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1689399 tn?1306144888

Anyone with a hopeful tale?

I am week 10 of tx. Geno 1. Reading this forum has been the most depressing hour of my life. Yes, I feel like garbage, and really have been hanging on based on the idea that when this is over, I will feel good again. Yet all I can find on this forum is people complaining about how awful they feel post tx.
Do any of you have anything positive to report, or should I just kill myself right now?
44 Responses
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Avatar universal
72 f---ing weeks, my man. IFN every 4 days, as many riba pills as I could, EPO, anemia, rash, feeling lousy. And now I'm SVR over two years now and feelin great. Earning more money now than ever in my life, if that means anything. Got a girlfriend 20 years younger than me, and she's happy.

I know where you are coming from.

But most important: stop whining. Suck it up. Get up in the morning, do what ya gotta do, put one foot in front of the other...it will pass, and with luck, you will get to SVR. With more luck, you will not have any longterm side-effects of the meds.

You owe me $0.02!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm not offended, but you must not have read my blog (never give up hope). Be thankfull that you can even tolerate the med at all. I have been on different forums in the past and have never complained at all. None of us know how long we have on this earth. Living in fear and dispair is not living it's existing. I try to go on as if I don't have hepc. Thats not to say I don't do what I need to do to stay as healthy and fit as possable. Take vits. try to eat a liver healty diet and get excersize. Dont dispair not everyone has a negitive story.
Helpful - 0
1491755 tn?1333201362
You may want to start a thread so people can respond to you.  Sometimes when threads change they don't get as much attention as they should.

You've got a great attitude remember you are the Warrior, one thing I like about the Hep C crowd is we don't have any false heroes like Lance Armstrong. We all know that WE are the warriors.
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Avatar universal
I AM NEW TO ALL THIS,,, I AM DETERMINED TO DO WELL.. HAVE NOT STARTED
TREATMENT YET.....BUT DR. SAYS I AM A GOOD CANDIDATE AS I HAVE A VERY,
VERY LOW GRADE OF VIRUS AND AM IN GENERALLY GOOD HEALTH...

I AM VERY FRIGHTENED OF TAKING ANY MED, AS I NEVER DO...STILL IN SHOCK
I HAVE THIS....I GO JUNE 14....HOPE THE NEW DRUG IS OUT, BECAUSE THE DR.
IS WAITING FOR THIS TO COME OUT TO START...FEELS WILL LESSEN TIME OF TREATMENT AND SIDE EFFECTS...HOPE SO...STILL TERRIFIED BUT WILL MAKE
MYSELF GET BETTER....

WELCOME ALL COMMENTS....AJ
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
just finished 3rd round about 3 months ago  bad news it didnt work due to my cirrhotic liver and other complications  good news i had very minimal sides every time and i feel good right now  everybodys different  dont despair because of what anyone says
Helpful - 0
92903 tn?1309904711
You just keep your jiggy fellow away from my coeds. They see an Italian stud serving his balls in a net and who knows what could happen.
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Avatar universal
Here's a feel good story for you.  I finished tx Feb 2009, achieved SVR.  Mental and physical recovery was very slow, in fact, it took almost 2 years.   But now I feel great and tx is but a vague memory.  Can I offer a tip:  try to exercise a little each day, even a short walk around the block.  And have patience during your recovery knowing that you will feel better..  

Don't stop by much any more.  Too busy enjoying my new found health. Now back to my tennis lesson with the Italian gigolo.   Maybe I'll run into GoofyDad and his Swedish coeds.

KF
Helpful - 0
1658980 tn?1330711550
I'm one of the ones in the same study - there's a few of us.  I just sent you a note.  Let's stay in touch.
Debra
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Avatar universal
and be careful mentioning killing yourself......the suicide police may show up on your doorstep.....and it makes us worry!!!        Jean
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Avatar universal
I have been off treatment for 4 months.  every month gets better.  I had some severe side effects during treatment, and of course, your body doesn't just rebound in a day!!  BUT  I am a 1B, this was my second GRUELING 48 week tx, and I was clear by week 4, and am still clear at 12 wks post tx!!!  How great is that!!  While the tx is tough, depressing at times.....it is most definately worth it.  I can make plans for the rest of my life>>>>>>will get to see my granddaughter, due in august, grow up!!!!  Yes, there are so many positives to this tx.  Just hang in there, treat the side effects, and know that you WILL have bad days....but they are only days.  Death was not an option for me.  nor for you.  HANG IN THERE!!!!!    Jean
Helpful - 0
1689399 tn?1306144888
So far, it could have been much much worse. It hasn't been great, but I have been tolerating it as best as I can. The sides from the Riba seem worse to me than the interferon. The rash is bad. But compared to some of what I was told to expect, I am not doing too badly. I am hopeful that they take me off treatment at 16 weeks as that is what they are doing with one arm of the study.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
There are a number of people here on the Gilead study.  You might want to start a thread on that.  It's always been nice to have a group of folks on the same trial to help each other and compare notes.  Not all trial centres behave alike in everything and it helped us to talk about how things were going with each other and give moral support.  There have been superb results from that as far as response and people going UND very early.  How has it been for you?
Helpful - 0
1689399 tn?1306144888
I thought I would clarify - I am also part of a research study. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. It is through Gilead Sciences, and involves two investigational drugs - GS9190 and GS9256. The duration of my treatment may be as short as 16 weeks, but possibly 24 weeks - has anyone here participated in the Gilead study before?
Helpful - 0
1118724 tn?1357010591
As recently posted elsewhere I treated for 65-67 weeks total taking only 4 Tylenol and they really weren't due to the meds. After a few months I felt better on tx than the years b4 starting. The worst part by far was dealing with the hospital not the disease. Now almost 4 weeks post tx I can't say I feel better than on tx but I never felt that bad on tx. Until SVR you can't get much more positive than that.
In the first few months of treatment I kinda bragged, more at marveled out loud, how the dreaded side effects were not materializing. Now I bring it up on occasion for those hesitating to begin tx so they may judge the range of reactions and possibly take heart that it isn't always horror stories.
Do you have a dry sense of humor? Mine tends towards it and didn't really take your intentions seriously. On the net sarcasm, or certain kinds of humor just don't translate well. If I had started off by working "buck up crybaby" into the conversation you might not have recognized my deadpan attempt at humor (btw my 10 yr old niece tells me that whenever I complain about something.) GoofyDad's humor works online cuz it's so over the top ... I mean, it would be if it weren't true.
Hey, you'll make it. All the best.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I went through the treatment and am now two years off treatment and undetectable. Had hep-c for 35 years. About 2 months after treatment I felt better than I ever had in my life. My whole personality changed to someone relaxed. My daughter said I was a completely different person. Hang in there, it's worth it. By the way, treatment for me was very tough.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I went through the treatment and am now two years off treatment and undetectable. Had hep-c for 35 years. About 2 months after treatment I felt better than I ever had in my life. My whole personality changed to someone relaxed. My daughter said I was a completely different person. Hang in there, it's worth it. By the way, treatment for me was very tough.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
""LINGERIE AFFECTS?"  Seems like you have something else on the brain - lol  "

Ohhh  no...not ON the brain...permanently hardwired INTO the brain.  
Helpful - 0
1689690 tn?1305818628
Ya, I was hoping for some "LINGERIE AFFECTS?" today but never felt quite up to it. LOL. If you know what I mean......  Thanks everyone for the great posts. Great incouragement for me and I was not the subject of the thread. But I will gladly take all the help I can get. Thanks.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am glad I have found this forum, I dont say very much because I am not treating yet, but am reading everyones comments about everything, and most of all its seems to me there is alot of support and even when someone feels truly terrible there is someone to cheer you on. Will be glad when i start and get it over with, but knowing there are others out there going through the same thing will for sure help me.. thanks for making me laugh guys :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
"LINGERIE AFFECTS?"  Seems like you have something else on the brain - lol  
Helpful - 0
92903 tn?1309904711
Eagles - Hotel CA

Of course. Must be the lingerie affects of interferon:)
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Avatar universal
Eagles - Hotel CA
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206807 tn?1331936184
I believe that was the Eagles
Helpful - 0
971268 tn?1253200799
My husband did treatment with triple therapy, finished in January of last year, achieved SVR, and today is as good as new. He has no lingering side effects, he is healthy and energetic. He began to feel MUCH better only a few weeks after the treatment ended. Yes, we are lucky, but I do believe most people with good outcomes vanish from forums like these because they have moved on with their lives. In fact I only have been dropping in of late since a few new folks are treating with the trial drug he treated with.

Best of luck to you and hope you feel better soon. Tx is a real roller-coaster.
Helpful - 0
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