Thursday, May 30th, 22/336 Shot #4

Great day today. Magda and I rode the bikes from our house to Sac State and back with a stop at Peet's Coffee along the way. I made my weekly goal of bike riding by doing 65 miles this week. Treatment has been good to me so far and I'm grateful that being the case as it's transitioning me from couch potato( aka Fattiepie) to dedicated biker. All of the other people in my study are suffering moderate to severe side effeects. A few are saying they're going to quit, but I doubt they will. I take shot #4 tonight @ 8:00 so we'll see how things go. I start summer school on Tuesday and I'm taking Art History 1B(1500-Present). Off to dinner at a very good vegaterian restaurant then shot time. Bye for now.

Shirley Lucci & Parents, Al & Ella 1969

Wednesday, May 29th 21/336

The Tattoo

Tuesday, May 29th 20/336

When I woke up this morning, I looked out the loft window and the wind was blowing the fog past. I decided not to push myself and stayed in bed until 7:30. I called the bank and transfered funds and then showered, got dressed and walked to Starbucks for a cappuchino, newspaper etc. i did the crossword puzzle and then walked to the cable car and took it downtown. I walked the final mile to the tattoo parlor and they hadn't opened yet. Walked another block to Valencia Street an got a veggie burrito. I ended up eating about 3/4's of it before I lost interest in it. Back to the tattoo store and they were open. I reviewed the design I had drawn and we laid out the color palette. Off we went tattooing. Tiffany, the tattoo artist, asked me if it hurt and I said, "I'm one of those people who likes getting their teeth cleaned and I don't mind this". Not a lot of pain and finished in an hour. $100.00 was the charge and I am thrilled with the outcome. I'm glad I designed it my self and researched different parlors before I moved forward. After the tattoo, I walked a few blocks towrd the Castro and had tea with my friend Ann. Then to the streetcar to the Ferry Building, the bus to Emeryville and the train to Sacramento. Magda picked me up and now I'm home again. A very pleasant and successful outing. I will post a photo of the new tattoo on tomorrow's blog.

Billy my dog in his new biking gear

Monday, May 28th 19/336

I woke up this morning feeling groovy. Had a bagel, cappuchino, 3 rebetol and a prozac. At 9:00am, Magda and I went for the now famous 15 mile bike ride. I did much better today, no problems on an enjoyable ride. At noon, I got on the train and went to SF. The City was full of tourists. Went shopping and then took a little nap then a bath. 4 rebas at 7:00 and planning to go to bed at 9:30. Tommorrow I'll walk to the bridge with David and Jimmy and then off to the tattoo parlor to have the tattoo I've designed finished up. I guess that's the propblem with being retired and an art major at age 59. Bye for now

Midnight in Martineque

Sunday, May 27th 18/336

Woke up this morning feeling groovy. Magda and I went for the usual 15 mile bike ride and the hills are becoming a little harder to ride up. I'm going to do it again tommorrow to see if it gets a little easier. Treatment is interesting in so many ways. For me, the more I excercise, the better I feel. Tommorrow I 'm going to take the train to SF to avoid the traffic. The train fare went way up since the last time I went. It used to be $36.00 rt, now it's $50.00 rt. I'll take taxis to get around town. I'm going to SF again to have my new tatto finished...............that's right, tattoo! I started it in Sacto but the guy was a real red neck so I stopped him. I'm going to Black and Blue tattoo in SF, all woman owned, can't go wrong. OK, I can blame it on the treatment!

Magda keeps trying to feed me beet juice and I hate beets. I think she'll get her way and then I'll have to barf to get her to stop feeding me the beet juice. Never a dull moment.

I must say, she is gorgeous!!!!!

Saturday, May 26th 17/336

I woke up this morning feeling like my old self again. Magda and I drove accross the Golden Gate to Tibouron and met our friend David for a 2 mile hike followed by a great breakfast. Again, I had the whole wheat blueberry pancakes and they were as good as the last time. Drove back to SF and took Magda shoppping for teas and clothes. She got a little bit of each.

I can't belive how cold SF can get in the summer, I mean, I froze my ass off. Mark Twain wrote that "the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco", I must say that I'm starting to agree with him. We drove back to Sacramento this afternoon and walked into a very pleasant 90 degrees.

I have a friend who sponsors a biking team which competes in Tour de France and I had called him last week to ask where Magda and I might buy his team Jerseys. Well, walked in the door and he had sent us the works for free. Jerseys, pants, gloves and socks. We are thrilled! Tommorrow, I'm going to put it all on and take the girls(Peg & Riba) for a ride...They hate excercise. Bye for now

Laundry Day on the Isle of Lesvos, Greece

Friday, May 25th, 16/336

I took my shot yesterday at 3:00 in the afternoon and I became very tired around 7:00. Next week I'm going to do it at 8:30 in the evening so I can get tired when I'm asleep. Today we're in SF and we got Magda some health insurance and then we went to lunch with Jonathan and Gretchen. They are world travelers and they have been everywhere twice. They are getting ready to leave on a 9 week trip around the world next month. I was moderately tired all day and I had to take an emergency nap around 3 today. Today was the first time since I started treatement that I really felt tired. Hopefully, tommorrow I'll wake up feeling groovy. Bye for now.

Thursday, May 23rd Shot #3 15/336

I woke up this morning feeling groovy. I went to the doctor for my 2 week check up and bloods and the nurse mentioned that it had been a long time since she had see anyone doing as well on treatment as I am doing. I described treatment as a slight nuisance. Lets hope this trend continues. My friend Swampmomster is in the same study as me and she got her 2 week bloods today(she is a week ahead of me). Her viral load went from 10 million to 1 million in 2 weeks. This is a good response. Her other bloods went down and they have warned her to take it very easy as she is on the edge of anemia, I hope she stabilizes soon. I get my bloods in awhile and I'll be able to see how I'm reacting. Today it's off to SF for a couple of days. Bye for now

This was taken from the Golden Gate Bridge

Wednesday, May 23rd 14/336

Woke today and I was tired. Couldn't get a rythym going so I went back to bed and slept until 10:00. Got up and had a cappuchino and things were looking up. Magda and I are getting along fine. I was going to ride the bike but I thought that it might be too much excercise considering I was a couch potato prior to starting tx, no need to be superman. Instead, I walked for a couple of miles and that made me feel good. Tommorrow I go to the doctor, take my 3rd shot and then in the evening, Magda and I are off to SF for a couple of days. Still tired but not weak so I thinks it's a mixture of treatment and too much excercise. Bye for now

A Diptych from 5 years ago

Tuesday, May 22nd 13/336

Great news! My cat, Ug Lee, who I've had for 18 years, disappeared a month ago and was presumed dead. Last night I got a phone call from a woman who said she had my cat. As it turns out, she had kidnapped her. She was moving away and took a liking to Ug Lee and decided to take her along. I suppose her conscience got the best of her and last night she returned her. I'm very happy to have her back.

I think I'm developing a split personality. There's Terry and there's Terry with the drugs. Magda got PMS and she was cold and nasty to me. I tolerate the PMS although I really don't like it when she gets that way. Well, PMS and boyfriend on tx is not a healthy combination. I really got pissed off and I had to leave the house before I said something I would be sorry for later. Off on another bike ride, thinking, I won't turn around until this anger passes. It took me 10 miles to calm down. On the way back I got really tired and I had to stop in a park and rest for 1/2 an hour. When I got up I was a little dizzy and I thought that I might have to call Magda to come and pick me up. Things got better and I made it home although I was really having to push it. I made it 20 miles today and that gives me 65 for the week. When I got home I took a nap for an hour. Tx is always changing and the meds are always probing, looking for weak spots.

I'm fortunate to be treatment tolerant, so far anyway. Most people have angry red or purple spots around their injection sites for quite along time. Mine are a very pale pink and you can't even see them unless they're in the right light. This seems to indicate that my tissues aren't too bothered by the interferon. The mind is another story. I am constantly battling the drugs in my head to see who will control this process. When things get dicey I have to excercise because my friends Peg & Riba hate excercise because it puts me back in control. This is going to be quite a ride in more ways than one!

Work in Progress

Monday, May 21st 12/336

I think the "sides" are testing, trying to find a weak spot, looking for a way in. My hip statrted to ache and I motioned it away and away it went. The whizzyness was gone when i awaoke and I felt very lazy. I don't know if it is because I've been pushing myself so hard, or the meds are building up and taking hold. At any rate, we had a little talk and I said, screw you Interferon and Rebetol, you're going to the gym. I went and kicked up the weights and now that I'm home, I can tell they've been run off for the day. I cannot overemphsize the importance of excercise while on treatment. I feel like a Nike commercial as in "Just do it". Bye for now


The feather is finished

Sunday, May 20th 11/336

Woke up this morning feeling a little tired so I had breakfast and went back to bed for an hour. Got up again and decided it was a great day for a bike ride so Magda and I went out and did the usual 15 miles. So far, I've done 45 miles this week.

There are a lot of things that can come up over the next 46 weeks so I'm going to do as much as I can and take it one day at a time. Some of the possibilities are anemia, clinical depression and killer rashes. Hemoglobin normal count is 11 to 17 and I'm 16.9 at the start of treatment. With my numbers so high, I can take a pretty good hit before I become anemic and need rescue drugs. The interferon interferes with one's seretonin and about a third of those in treatment become clinically depressed. I demanded anti depressants prior to starting treatment. I was given prozac and it agrees with me so I can double the dose if I get in trouble. The wild card is the Riba rash. It hits people 3 or 4 months out and it's quite nasty, so, in the meantime, I just peddle like there is no tommorrow.

I havn't cut my hair for 6 months, so today I had it all cut off to 1/2 an inch. It really feels great. Bye for now.

I painted this about 10 years ago

Saturday, May 19th 10/336

Woke up today feeling groovy. Had a bagel, a yogurt, 3 Rebetols, a cappuchino, and a prozac. I've started taking 3 Rebes in the morning and 4 at night based on the fact that Magda learned in her Nuero-science class that the body absorbs medication much more effectively during sleep.

Yesterday was the day after the shot day and I felt a little less peppy than usual. No aches, no chills, no fever, no fatigue, just a little malaise. Well that was yesterday, and today I am ready to rock and roll. I went on my 15 mile bike ride with Magda and her ex-husband and really kicked it out. I'm going to try to set a goal of 60 miles a week on the bike, 2 walking days and a day at the gym for as long as I am able.

I'm always amazed at how people interact with their ex-spouses. On one hand, my ex-wife of 20 years hates my guts to the grave, while, Magda's ex-husband and I are best friends. Very strange indeed, I guess it has to do with one's emotional maturity. Bye for now.

Friday, May 18th 9/336

Shot #2 was last night and it came and went without any changes except that today, the interferon appears to have taken the edge off the rebetol so that I'm not running around like a meth head all the time. I actually feel quite normal.

I went to the park and walked the 2.5 mile loop with my dog and Magda. The company I sold 15 months ago has been re-sold to Coldwell Banker Real Estate, something about the partners not seeing eye to eye. Oh well, I did mention that running a real estate company wasn't as easy as it looks.

Today I have been drawing a large feather in pencil, on 24" x 30" paper. I'm really enjoying it. love ya, mean it. Bye for now

Work in Progress

Thursday, May 17th-Shot #2 8/336

I just did shot #2 and now I wait to see if it kicks my ass. I had some trouble setting the dosage on the syringe, it was very resistant to turning into position. When I pulled the needle out, a little bit of liquid dripped out and made me wonder if I did it right.

My appetite is starting to change and the spicy foods are history. I now like yogurt, bananas, cereal, grapes, cake, some fruits, and cappachino. Forget garlic, onions, tomatoes and vinegar.

I went to the gym and did my usual workout with the usual weights and reps without a problem. I hope this trend continues. I'm getting a little spacey and I walked in the woman's room at the gym by mistake. There is no other look in the world than the "you idiot" look a woman gives you when you make this kind of mistake. Bye for now

Wednesday, May 16th 7/336

Magda and I in Egypt

Today I decided it was time to put the rubber to the road and see what happens if I really push myself. I live along side the American River and I can pick up a really nice bike trail at the end of my street. Off I went to test my usual 15 mile ride over hill and dale along the river. Every catapillar in California was crossing the path and heading for the river. I squashed one and felt bad so I was very careful the rest of the ride. When I started to perspire, I could feel the Rebetol coming out my pores. I thought this was great because it makes me think that my tissues are getting soaked with it and the virus is being killed. The ride went well and I did it in about the usual time. At the end, and after, I seem to be a little more fatigued than usual. I think the treatment will eventually wear me down so I am going to live life to the fullest until the sides tell me other wise. Tommorrow is shot number 2 and I'm anxiously awaiting the results.

By for now

Tuesday, May 15th 6/336

My girl friend Magda and our dog Billy

I woke up at 6:00 this morning and felt really good. I'm seriously starting to wonder if they forgot to put the Peg-Intron in the syringe as I feel better than I have for years. No sides yet and I am full of energy, I feel something's not right. The area around the injection site is supposed to turn purple around 4 days after the shot and I'm going on 6 with no change. I'm eagerly awaiting my second injection so I can get a better take on how it's going to be.

Jimmy and David picked me up at the loft and we drove to Tiburon in Marin County and did a 3 mile walk. We ended our walk at a cafe and we had breakfast. I had the best wheat, apple, walnut pancakes ever. Back to SF and off to lunch with my old friend Mike. After lunch I ran a few errands and went shopping for some teas for Magda. I stopped by my daughter's house and held my 2 week or grand daughter. What a precious little angel. Home for some house work and then dinner with my life long friend Pete. I'm driving home to Sacramento this evening.

Monday, May 14th 5/336

It's nice to be in SF. I lived here for 58 years and I've seen a good many changes over time. When I was a kid, the movies were a quarter and there were a few wooden sidewalks left down by the Ferry building. As a child, I used to ride my bike into North Beach and ride along the railroad tracks that ran by the loading dock of an old brewery. After I lived in my loft for a few years, I realized that I was living in the loading dock that I rode by as a kid. The tracks had been replaced by a sidewalk and the brewery had been converted into condos with the 6 loading docks converted into 3 lofts.

Today I registered for 1 class in summer school at Sac State. Hopefully, I'll be able to pass the tests during the course. So far, so good. I had a busy day today and will do the same tommorrow. After dinner, it's back home to Sacramento.

Sunday, May 13th 4/336

PegIntron(Interferon) (Schering-Plough) is the injection I take every Thursday evening. Prior to a few years ago, people undergoing HepC treatment had to inject the interferon every day, A few years ago the interferon was pegylated. That chemistry made it possible to inject once a week as the interferon time releases in 2 peaks. My first peak hit me 13 hours after injection and consisted of some minor chills for about an hour. The second peak hits 40-50 hours after Injection. In my case, I seem to run a little late, and mine hit 58 hours post injection. We were at a party at a friends house last night and I felt a slight chill followed by a 10 minute mild hot flash. I turned to Magda and said, "The second peak just kicked in" We left the party about an hour later and when I arrived home I took my temperature-97.9.

Woke up this morning feeling great. Breakfast, cappuchino at Starbucks and then we reconfigured our home office. Around noon, I set out on my drive to San Francisco via Sonoma. Arrived in SF and settled into the loft.

Big day tomorrow. Walk to the Golden Gate bridge with David and Jimmy, then Lunch with the fabulous and famous "Tea Star Witch" who is visiting with her husband from New York. Starwitch is 43 weeks into treatment and has been a real inspiration to me as she has blogged along. Finally, dinner with my dear friend Allison. I might try to fit in a couch purchase at Room & Board sometime during the day.

Bye for Now

Saturday, May 12th 3/336

Last night sleep was much better than the first night. 1 sleeping pill and a decent night's sleep. Woke up feeling rested and groovy. Had a bagel with margerine, 4 ribas and a prozac, a tub of yogurt, and then off to Starbuck's for a cappuchino. One of the few postive outcomes of treatment was going to be weight loss as it was guaranteed by the doctor that the drugs would give me nausea. She went so far as to say that if I ever found someone who didn't experience it to bring them in. I'm still very early in the journey but I have a great appetite and I can eat anything put in front of me-pizza, burrito, garlic bread etc. These are extremely potent drugs and I keep waiting for the other shoe to fall.

I went for a 2.5 mile walk this morning and was thinking I should also do a 20 mile bike ride but I decided I need to take it slow for the first couple weeks and wait and see what happens as the poison builds up in my system.

Off to Home Depot, again, and then over to friends house for a visit this evening. Love Ya, Mean It:-)

Friday, May 11th 2/336

I went to bed last evening around 11:00 and took a sleeping pill. I was awakened with mild chills around 1:30 which lasted for about an hour, no big deal. Took another sleeping pill and watched the sleeping pill and the Rebitol argue about who was going to win the evening's battle. Sleeping pill finally won. I awoke around 8:00 and felt good. Had breakfast, popped 3 more ribas and a prozac and did the crossword puzzle followed by a 2 mile hike in the park. Then shopping at 2 markets, Ross, Home Depot, and then home for lunch. I have my fingers crossed that my journey stays so pleasant. As it stands now, the peg-Intron(interferon) is not a factor comfort wise and the riba makes me high. I may be one of the lucky 10% who doesn't get any bothersome sides. I have a long way to go, so I know things can change, but, so far, so good. Time to hop in the pool.

Shot #1 1/336

Thursday

I woke up this morning and felt like a condemned man going to the gallows. My thoughts raced about whether I was doing the right thing at the tender age of 59. How bad will the next year be? What will become of the relationship I have with my girlfriend Magda? How much damage will the treatments do to my body? How much longer am I going to live and is it worth sacrificing a year to maybe get cured. All these thoughts and more.

I arrived at the hospital at 10:00 and they random computer selected me to be in ARM #1, the control group. This was my last choice as I won't receive the protease inhibitor as a result. I was angry and sad at the same time, but as time went by a snapped out of it. I don't have to take 3360 pills over they next 48 weeks, I won't be exposed to unknown side effects from the protease inhibitor drug, and my liver gets a break. If I fail to clear the virus, they will give me the protese inhibitor at 6 months. Lastly, I can always retreat with the new drugs in 2008.

Now for the good news. I took the shot 9 hours ago and I haven't gotten sick or had any side effects. Maybe this will be a little easier than I thought. Stay tuned

Scherring-Plough Protease Inhibitor Trial Arms

When I go to start treatment on May 10th, they will tell me which arm of the study I'm in. It's all hush-hush until then. These are the possibilities:

arm 1 - (control arm) - PegIntron/Rebetol for 24 wks. After 24 weeks and if you are undectable, you'll continue the same for 24 more weeks. If the virus is still detectable, they add in the boceprevor (aka SCH 503034) to the above combo for 24 more wks. Total treatment may be up to 54 wks depending on the time it takes to get the virology results from the treatment wk 24 visit.

arm 2 - PegIntron/Rebetol AND Boceprevor (aka SCH 503034) for 28 wks

arm 3- PegIntron/Rebetol for 28 wks, Boceprevor (aka SCH 503034) for 24 wks, added after 4 wks of combo.

arm 4- PegIntron/Rebetol AND Boceprevor (aka SCH 503034) for 48 wks

arm 5 - PegIntron/Rebetol for 48 wks, Boceprevor (aka SCH 503034) for 44 wks, added after 4 wks of combo.

Arm 2 is my first wish, followed by Arm 3, Arm 4, and Arm 5. Last choice is Arm 1, the control Arm. If I am selected for Arm 1, it won't be the end of the world, but I have my fingers crossed for Arm 2 or 3 because of the shorter length of treatment. I'm getting a little nervous as the day draws near. I've had to quit school 2 weeks early, but my teachers have been great. I think I'll get B's instead of A's but that's OK. Bye for now.