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To Pat1 a huge hug
That's the hardest to bear and you alone would know the truth of that

Hard to find the words for what you have gone through Pat, words just won't do and so I echo Ariel and send you BIG

Ohw ohw boy, reading all of your messages... Big flowers to all of you.

Hug Ariel!

Life I grew sunflowers in my garden this Summer it was a lot more work than I had expected but the results were worth every jolly day I tended them
Just like our walk with hep huh? Now in week five I must be a budlet
I'm in a gorgeous garden of friends there are plenty of blooms growing, it's a beautiful tx garden

All the friends who have finished are inspiring to me and all
Good luck for your SVR each and every one of those finished or about to reach EOT and thanks for popping by

LLOOVVELLYY...Thanks...

Thank you Ariel and my heart breaks for you too Pat.
Honestly Ariel, I read what you went through re interferon Tx and others too, and I feel like I really dodged a bullet!

It was about 5 years ago when I was seeing a Private Specialist for GI issues and HepC assessment. Straight away he started telling me I should go on Tx and be rid of this virus. He sent me for a Fibroscan which put me in F0-F1 at that time, I had high LFT's, can't remember VL.

So, he starts telling me I should treat with interferon/ribavirin and did I know anything about it? I told him I'd read up on it and was horrified over the stories and couldn't believe that he was considering it for me given a) my mental health history, and b) the fact I was a single mother of a son with ASD and had no family or social network here. He turns around and says, 'so you don't want treatment for this virus then?' I said, 'that's not what I'm saying, I don't want this treatment!'

He went on a spiel about refusing tx meant the virus would end up killing me and I wouldn't be around to raise my son blah, blah. He decided to refer me to the Public Clinic so I could get a Psych eval. I waited many months and got in but my 1st Specialist did the same thing, went on about needing this tx and by refusing it meant I wasn't serious about my health and being around for my son. I finally saw the Psych and he recommended I was NOT a candidate for this Tx. Yet, many appointments after were still the same, talking about interferon and me pointing to the huge file and assessment saying the opposite, arguing and crying.

It was cruel and unusual punishment! I was usually an emotional wreck after every session because I would insist there was no bloody way they were putting me on that tx!
Then talk of the DAA's changed tack...

So, for people like you Ariel and others, who were pushed and 'bullied' into that tx and suffered as you did I feel so truly sorry for you all. I'm really grateful for my stubbornness, but mainly my fear - that if the tx made me really sick and/or mentally unstableI I wouldn't be able to look after my son - that is what drove me to vehemently refuse.

Sending and big hugs to you and a little sunshine on your glorious garden!

Saved from ongoing anxiety and trauma indeed Chejai, I won't look back but yes indeed and Thankyou for your heartfelt kindness.
I didn't sleep last night much. The night terrors actually started on peg/inf and never left so are easily triggered and I know that now so I am kind to myself.

I'm leaving for the hour and a half drive to the Hospital to hopefully get my first bloods back this morning
That's why the anxiety
Fingers and fins crossed here
Will let y'all know how I go
I'm taking my new blue book btw
Love to all
Ariel

I'm taking my new blue book btw

Great - Remember to get a print-out if your test results and jot down anything they say

Everything goes in the Big Blue Book

Good luck

I hope this is good
I was 240,000 units b4 tx
The bloods were done at Day 25
My liver is F0 she said
Here are my results
I'm in Week 5 of 12 weeks sof/led
Comments please friends
PS she asked if I drink??? I have not drunk anything for so around seven years??
My next bloods are written for week 8, in three weeks
Is this good stuff I think it should be isn't the 4 week mentality a hangover from peg/inf days
Signed
Would love to be UND
Bring it on please

Hi Ariel,

I'm no doctor but those tests all look fine to me, well within range. No AST test? Or was that on another page maybe?

The old regime of four week testing being critical went out the window with Peg/Riba but you would have aced it anyway with those results. These days the testing just confirms the meds are working and so gives you confidence.
Your viral load was detected but at below a level which they could measure, so 'not quite' undetected but with your F0 results I'm sure you will be at 8 weeks.

She probably just wanted to wag a finger at you about drinking, some people are like that.

Hi Ariel, Looking good as Gaj said not UND but very low VL I am sure you will be UND with your next labs Congrats and best wishes for the remainder of your tx

Looking at that test result, it seems the test doesn't detect lower than 30, so it could be less?
Either way, looking good - Alt 19 ?
Why dud she ask if you drank alcohol?
It's all looking good to me

Thanks for the props
No AST done
These are all the tests GAJ
Re the alcohol question I thought it was really strange
Maybe the GGT is at the higher end of normal ? It's 30 and the normal range is 0-38 but I don't really know LG

I don't like Dr Google so I don't want to think about the GGT because I know it can be a sign of drinking
Still it was a weird question yeah
I think that they just sometimes like to check that we are looking after ourselves I hope!
Clinic was Like a circus of characters
One fun guy faced off the no personality rules when he was asked to weigh in he walked back and yelled out to the nurse locum 250kgs!!!
I was wetting! I said did you include your motor bike! He was soooo fun of course he weighed around 100kg in his leathers, a big biker but he was a great anxiety breaker in the room
There were a fair few really unwell people today one on a hospital trolley one in a wheelchair
Always reminds me how lucky I am the illness hasn't done anything worse to my lil body it's amazing that people have been left for so long
I wonder about triage of the new meds here in Oz on the PBS Hmmm as I have said before ve vill see
In the meantime I will keep throwing down bottle after bottle of gin NOT!
Oh dear! I even wore a smart frock etc to do that dumb psyching out stigma stuff and had the Blue (Aqua) Book
If anyone has any reason they can see in my bloods that is a worry just let me know but I reckon I am on track
Splashes
Ariel and I added a pic of tonight's sunset

Getting close Ariel! Great stuff I don't know how to read your bloods other than most look within range so can't help much there but they look good to me

P.S. That is an amazing sunset! Nice pic

Ariel,,I was under 12 after 2 weeks and under 30 at 6 weeks!
Two different tests...different doctors...My hepatologist said I didnt know how much I had...cause it could ve been 3 to 12 (first test)or 3 to 30.(second test)..

AT 9 weeks I was undetected...Could ve been at 7 weeks aswelll...

Or this doesn't make sense to ya??

Anyways, keep breathing...keep positivity...

Sounds all very good to me