Starting 3-drug, 48 week Treatment for HCV 1a

From Shadow CPTN:

Hey there folks, hope this post finds you all well.

Having a liver biopsy next week, need some kidney work done (haha) for a stone removal & eval of a cyst. After all that, I will begin the 3-drug, 48-week treatment for hcv 1a.

I feel like s*|t. Like I have the flu all of the time. Tired isn't the word & the tenderness of my swollen liver sux. My mood and 'tude are fantastic though!

Lots of prayers have been blatently answered and I'm positive that I will get through treatment just fine. In my spare time, I've been scripting in prep for my core courses for my comp sci degree. Am tossing around the idea of putting a dent into obtaining said degree during the treatment. Refocus is golden. smile :)

Hoping that you all are doing well. Am mostly posting to see how y'all fine folks, who helped support me when I was newly diagnosed, have been doing twith your own hcv? Anything new going on?

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(S-cap) -- I copied your post in to a new thread as this is an important topic and we are already on 3rd page of your old thread.

Folks with Hep C are VERY anxious to hear about your journey and will want you to post here.

(Moderator) -- Can one of you lock the old thread, please.

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My partner, Mike, is a year post transplant and has a liver biopsy next month.  They are talking about treatemtn again for him (2 drug combo 2003 failed for his Hep C 1a that he has had since at least 1970).

He, and likely others, will be interested to hear how you are doing symptom wise, mental status wise, and, of course will be holding their breath to hear the magic words:  CLEAR!  And then finally, SVR, Sustained Viral Response.

You have a very positive mental attitude going in, so that will work in your favor.  Some have the Hep C fog (or treatment fog) and would not have your mental energy to do computer science classes.

We all hope you are successful...with treatment, with school, with SVR!

Best,

Carol

Carol/Connie, et`all:

Thank you for moving my thread, that last one was old & very long as you pointed out. Plus I didn't realize that I had re-posted in a new thread, etc. Smile.

Topping off my 15-year "ride" with BiPolar has been severe ADD, and a brand-new DX of PTSD (in direct relation to my DX of hcv). The meds they are giving to me for the ADD helps the horrid fog, and the severe fatigue. My neurologist found some "white spots" (lesions) on my MRI of the brain & they are going to figure out if that's the HCV having broke the blood/brain barrier down to a fluke (nothing) on the past 3 brain scans.

So yes, I was in a horrible fog until I was able to re-start my ADHD meds for Quality Of Life. This is the *only* way I can sit & think to do any kind of coursework, down to simply sitting down to watch 30 minutes of tv. My hepatologist is okay with this form of psych treatment simultaneous to the 3-drug hcv 1a treatment she will administer. She told me that she would take care of my liver, and that my BiPolar/ADD/PTSD will be handled by my psych. Together they come up with a medication treatment plan in June (subject to change). The best thing that came out of her mouth was that these simultaneous treatments are being administered for QOL. She actually cares about my state of mind entering & enduring hcv treatment, such a blessing.

So, as you can tell, the hepatologist that I see is very cool. She is an observer, and super friendly. I can open up to her. She asked if I had found an HCV support group and I told her about this place. However, I had to get lots of real-time support for my bipolar during this time, as my chances of going manic or the opposing suicidal-depression are high with my DX's and interferon-based treatment apparently.

After she mentioned hcv support, I thought about you all (everyone here who posts in the hep forum), and wanted to check in. It's nice to be on the path to full health, both mental and physical with each of you.

Gee, remembering back to when the first Hepatologist I saw told me that his clinic didn't even always treat bipolars, this has been quite the journey. I'm very blessed. If I think positive, then that is what I will attract. If I think negative, that is how this will go. I'm keeping on a positive track to get through this & maybe someday be able to give back to society what most of my new doctors are teaching me: There is actually some humanity left in this world.

Wow I rambled a bit here. Hope it all came out logically, I'm still struggling with a bit of mental fog. It takes a while to get the meds right for mental health needs, but they are darn close!

Happy Easter Weekend to each of you. May your journey to health be filled with caring love, great medical care, and some sunshine from above.

~peace~