SVR w/ viral load higher than measurable!!!

Question

Hi everyone!!!  Not sure if anyone is on here from when I began tx, but I received a message from a member recently that reminded me of this forum and felt that I needed to post my success on here because others' posts of success helped me when I first began!!!!

I began triple tx with incivek in the summer of 2011.  I was dx with hep-C 1A and my viral load was higher than could be measured!!!  I didn't find anyone else on here or otherwise with that high of a viral load so suffice to say my hope was a bit low.... I found a lot of support on this site but after a while I had to discontinue because I become a bit of a hypochondriac when given too much medical information lol!!!  I also found that I was obsessing and focusing all of my (remaining) energy on my symptoms and I realized I would never make it through if I continued to do so.  I stopped focusing on them and began focusing more on my daughter and that made my symptoms so much more bearable.  I successfully completed the year of tx and I am SO happy to say that I did attain SVR!!!!!  

I completed my year of tx as a single mother with very little support.  I feel this is also important to mention because as a single mother facing what was ahead, I needed to know that others have done it as single parents themselves.

It feels like I have been given a new lease on life and I have more energy now than I could have ever imagined!!!  I've started my own business (which I actually started as a hobby 6 months into tx to get my mind off of symptoms) and I am LOVING life!!!!  I want to thank this forum for helping me and let all of you out there currently on tx or preparing for tx know that there are so many others with so many different situations and circumstances that have successfully completed tx and I KNOW and BELIEVE that YOU CAN TO!!!  

Best wishes, 
shanro :)

nygirl7 · Answer

I remember you Shanro congrats on your success great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

rivll · Answer

Thanks for posting.
Very good news, indeed.

mzkity · Answer

Congrats on your svr. Your story was adorable! Not while you we're in treatment though. Yes sometimes it's best to back away from info!! So glad your happy now-- good luck.     Kitty

shanro · Answer

I remember you as well!!  Thank you!!!  How are you??

cheflady · Answer

hi i dont know you but i just had to say CONGRATULATIONS! all the way from England

nzkiwilife · Answer

Thanks for sharing. Its great to hear positive news and gives us still on tx motivation to carry on.

ActingBrandNew · Answer

Thanks for sharing that! VL higher than measurable....WOW! Congrats!

Idyllic · Answer

This is encouraging. Congrats on treating and getting on with your life :) :) I hope you don't mind me asking (since I just finished treatment myself) but I was wondering if you treated 24 or 48 weeks.

racky2012 · Answer

great story and  every success story helps those that are just starting and also those who struggle and just everyone in the middle of treatment i could not have entered into treatment without everyone here to help with info and success stories 

Congrats on you new start /SVR

purplecat · Answer

Loved this, thanks for sharing. Stories like this keeps us going.  SVR no more HepC, Wow!

shanro · Answer

48 weeks

pooh55811 · Answer

Congratulations on attaining SVR! Your story is a wonderful story with a very positive ending.  I am so happy for you and I am also glad that you shared your story with us. Have a great Hep C free life.   : )

pooh55811 · Answer

I remember you were still DET at week 4. I also remember you had a big drop in VL, but were still DET at week 4. When did you become UND? 

I also remember you had to reduce Riba due to anemia. Did you stay reduced throughout all of the rest of your treatment? 

Wow! It is just great that you went from such a high VL and attained SVR. That should give everyone on treatment hope.

shanro · Answer

I was UND on my blood test after that... I don't remember how many weeks that is... I'm thinking 8 wks???  I did have to reduce Riba to 800 and stayed at that dosage throughout the rest of my treatment.  I was so worried about it, but it turned out fine!! :)

shanro · Answer

I am so overwhelmed by the responses!!!  I'm so glad that my story can give others' hope!!!  This is such a rough treatment but honestly, it's been a little over 8 months since I was done, and I barely remember how tough it was... I just remembered that it was tough...  I'm so grateful memories work like that lol!!!

nzkiwilife · Answer

and congratulations on SVR !

pooh55811 · Answer

Thanks for the information.

I never got to know you well back in 2011 although I did start about 2 months after you did. Even though you had not posted for a while, I always remembered you because of your VL. When I first joined the forum I thought my VL was high at 14,400,000 and I was worried I would never clear the virus, but then you posted that your VL was over 69,000,000 and I no longer felt mine was that high. Even that gave me hope. I was so new then and I knew very little about Hep C and treatment. Well, all I can say is, this is fantastic.  I hope everyone on the forum reads about your success.

jules2551 · Answer

Such an inspiration to all of us who are pre and currently treating! Sometimes I am ready to bang my head against the wall and then i read these stories. Congrats!!!!!!

Jules

lrup1952 · Answer

What a great story and as others have said it does indeed give those of us at the beginning motivation and courage to continue on. 

Even at the beginning I have dreams of being on here 40 weeks from now with my story LoL

All the best to you!

stormy456 · Answer

Your story is a gift to those on the forum currently in tx, or who are contemplating tx.  So many people are afraid to treat, especially if they don't have a strong support system.  You are a testament that, yes, you can treat, and come out the other side so much stronger and better.  Fantastic job!