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I guess the moral of this story is “don’t let your boyfriend help with your diet!”
That is fantastic, Matt! Welcome back!
Scored one for the home team, and for FixHepC! Booyah!!!
On my way to the dermatologist, and in the mood for a little Dwight….
beaches wrote:fitz wrote:Sorry Jeff. Still not quite fully understanding your intended message I’m afraid. I value directness, so just come right out and hit me over the head with it if you have to. I promise I won’t run away.
I’ve noticed you Aussies (and Kiwis as well) sometimes tend to speak in exceedingly polite and indirect terms (especially when you are disagreeing with something,) rather than coming right out and saying what you are thinking. This is certainly a matter of cultural style, but for we Americans who tend to be right up front with things, it can be a bit daunting attempting to unravel your pleasant code to get to the heart of things.
It’s just that we use more complex words and sentence constructions than you seppos are used to[/quote]
We don’t have a pejorative to respond, and honestly I wouldn’t use it if we did. I rather like you Aussies.
Wow!!! Like a teenager! Smiling from ear to ear right now!
So happy for you Meg!
Sorry Jeff. Still not quite fully understanding your intended message I’m afraid. I value directness, so just come right out and hit me over the head with it if you have to. I promise I won’t run away.
I’ve noticed you Aussies (and Kiwis as well) sometimes tend to speak in exceedingly polite and indirect terms (especially when you are disagreeing with something,) rather than coming right out and saying what you are thinking. This is certainly a matter of cultural style, but for we Americans who tend to be right up front with things, it can be a bit daunting attempting to unravel your pleasant code to get to the heart of things.
Ha! Ya’ll are awesome (all ya’ll)! So proud to be a part of this crew!
Sven wrote:PS: I really do feel much better. Placibo? I’m not sure but what ever it is has me feeling better, clearer minded and a bit more even keeled.
It is not Placebo, Sven. It is real. You’re feeling better. It does seem a bit odd at first, I know. You’ll get used to feeling better quickly,
sabrecat wrote:fitz wrote:July 18, 2016 – Last Friday’s meeting with my Gastroenterologist was a mixed bag. She bopped into the exam room first thing Friday morning with
an iced Starbucks coffee in her hand,some humility in her heart and mind, smiling and looking sharp and ready for the day.Hi Fitz,
I hope you don’t mind changing what you wrote – I think it would have changed what followed. Like HCV, forgetting we are people is a modern day epidemic too, I think.
Jeff[/quote]
I appreciate your sentiment Jeff, but I can’t write that line for her. Only she can do that.
beaches wrote:I must say I have not struck that attitude recently and the staff at the RPA liver clinic are friendly and helpful and treat you like a human being. I only struck a shitty attitude from that silly red headed bint who got offended back in 2004 when I said thanks but no thanks to interferon.
They were flat out when the DAAs were first available on the PBS (pharmaceutical benefits scheme) but around about now their job satisfaction levels would be pretty highIn her defense, I will say that outside of the “I’ll just take you off treatment” statement, it was otherwise a very positive appointment. She is monitoring treatment, and I sincerely appreciate the work she is doing in that respect. She’s human – and perhaps inwardly regretted saying that immediately – I don’t know. She may be sticking her neck out a bit, and reluctant to rock the boat by ordering tests outside of the formulary schedules.
Still the power play was completely unnecessary, and if it happens again she’s fired on the spot.
Damn it! Tough news Cruzan. Relapse/failure is something I’ve dealt with, and I know how gut wrenching it is. Hang in. Someone who has a much better handle on this than I will be along soon.
My thoughts and prayers are with you in this.
July 18, 2016 – Last Friday’s meeting with my Gastroenterologist was a mixed bag. She bopped into the exam room first thing Friday morning with an iced Starbucks coffee in her hand, smiling and looking sharp and ready for the day.
We sat down and went over treatment progress so far, and discussed lab results. As stated previously, at 4 weeks virus was still detectable – but with a viral load of 35 vs. ~5.5 million earlier this year, treatment is obviously working. She reiterated that labs were normal (something of a miracle in and of itself).
I asked about whether she would order a viral load assay at 8 weeks along with my regular labs, and she said she would not. When I expressed my concern that we should know what happening before EOT, she became visibly irritated and responded to the effect that if I were to have the viral load assayed at 8 weeks, and I were not undetectable that she would just take me off treatment. I was stunned, but tried not to let on.
Whether or not to blog about this was something I thought about, but decided to do because it is so important. My Gastroenterologist had shown such courage in bucking the system to go ahead an follow my treatment with generic DAAs…. To then assert that she would “take you off treatment”, came across as callous, condescending, and egotistical in the extreme.
She needn’t worry though. I will take care of myself – and I don’t need her to do that. I do like her, but will fire her as my specialist in a heartbeat if she ever says anything like that again, or attempts to interfere with my recovery from HCV. The “Me doctor, you patient – and shut up and eat your peas, or I will withhold treatment” is hostage taking nonsense, and has become tiresome and irrelevant in my life.
Doctor, if you read this blog – understand that I am not powerless anymore. You can be part of the problem, or part of the solution. It is completely up to you.
We are so fortunate to have Dr James, the physicians at GP2U Telehealth, and Monkmed and their physicians. No matter where we are in the world, we have a crack medical team behind our recovery, and access to the best cutting edge medications available. Taking charge of our own recovery with that team behind us provides such a wonderful and real sense of empowerment.
For the first time in two decades, I no longer feel as if I am in continual retreat from, and at the mercy of something I know is there, but cannot fully define, or effectively fight.
The notion that someone can use their position as the arbiter of life and death to push me around, or intimidate me has become laughable. I simply won’t play that game anymore.
There is no question that disinformation is a tool used by Big Pharma. The rationale for their entire pricing structure is based upon it.
To assume the other guy – in this case, Big Pharma – won’t use every dirty trick at their disposal to undermine and discredit the competition simply isn’t realistic.
One never has to overthink what the payoff for them is, and should never assume that they will play fair.
ETA: Good watching out, Sven!
beaches wrote:fitz wrote:So, my specialist’s office called today. Viral load is way down from the rosy 5,500,000 or so reported earlier this year. 4 week labs show a viral load of 35 (Thirty Five).
Hey Fitz that’s perfect.Your week 4 results are so similar to mine. You are absolutely on track for EOT UND.
How’s the nose going?[/quote]
Thanks for asking Beaches
Right now it still looks sorta like the dog ate it, but they tell me it’ll be (nearly) good as new in about 5 more weeks
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