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Welcome to the Hep Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people who have Fatty Liver Disease, Hepatitis B, C or a co-infection, their friends and family and others with questions about hepatitis and liver health. Check in frequently to read what others have to say, post your comments, and hopefully learn more about how you can reach your own health goals.

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Recent Posts

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 10
11
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Third time is the charm? Starting 12 weeks of Vosevi
« Last post by opaleye on March 14, 2024, 08:26:31 am »
Thanks for the excellent advice, Jack!

Yes, guilty as charged, my step count has been lower these past three months. I appreciate your encourage to get out and walk.

Jumping over to the post-treatment board now to share the EOT labs.

Cheers,
Annie
12
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Third time is the charm? Starting 12 weeks of Vosevi
« Last post by jberlin on March 07, 2024, 09:19:46 am »
Annie,

Woo hoo is right! Today you woke up with no pills to take, and now the body will start to strengthen and recover! I just know what a wonderful feeling that is for you.

The fatigue will recede with rest and balanced nutrition. As soon as you can, get out and walk - perhaps easing a bit more distance each week. I had routes around my neighborhood I had measured with one of those cell phone stepper apps that went from a 1/2 mile, 1, 2, 3 mile routes.  It was a good habit that I developed and now I still try to do 2-3 miles every day (it's usually 5 days a week actually). I put on headphones and listened to podcasts, or music, or just blabbed on the phone.  The point is to re-establish as quickly as you can a different mindset to get you out of the tough slog lifestyle you are now rid of.

We cannot wait to hear your 90 day post treatment lab results, and of course how much better you are feeling holistically - mental & physical.

All the best wishes!

jack
13
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Third time is the charm? Starting 12 weeks of Vosevi
« Last post by opaleye on March 06, 2024, 09:16:05 pm »
Hello Jack!

Woo hoo! Just crossed the finish line, took my last of 84 pills this evening! It's a welcome milestone, but the final destination is three months from now when I will be (fingers and toes crossed) declared cured.

My hepatologist's nurse assured me that the End of Treatment lap order is in the mail. That's the next hurdle, but I do believe Vosevi's triple-pronged attack has done the trick.

I am so glad this is over. The fatigue has only gotten deeper and I struggle to get through my day. I have read that some people continue to have side effects after the end of treatment. I am hopeful that another week or so will clear those chemicals out of my system.

I appreciate your feedback on getting some pain relief for my aching joints. I will wait for the ulnar nerve surgery until after the SVR is confirmed though.

And I am so very grateful for your support, encouragement, and humor over these last 12 weeks!! May the positive vibes you shared return to you ten-fold!  ;D

Best of everything,
Annie

P.S. I'll jump on the post-treatment board once there are EOT lab results to report.
14
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Third time is the charm? Starting 12 weeks of Vosevi
« Last post by jberlin on February 25, 2024, 12:08:22 pm »
Awesome News – single digits tomorrow! Sending lots more good vibes! The countdown to Done! Rest and recovery will come next, and not soon enough, but soon.

I am not a MD, so grains of salt please, but I would certainly make sure to be recovered – rest, strength, mental, job, etc before hopping into another major medical procedure. I also think a corticosteroid injection after a few weeks should be fine, and I assume helpful for discomfort. This advice is worth every penny you paid for it!

A doctor that you can trust, and staff that will take the time to advise / answer questions is really important in a multi-month treatment such as this. Shands is top-notch so I assume you are a few hours north of me. Spring and your improved health will both come soon!

Update us when you cross the pill finish line!
jack
15
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Third time is the charm? Starting 12 weeks of Vosevi
« Last post by opaleye on February 25, 2024, 12:33:07 am »
Hi Jack!

Keep those good vibes coming!

Once again, a thousand thanks for being there. Sorry I haven't replied earlier. Just so tired, well more than tired-- deep fatigue that feels like I'm on an alien planet with a stronger gravity field. And work has been challenging. A reduced schedule hasn't really meant reduced responsibilities. I've set a few projects aside at least.

But here's the good news! I'm in the final home stretch, only 11 pills to go!!! And I did end up contacting my primary doc about the CBC and CMP labs. Everything was in normal ranges, except platelets that were up 7 points to just 2 points out of range. Not did the liver enzymes stay in the normal ranges, but AST is down from 29 to 20 and ALT is down from 22 to 16. Further indication that Vosevi is doing the trick!

I'm starting to think about life after treatment. I've put off some medical procedures/surgeries, and I'm wondering if I should continue to hold them off until 3 months post-treatment. Do you know anything about that? Specifically I'm scheduled for corticosteroid shots a few weeks after EOT. Should I worry about that suppressing my immune system? I'll ask my hepatologist's PA, but thought I would see if there was any Collective Wisdom from the Forum.

So glad you found a good hepatologist at Tampa General. It really makes a difference when you trust your specialist doctor. I have great respect for my hepatologist of a dozen years. He is buddies with an HVC researcher at Shands so he had insight into the success of early DDA trials.

Take care and thanks again for sharing your stories!

Annie
16
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Hair loss after epclusa
« Last post by FinleyMorse on February 18, 2024, 06:21:18 pm »
First off, congrats on finishing your epclusa treatment! That's a big accomplishment. As for the hair loss, it can be super worrying, especially when it feels like your locks are doing a disappearing act.
So here's the deal: while it might not be listed as a side effect, lots of folks have reported experiencing hair loss post-treatment. It's like your body's still adjusting, ya know? I had a similar thing happen to me after my treatment, and I was scratching my head (literally) trying to figure out what was going on.
But hey, if you're still on the hunt for answers, I stumbled upon something called protein overload during my research. It's this sneaky issue where your hair gets too much protein, making it look thinner than it actually is.
17
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Third time is the charm? Starting 12 weeks of Vosevi
« Last post by jberlin on February 16, 2024, 11:59:32 am »
Annie,

Now 19 pills! Awesome!

Sorta surprised there wasn't a midway count to see the drop in the viral load - but let's assume it undetectable - because it was! I remember the 3 month post treatment wait (my 1st treatment in 2004-5 they waited 6 months) - it was good not to be sick from the meds any longer, but still a bit anxious until you know for sure. Sometime in June will be the good news, and you will let us all know pronto!

Your point about pushing the insurance companies, and pushing the Doctors to also push on your behalf, is an important one. By my second treatment I knew more about things than my current GI, so I actually found a local Hepatologist at Tampa General to manage my treatment. Made a world of difference that they were experts. Folks out there - make sure your doctor is experienced in Hep C treatment!

Home stretch, so please keep going strong through the finish line, and update us with any news or thoughts.

Sending good vibes your way!

Best wishes,
jack
18
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Third time is the charm? Starting 12 weeks of Vosevi
« Last post by opaleye on February 15, 2024, 11:46:14 pm »
Hello Jack!

Started week 9 today! Only 20 pills to go! The incline has gotten a bit steeper lately. Fatigue is deeper, brain is foggier, and there were numerous days of digestive distress this past week, but the side effects remain tolerable and I am determined to get to The Destination.

Of course The Ultimate Destination is being Not Detected at three months post-treatment. Fingers, toes, arms, and legs crossed!

I haven't had any more testing. I thought my primary care doctor was going to check CBC and CMP after the second month, but I haven't seen that lab slip in the mail yet. Yeah, I know I could've called the office to nudge them, but it's getting so close to the end though that I might as well wait for the HVC Quant order from the hepatologist's PA. That will also include CBC and CMP.

Funny, I did see the hepatologist himself last week. He did an endoscopy for my husband and chatted with me afterwards. He wondered (again) that if the insurance company had ponied up for a 12 week treatment instead of only covering 8 weeks, then maybe that would have been my cure. If they had covered another 4 weeks then perhaps there wouldn't have been a need for me to do a second and now third treatment.

Just tossing that out in case other people are wondering if they should lobby their insurance company for a longer course of treatment.

Thanks again for your encouragement and positive vibes!!  :)

Cheers,
Annie
19
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Third time is the charm? Starting 12 weeks of Vosevi
« Last post by jberlin on February 08, 2024, 09:05:04 am »
Annie,

Great to hear from you and to hear things continue to go well, and you continue to tolerate the treatment. Time continues to fly by - often too fast, but in this case let it fly! You are rounding the last turn and soon will be in the home stretch!

Have you seen a quant virus count yet? Wondering how the Vosevi is doing with 'whack a virus mole'? I am betting you are undetectable - let's get there and stay there.

Less than a month to go, so give us an update soon, and often if you can. Stay strong (and rest and hydrate!)

Hugs,
jack
20
On Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Third time is the charm? Starting 12 weeks of Vosevi
« Last post by opaleye on February 07, 2024, 09:50:49 pm »
Hello Jack!

Thanks again for being my seat mate on this journey. As frustrating it has been to be the straggler who didn't respond to the new treatments, I am so happy for those who did and are now cured.

Another milestone. Finished the second bottle today. Only 28 days to go!

Other than that, nothing much to report. Still struggling with deep fatigue and some "intestinal disturbance" more often, but it is tolerable. Having the extra time to sleep with working shorter days helps. I'm even getting "Good job meeting your sleep goal" praise from my smart watch  ;D

That's all for now. Thanks again for being here!

Cheers,
Annie
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