging down and he cried , while our sons tried to comfort him . I reached for him and he was kissing me on the forehead : " You are back ? he asked and I said : I was told to come back " but he had no glue where I had been ! And I was not ready to let anyone know yet ! But now I have to talk about it because I am at peace with this Episode
I will do some more research on Hepatitis in the next couple of weeks because I have to spread the Info to my fellow Hepper's  . I hope you are all well and if you need any Info about Hepatitis , just let me know ! Night night ....

Appointment is not until 25th !

There is nothing worse then waiting ! Today is Tuesday and that Specialist finally called and scheduled a Appointment ( for the 25th ) Damn... And we have to pick up the Ct Scan result and X ray from the Image Place .
I guess I will have to watch him suffer until then :  because the slightest exertion  and he is short of breath . He is very concerned about it and so am I .....
I just don't like waiting!
I did not do anything today ! Yesterday I washed clothe and vacuumed and dusted ! Yeah , I am trying to do a Project everyday . Yesterday I trimmed my Lime Tree and since it is a Male Lime tree who has Thorns instead of fruit ; I am all scratched up from the Tree . I fight this tree every Year but I will not let it win > LOL The weather was nice and I worked in my Yard for about 1 hour . This weekend we get cold weather again and I have to bring all my plants inside again . Drag them in drag them out ! The Temperature has already fallen .... Finally  ...
We had a lot of wind yesterday and that don't happen to often here .
Well , got some good news from Kathy yesterday : The judge put a Restraining order on Ritchie's Ex  wife ( Tramp ) since M is staying with them . I am so proud of Kathy and Richard for fighting for that girl . I know what it is like to raise children that have a lot of Baggage . It won't be easy but I have no doubt that Kathy can handle it !
Saying my prayers and going 2 bed >

Another Weekend waiting ....

We both had a bad night ! Could not sleep for the life of me :) Finally went to Bed at 7AM and slept til ' 2PM . Wow , never realized how hard it is sometimes to go to sleep . I really tried everything , finally took a sleeping pill and went to bed .
When I got up I worked in my Yard for 2 Hours ; it was such a beautiful day . We where in the 70tis and it just felt so nice . Got a lot done ; planted some starter plants 4 my new Project . I am starting a couple of plants and when everything works as planned I will start making Bird houses and when I have made lots of them I will sell them for my Soldiers . Would be cool to see how much I can raise ... I am just one person but I can make a Soldier feel good with some goodies from home . Around  Christmas I been really thinking about our men and women in Afghanistan . This War must come to a end ! If you want to help go to Soldiersangels.org  there is so much you can do .
Really means a lot to me ... I guess because Weldon has been in the Military for so long  and my Dad was a POW in WW2 for 4 Years . The Military has always been part of my life .

It is 2 AM now and I am fixing me a Mid night snack and then go to bed .

Medicare stinks ...

We finally got everything lined up with the Doctors : our Primary Dr. faxed the Paperwork to the Specialist . Now all we have to do is: WAIT AGAIN  Yuk ..... And in the mean time I am fighting  " Lab Corp "about my weekly Blood tests ! Medicare has denied it and said that it was NOT necessary ! My Doctor was so mad when I called him and promised that they will straighten it all out  and how dare they make a statement like that . Cool Doctor and so nice and sweet . Just got 2 love him ... I trust him with my life ! 


We went out today , did some gambling and ate some good Food :) We stayed 4 Hours and I was surprised that we lasted that long . LOL thank God that the Casino had good ventilation and Hubby didn't seem 2 have trouble with his Breathing . I just hope that the Specialist calls soon 2 set the appointment up . 3:30 AM .. I am going 2 Bed :) 

Have 2 go 2 specialist with Hubby

So , we are now waiting 2 get a Appointment 4 Hubby . A Lung Specialist will look at him now . I am calling tomorrow 2 see if we can't get him in faster ! He has been feeling a little better but I am worried about him ! I have never seen him so out of breath ! Yesterday he called a old Friend of his and told him that he is not in good shape right now ; and that is why he hasn't been in touch .... He NEVER admits that he is not doing good . So now I can't wait 2 get him to this specialist .
My Hepatitis Blog is going a little off  Track ... Sorry ; for now I have to help my Honey .