TOPIC:

yep, i thought i had that "tan" too, no more, now im damn near pink, need some sun!

Beaches you are RAWKIN this tx you go! I'm loving this post. Water activities increased like double for me too no matter even if at the start I had the migraine sx seriously panadiene controlled it anyway. Double metres swim bleedin awesome
I am EOT today yesterday I did a celebration surf and yeah paddled two different reefs in a morning dawn patrol yay.
Water is THE BOMB. keep swimming not drowning eh!!?! Yup
Great update into week 2

Saw 13 Dusky Whaler sharks this morning - awesome.
Water is indeed the bomb. Rain on the surface, calm underneath.
Thanks Ariel! Fingers crossed re the lack of negative sx aye

End of week 3 coming up. 4 week bloods next Friday the 15th. Strangely not stressed, what will be will be

Highlight of this week has been a delightful head cold. It's going around so hopefully it's just that and not a Sx. A couple of days ago I threw my hands up in defeat and hit the codrals. Hopefully this won't interfere with Tx

Mrs Snotty-Head signing off for now

4 week results are in (but not the RNA ones yet)
Liver functions
Bilirubin 12 down from 14 pre treatment
Gamma 25 down from 52
ALT 19 down from 63
AST 19 down from 47

This is looking good. It probably helps that really the liver function results pre treatment were not that bad.

I had the quantitative RNA etc done on 16 January and 18 March and the viral load dropped from 10,800,000 to 6,710,000 but maybe that is just regular fluctuations

Hi Beaches,

Those levels look fantastic, I think you'll be ok.
Looks like a healthy, happy liver

Love Cindi x

Freakin awesome stats beaches....I am stoked for you, and so early in tx too. This is really going well for you I am so pleased. Only a few days and the results will be in...probs just unquantifiable or even an early UND even!... who knows with those awesome numbers. the main thing iss...it is WORKING yew!
You have lot's of good news to look forward to I think,
Splashes of happies fresh from my dawn patrol sesh at ya,
From freezing but sunny Vicco waters, Ariel

Ariel wrote: Splashes of happies fresh from my dawn patrol sesh at ya,
From freezing but sunny Vicco waters, Ariel

And splashes back from me and the dusky whalers in the balmy 22 degree Manly surf. It was quite strong this morning. Dived under a wave and it tore one of my flippers right off my foot

Coming up to Tx week 8 - reflections

First off I can truly say that not a waking hour goes by without feelings of intense gratitude to Greg Jeffreys, Dr James Freeman and all the brave souls who have sought and facilitated the availability of generic Tx either for themselves or others.You are a big reason that the Australian govt put the treatments onto the PBS. Big pharma was starting to hurt. If not for you many others would still be waiting for this life saving cure.

Any negative Sx have been minimal. I have a few (fewer than 10) tiny bumpy things on my face that aren't pimples. They popped up right at the start of Tx and are not bothering me. The occasional headache that hangs around for a couple of minutes. Constipation which seems to be resolving itself as my body gets used to Tx (or maybe it's the prunes) And That. Is. It.

All other consequences have been life changing. It's all around energy levels and mental sharpness for me. I work full time and at times prior to Tx it was really really hard. Brain fog. Working at the computer was OK but having to interact with more than 1 or 2 people at once was a real struggle. Suddenly it's not a big deal at all. I feel much sharper mentally and others have commented on it.

I used to come home, prepare a meal,eat then have to crash on the lounge for a few hours before having the energy to prepare for the next day,and then stumble about like a zombie trying to make the most basic decisions. Sometimes making poor food choices due to extreme tiredness. Sleep quality was not great. Paradoxically I think keeping active was one of the things that saved me.

I didn't know how unwell I was.

After about week 5 my swimming suddenly got faster but still not fast enough to outrun a hangry man in a grey suit (I swim in the ocean 3 or 4 times a week). Unfortunately I still suck at many Yoga asanas but am surely reaping the benefits regardless.

Sleep quality is divine.

I feel as though I've stumbled out of a dark cave and am standing blinking in the light of a big world of adventure.

beaches said; "When I was first diagnosed I did quite a bit of research and decided not to take the Interferon treatment. Dr Strasser pretty much called me an idiot for not doing it. That was in 2004 and for a 60 year old person with Hep C I'm doing pretty well, so I'd say I made the right call."

Well said beaches.

Hi beaches,
I am so pleased for you.

Yeah! Unfortunately you get used with some nasty things... When they have gone you just realised the BIG difference.

Your life has changed in the best direction!

Cheers!
ps here it is!

We appear to be on a similar journey. I also contracted HCV in the late 70's and I started taking Harvoni (PBS) on 16 March. The first week was weird for me. Headaches and a feeling that there was a war going on inside me, the dragon was screaming!! I also seemed to get a little manic with a burst of energy that lasted for 5 days. Since then everything has settled down. My brain fog is dissipating and my sleep is just soooo relaxing. I wake up feeling refreshed (although I still tend to get tired in the afternoon and need a half hour nap). My appetite has increased and I have put on a couple of kilos which is the only real negative . I have also noticed that my feet which were becoming increasingly numb over the past few years (probably peripheral neuritis from HCV) have started to get more feeling back in them. My 1st month post treatment path results arrived back on my birthday and were everything I could have wished for, LFT's in the normal range and PCR negative. Best birthday present ever!! I've just about finished my 8th week. I wonder how good we will feel when we finish taking Harvoni!

Cheers

The dancing bananas will be working overtime

Sounds like you're doing really well Beaches

Wish I'd had your wisdom and avoided the dreaded interferon. Still, I was grossly misinformed by a liver specialist, who made it seem like a walk in the park...

Hey Phoenix I had a bit of luck because I saw and heard of other people who went through it. Don't know or care what the doc's agenda was but I knew she was talking crap.
Hopefully my experience on this Tx (and everyone's on this forum pretty much) will help people who are not sure if they should start or not.
Isn't it great to read success story on success story?