Viral Load is in......
After much anticipation over the holidays, the doctors office called me today to give the result of my viral load test. I knew the minute she said my name that it wasn't good news. "Mr. Taylor, your body is not responding to the treatment as we hoped it would. You should be at a viral load of 0. The doctor said not to worry about it, keep taking your medications as directed an we'll test you again at 12 weeks." I was floored. I had to ask ner twice to give me the numbers. I went from a 320,000 to 324 (with no zeros after it). She told me that my body is fiighting the treatment and we'll just hope the medication does its job. What kind of fucking news is that? what a day. I have never had a doctor tell me 'we'll just hope the medicine does its job....' Thats like hearing 'ooops' as you are having a procedure done. I'm so sick of the healthcare in this country. What ever happened to bedside manner? Too top it all of, when I had my biopsy done, after the biopsy was done, they wheeled me into a recovery room. This room had finger nail and toenail clippings on the floor, dirty rags hanging in the bathroom and lets not mention the fact that it took me almost 4 hours to get a Lortab that my mother and fiance had to bug the nurses for every 20 minutes. We filed a complaint with the hospital administration as well as the head nurse for the floor and the Tulsa Health Department. We recieved several phone calls and apologies and even a letter from the head nurse saying how sorry she was and how everything was corrected. The Health Department said there was nothing they could do. About a week later I get a bill for the biopsy that was unreal. 45.00 for a damn Lortab? I can get one on the streets for 5.00 all day long. 750.00 for an Operating Room? I was in a fucking lab. I called my insurance and am in the process of filing a grievence over the claim and told them myself not to pay it. They did anyway. Well, to make a ling story short, I get a bill from the same hospital that screwed up and sent numerous apology letters to me for 561.00. You have got to be kidding me! Are they smoking dope? I am not paying SHIT! NOT ONE FUCKING PENNY! They couldn't have one damn dime of my hard earned money if they came begging at my front door! FUCK THAT.So now I am battling two dragons. The Hep c and the hospital. Fuck both of you guys! You are both going down if I have to die trying.....! I'd rather go broke fighting this thing to the end than let them treat one more person the way they treated me. They have screwed with the wrong hombre! Okay....I am done venting..... I can't lie. I am scared shitless this treatment wont work. I kid you not. I am really scared. Not just for me. For my son, my fiance and my whole family. When I found out the results today, I experienced my first true 'riba-rage' episode. I got into a fight......... with a cinder block wall it kicked my ass...... Still not smoking. almost 2 weeks now. Shot eight this friday. what a day................
Replies
Woah, hey this is really not bad news!!!!!!!!!!!! To be 357 at this time in tx is great!
Not all of us are undie early. I was 157 at 12 wks, You will be clear at 12 wks...
I agree, it is amazing how the medical field gets away with what they do in this country. So many have NO bedside manor,,,,,,,,,,,,, chin up--------- your news is good and you still are not smoking. I AM PROUD OF YOU
What do you mean your body isn\'t responding????? IT IS! JUst slowly! Many on here didn\'t go undie until 12 or after! Hang in there TJ! It\'s working, and don\'t let them make you think it\'s not!
TJ, good job on the not smoking, THAT\'S GREAT!!!!!
Relax and try not to let stress get to you......I\"m telling you, stress is NOT good for tx. Easy, big guy.
Luv ya, and here for you to help you get through this shit.......be STRONG!!!
You are just a slow responder! if you were a non responder, they would (probably) yank you off of tx....so it is good that you are still on tx!
I know you wanted to be undie but it will come, be patient!
hey brother let me let you in on a little secret.........you had more than a 2 log drop.......YOU ARE RESPONDING..........SO DON\'T FREAK....sometimes it takes a little longer for you to get undie but you are responding.......keep on keeping on......
medicine is screwed in the usa. ive seen better care in frigging army tents..youll have to learn to roll with the flo a little bit. the nonresponse rate is still pretty high. i intend to tx a 4th time, what the hell?? sounds like your nurse is a sack.
Hey there Tulsa. Wow...sounds like you were definitely treated unprofessionally. You can also file a grievance with the patient advocacy department (usually in human services) at the hospital. They will take a statement from you and review it with the hospital and all parties involved. We had to do this with my mother the last time she was in the hospital because they neglected to test her blood sugar correctly and she ended up in ICU in a coma! This was after we had reminded them several times about the situation. By the time she was transferred back to a main floor a week later, new policies were already in place to eliminate the possibility of this happeing again to another patient. They had posted signs and additional questions on the admitting paperwork. I was impressed.
Stay strong buddy! You can do this.
Hang in there. Sometimes you gotta feel on the bottom to realize you are moving UP. We are here for you.
Tulsa...you ARE responding!!! I can\'t believe your doc told you that your aren\'t. Week 12 is the gold standard for getting to zero so you have a good number of shots to take before you get there and I know you\'ll be zero by then!!
Hang in there and keep postive...you ARE responding!!
Pick your battles carefully. Let some one else deal with the bills. Take care of yourself & let the meds kill the virus.
Well you don\'t wanna get me started on medical care (lack of) in the good ole\' USA...............but like everyone said....well shit........you are responding!!!!!!!!!! Thats a hell of a drop!!!!!!!!
Screw the hospital......send the bill back to them stamped Paid, with the little smiley face and a Merry Christmas.
Drink your water and enjoy your holidays:):)
Dont worry about the hospital honey....I am writing the letters today...and calling...I will deal with them :) I do like debs suggestion though!!!
You are doing OK - some of the anger maybe be attributed to ceasing smoking as well as the riba - however try not to take on too many walls - you\'ll bark your knuckles - lol. Try not to worry about the outcome of treatment - you are responding so worse case scenario might be that your liver is having a rest from chronic inflamation