New Years Eve!

Happy New Year/New years eve!!!!!!
WOOO 2009!
aka my graduation year :D
Way to excited :)
So i dont really have any other updates on the liver
Just still toughin threw-
I was really nauseas today- did i spell that right? haha
But yeah- all day pretty much
I ate jimmy johns- thanks jake- and i ended up eating the cookie. yep.
Haha i was so full omgsh.
But yeah my stomach is blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Ive been feeling under the weather now since my last injection- it hasnt relaly gotton that much better- im suprised.
I dont think ill inject in the leg this next time. The side effects are lasting wayyyy to long.
I may try my... left leg- just to ... expirment.
Because what i have figured out is that my left side of my stomach that i inject- the side effects are worse than my right side of the stomach. So we will see. I dont know.
Well Yeah I guess ill update later.

Again happy new years!
p.s. i have no clue what my new years resolution is.

UNDETECTABLE!!:D

GREAT NEWS OMGSH!!!!
SOOOO today
i had my doctors at plymouth and counting from my last blood tests-im UNDETECTABLE!!!
WOOOOO. but i still have to finish up treatment. I may not have to do if for a year anymore though, probably only 5 more months which is do-able.
Im so happy though. I had to go to my moms dreadful work today though, that sucked.
It was bad, we got to the clinic in plymouth and they apparently screwed up oh this was at ...10:30 we were there for our appointment- they scheduled us at the Abbot location and we were told to go to plymouth - so i had to wait in the clinic until 2 pm!!! before i saw my doctor! Just to wait for him to come back and check me out. Because i refused to leave because otherwise i would have had to go back to my own personal hell aka my moms work another time this week and i would rather wait 3-4 hours doing nothing at the doctors. haha
But yeah its great news today!
Ill still update- due to me not getting off treatment JUST yet. i know i have ATLEAST month left for sure! but yeah
The lady that took my blood today did a good job. She got me on the first poke!
But it left another really nice bruise.
But thats only because my platleys/wbc/everything is really out of wack at the moment so i bruise super easily.
My lymph nodes are finally going down in the swelling-
woo!
haha but i still feel like crap
My eyes are really dried out all the time, and my skin is getting super super dry, which is a common side effect.
Alrighty well my next doctors appointment is.........January... 16th?
WOW i dont have to go in every single stupid week anymore!
YAY! haha. and i dont have to get my blood drawn 1-2 times a week anymore.
woo. thank gosh.

Sick

Yeah today hasnt been a good day-
normally its not this bad- it hasnt been this bad for maybe 2 weeks?
My stomach is extremly upset, i have blurry vision, with like spots, and i have to blink a bunch to re-focus. My feet are very cold but my hands are very hot- although they are actually cold- according to my mom.I feel like i have a fever, but yet my lips are blueish. Im dizzy, and it doesnt help that it feels like theres sharp pains in both of the sides of my ribs.
Oh man.
So yeah todays not good. Im going to sleep now- its 5:15 pm, and wake up in a few hours- ill see how i feel. If i feel well enough i was gonna bring krystal- my manager at coldstone her christmas gift-ANYWAYS though that im still sick as hell. Oh another thing- it feels like i have strep throat, my throat is actually very red- but its common i guess.
Im going for my overall treatment check up on monday at the plymouth location.
Right now i wish i never had any of this. Right now i want things to go back before i knew about any of this. This really. sucks.

Blood test results

Alright so im going to give you the "Flags" of my last weeks blood test from this weeks
like the difference - just to give you a feel for how my body changes in one week

So the week of 12/12/08
WBC= 3.7- Considered low
RDW=17.3- considered High
Neutrophils(absolute)= 1.4 = low
Neutrophils= 38= low
MCH=26.9= Low
Lymphs= 54= High

alright so that was last week. Look at how much more i have this week.

WBC= 2.9 = lower than last week
RDW=19.4=higher than last week
Platlets= 141= Low
Neutrophils=1.2= Lower than last week
MCV=79=low
MCH=27.1= low- but higher than last week
Lymphs=51= High but lower than last week
Hemoglobin=11.3= low
Hematocrit=33.1= low


So look at the differences that makes in 2 weeks.
Potent medication yes?
I really love how my platlets are going down. I better not cut myself! Ill bleed out!
The normal range for platlets are 194-394
oh okay ill give you the NORMAL ranges im supposed to be in for all this stuff
WBC= 4.0-9.1, im a 2.9
RDW=12.3-14.5 im 19.4
Platlets= 194-349 im 141
Neutrophils=1.5-5.6 im a 1.2
MCV= 80-92 im 79
MCH=27.3-31.7 im 27.1
Lymphs =20-47 im 51
Hemoglobin=11.7-15.0 im 11.3
Hematocrit = 34.8-43.5 im 33.1


Alright hopefully you arent completly confused . haha

Fun night

Wow i really didnt think id be writting this much
I guess im really gonna let you guys get to know me!
So for starters- I have a foreign exchange student her name is Polina, she is from Russia this is my second year hosting, last year i hosted Yulia- also from russia
And so tonight i went to the mall with Polina and my boyfriend Jake, we were planning on going to nickleodean university aka Camp snoopy. and i totally forgot my tickets, so yeah we decided to go see a movie. we saw 7 pounds it was so sad :'( . So anyways, to interest you- i had to time out my meds today very carefully due to me working on Sunday- so I took my pillsat like... 11am, and then i need to still take them tonight- and when we got home from the mall about an hour ago- I let Jake do it, well i was planning on it, i was like okay- im gonna do my leg tonight- it was a first expierence for us all. haha, so i gave him the needle and im like "ah dont stick me too hard gah dont do it too hard bah" and freaked out i was scared he was gonna like stab me haha, so he gave me the needle and i pushed it in, but i let him push in the actual medicine part of the syringe. So he technially did- i think ill trust him next time. hahaha, But as of symptoms, they are already starting to kick in its only been like an hour- its never jumped in on my so quick- maybe because the change of location? I dont know, i just gotta remember to keep drinking water. So yeah, im actually going to be seeing jake for .........2 more days in a row- due to work. we both work at Coldstone :) I actually dont work tomarrow- but i thought i would come in and show him what i REALLY look like on treatment - hahahah i really look zombie-ish on the weekends. So i thought i could present him with the moment of all truth. haha. And then on sunday we both work- but not at the same time- but when my shift ends- his starts. so it will work out. haha.
Alright- well i think im gonna hit the hay- try to sleep of the most of the side effects.
Have a good night everyone :)

Christmas

Woo. So Just got back from the family christmas up in fergus falls. Way long drive.
Its so nice to come home
but i thought i would update you on the doctors again.
So yesterday- i went. had my blood drawn. 3 times again.
Only this time my veins were collapsing, and they ended up using a vein they never used before and used the pediatric needle. I have a reallllly nice bruise from all the needle sticks. It really looks like im a hardcore drug user. I told my family im addicted to heroin now.
It was pretty good.
Tomarrow is my next injection! YAY!. haha not really
Today i felt really nauseated, so i didnt eat too much. Right now my stomach is killing, my mom thinks i may have food poisoning OR its just my chemo pills.
Who knows.
But alright ill update tomarrow!
Hope everyone is having/had a great christmas!!!!!

The meds itself

I suppose your all dying to know what im exactly on So every friday i go home at around... 12:30 to do my injections, then i head to the doctor at 1 for my blood tests. My injections are called "Peginterferon alfa 2-a" I am on pills that i take twice a day, BUT i take 5 pills a day. so three in the morning, and two at night Those are called Ribavirin/Ribasphere/chemopills" SO. that is what i am exactly on. The peginterferon shortly known as "Pegasys" Are pre-filled syringes, all i have to do is attatch the needle. its really easy i think even my 5 year old cousin could do it Also do hospital infusions 1x a week. The needle so superrr sharp, i barley have to jab myself for it to slide nicely into my stomach. whats that say? haha. jk Peginterferon are Interferons which are natural proteins your body produces to fight off infections, and since im low on them-thats why i take the shots- to boost my immune system to fight the disease. Anyways- I just had our neighbors xmas party- its about 11:30 pm. And im packing for my grandmas. Which i leave right after my doctors tomarrow. I thought i would put in a couple of my favorite quotes from people ive heard "OMG are you gonna die!??!" -Yes , eventually, but dont we all? - I just might live a little bit shorter life then the rest of you healthy folks, i plan on making it till atleast like 40. PLANNING.- that is if i go threw this treatment successfully- which i have a 40% chance of clearing it and moving on with my life. Which isnt all that great- but i think a positive attitude about it helps. "Dont even worry about it, youll be fine"- No, I clearly worried about it, and I clearly was not fine. And i am still not fine. I will 1) never be able to drink alcohol. 2) I have to make sure i dont pass this on to future generations (yay me.. right?) "Oh sad, i know how you feel"- No, again, you clearly have no idea how i feel. No body does, unless they infact also have gone threw the brutal chemo, WHICH i dont know anybody personally. "Wig time yet?"- mr. schluter- hahahahaha that just made me laugh-but i dont intend on loosing all of my hair, i have shedded alot, and my hair has definetly taken a turn for the bad, but its only for a year, and after all this it will grow back nice long and even thicker :) Anyways- what ive learned so far, is that not to take things for granted, especially life, even though im not dying tomarrow, My view point has definetly changed, and i actually want to do something with my life. I want to go to college- i always have, but i really want to go into nursing, and my grades are straight A'S this year, i have a 4.0 and plan on keeping it. I am more social, so honestly, as much as this sucks, im sorta happy it happend, it has taught me so much about myself, and life in general. Alright- sorry for another long post. Ill update probably ............the day after christmas.

Backround- what HAS happend

WELL.
Okay. to start off, in August 08' I went to donate blood. 2 weeks later i find out i have a liver disease that formed into hepatocellular carcinoma. So, i make an appointment with a specialist, and i wont see her until sepember 15th. So during that time, i researched all about my condition and such. At all the websites, it didnt sound good. I thought i basically had a death sentence. September 15th finally came. It was no big deal, they took my blood to confirm the test results, and told me to go on my way, and they would call us. So about 3 weeks later, i FINALLY get those results back. I had genotype 1B, and this would call for a liver biopsy. 1B is one of the worst genotypes of the disease. I was told i will be put on 48 weeks of treatment, which is almost a whole year. The treatment was going to consist of injections once a week, and when i was told this by my pediatric doctor specialist- chemo pills 2 times a day- and only 2 pills, so just one in the morning one at night. So, October finally rolled around, i was so nervous for this biopsy i was freaking out. I had my pre-op just a couple days before hand. And it was funny the nurse was acting like it was so sad, i mean it is, but oh well. by that point i was already used to the fact that it was happening to me . SO anyways, day of the biopsy- it was scary, she had put in a IV drip, and she forgot when she was putting the needle in, to put the little stopper on , so that my blood wouldnt squirt out- yeah she failed to do that so i was gushing blood everywhere. So they took a bunch of my blood, made me pee in a cup ect. I finally get to walk down the room where they were gonna do it, and she was explaing what exactly was gonnahappen, and i was freaking out because i heard from 2 different doctors- 1 said i would be fully put to sleep the other said i was gonna be awake. so i was freaking out. i eventually got put to sleep. So i wake up everything was okay- i was really like lethargic and stuff, and i had a nice sized whole in the middle of my abdomen where they did the biopsy. So i healed up nice from that i have a small scar, but its able to see if iw ere to wear a swimsuit or something. :/. which is sorta embarresing idk. So yeah, i got the results back from the biopsy like another...2 weeks later, and i had no scarring! WOO! i was a 2 on the 0-4 scale. which means i barley entered Fibrosis. which is great. So, we had to wait like 2 more weeks to talk to dr. aurora to see what was next, and so we see him, he was no help and they kept telling me they wanted to send me to the liver clinic, but the liver clinic wouldnt take me because i was under 18 s i needed approval- and a recomendation from like 3 doctors or somethning- another 2 weeks go by, i finally get the recomendation and i FINALLY have an appointment in maplewood at the adult liver clinic, i saw dr. rank, and we decided there that i would start treatment, and my injecton teaching was the friday after i saw dr. rank initally, at the plymouth location. So i got all my meds prescribed, and i was on my way. I got my medicine a couple days later in the mail, and then that day was finalllly here. Friday- i ended up going to my moms work in the morning and then to the doctors in the afternoon, it was funny they tried to cancel us because they said they didnt have a nurse that taught at the plymouth location , when they said they did when they set us up at the appointment there, eventually we just had a doctor guy come in and teach me. It was really easy, i do the injections in my stomach, and its pretty painless- just a quick pinch i guess. Thank goodness for some extra meat??1 haha thank gosh the extra weight will come in handy. So yeah that saturday i felt not that bad, i thought if this was the worst it would get i would be just fine. the next week rolled around, and i did the second injection all by myself- yes i was a big girl! but that weekend was horrible, i felt absolutley sick, that morning i had dry mouth, a fever, the biggest blackest bags under my eyes, everysingle muscle in my body hurt, and my bones were acting as if i was 90 years old. It was bad, and from that week on till about last week, i felt horrible after every injection. I think now- my body is starting to get used to the injections. Once a week i go to the doctors to get a basic CBC done, and last week when i went the lady i first had missed my vein twice, one on the right arm, and one on the left, she eventually had to call a different lady to come and do it, and thank god she got it done, but that was my nickname at the clinic that day- "Pin cushion" i was actually laughing about it, because it really wasnt her fault, i mean my veins literally did dissappear on the poor girl, and i know how she must have felt. So im not mad or anything, i was sorta afterwards but i got over it haha. Anyways, today is the day before christmas eve! and that means since the clinic is closed from the 24th-afternoon till like the 26th or w.e i have to go in to get my blood tests done early tomarrow at 9:15. after that i will go to my grandparents in fergus falls, MN. and spend xmas eve, and xmas day there , then come home xmas night. Im really excited, tonight is our xmas party with the neighbors and close family friends. So i will get a good majority of my presents tonight! :D so. anyways. I will keep you updated with how things go, ill update my bad days more than i will my good. But yeah i have..... 44 weeks left of this treatment, so ill be on here quite a bit i guess! Get used to me :)

If i dont update before christmas
Have a Merry Christmas/Kwanza/chanakuh/hannakuh/ whatever other cool holiday there is :D