April 24,2010

The gastro doc said I had 2 options. One would be to stay with him knowing that this whole process would be costly with many office visits. Two, was he would refer me to a hospital that was doing a study on Hep C and all costs would be consumed by them. Hello, no brainer here. See ya doc!
This is now Jan. 2009 and I met with the provider for the study. I did extensive blood work and they had to send all the information to a pharmaceutical company that is doing a clinical trial in conjunction with the study to see if I would be accepted. I’m thinking, I am the perfect candidate for this study and trial. I’m not taking any medications other than vitamins. The interferon and the trial drug would have nothing to interact with. I’m exactly what they are looking for. The pharm. company was very excited about this new medication and we would not know if we were getting the actual drug or the placebo. They called me and said that I needed to go and have yet more blood work done! I have so much blood work taken I feel like I could date a vampire!
This pharm. company wanted to select 200 people to participate from 200 location sites that would be found in the US, Europe and Argentina. I am having terrible anxiety and fear of taking the interferon. Everyone I had spoken to and read about had horror stories. I had at one time gone to a Hep C chat line and everyone there scared me so badly with the grueling side effects I exited right away. I just wanted to lie on my bed and crawl into a hole. Oh God, how am I going to get through this? I was held captured in fear.
Thanks for stopping by and until next time….I stand still on the still waters. Diane