Dear lovely FixHepC friends, Just a (not so) little update.
Had bloods taken at new hospital (3 weeks into tx) am waiting for full results, but consultant emailed me with the short version :

VL 515
Alt 22
Ast 24
BILIRUBIN 7
ALB 41
Vit D normal
Thyroid normal
Kidney normal
Platelets 144

I have read with interest others are noticing sensitivity re sad things and I can report am the same !
I am easily moved to tears, wish to avoid the news, can’t stand shouting, stress etc…but the worst thing is if I experience any sadness it lingers and deeply and can send me into some sort of a depressive state. I have started asking myself hard questions about some naïve choices I made in the past re my choice of partners, there is some self-blame and if I am brutally honest, I need to try and find forgiveness in my heart towards some others. Hard. I am also extremely aware of the time I have spend barely ‘living’ since diagnosis and how my career and personal relationships / friendships have suffered and resentment to the total lack of support this condition offers, physically or emotionally.

I heard some music recently that has affected me so deeply, the song wont leave my head, I wake up and there it is still going round and round – It is a beautiful, intense, sad song and just the kind of song I like, (also performed by a previous hepper and written by someone who had recently suffered a personal tragedy… I feel I need to retreat somewhat at this stage of tx and my instincts are that this is caused by a physical thing, possibly the meds themselves as well as the thoughts and hopes we go through after waiting so long for treatment and the healing process . We will also need to be cautious at EOT I feel.

Apart from that, I am pleased the VL is heading in the right direction, although now I wish I understood the ‘log’ thing (if anyone should care to explain in short, easy speak ?) I sort of get it, but then with VL 1157 down to 515 with in a week, is this a 1 log or a 2 log?

The other sx I feel I should rather reluctantly mention, is bowel movements and constipation, strange stools etc – Not my favourite thing to publically discuss (!) but after all, we help each other by mentioning no? I have read that taking a Magnesium tab can help – This is also interesting, as I stopped the magnesium during tx as wasn’t too sure if it was an actual ok ? –
I took a magnesium last night and it helped this morning (sorry if too much information! – I really do hate sharing this kind of thing)..

Also interestingly, my lower back pain has returned quite badly – Is it all connected? I always suspected my lower back pain was digestive system, rather than skeletal / muscular – When I mention this pain (throbbing worse at night) I am met with blank stares from Drs – (Why?) This pain was what got me diagnosed in the first place, it was so bad, I couldn’t walk and has been going on for nearly 2 years, although I believe helped to the point of disappearing by previously taking magnesium and havin Epsom salt baths.

I am generally feeling loads better all this moaning aside and waiting for consultants letter with full blood results and advise on when to take next VL test – as I am now past the 4 week mark and into bottle 2, but am thinking not to rush it, my consultant does tests in 3s, not 2s and 4s, can’t help thinking this is the sensible option after reading more and more about Vl testing from you lovely lot on this forum.

Hoping this long rambling post is making sense illy:' /> BIG to all