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Author Topic: New Health, New Body, new Westy!  (Read 12375 times)

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Offline KimInTheForest

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  • Posts: 1,972
  • Believe in yourself
New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« on: April 04, 2016, 11:15:01 pm »
Meet Bagpipes! Just bought her today in Victoria, BC. She’s a 1982 fully camperized Westfalia, the last of the air-cooled—my favourite year. (I have owned other Westies.) And she’s in great condition!

I decided to honour my new body and new health (and the miracle of being cured) by living the dream! Can I afford it? Hell no. I’m a poet, remember? But can I afford the even greater toll of NOT living my dream, starting immediately? Can any of us? How much longer do we need to wait?

One thing that became abundantly clear to me during treatment is that getting virologically cured is just the teensiest first baby step on the healing journey after a lifetime of Hepatitis C. The rest of the journey is up to us, not medical science and Big Pharma. It is up to each of us to rush headlong into the Universe, arms spread wide, ready to embrace whatever comes our way. I want to taste it all. I am done waiting for “my time” or feeling I can’t afford it (which is just another way of saying I’m not worth it). Bring it on.




Logged
Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo, BC)
1970s: Contracted HCV (genotype 3a)
2015: Cured with Harvoni + ribavirin (12 weeks)
MY STORY: https://pigsquash.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/undetectable-my-hep-c-story/

Offline Luna7

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  • Posts: 179
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2016, 11:41:41 pm »
Congrats!  She looks like a beauty.
That has been my dream too....to head out in an RV...visiting beautiful nature spots and a couple friends. Been looking at RV's and reading travel blogs for quite a few years.
I've felt too sick to actually do it... but there's hope now.

Where will you travel to first?
Logged
Between F2 & F3
Alt & Ast nearly 100
Viral load over 8 million
Gt 3a

Treated 12 weeks with Sovaldi & Daklinza, start date mid-April 2016
Undetected at 4 weeks into treatment
Alt & Ast  normal
Treatment completed July 14
Most likely will be undetected at 12 weeks (mid October 2016) as symptoms are gone

Offline KimInTheForest

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Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2016, 11:45:35 pm »
No travel itinerary yet, Luna. Am leaving that open for now. But as a writer, there are a lot of literary festivals I like to go to. Sure will be nice to bring my own accommodation! :)

kim
« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 02:25:04 pm by KimInTheForest »
Logged
Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo, BC)
1970s: Contracted HCV (genotype 3a)
2015: Cured with Harvoni + ribavirin (12 weeks)
MY STORY: https://pigsquash.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/undetectable-my-hep-c-story/

Offline Luna7

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  • Posts: 179
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2016, 11:53:37 pm »
Yes that is an advantage, and so much cheaper than flying and renting sleeping space (but then I might be forgetting about car repair bills)  :)

I do a kind of art on the computer related to nature to support myself, though am definitely in the 'starving artist' category.
So...nothing to really tie me in one place as long as I can get internet access on the go, and that is very doable these days.

I'll need a bigger RV than yours though if I do this, as I have too many cats.
Logged
Between F2 & F3
Alt & Ast nearly 100
Viral load over 8 million
Gt 3a

Treated 12 weeks with Sovaldi & Daklinza, start date mid-April 2016
Undetected at 4 weeks into treatment
Alt & Ast  normal
Treatment completed July 14
Most likely will be undetected at 12 weeks (mid October 2016) as symptoms are gone

Offline KimInTheForest

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,972
  • Believe in yourself
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2016, 12:11:27 am »
It's surprising how many people & other animals you can fit into a Westy. ;) Some people do like a roomier RV. But for me, anything larger than this is not fun to drive.

Your nature/computer art sounds cool, Luna! Would be perfect for road-tripping. There is something very freeing about the open-ended roadtrip...
Logged
Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo, BC)
1970s: Contracted HCV (genotype 3a)
2015: Cured with Harvoni + ribavirin (12 weeks)
MY STORY: https://pigsquash.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/undetectable-my-hep-c-story/

Offline slats1056

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  • Posts: 765
  • SVR to all and to all a good life!
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2016, 11:51:42 am »
Hey Kim,   ;DFAHRVERGNUGEN 8)
Logged
73 non ab 98 hep c refused pegint/riba
6-15 Gen.1b 1/2 MIL ALT72 AST37 No cirrhosis
7-15  Harvoni 12 weeks
10-14-15 EOT VIRAL LOAD NON-DET  
12-30-15 EOT+12 VIRAL LOAD NON DET  SVR12            8-9-18 HCV LOAD 1.02IU/ml AST22  ALT30 RELAPSE?
9-18-18 confirmed gt 1b relapse
10-16-18 approved 16 weeks Mavyret

Offline Flaco

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  • Posts: 56
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2016, 12:30:45 pm »
Wow, Kim, you did it! That's outstanding! And she looks great too 8) I don't see a defect anywhere - real pretty. :) Looks a lot more comfortable and capable than the old microbus I traveled in (back in the day) from up north to way south in the dead of winter, lol. No heat. :o

I've looked at those Westy sites and at Craigslist. I'd love to have one of those, but at the moment all I can afford in the way of automobiles are the plastic ones at 1:25 scale. And you have to put 'em together yourself. And paint 'em. ;D
« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 12:50:18 pm by Flaco »
Logged
Best Regards,
Jack

Diag 2001
Failed PEG-int/Riba 2002, 48 wks.
2015-16:
F4 compensated
VL 14.7 million
GT 1A
Alkaline Phosphatase(37-127 U/L): 12/23/15 216; 1/14/16 152; 1/29/16 103; 3/18/16 68; 4/1/16 70
SGPT (ALT) (15-78 U/L) 12/23/15 862; 1/15/16 753; 1/29/16 518; 3/18/16 48; 4/1/16 28
SGOT (AST) (9-44 U/L) 12/23/15 283; 1/15/16 226; 1/29/16 165; 3/18/16 24; 4/1/16 19
Start Harv 24 wks. 3/4/16
Undetected 2 weeks into Tx
Liver&metabolic nos. steadily improving since start TX
EOT 8/18/16

Offline KimInTheForest

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  • Posts: 1,972
  • Believe in yourself
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2016, 02:15:05 pm »
Quote from: slats1056 on April 06, 2016, 11:51:42 am
Hey Kim,   ;D FAHRVERGNUGEN 8)

You betcha, Tommy!! As the VW ad says: "Fahrvergnügen: It's what makes a car a Volkswagen".  8)

(translation for those not in the know... "Fahrvergnügen" = driving enjoyment)

Cruisin', baby!

kim
Logged
Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo, BC)
1970s: Contracted HCV (genotype 3a)
2015: Cured with Harvoni + ribavirin (12 weeks)
MY STORY: https://pigsquash.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/undetectable-my-hep-c-story/

Offline KimInTheForest

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,972
  • Believe in yourself
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2016, 02:22:20 pm »
Quote from: Flaco on April 06, 2016, 12:30:45 pm
Wow, Kim, you did it! That's outstanding! And she looks great too 8) I don't see a defect anywhere - real pretty. :)

She's a beauty, Flaco. Very hard to find a Westy of this age (34 years old) in this condition inside and out. I feel so blessed. The Universe provided for me by making this one available, and at really good price as these vehicles go - just $6,000. All others I saw online on Vancouver Island right now are going for $9,000-12,000 - and some of those need a lot of work. There is about $3,000 of things I want to do to her eventually just to make her perfect. But there is nothing that needs to be done before road-tripping. She is literally good to go right now. Runs very smooth, good compression. It is just a miracle. My second miracle. :)

kim
« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 02:26:26 pm by KimInTheForest »
Logged
Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo, BC)
1970s: Contracted HCV (genotype 3a)
2015: Cured with Harvoni + ribavirin (12 weeks)
MY STORY: https://pigsquash.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/undetectable-my-hep-c-story/

Offline FutureThinker

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  • Posts: 711
  • Onward and upward!
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2016, 08:53:02 pm »
Kim, so happy for you and you are feeling so good again!!!  FT
Logged
Treatment naive
Likely contracted mid-70s
Diagnosed 1a, 2011
F1-2
Harvoni X 12 weeks, completed 5/17/16
Pre-treatment: VL 3 mil, AST 64, ALT 84
4 week labs: VL 30, AST 21, ALT 14
8 week labs: VL UD!!!, AST 22, ALT 16
12 week labs: VL UD, AST 23, ALT 14
2 wk EOT: VL UD
12 wk EOT: VL UD, AST 22, ALT 13 =  SVR 12! Yay! 
Last hep appointment: VL UD, AST 19, ALT 12 = SVR 39! I AM DONE!

Offline HazelAustralia

  • Member
  • Posts: 178
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2016, 08:59:47 am »
Bagpipes is a wonderfully bright colour, and you are going to have such a great time together Kim!

Funny, I have been looking into starting a not-for-profit. Not something I thought I had the energy to do before, but maybe, now. My version of an open ended road trip in a buttercup bagpiping Westie.

How is the iron going?

H.
Logged
Female age 53
Australia
Contracted in the 1980's
Genotype 1A
VL 314k

Started treatment with Veikira Pak and Ribaviron on Thursday 17th December 2015
NOT DETECTED, End of Treatment, 16th March 2016

Offline KimInTheForest

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  • Posts: 1,972
  • Believe in yourself
Re: New Health, New Body, new Westy!
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2016, 12:02:06 pm »
Thanks FutureThinker & Hazel! :)

Hazel, I have been so busy Westy-hunting and then Westy-buying that I am a bit overdue on my iron check. But I am definitely feeling stronger and less anemic, so I think my serum ferritin will be up to a better level whenever I do get my butt in for lab work. Will post results when I have them.

Getting one's iron level back into normal range improves a lot of things in the body, including overall mood and attitude. Also mental functioning and more energy & desire to DO things... That's all part of healing from a lifetime of Hep C too. Seems like I was saddled with a double whammy by also being so low in iron.

Starting a not-for-profit sounds like a great idea, Hazel! Here is to a new life for each and every one of us - whatever shape and colour it may be.  8)

kim
« Last Edit: April 07, 2016, 12:04:03 pm by KimInTheForest »
Logged
Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo, BC)
1970s: Contracted HCV (genotype 3a)
2015: Cured with Harvoni + ribavirin (12 weeks)
MY STORY: https://pigsquash.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/undetectable-my-hep-c-story/
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