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Author Topic: Blood draw, now the wait begins  (Read 5116 times)

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Offline woodshere

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,474
  • ain't no shame in my game
Blood draw, now the wait begins
« on: December 22, 2006, 10:10:46 am »
Probably the one thing most all of us who are positive have in common is the 3-6 mtn blood draw and the wait for results.  I just got back from my  blood draw at my ID doc's office.  What normally is a 2 week wait has been extended to 3 weeks due to my schedule. So for the next 3 weeks I wonder and start to worry.  Did the miss dose or taking my meds a couple hrs late those few times screw everything up?  Will my CD4% have dropped, am I still undetectable?  What have the meds done to my cholesterol and all the other things they test for?  Oh the joy.  Only one thing to do, well maybe three - shop, eat and drink the most important of which is drink.... ;)

Happy Holidays (for those who don't celebrate Christmas, enjoy your long weekend)!!!
Woods
"Let us give pubicity to HV/AIDS and not hide it..." "One of the things destroying people with AIDS is the stigma we attach to it."   Nelson Mandela

Offline Ann

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 28,134
  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2006, 11:11:39 am »
I sure know what you mean Woods, I normally have to wait six weeks for my results. It's a pain in the whatsis. ::)

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline yowsaa

  • Member
  • Posts: 86
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2006, 05:03:24 pm »
I hear ya Woods. Been playing that game for years   ::)  It is a conscious effort, but I have to remind myself now there's no use worrying about the results. Whatever will be will be and I'll deal with the unexpected when it happens.
Not just blowing smoke here, I understand what your saying completely.   

Offline Longislander

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,489
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2006, 05:24:37 pm »
I drew labs yesterday, and doc will call me one day next week with the results. I guess I'm lucky in that.

Sorry you guys have to wait so long.

Have a nice holiday!
infected 10/05 diagnosed 12-05
2/06   379/57000                    6/07 372/30500 25%   4/09 640/U/32% 
5/06   ?? /37000                     8/07 491/55000/24%    9/09 913/U/39%
8/06   349/9500 25%              11/07 515/68000/24     2/10 845/U/38%
9/06   507/16,000 30% !          2/08  516/116k/22%    7/10 906/80/39%
12/06 398/29000 26%             Start Atripla 3/08
3/07   402/80,000 29%            4/08  485/undet!/27
4/07   507/35,000 25%            7/08 625/UD/34%
                                                 11/08 684/U/36%

Offline marco23

  • Member
  • Posts: 392
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2006, 06:10:22 pm »
Ah Woods,
relax, don't stress out...I get my blood work every three months and sometimes I do miss my dosage but when I have the Dr's' appointment, the results are always fine and I do tell her when I missed my dosage (damn the guilty conscious).....as long as you don't stop taking your meds completely, you'll be fine.
Now repeat after me...."I will not be a drama queen"......."I will not be a drama queen"....."I will have more sex to release my stress"......"I will have more sex to release my stress"........ :-*
Don't hide your hurt, pain and feelings inside..for they will harden your heart.

Offline poet

  • Member
  • Posts: 934
  • Poet living and working in Central Maine
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2006, 06:15:32 pm »
Hey Woods.  Yes, usually it's the holiday schedule which screws up the results getting back so you might look at the 2007 schedule so that you can avoid them if possible.  Lab workers like to take long holidays, too. :)  As for missing a dose or delaying the taking of them, from what I have read here, I haven't seen anyone post that doing so has affected him or her (unless I missed something).  I do not, for the record, ever encourage someone to miss a dose, but it can happen.  As for the cholesterol, my new n.p. suggested that I fast and NOT take meds. prior to a blood draw: results, my numbers went to normal from just doing that.  Not the fasting, the not taking drugs until after the draw.  Win
Winthrop Smith has published three collections of poetry: Ghetto: From The First Five; The Weigh-In: Collected Poems; Skin Check: New York Poems.  The last was published in December 2006.  He has a work-in-progress underway titled Starting Positions.

Offline Tucsonwoody

  • Member
  • Posts: 396
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2006, 06:30:47 pm »
Woods - I am sure the wait will be in the back of your mind till results are in but like others have posted - hope you're able to enjoy the holiday with whatever helps - booze or sex or both! :)  Not to mention all of us here plus your friends and family hopefully.

I am new to the testing thing but becoming a vet fast - since diagnose in September have had 3 results and had another draw this past Tuesday - I will probably get results in a week or so. The past 3 results have been about as bad as they can get...I hope, but the latest one will be the first one since starting Atripla about 3 weeks ago so I am anxious to see what if any impact it's had.  But hell I figure my numbers can only get better ....right?

Anyway - have the best holiday you can and go with Marco's advise - no drama and lot's of sex.

Kevin
And I wished for guidance, and I wished for peace
I could see the lightning; somewhere in the east
And I wished for affection, and I wished for calm
As I lay there - Nervous in the light of dawn

Offline PositivelyYours

  • Member
  • Posts: 133
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2006, 06:50:34 pm »
Happy Holidays Everyone!

Woodshere, I understand what you are going through.  My doctor requested on in early December to have my blood drawn because my liver enzymes had increased.  I had blood drawn on 12/15/06 and I am patiently waiting for my results. Just as somone else said, there is no use in worrying because we can't control our lab results.  The most we can do is pray for the best.  Anyways, It's Christmas so lets enjoy ourselves and think about our lab results at a later time.

Much Love,
PositivelyYours


Probably the one thing most all of us who are positive have in common is the 3-6 mtn blood draw and the wait for results.  I just got back from my  blood draw at my ID doc's office.  What normally is a 2 week wait has been extended to 3 weeks due to my schedule. So for the next 3 weeks I wonder and start to worry.  Did the miss dose or taking my meds a couple hrs late those few times screw everything up?  Will my CD4% have dropped, am I still undetectable?  What have the meds done to my cholesterol and all the other things they test for?  Oh the joy.  Only one thing to do, well maybe three - shop, eat and drink the most important of which is drink.... ;)

Happy Holidays (for those who don't celebrate Christmas, enjoy your long weekend)!!!
Woods
PositivelyYours

Diagnosed: 08/10/2006
08/31/06 CD4:240/VL:39,000
09/12/06 CD4:359/VL:50,000
11/16/06 CD4:509/VL:76,000 (Flu Shot)
02/13/07 CD4:270/VL:69,000
02/17/07 Developed the Shingles
02/20/07 CD4:326/VL (Not Tested)
03/20/07 CD4:484/VL:54,000
06/19/07 CD4:488/VL:51,000
09/18/07 CD4:372/VL:27,000
10/09/07 Took Flu Shot
12/18/07 CD4:408/VL:85,000
03/18/08 CD4:394/VL:116,000 (Still No Meds)
05/22/08 CD4:412/VL:63,000
08/13/08 CD4:362/VL:67,000
09/23/08 Took Flu Shot
10/15/08 CD4:340/VL:54,000
11/14/08 Started Atripla @ 9:45 p.m.
1/30/09 CD4:641/VL:<48 Copies
5/07/09 CD4:667/VL: Undetectable
12/02/09 CD4:759/VL: Undetectable
03/05/10 CD4:537/VL: Undetectable
03/16/10 Rec'd TB Skin Test, Pneumonia & Hep B Vac
04/15/10 Hep B & Tetanus Vac
6/10 CD4: 748 VL: Undet.

Offline Blixer

  • Member
  • Posts: 712
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2006, 07:21:25 pm »
Woods, I know exactly what you mean.  And I thought maybe it got better with time, but I see from the rest of the posts that there always seems to be that "am I still doing okay" feeling during the wait.  I'm lucky in that the study I'm in does most of the labs right at the hospital.  Hence, my CD4 and basic blood work are back the following day.  And my new studies nurse calls with the results as soon as they come in.  Unfortunately, my VL goes off to John Hopkins for some reason and that usually takes up to two weeks for the results.  So here I sit with half of my results (which were good) but still worried about the VL (although I have no reason to worry about it).  And I wonder if that morning I was sick and threw up 3 hours after taking my meds messed things up.  I guess it is just something we all live with.  Like the others have said, try not to worry about it.  And I'll try to take the same advice.
David
Diagnosed 1/9/06
8/27/2007 CD4 598, 29%, VL 58 (72 wks)
11/19/2007 CD4 609, 30%, VL < 50 (84 wks)
2/11/2008 CD4 439, 27%, VL <50 (96 wks)
5/5/2008 CD4 535, 28%, VL <50 (108 wks)
10/20/2008 CD4 680, 28%, VL <50 (132 wks)
Changed to Atripla in 2012
1/14/2013 CD4 855, 35%, VL <40

Offline Eldon

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,664
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2006, 07:45:48 pm »
Yes, I AM Supporting You

Hey Woods...

Anticipatory Anxiety is that anxiety which is experienced with the initial thought and anticipation of doing something or what the certain result would be. It is OK to have a genuine concern as to what the outcome may be.

However, the only thing you can DO in this situation is to wait patiently for the results.

Enjoy your Holiday Season.

"Don't You Dare Give Up, Don't You Dare Give In... Cause it is ALL within you to WIN!"

Offline J.R.E.

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,207
  • Positive since 1985, joined forums 12/03
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2006, 07:47:43 pm »
Hello Woods,

I also understand what you mean. You hear people say not to worry about the numbers, but ultimately it's those number results we anxiously wait for each time.  :-X


It usually takes about 10 days for my blood test results to be delivered to my mailbox. If they are not there buy the tenth day, I call the doctors office and ask, where they are !!! I have had errors once a twice which also resulted in delays, but that is understandable. Try not to stress out on it...


Have a great weekend./ Enjoy the holiday !-----Ray


Current Meds ; Viramune / Epzicom Eliquis, Diltiazem. Pravastatin 80mg, Ezetimibe. UPDATED 2/18/24
 Tested positive in 1985,.. In October of 2003, My t-cell count was 16, Viral load was over 500,000, Percentage at that time was 5%. I started on  HAART on October 24th, 2003.

 As of Oct 2nd, 2023, Viral load Undetectable.
CD 4 @676 /  CD4 % @ 18 %
Lymphocytes,absolute-3815 (within range)


72 YEARS YOUNG

Offline woodshere

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,474
  • ain't no shame in my game
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #11 on: December 25, 2006, 09:36:57 am »
Ah Woods,
...."I will not be a drama queen"......."I will not be a drama queen"....."I will have more sex to release my stress"......"I will have more sex to release my stress"........ :-*
Of course I would love to have more sex, but unfortunately being the drama queen is the easiest.

Woods
"Let us give pubicity to HV/AIDS and not hide it..." "One of the things destroying people with AIDS is the stigma we attach to it."   Nelson Mandela

Offline Queen Tokelove

  • Member
  • Posts: 6,031
  • Smokey the Smurf
Re: Blood draw, now the wait begins
« Reply #12 on: December 25, 2006, 02:03:25 pm »
Woods,

I definitely feel where you are coming from. I have to get 2 draws done before my next appointment. I always wonder too what the results are going to be or think they will be bad, I think we all go through that. I hope everything comes back good for you....I'm sure they will anyway...
Started Atripla/Ziagen on 9/13/07.
10/31/07 CD4-265 VL- undetectable
2/6/08 CD4- 401 VL- undetectable
5/7/08 CD4- 705 VL- undetectable
6/4/08 CD4- 775 VL- undetectable
8/6/08 CD4- 805 VL- undetectable
11/13/08 CD4- 774 VL--undetectable
2/4/09  CD4- 484  VL- 18,000 (2 months off meds)
3/3/09---Starting Back on Meds---
4/27/09 CD4- 664 VL-- undetectable
6/17/09 CD4- 438 VL- 439
8/09 CD4- 404 VL- 1,600
01-22-10-- CD4- 525 VL- 59,000
Cherish the simple things life has to offer

 


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