Upper GI Hopes

[pepurr]

Tomorrow I go in for an upper GI so the doc can check that ulcer. Hopefully it is gone. If it is gone, they can start the hepatitis C treatment on me.

It has been a long row to hoe, and this isn't even near over. Once the chemo starts, it will continue for 48 weeks. Well, it will as long as they see a drop in viral count by 12 weeks. If not, they will call me a non-responder and stop treatment. If I can make it through for 48 weeks, even then I will only have a 50% chance of clearing this virus.

All this scares the crap out of me. I'm not looking forward to the side effects at all. I recon I should be thankful I live in a state that allows MMJ. With that at least I can have hope of mitigating the effects.

To tell the truth, if I could make a deal such as getting rid of this virus in exchange for never smoking pot again, I would do it in a heart beat. I love smoking pot, but the prospect of cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer isn't an even trade for being able to smoke it legally.

My hope is that I will clear this nasty little creature and be able to go back to aircraft work. That is what I want the most, even though when I do go back to work, I'll have to give up weed again. Smoking pot is to risky with the random tests they give. The FAA will allow one failed drug test, but if one fails a second time, they are bared from aircraft work forever.

For them who don't know about hepatitis C, here are some videos to help you learn about this killer.

YouTube - Health Matters: Hepatitis C
YouTube - Hepatitis C: From A to Z
YouTube - Hepatitis C: Jazzy's story <---- This one always brings tears to my eyes.
YouTube - Hepatitis C the slow killer <---- I made this one.

Say a little prayer for me or wish me luck.

pepurr Reviewed by pepurr on 03-23-2010. Upper GI Hopes Tomorrow I go in for an upper GI so the doc can check that ulcer. Hopefully it is gone. If it is gone, they can start the hepatitis C treatment on me. It has been a long row to hoe, and this isn't even near over. Once the chemo starts, it will continue for 48 weeks. Well, it will as long as they see a drop in viral count by 12 weeks. If not, they will call me a non-responder and stop treatment. If I can make it through for 48 weeks, even then I will only have a 50% chance of clearing this Rating: 5

[evailblackthorn]

I wish you the best of luck pepurr, I to know what its like battling cancer and taking radiation treatments. Thanks to cannabis its reversing my cancer. But i agree with you i would trade my heath and not smoke being healthy outweighs smoking even though i love to do it.

[Totah Sam]

Good luck Pepurr. I hope and pray for a complete recovery for ya.

[Sandia]

Pepurr,

Stay strong buddy! I am keeping you in my thoughts. I don't know much about Hep C but am doing some research on it now for my own information.

As far as "giving up" things....I have said this for a long time "I would give up anything to have a healthy life now". With that being said, I do not use MMJ but am really hoping that it will help my situation as everything else thus far has not worked.

GOOD LUCK....and I hope you are doing better.

Sandia

[pepurr]

Thanks for your moral support guys. It really means a lot to me. All of you are in my prayers daily. :hippy:

Be well.

Note: Isn't it funny. For a web site that promotes a schedule I drug that is supposed to rune people's lives. A drug that has no social redeeming properties. A plant that causes nothing but heart ach and misery. I find more kindness and love here than most other places..:rastasmoke:

[Sandia]

So true on the kindness here Pepurr......

How did your visit go???? I did some reading on Hep C.....man that is one nasty disease. I TRULY HOPE that you can get some relief from the medications they may put you on.

HANG IN THERE BUDDY!!!!!!

[chance942]

Yeah I hear you on that pepurr.Speaking of cards,"tickets".FAA licenses aren't easy to come by that's for sure. I know the mechanics is a PITA to get.When is the last time you signed anything off? I truly hope you do find support here,I do overall.

No matter anything else we all came here for the same reason,Be well.

[pepurr]

Hey guys, good news.

I just got back from the upper GI, and they found NO ULCER. YAHOO! Thanks guys for all your prayers and good thoughts. I know it helps. It always helps people to get well faster when they know people out there are rooting for them.

Now it will be a short time till I get on interferon and ribavirin to kill that damn hepatitis c virus. Yahoo (sort of). I say sort of cause the only thing I'm really looking forward to in this is getting it over with.

One more step closer to wellness. One more step to getting my MMJ card.

I am an artist. You might say a starving artist at this point. So sense I am so poor, money wise, I wonder if there are any MMJ friendly doctors who would do a recommendation in exchange for art. That would be so cool, it would blow my mind. If any of you know such a doctor, give me a holler. :rastasmoke:

Love you all. :thumbsup:

Edit: I almost forgot. It has been sense last July sense I worked on any aircraft. I miss it. The last thing I did was being on a crew converting a B737 into a flying RV for some rich Russian fokes. Man, that plane was looking good.

[chance942]

Dang that sounds like a fun project to be on. Bono and U2 fly around on one of those,that guy must be beyond rich! Bono owns the 737 I saw,painted to his liking and all. Man I saw some cool birds @ Jeffco but I have to say the unrestricted access to the lone F-18/A was the best. The exhaust from his turnout left me sick for a week but it was worth it. He broke the barrier because I begged,right above Broomfield,CO,never forget that.

[pepurr]

It was sure a cool job. That was in Spokane, Wa. I was assigned there through a technical services company. When I quit, so I could go back home and start getting well, they told me when I'm done come on back and they would hire me permanent. I plan to take them up on that. Well, that is if I don't get on with Boeing first. They are building a manufacturing plant for the B787 in So. Carolina. I wouldn't mind going there and teaching the new fokes. It seems like most places I go they want me to do that. I recon that's what happens when one has been doing it for 30 years.

I lived in Seattle, Auburn and Everett in years gone by, but I think I liked Spokane best.