Hep C Discussion Forum

I am 66 years old. I contracted Hep C during a three week period of madness in 1970. It wasn't until 1992, when an assay became available, that I discovered I had the disease. In the 1990's I underwent two seperate year-long treatments of interferon/ribavirin, but while my viral load decreased significantly while on the meds, it bounced back when treatment ended.

In early 2012 I got connected with an internationally known specialist in Hep C. I started triple treatment on March 16, 2012, with a 5-week induction period. By the end of induction, my viral load was undetectable. Then I began triple treatment with interferon/ribavirin/boceprevir. I did quite well during the first half of my 28 week regimen, but then I began to have periods of nausea, lethargy, weight loss, weakness and multiple canker sores, all of which steadily got worse until they were chronic.

I had to be put on several rescue drugs, including weekly Procrit injections for low red blood cells, then Neupogen for low white cells. I also took allopurinol for incipient gout, ondansetron for nausea, and a codeine-based cough syrup for persistent hacking cough. Believe me, I was miserable. I've never felt sicker in my life and many times thought about ending treatment and, worse, even my own life.

In the meantime, my wife won an incentive trip for two to Paris through a great company called Votre Vu. The trip was scheduled during my 24th week of treatment and although I was feeling wretched, she really wanted me to go. I debated yes or no for three weeks before the trip and finally decided it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I should take it--partly to distract me from my misery. I had to carry all my refrigerated injectibles in an ice pack. Fortunately I had no problems at security checkpoints in the airports or at customs. I also had to contine taking my boceprevir every 8 hours--trickier than it might seem when you travel through 7 time zones.

I did enjoy Paris. We visited most of the high points: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumphe, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Versailles, the Louvre, Montmartre, Saint-Chapelle, and others. It was a mad dash, a blur; in my weakened condition it was like climbing Mount Everest! During downtime, when the rest of the party of 10 was out sampling French cuisine and drinking French wine, I was back at the hotel, passed out. The truth is, I was getting sicker by the day.

When we finally returned home after a week in Paris, I had only three weeks of treatment left. They were the worst three weeks of the whole experience. I slept 18 hours a day, ate very little (because of my nausea and painful canker sores) and literally thought I might be dying. I counted the hours until my final dose of meds.

When that day came I was still HepC negative, but I had no energy to celebrate the end of treatment.

Within 2 weeks post treatment, I was beginning to feel pretty normal again. I had enough energy to undertake chores around the ranch that had been neglected for almost a year. Slowly my strength returned. Now I'm 10 weeks post treatment and I feel great, though I'm still trying to regain muscle strength. My vision, which had deteriorated during treatment, is almost back to normal and I'm able to go all day without a nap in the afternoon. In mid-January I'll get my three month blood test for viral load, then in April my 6 month test. I'm assuming and hoping they'll both be negative.

For me, treatment was a bitch. For others I think it's much easier, and for some--worse.

A couple of days ago I watched the movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings again . It occured to me that treatment is like the the quest to destroy the ring, a burden that became increasingly heavy for the unlikely hero, Frodo, as it progressed. Of course in the end, against incredible odds, Frodo succeeds and the ring is destroyed.

May we all be Frodo.