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

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!

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

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.

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

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

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