Oh Mary it is wonderful to read a post from you . You was one of my main supports on here for me as we started tx 4 days apart, im always popping on to see how you are

Im so pleased you finally coming out the other side.xxx

For those of you who dont know, Because i was und at week 4,and stayed that way thoughout my treatment. I finished at week 16! I was the first to do this certainly in the area I live in england....and I believe the first on this site?

But what i really wanted to say is that this is a step forward in terms of how treatment is done! This has worked for me. I was genotype 3a,and i cleared the virus after 16 weeks of tx!

It may be baby steps but they are finding new easier ways of getting rid of this!!! slowly but surely.....

Theres Hope

love&peace

kaz

xxx

Hi Mary, good to hear from you!   Great that you`re still UND and finally feeling much better.  Yes, April will be the big one, the 6 month pcr.  As long as you are still UND then (which I`m sure you will be) you will have achieved SVR.  Keeping everything crossed for you!

I continued losing weight for the first few months post tx too, mainly because it took quite a while to get my appetite back, which is probably what you found, but things all settle down eventually. 

Glad your hair`s growing back too, (and don`t worry about the greys, they come to us all in the end!).

Take care Mary, keep in touch. 

Hugs, Jill xxx 

Hello to all!

I am finally starting to get my energy back.  It will be four month post tx beginning of Feb.  I have had 2 pcr's and both were still undetected I guess the really important one will be in April or is it a year? Fingers shall remain crossed! I continued to lose weight after tx until about a week ago now it seems to have leveled out. 

I do notice I am still rather spacey at times but my backaches, headaches, fatigue and generally crappy feeling have pretty much gone.  Much to the delight of my family.  I know towards the end of tx I was unbearable to be around luckily my husband was a trooper and was understanding.

Well it is always nice to get back on here and catch up.  I wish everyone the best without all the support here things would have been much worse going through this tx.

Oh and my hair has finally slowed down from falling out however it seems to me that all my new growth is gray!!!  Ug I hardly had any gray before tx.  However if tx works I feel that is a small price to pay.

Hugs to all,

Mary

Welcome Becca!!!!

It's a whole new world....

I'm soooo very happy for you!!!!

Love, BL

Welcome Becca,

Great to have you here.

Hugs Greg

We`ll all be here ready to give you a big welcome Becca!

(I`m still wondering whether I`ll ever be `normal` again...lol.  )

Jill xx

Ps - I`ll make this thread a `Sticky`

Just a big hello to you Post tx'ers.  I'll be joining your ranks next week!  I just want to say how much I appreciate the post on how you're recovering after tx. 

David, I really like that you posted the time line of how you have been feeling.  It gives me something realistic and comprehensive to aspire to.  We all know that we will recover at different rates, and wonder about lingering sx. Like, when is my hair going to start coming back in... When can I ride my bicycle....When will I stop forgetting peoples names at work...Will I ever be "normal" again......

Anyway, thanks to all of you for your honest post about how you have been feeling.....Jill, Aaron, Wander, Randy, Morgan, Greg.......

Hi there Aaron, so good to hear from you, my tx twin!

How are you doing nowadays? 

I`ve certainly got more energy than I had before tx and I`m just so glad I finally got round to doing it after putting off for so long! 

Take care, Jill xx

Hi there Tanya, I answered your question on another of your posts.  xx

Hello everyone i am new to this forum,a medical graduate and on 11 shots yet,,i joined this forum as i am alone here so plz give me advise.

i have to ask you a question that due  to tx i m confused,fatigued and on antidepressants but still trying to manage SE...i had my exam that was before my tx but result came when i was on ist month of tx(WHICH I FAILED)....now i was thinking whether i will be able to handle three more months to go and get good score if i will appear my exam in may (april will be last month of my tx).will it be a good choice.

if i will not write my exam in april i will have option in fall where i will be lil healthy and can do well in exams...exams are really tough for residency position or should i completely relax during tx and exams once tx finishes...

...like will i be having energy to do that?or how about body overall condition..does it gets worse or same as im having...still my blood works are so far ok...but mildly down...

....this question can be answered by who is either on smae month of my tx or who have done tx....plz i need ur advise as i am already mentally no organized...

Just wanted to drop by and say HELLO to every one hope you are all well :)

Crazy as a loon!! I honestly forgot what I was like before tx. Its difficult finding the medium..

Hi David, good to hear from you and so glad you are making such good progress with your recovery post tx.  I agree, I also found the emotional and psychological sx the most difficult to cope with, and I totally understand what you mean, it`s only as you start to recover and start having some good days that you realise just how bad you were feeling when on tx. 

Good luck to you, and keep going from strength to strength!

Take care, Jill xx

Thanks Randy! I really enjoyed your reading your posts and got a lot of support through reading them and seeing you progress through treatment.

I'm glad you're doing well . . . . I actually gained weight on treatment . . . go figure! Probably from being better hydrated . . . . Yeah, that must be it!

Good to hear from you too!

Regards,

David

Hi David. I remember you starting as I was nearing the end of my tx. Sounds a lot like my post tx experience. One thing different, after tx I started going back to the junk food. Gained back almost all I lost within about five months. Doc is pissed about my cholesterol so now I'm trying to eat healthy again - and exorcise....
Good to hear from ya, take care,
Randy

I did the 24 week triple therapy (Telaprevir); finished the third week of October.

I started feeling better physically within a few weeks, the shortness of breath was gone, fatigue left pretty quickly. Within a month I was feeling markedly better physically.

Second month continued to feel better physically, but still very moody and "flat" emotionally. I had some days of feeling almost normal emotionally (what an eye-opener, when I had a "normal" day, it made me realize how low the treatment had gotten me). Was still feeling mentally "foggy", and still had little patience, nor any interest in email, forums, social stuff. I did notice my hair seemed to have stopped thinning during this time.

Now, a few weeks away from the 3 month-mark, I feel wonderful physically. My workouts are even stronger than before treatment. Emotionally, I feel MUCH better, and the mental fog has mostly left, although I still have some short-term memory lapses (usually with names), and they are fewer and further in between. I feel much happier, and feel more inclined to socialize. Hair seems to be back to normal.

I think after a few more weeks (which will be 3 months total) if this continues, I should feel pretty much back to normal emotionally and mentally.

To summarize my experience on treatment- I spent the months before treatment eating only real food, no junk. I exercised regularly (cardio, yoga, body-weight exercises) I continued to exercise as much as possible during treatment, and I think it really helped. The treatment was easier physically than I expected, but harder mentally and emotionally; in fact, that was the most difficult part (I did not take any anti-anxiety meds or anti-depressants, perhaps that was a mistake).

In any event, things are very nearly normal now, and I am very happy I did the treatment, and am thankful for the support I found here in this forum.

Best to All . . . Keep moving forward, the last 12 weeks seemed to go by much faster than the first 12, and when you get off the Telaprevir, most fo the unpleasant bowel stuff is over, and you may become less anemic (your Hemoglobin may go up a point or two).  Hang in there, and best of luck!

Regards,

David

Hi there,

Just dropped in to this thread for a minute to share an update. I finished tx back in August and don't get my 6 month bloods done until March says my hep doc. But I did get some blood work done through my GP for a different issue and while he was at it he ran my alt and ast. AST is 25 and ALT is 24. Not sure how long it would take the enzymes to get out of whack if the dragon is still hanging out, but I like the idea that their still down low anyway. My indirect bilirubin is still out of range at 1.1, but the doc says it takes a while for that to come down. I'm not actually sure how it relates to the tx so I'll just take his word on that.

Okay, take care my friends. Love ya, Randy

Hi! I'm not in treatment just yet, but will be in early November. I just wanted to thank all of you for sharing your experiences us. I'm very fatigued all the time and get sick for months multiple times a year. I have to push very hard to get through a whole work day. So hearing all these positive things about how your already feeling better then you did before you started treatment is very exciting for me. I wish I could start now, but I have to save up as much money as I can since I work with photographer's shooting architectural and "fancy" houses, I wont be able to work if I am uneasy or unstable at all. Breaking anything in any of those houses would cost more then i've made in my life. Soooo, all in all thank you all for contributing. I'm quite excited to get on my way to feeling better finally! And you all are here to help give hope to one another. Which is great. Thanks all of you.

- Derek

Really lovely to hear from you VJ.  Great to hear you remain UND. 

Best wishes.

Hugs

Heather xxx

Hi there VinegarJoe, well done for still being UND, and it`s good to hear you are doing well 2 yrs post tx. 

I finished tx 6 mnths ago and am feeling pretty good too, have to wait a few more weeks though for my next appt and blood test.  I know what you mean about the age thing, I`m nearly 62 and have a few aches and pains that I think must be normal for my age, also memory and concentration probs.  Feeling much better than I was before tx though.

Keep well, love from Jill xxx 

Hi All,

I haven't checked in for a couple months, just got a new laptop and was putting in some bookmarks, and thought I would see what is happening here. It seems as if most are doing wellpost tx,and I am very happy to read that. I am a few weeks away from two years post tx - Oct.7th I think. I am feeling pretty good,  normal aches and pains most others my age (60 is creeping up) seem to be having. I have a bad habit of forming bloodclots in my leg, so have been on coumadin for a while and have to get regular blood tests for that. Somehow the VA messed up and ran the HCV test in July - still UND then.

Take care everyone and carry on!

VinegarJoe

Thanks Jill, I suppose part of the appetitte thing has to do with expending more energy as we get better too - burning more calories. But yes, I'll try to keep myself in check for a while and allow my body to recouporate from the ordeal. Good advice. I am planning to go back up to my camp this weekend but no working in the plans. Just going to relax... and refill the humming bird feeder. I'll try to get a pic.

Hi Morgan, actually I have noticed a bit of a hack here and there. I haven't smoked in over four years but just in the last week I've had a cough like when I did smoke. Usually in morn and sometimes elsewhere during the day. Sometimes cough up a little flem too. But nothing unbearable so far and hardly worth the mention if you hadn't asked. With me it could just be sleeping in the woods for a week. I'll keep an eye on it and let you know if it gets worse. I had quite a cough and sore throat a couple months into tx and had to go on antibiotics. Glad your doc is on top of this for you and hopefully he'll have it cleared up in short order. Hope you feel better soon and please let us know how it's going.

Take care,
Randy

Hi there post tx`ers Morgan and Randy...

Sorry to hear that Morgan, I haven`t had that,  hope it clears up or the doc gets to the root of the problem.  Must be driving you nuts.   

Hi Randy, great to hear from you, glad you had a fantastic holiday, sounds amazing, especially all the hummingbirds and walks in the woods.   Nice that you`re feeling a bit better already and getting some of your enthusiam back, and I expect the break from work must have felt amazing.  Take it easy tho, it`s early days yet and it does take a while. 

As far as appetite goes, it`s got to be a good sign if you`re feeling more like eating, and I be those ice-creams tasted good!  And I wouldn`t worry too much about having a few treats, you deserve it!    Personally, I `ve never got my full appetite back and have lost a few more pounds since finishing tx...I just can`t bear the feeling of being full any more.  Not complaining tho - it`s great to have more energy.

All the best, hope you go from strength to strength, love from Jill xxx

Hello randy nice to see u posting here,at the mo with me i have this cough cant get rid,being to drs with it.Hes trying everything with me,had a chess xray all clear.Would like to know has any other post tx have it,i dont smoke i got it towarts end of treatment left me came back 2 months later im 3 months post tx now. Its driving me mad im taking lots for it but still here im getting a bit worried at the stage,hope all is well lots of love ,

                                                                                    morgan

Just got home from work and getting ready for bed - thought I'd touch base. Well, it's been a little over a week post tx and I believe I've noticed some subtle changes already, just subtle mind you. Most notably, a slight bit more desire to do things and maybe a case of the munchies. I've have to watch the latter as I lost twenty-some pounds while on tx and would kind of like to not gain it back. While on vacation, I cut some firewood and a couple other big tasks, but had to do it in small chunks at a time as I still get fatigued and out of breath after about 10-15 mins hard work. Not sure what, if any, role the vacation may have had to do with how I feel right now - that is, getting away from the added stress of work and 2nd shift routine. Perhaps all this good feeling and enthusiasm has more to do with the vacation- we'll see.

Our vacation was a lot of fun by the way and we did some relaxing things too. Ruby throated humming birds were around our camp so we bought a small feeder and they were buzzing around like little helicopters the whole week we were there. Went to the beach a few times, pulled out a truck that was stuck in the sand, went blackberry picking and walks in the woods almost every day... lots of other fun stuff too, couple of fundraiser dinners, music in the park dealies, antique shops, art studios. Oh, and how could I forget, went out for ice cream at least five times - which kind of gets back to the munchie bit. Figured screw it I'm on vacation and gonna do what I want to do, but plan to kind of watch the eating habits from here on out and slowly get back into exercise (feel free to quote me on this later).

K folks, I'll catch up with ya later. Take care,
Randy

Hi Morgan, it`s great to hear from you.    I know what you mean, we imagine once tx is over that`s going to be the end of it, but unfortunately it does take a while for our bodies (and minds) to recover.  But once you start recovering it all seems worthwhile again, doesn`t it?

Lovely to hear that you`re feeling so good now, I know what you mean about age!   I hope you continue to get stronger and have a happy and healthy life. 

All the best to you, and thanks again for letting us all know how it`s going.  Good luck with your next PCR, and with SVR.  Love from Jill xxx

hello all im 5 weeks finish tx im getting there better each week great feeling,i taught when u finish tx id be running everywere, and be better right away,but that diden happen with me,very disappointed at first but good now i know it takes time for all that treatment to come out of ur body. At the mo im doing real good just get a bit tired now and then but i thing thats with age i am 56yrs young lol,hope every 1 is doing good,just want to say this forum help me big time on tx,and im very greatful for that thank you,and goodluck to every1 on tx all the best from me. 

                                                                           morgan

Hi Gail,

Wishing you all the best for Thursday hope it all goes well.

Cheers,

Greg

It must have been agonising Gail, can`t even imagine it.  Good luck for Thursday then - please don`t kill anyone, we don`t want you ending up in jail!

Fingers crossed for you.....

Jill, it was TWO injections- one at the base of the thumb and the other at the base of the middle finger, injected into the palm side.

It took everything for me not to scream or punch her out with my other hand! My husband was holding my arm down and I wanted to kill him, too! And dang, I messed up the dates, the next traumatic procedure will be on Thursday. Everyone pray I don't go postal in the radiology dept. and kill all the employees. LOL

Goodness Gail, you`ve had a broken wrist for a year??!!  Ouch!  And that injection sounded brutal.  Well at least you`re getting something done about it at last - good luck with the MRI tomorrow, and the subsequent treatment for it.  Sorry to hear about your degenerative arthritis, I admire your positive attitude.  All the best to you.

It  does seem like quite a few people come out of tx with long-term probs, as you say, for those of us who`ve had the virus for many years it`s bound to have done some damage somewhere. 

Hi Aaron, yes, I`m sure you`re right.  I thought about it after I`d written that post and came to the same conclusion, I`ll wait until I`ve had my next PCR  and see what the doc says after that.  I was just thinking that I might be going on hol with my daughter in mid-Sept to maybe France or Spain, so it would be nice to be able to sample the local vino!  Thanks for that, have a good one yourself. 

Hugs everyone, Jill xxx

Cloudguard: SoC is 6mo post tx PCR. Don't go get one, just get on with life and get that PCR in the 6th mo. If you are still SVR, you are considered CLEARED.

As far as my post tx experience? It's been one thing after another- but I tend not to post about it, due to the fact that even though I cleared and am still SVR almost 4 years now and don't catch much in the way of colds or viruses that permeate our lives on this planet- I've got degenerating arthritis and it's not fun.

HCV and treatment can exacerbate underlying conditions. It is common for people to come out of tx without the virus, but that virus does major damage, especially for those of us that had it for 30+ years.

So, I deal with it, see specialists when it is required and try and keep coping with stupid problems that keep arising.

I've been telling my doctor and others for the last year that it felt like my wrist was broken, have had it in a brace for months....... then when my thumb developed "trigger finger", my wrist swelled up and never went back down, I finally saw a hand surgeon.

My wrist is broken (well, duh) and don't ask me how that happened! But there is a chip floating around by the wrist bone, wreaking havoc and a ton of pain.

Tomorrow...... I get to go back for a MRI and they are going to inject dye into the wrist to see how bad the cartilidge is destroyed before she opens the wrist up to get that chip out. I might be in for trigger releases on at least the thumb and middle finger.

She did inject my hand (OMG, IT WAS TORTURE!!!!) with steroids and lidocaine to get the inflammation down, but didn't help the swelling on that wrist. That was extremely painful (the injections) and I left in a state of shock!  Oh man, she will NOT do that again!

Jill I think that is something that you should talk to your Dr. about I talked to mine and he wanted me to wait untill 2 months post tx so he could watch my liver functions for a couple months But he said that I could have a drink to toast my buddy for his wedding which I declinded i waited till I was three months post tx untill I had a beer I think I might of drank a six pack since then altogether. On the other hand I asked Brandon here what he thought and he said that there was a study or maybe a story of a girl that had started drinking after tx and then it came back so I guess it's up to you and your feelings of it I don't think for myself that there is any risk but everyone has to make up their own minds and my Dr. helped me so yea I know I rambaling lol but I would just check with your Dr. have a good one :)

Great idea for a thread , Jill, and good to hear that in general we are all feeling so much better than just a short time ago on tx. I am really happy to hear that you are off to Borneo, Dragonfly! I thought you would be going somewhere exotic, though I can't imagine what animals you will find to cuddle there. I fancy a trip down the Nile, or riding a donkey along part of the ancient pilgrim route to Compostella in Spain, I often see people doing this as the route passes through my village. Just a fantasy at the moment, but I might manage 3 days in Paris in the Louvre Museum, somewhere I've never been inside, but always wanted to. If I get time I will visit my favorite cemetery, Pere Lachaise, and say hello to Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison as well. My thoughts are with all those awaiting their 3 and 6 month post-tx tests, and with Dee and Dragonfly for the hospital appointments coming up soon.

Love Annie xxxxx

Hi Aaron, that`s so nice, you`ve just made my day!   

I know what you mean, I can`t believe it`s been so long already.  I actually keep forgetting I`ve got another PCR to get through yet, lol.

So how are you doing? Would you say you`ve recovered from tx now?  Looking forward to hearing more from you.  I`m pretty much OK overall thanks, and busy picking up where I left off all those months ago.  Last weekend a lot of family were around for my mum`s birthday and it felt great to be able to go out for meals and have lots of chat and laughs together.  I couldn`t possibly have done that even a couple of months ago. 

Well, yes, I`ve been very tired this week after all the fun, and still appear to have CFS but hey, the main thing is to have got thro tx and come out the other side smiling.  

Hi to all the other post tx`ers too, hope you`re all recovering well...

Hugs, Jill xxxx

ps - I`d love to have the occasional glass of wine now but still worry I might do some damage to my liver.  Anyone got any thoughts on that? 

Hey how is everyone doing? Hope all is well with everyone sorry havent been around much at all as of late will try and keep in touch more have a good one... And a special HI to my treatment twin :) Jill I hope all is well in your life and that you are coming to a speedy recovery... It all kinda seems so strange to me now that I'm done with treatment time seems to be flying by...

James my doctor is a axxhole he wants to test at six months I am almost ready to pay for my own due to the stress. I hear it costs about $500.00 makes it unlikely.

Hi folks, good to hear from you...

Yes thanks Randy I was a bit sore for a couple of days but actually I found it really funny - I was sitting on the ground laughing my head off, for some reason.    Strangely enough, a lot of stupid things are making me laugh lately, it`s either relief to be recovering or I`m losing the plot, lol. 

Thank you Cloudguard, that`s so kind.  Glad you`re improving. This tx and recovery seems to be all about waiting and having patience.  It brings out the worst in us but also shows us our strengths.

Good luck James and Cloud, and all post tx`ers, hope you continue to get stronger.  Take care with your balance probs.

All the very best to you, love, Jill xxx

Good to hear everyone is sounding so good and getting their life back in order.  Jill, I hope you're okay after that fall. 

Take care, Randy

Once again Jill you come up with a great idea. I'm about 2 months past TX' Itching gone, head aches are there but greatly diminished, still a little foggy and balance is not great. I'm off of the antidepressants (only took them for the last couple of months wish I had taken them the whole time) I have some energy and strenght back but I estimate I lost 30% of my strength and stamina, now I'm working on getting it back. Worst part now is waiting for my 6 month test it's painful to wait. My thyroid situation is getting better (with medicine) don't know if it will come back yet. Food tastes great I'm eating like a pig.

Hey I love you all out there you are all my dear and treasured friends

Cloudguard

Hi post tx`ers how are you all doing?  I hope everyone is continuing to improve.

A quick update on my progress - I`m getting more energy so am able to do more and I can feel my body getting stronger which is just such a fantastic thing.  I`m in the middle of spring cleaning my whole flat and changing things round, I feel inspired!  At some point during tx I had to let a lot of things go and now I`m really catching up, as well as getting out and about again.  And my phone is plugged in all the time now, lol.

I`m almost off the AD`s - I waited until the time felt right.  I`m only on 10mg every other day now and should stop them completey by next week.

Still getting days when I`m very tired but I seem to be bouncing back more quickly.  I`m just so pleased I did this tx and wish I`d done it years ago... but this is now and that was then. 

Looking forward to hearing your news folks. Must go, I`ve got cupboards to sort out..... 

Love an hugs to you all, Jill xxx

.

Well Done you guys.I really look up to you All

Hi Everyody,

     This is a great idea for a thread, Jill!  I needed all the hope for the future that I could get while I was on tx.  I'm at about eight weeks post-tx and I'm feeling much better since the itching has mostly gone away.  I'm still on a low dose of antihistimines, but compared to how it was I'm doing fine.  My blood numbers from the test last week show that everything except hematocrit is back in the normal range and it is almost there, (37.5%).

     I do go through some of that mental fog, but my mind seems to be improving each day so I assume it will be back to normal in a few months.  I'm not quite sure where normal is these days, but I know it's better than where it was at.

     I'm still building my endurance, but as it gets warmer I naturally get out and do things more.  Because of my age, there were times during tx that I would wonder if I would actually get back to something close to good health, but it seems as if I am getting there.

     I'm glad to hear that we are all getting our lives back and that there is hope after tx.  I do have a few days that are not as good, but those just remind me how much better I feel on the good days.

    You are all in my thoughts.  Take care, ty 

"My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely."

Hi James and Dragonfly, good to hear back from you.  Just lost my post so having to start again...at least it doesn`t make me as angry as it used to. lol.

Dragonfly, it sounds like you`re doing so well considering your situation.  Must make the waiting easier to cope with.  That holiday should be exciting and will take your mind right off Hep C.  Good luck with your appt in July.

James, how strange about the back pain starting up after tx.  Can`t have been nice. For the first 2 or 3 wks I had palpitaions every time I stood up and moved around, but that went luckily.  I think you`ve got it about right ... `could be better, could be worse`!

 Take care all, love from Jill xxx 

Go guys

hi everyone,

I'm feeling much better but tired because of the Hep but am able to run 3 times a week.  Iwalk into walk (5k) nearly every day and use the gym a few times a week.  I'm looking forward to a holiday in Borneo in August and generaly enjoying life.  Waiting to see my consultant in July for an update on what comes next.  Hope all are well.

Dragonfly x

Hi all, thought it was time we had a catch up on each other`s progress....

I must say that 11 wks post tx I am feeling so much better!  I would say I`ve  caught up on how I was before tx, and actually gone a bit further.  I`m amazed at how long I can keep going now.  Still have some bad days and my memory and concentration aren`t too good, but maybe that`s due to my age. lol. 

It was funny yesterday though because I`d been telling a friend how good my balance was now, then misjudged a curb and fell flat on my face.

It`s wonderful to wake up feeling happy and actually looking forward to the day.  Just want to say to everyone on tx - There is a life after treatment!!

Take care all, love from Jill xxx