Anemic Again!

Saw the doc on Friday. My HBC is 9.5, right at the borderline of when he took me off treatment back in May. This despite a weekly Procrit injection. I'm going in for another blood work-up this week. Based on how I'm feeling, I suspect it's lower. I now attribute the insomnia to anemia. And the cough. And the congestion. And the constant headache. It's a package deal. Once again, having a number and a name to hang on the way I feel causes me to feel even worse. Or at least like I shouldn't fight it.

On the bright side, the WBC, platelets, and liver panels are all in the normal range. I haven't had a viral load test since starting treatment. The doc has mentioned it, but he doesn't seem in a rush -- something I've both liked and disliked about this doctor. He told me he didn't like to give a 12 week check because some insurance companies refuse to pay for treatment if there has not been a log-2 drop in the virus. And he says that if I'm not undetectable at 24 weeks, I'm off treatment. Well, we're past that. I meant to ask him about it a viral load test at this last visit, but spaced it out. Honestly, I'm not that worried about it right now. He tells me that the consistently good liver enzyme numbers are a good indication. And he operates on the theory that more treatment is better than less, even if someone turns out to be a non-responder or relapser. The more we can slap the virus around, the better.

I took Shot Twenty-Nine yesterday. Nineteen to go. I usually do it on Friday night, but lately seem to be delaying to Saturday during the day. I no longer notice immediate side-effects and I don't like doing the injection at bedtime. Poking myself with a needle is just not the way I like to prepare my mind for sleep.

I saw a recent picture of myself and I was shocked. I've aged ten years. My hair is thinning and my skin is pale and saggy. I have deep-set eyes anyway, but I now stare out of thse hollow sockets. According to everyone who's been through this, the effects go away. People are going to think I've discovered a fountain of youth.