Post tx update, how are you other recently stopped tx-ers?

[Lady Lauri]

Hi all,
Brain dense lifting!!! To correct my previous feel like hell after tx post....it is 5 weeks since last shot tomorrow! Not last week :) I'm so confused!!

Anyway...brain fog lifting (well, sort of). Muscle pain is not as bad, definitely up more, doing more....(over doing more :) Emotions are a bit more on track (figured out some was PMS! Who knew!  Had few on tx :)  Still get worn out fast tho, so not back to 'real' work yet. Nausea gone :) Hair loss slowing down. Attitude going up. Had a great  'getting social and enjoyed it' day this week!!  Sleeping tho, is still very odd! (as it is 2:45 AM!)

So how are all you other recently ended tx people doing thus far?

LL

[northstar]

I took my last shot last on August 18. Than drove across country to the Pacific NW.
I went through misery for some time. Things are better, but I have my times, you know.
Fortunately I have people I can confide in, that dont look at me like I'm from another planet when I talk about HCV.
The stigma of it, has always been the worst part about it I think.

I have had some days of genuine relapse, but I also know this is a slow moving disease, so I dont get as worried as before when I really didn't know much.
Education has been key to it all.
And a few really neat friends. That  includes all the people here who reached out while I was whining. This is a fabulous site (home) for anyone going through such a lonely disease.

[moahunter]

I am doing very well, about 3 months post. I have regained about 15 pounds of the 50 pounds I lost on treatment. I find I can do really solid days at work now (involves lots of concentration and decision making), although I still have the odd tired day when I over do it.

Only issues are minor, but a little iratating:

1. Occasionally I get a bit of a headache / eyestrain - but this has reduced enourmously since coming off treatment, and has almost gone now.

2. Over the last month I developed a nasty rash on my hands - feels like they are burning all the time, and is annoying to tough paper. GP has tried with me an anti-fungal first (did not work), now I am trying a moderate steroid. Next step will be a skin specialist if it does not work.

3. I am waiting for a hernia operation (most common type for men).

Nothing serious though - feel sooooo much better now, really getting quite strong, once these niggling issues are gone, I think I will be right.

Interestingly, with respect to my hands - we ran some blood tests (all came back good), and I asked as an add on to check my ALT. Came back as a 16!!! That has to be a good sign. People say normal is around 30, but I suspect at my age (mid 30's), a normal Alt is in the teens.

[HARRYBEADS]

   It's been three months almost, and the Doctors have dxed me with MS now, so I'm not sure about what symptoms are what, maybe a little more alert mentally. Any thing can happen now and it doesn't shock me. I have to go with the flow as they say I guess.
Three more months to go for the test to see if I'm "cured".
   Next to battle this MS thing, appointments every week for awhile.

Harry

[Lady Lauri]

Actually DOING the meds now, just saw your posts.

Kalio....hope it ALL clears up, you did SVR, right? I have the same insurance problem, lost the crummy one I had while off work 5 mths (or so), so all this is my dime to :(
It's awful how the do this to people, up the rates, wanted me to pay with no medical leave pay??)

Shastri, very happy for you on SVR and sides. Thus far, still UND :) Can't say much good on the sides leaving tho, better but going slowly, think they settled in like bad roomates :)

Thanks all, LL

[Lady Lauri]

Got pneumonia now :( .  Went in yesterday 'exorcist style' vomiting, A lot! Head, chest pain, shakes, so on and so on. Did cat scans, found pnemonia.
  Was it Myown or Wyntre  that had it while on tx. Getting all kinds of sheet since off tx.
Know you had the female trouble after tx, Meki, anything else?

And hello to all....going back to bed again :(

LL

[meki]

Hugging LL - cause yanno - this is the best part...

Hoping all is well with you ---- and that each day gets better!

Meki

[shastri20032003]

Hi Kalo, glad you are doing fine
Peeping in here after sometime and good to know that you are 8 months post tx
Lady Lauri....I am 7 months post tx and by Gods grace have no side effects at all...wishing you the same
Take care
Sunil

[Kalio1]

Im 8 months or so post ( I think) and my strength is coming back. One thing that happened to me, about 3 months after finishing I had a kidney stone. Ouch. I read somewhere that long interferon use can be responsible. I didn't know that before it happened to me, so I thought I'd pass it on. I haven't been able to go see the doctor, I passed one stone but I guess there are more, they did an MRI and the doc mentioned something that night. We lost our health insurance because my husband turned 55 and they upped our premium to 1600.00 a month. We thought 1300 was a struggle, but the last increase put us out of the game.
I still have brain fog like symptoms and forgetting, but maybe that is just age. I am incredibly grateful that I don't have HCV now!
Best to everyone.

[Lady Lauri]

4:30 AM now! I can either make coffee or TRY and sleep!?

Please don't worry so much, or put yourself thru that, when feeling bad, You know, more than most here, that the Hep 'symptoms' wouldn't return that fast, right? So it has to be a flu, bug or overall post tx sickness when feeling bad. Hard not to think that tho. After mths. of reading your post/tx, I really feel you've got it this time!!

If you get them drawn Wed. do you at least get results before the weekend so as not to have 5 days stressing? Hope so. My 1st big one is April 4th (day after yours?) But mine is confusing, supposed to be week 4, but had labs week after last shot (and 3 weeks off of Riba)..so not sure what this one is considered??

We'll both still be UND! Course, if we don't get more sleep we'll be fatigued and weak :)

Nite, well, morning really!

LL

[Andiamo1]

You can see by the hour that I am still not sleeping well.  I am off only two weeks now, so I hope things will get better.  I felt much better the first week and then developed a flu like feeling for two days that made me very paranoid that the virus came back.

I can tell the anemia is improving, but now I am so worried about a relapse that every ache or stomach distress convinces me that I have relapsed again.  My next blood test is Wednesday and that will tell the tale.

So far, it is a roller coaster.  But, overall, I am feeling better.

Eric

[Lady Lauri]

Did I mention sleeping habits are still ODD!? 3:40 AM now !!!