The Interferon and Ribavirin Treatment Road Trip - Week 55 …
… the continuing story of how one so gentle, so kind and indeed so pretty can be this strong.
Fitter, faster, stronger is the current vibe and its working out well, I can’t remember the last time I felt as good as this. The tiredness is still just this side of overwhelming and to a large extent ignorable but if I had one wish I would like another couple of hours adding to the day [well if I had just one wish I would wish for more wishes but, well, ya know..obviously] , I could do with grabbing a mid-day nap but you can’t have it all.
Sneaked away to Copenhagen last week for a few days, ostensibly on buiness but really just an excuse to meet up with some dear old friends from all over the world and talk shop. Coped pretty well apart from the odd bit of zoning out and of course pwned the rest of the world in matters satorial, some things just never change. Only downside was having to take off shoes through airport security, fair enough but the least they could do is provide shoe horns to put them back on, after all we are not animals. If you’re wondering Copenhagen is really wonderful, wonderful.
Got my PCR result back and that was still negative for the virus, which was nice. Also slipped in the regular ultrasound check for the lumps of death and that was all clear too, which was also nice.
By coincidence this weeks boyrant™ is about the ultrasound. Not the procedure itself, thats always the same its the preamble that gets on my wick. I’m a boy who likes to come prepared but the clothing “rules” change everytime I go. First time it was just a matter of slipping the backless gown over my shirt, second time it was shirt off gown on, third time nothing at all I just took my shirt off in the ultrasound room. Each time I’ve come prepared and each time not needed to, this last time I didn’t take anything with me. This week it was strip down to underpants time, just makes me so mad. If I wanted to idle away the afternoons lounging about bare foot in a cheap dirty dressing gown, reading old copies of celebrity gossip magazines while watching the clock tick by I would have become a single mum. Next time I’m going with my own rules, the NHS will simply have to fall into line!
In further news my wife has suddenly noticed that I have the worlds thinnest legs, they could accuratly be described as comedy legs. She has taken great delight in pointing this out to all her friends and makes me show them while they all giggle inanely. A number of names have been entered in the little black book including the wifes 
Lots more but time is against me. Only got 17 weeks left which to be frank I could do walking on my hands. So….if you see a boy [handsome in a way which could best be descibed as pretty, tall, slim and impecably dressed in the finest Italian hand made cloth] walking about on his hands come and say hello!
This weeks inspiration is especially for our ex-drug abusing readers.
Don’t worry, don’t worry. Look at the Astors and the Vanderbilts, all those big society people. They were the worst thieves-and now look at them. It’s just a matter of time.
- Meyer Lansky
Keep the faith, kill the virus.
October 3rd, 2006 at 10:00 pm
hey, i just came across your blogs.. would you tell me how old you are.. i’m 25 and i found out that i had hep c i think in 2000, i’m not sure really. i went in and told them to do all the tests possible and had to go in for more tests, and it turned out that i have hep c type 1, and not sure about the liver biopsy haven’t done it yet, the doctor says it’s okay, and ive stopped drinking, all that stuff that they say to do, just wondering if you are okay and all that… and wondering if the treatments are different in the US as opposed to the UK.. thanks for your time..
hepcgirl
October 4th, 2006 at 9:29 am
CONGRATULATIONS on the negative PCR! Goes to show what a stubborn soul with a good sense of humor can accomplish.
October 4th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Hi hepcgirl, I’m in my 40’s I just prentend to be a boy
I doing just fine, in relation to yourself it is usually a very slow moving disease so you have time on your side. Generally the younger you are, the less time you have been infected and female sex are strong predictirs of treatment sucess. If you are thinking about treatment it may be worth bearing that in mind, as they used to say in my house “first up, best dressed”.
October 4th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Thanks for the congrats Terri!
October 4th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
thank you.
October 4th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
Still a boy at heart though!
Perhaps it’s about time to do some work on those legs?
Good result on PCR.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:16 pm
Congrats! Hope you continue to pwn the virus
October 11th, 2006 at 9:44 am
keep the faith
October 11th, 2006 at 12:14 pm
i loved reading this , its inspirational
October 15th, 2006 at 11:59 am
Congrats! It’s now end of week 7 for me. I spent weeks 5 and 6 vacationing in Italy - started out very rough. Couldn’t catch my breath for the first two days. I got word via the hospital to my mother that I was severely anemic and needed to cut down on ribavirin. Contacted my coordinator - by then they decided I should stop riba for 3 days and then cut back to 600 mg/day. Things improved greatly after that. However, the itching is back.
The tiredness is my biggest problem, as with you. At least I took a real vacation, slept in every morning and took naps most afternoons.
I have taken to working from home when I don’t have any face-to-face meetings. That way I can get in a nap. Makes a world of difference.
I do know that my liver enzymes are down, but since I’m in this VX-950 study, I won’t know about viral load until week 13. Hope to have good news at that point.
One question: does anyone know what happens if you don’t drink enough water? I think I missed the target a few days.
Kill the virus!
July 12th, 2007 at 8:00 am
Hello Everyone. Hep c 1 here. Heres to killing the virus. Ya All take care. Peace, Darkangel
September 22nd, 2007 at 5:37 pm
I have had hep-c for 33 yrs and started treatment of riba and interferon
May 17 07 Last report they have not detected the virus in my blood. I am losing alot of hair and have a very itchy rash, would any one have some suggestions….thank you
October 9th, 2007 at 12:19 am
Hey guys, My name is Mark and I have finally decided to seek a docter and start to get rid of this absurd thing inside my body.
Is it reALLY POSSABLE TO GET TOTALLY RID OF THIS INFECTION? (ooops! Caps and I am to dern lazy to go back) And, I heard a long time ago that it was nothing more than getting a bad case of the Flu…
God! Please someone answer me and just say “Do IT!”
October 20th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
I am in week 8 and have shown clear since the second week. I got slammed very hard and the doctor I have is an s.o.b. Now, keep in mind I work in healthcare and have for more than 25 years, so I know a few in’s and out’s. Not even that helped.
What did help and saved me was I have 2 liters of fluid IV each weekend when I inject. Yes, on Procrit as that got slammed too. The IV fluids are a HUGE help. I was unable to drink a cup of water at any time. Zofran for the nausea will save you too. Hair starting to fall out, but not a big deal. I have 4 weeks to go, so keep the faith and get the fluids!
November 9th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Interesting and Inspiring reading about your experience. Glad to see that sharing your story has inspired others as well.
December 22nd, 2007 at 6:27 am
My son had had hep c since receiving a blood transfusion as an infant. He will begin interferon in a few weeks. He is a college student Is this something he can handle while in college - 500 miles away from me! Help