Jun. 1 ~ Jun. 7 ~ We went up to the Sierra Nevada Mountains fishing this week. I love it up there. We usually go to Lone Pine which is just below Mt. Whitney. There was still snow on the mountain but it was warm and beautiful down in the Owens Valley. Caught alot of good sized trout too. I got real tired and short of breath, but I think part of that was because we were in a much higher elevation and I didn't do much resting! I did sleep nearly all the way home though! It was nice to get away for a couple of days. My legs are STILL bothering me alot, but I'm still using the ointment so hopefully it will start to work pretty soon. If not, I will go back to the doctor and get sent to a dermatologist.

Jun. 8 ~ Jun. 14 ~ I was exhausted all this week. By the time Thursday rolled around I could hardly get out of bed let alone go do anything. I have to try harder to organize my activities. It's so hard to cut back when you are used to being able to go and do with no problems. You would think that after a year like this, I would know better than to over-do it! I'm getting those darned sores on my tongue again. (If it ain't one thing, its another!) I finally found out the code number that Unilab uses for the genotype test!! All my labs go to Unilab and the HCV tests get sent from there to Specialty Labs in Los Angeles. Now I can mark it on my next bloodwork sheet and find out what the heck my genotype is. I'll find out next month when we do the next PCR. I'm still hoping that I can take a break before going on to another treatment. I'm sure I'll do INFERGEN next, but I think I'd like to get my body back to normal, whatever that is!, before starting another treatment regime. My legs still itch but they do look a little bit better now. I have this on my elbows and my back too but not nearly as bad as on my legs and it doesn't itch as bad either.

Jun. 15 ~ Jun. 21 ~ I went back up fishing again this week! Can't get enough of that stuff. Mom and Erika went along on this trip. We had a wonderful time and caught a pile of fishies! I had a killer headache on the way home, so mom drove and I snoozed in the back seat. My legs are looking better and aren't itching as much so maybe this 'thing' is clearing up. I've been having bad diarrhea again, but I am eating ok so I haven't lost any more weight. I was pooped out when we got home from fishing so the weekend was pretty quiet. I spent alot of it sleeping! Only a couple more weeks to go, then I see the Dr and we figure out what's next!!
 

Jun. 22 ~ Jun. 30 ~ Well the lady at the lab screwed up my tests. She did the PCR but did not do the CBC's or the Genotype test. I was supposed to have these results prior to my appt. on July 7 but now I'll have to re-do the tests. Unilab does this quite often but at least I catch it and can call them on it. My insurance company pays enough as it is. I hate to have them charged for something the lab didn't do. I have been really tired lately. More so than usual. My legs are clearing up, but they are also starting to itch like crazy again. It's a vicious cycle! I have the diarrhea back but have only lost 3 pounds. I don't like to start losing again so I am forcing myself to eat, at least something!
I do know that I am NOT going to do any kind of treatment for a couple of months. I need this break and since I've been doing this fun stuff for 16 months now, I deserve one. I plan to tell the Dr that I am taking 3 months off before starting on INFERGEN. I have HAD it with Schering's drug. It hasn't worked on me and it only makes me sick. I have never once gone undetected and I am NOT going to stay on this stuff, no matter what he says.

JULY 7, 1999:
I am now off of treatment. We will wait 2 months, checking the bloodwork every 2 weeks then I will see the Dr. again in September. I had no problems as the Dr. agreed totally with stopping REBETRON. I am a partial responder, since my LFT's have finally gone into the normal range.