Starting Treatment This Week

Good morning SM's Lady...sorry you had to find us...but we have many members working through treatments. My partner has had a long haul..multiple treatments, transplant and now he is undetected after 12 weeks on Sovaldi with Olysio for 1a.

The sides are minimum...Anxiety and headache seem to be at the top of the list. We are urging treaters to drink a lot of water and to have a snack with the pills....to avoid tummy aches.

Let us know how you are doing.

Best,
Mama Lama

I am very excited and encouraged. I feel blessed to be alive and able to partake in this treatment. I just called my doc's office to let them know I was approved. I start this Wednesday, as long as the meds are delivered to my door tomorrow, as promised. My goal is to be done by Oct. 9th, so my hubby and I can go on a cruise for our 24th wedding anniversary the 19th. :) I will keep my eye on the prize of being cured. Thank you for the welcome and the support.

Thank you. I love Kahlil GIbran, too.

So excited the pills arrived just now!! Relieved that the ribaverin isn't a big pill to swallow. So, so about the size of the Sovaldi. Hmmm. I KNOW I CAN!!! I WILL BE CURED!! :) Thank you all for your support. Hold Fast, congrats on finishing up. You are an inspiration to me. :) I will begin this journey tomorrow morning!

Thank you!

I took my first dose of both miracle drugs this morning. I ate an egg and english muffin, with tomato. So far so good. Good luck to you, PE. Thank you for the encouragement. I always drink water throughout the day. Habit ingrained from many years of Weight Watcher's. :)

You are woman! I hear you roar.... :)

Hi. It's the end of day 3 and no side effects! I hope to have the rest of the treatment be as easy. I get my first round of blood work about August 5th in prep for my doc appt. on the 11th. :)

Hi "Lois"! Congrats on starting your treatment!! I'm 3 days post-treatment and feeling great! The sides really aren't all that tough to handle (I feel I was very lucky)...water, rest, and making sure you're taking care of yourself is the way to go. I was mostly uncomfortable with the breathlessness....fatigue of course, but that comes with the virus itself. I managed to work through my whole treatment (I only took 1 day off), and my job requires me to be very active (both physically and mentally). BUT, trust me when I say that IT'S SO WORTH finishing the 12 weeks!! Last night was the best sleep I've had in years...and maybe some of this is only in my head, but I TRULY feel healthier. I honestly can't remember the last time I haven't felt fatigue until today....literally it's been years! I'm so excited for everybody that has this opportunity!!
(( Gen 1, 9 mill viral load; 15<detected @ 4 weeks; undetected @ 7 & 8 weeks; next dr visit mid/end August))

Hi. I am into my second week and doing, remarkably well. I get my blood work 8/4 and my doc on the 11th for the results. I am very optimistic and hoping for a cure. Wishing all of you the best. I will keep everyone posted.

Superman's Lady

Hey SL,
Sorry to hear you are dealing with a bout of depression -that's tough. I've dealt with that in the past and I know first hand how awful it is. Although I was lucky and did not have any depressive episodes on treatment, I did have rapidly changing moods which were unsettling but they seemed to move quickly, usually in a matter of hours.

I like the expression, "this too shall pass" and it's helpful to me when I'm down. Keep reminding yourself it's the meds talking too. And just keep posting if that helps.

Hold Fast

I'm so sorry that you have had this horrible insurance nightmare...

We are the survivors of several truly horrible episodes of the same "game." Mike finally called one lady and told her that she was in charge of a life and death decision -- and by denying him his medications was murdering him that very day...somehow a miracle came through and she found it in her heart to approve his meds a few hours later. He cannot SKIP his antirejection meds...he is a transplant recipient...rejection is FOREVER!

I am sooo glad goood sense prevailed in both cases.

Mike's insurance changed August 1st also and now they are saying that his post TP doc only is approved for pediatrics. So in the next week I have to get that worked out so he can have his 3 months post Hep C treatment appointment....and get his SVR designation (he hopes).. Rooms full of clerks all over this world are in charge of health care these days. Oh my.

Hugs,

Mama Lama