Hello again all
Haven’t been around for a while but thought I’d stop by and share some info now that my tx is finished
Most importantly, anyone who is having any doubts about tx, just do it
The sides are insignificant compared to what they were just a short time ago and the results are amazing

I went for 20 weeks using Sof/ Dac
I started taking them at night (as I thought they might make me nauseous)
They didn’t, but I heard they may disrupt your sleep. I believed this was a symptom so changed to taking them mornings.
Doc said to just take one dose at lunch, and then the next does in the morning
I seemed to sleep the same, but I was happy taking them first thing – the sides were barely noticeable

Like many others (but not all), I was UND at week 4
The prof at Nepean said that he’d seen plenty of people not show UND until week 10 and go on to stay that way

As I was F3 (biopsy) 12 years ago I was expecting my liver damage to have advanced (I’m a G3)
I was due for a fibroscan but not before i had to make the decision to continue tx for an additional 12 weeks
Word is that the tx has a harder time penetrating hard, scarred livers so thought it best to get the extra 12 weeks

My fibroscan turned out to be F1!
Bloody unbelievable really because anyone who has read my rants know that I like a drink or three
As my fibroscan was done at week 10, Dr Freeman said it’s possible that the liver did a part of that healing after treatment
The prof at Nepean reckons that with my low score, I could even be an F0 in around 3 years
He says the liver has amazing regenerative properties – lord knows I’ve given mine a hammering over the years

As I had purchased 24 weeks of tx (expecting F3 at best) I decided to continue anyway
Speaking of drink, i was alcohol free for the first 12 weeks except for 3 nights over Xmas/ new year
I started having a couple around week 15 once or twice a week, but as time went on i could get a small roll on
I found that alcohol and pot smoking was neither here nor there in terms of how I felt or blood test results
I was blood tested by Nepean hospital every 4 weeks
They have a nurse who comes up to Katoomba hospital so us country folk don’t have to travel down to Penrith (1 hr max compared to 3)
My AST’s and ALT’s stayed within range, and my FBC was perfect as was everything else
I’m a bloody picture of health really lol lol

But I can say that over time I felt that my motivation to do things did decrease
But it’s easy to read things into the way you feel – now that I’m off tx I could say I still feel the same

My 14 year old dog died around week 20 and it hit me hard
I was still on tx and really getting over it – if I was on the PBS I would have only got 12 weeks
It’s not that it was bad (about 1 billion times better than the interferon hell) but after 20 weeks I was starting to feel I’d had enough
My decision was made In the middle of the night when I woke up quite nauseous and had a massive chunder (And I hadn’t been drinking!)
I took all the above as reasons to not continue with the final 4 weeks

My blood tests have been perfect. My wife considers it a miracle.
I do to – but I’ll wait until SVR24 to be fully relieved – all looks good though

The prof said that the relapse rate among previous non responders is minuscule
He said my fibroscan score was so low as to be of no concern
He thinks that over the next few years I could even achieve F0
And I know I will never be a big drinker again – the hep cured that

He said to get on with life and forget about it and go for my week 24 blood test with no worries
And that is what I’ll do

There is no doubt in my mind that the increasing media exposure of the buyers club
And the number of people turning up at hospitals on generics was instrumental in these drugs being put on the PBS
For me, I’m glad I gave my money to Mesochem and found out about the buyers club – F**ck Gilead excuse my French

Cheers to everyone reaching SVR24