And another case of HEP C bites the dust!

[Amj1951]

Just to pass along my results, I found out yesterday I am undetected and my liver values/numbers are very normal in the 20's.

I was just telling Wilson and Kate.. for the first time, I FORGOT to take my pill yesterday and took it 4 hour late. I assume this is fine.. I hope?!?! My appointment was in the middle of the day and I was out and busy and I have no idea what I was thinking but I wasn't thinking about the pill!! : ) But I am back on track!

I am a believer it is what it is and today its a very fine day and I am about to head out and enjoy it and I hope you all do too! : )

Meredith

[Long_Haul]

Wahoooo Meredith, great news. Enjoy you day, you deserve it!

It's good to hear we are winning the war!


AL

[badbradley]

Another dragon down for the count. Good news Meredith. I love to see news of success before heading off to work. Makes my day better. Enjoy your day!
Brad

[Sam1224]

Great news Meredith. Don't forget the pills!!!  lol

[WaltFrazier]

Finally got approved for 12 week Harvoni.  Had to leave for 2 week biz trip Tuesday and Harvoni arrived home Wednesday.  So its waiting for me to return to start!!!Felling excited...

[Mugwump]

Time to celebrate that is fantastic Meredith!

What I would do is get some really good back ribs, coat them whole in good garlic powder mixed with crushed garlic. Slow roast them for 3 hours covered at 275. Remove from pan then remove excess fat. Then in a big bowl mix  a full small bottle of Sweet Baby Rays http://www.sweetbabyrays.com/ original not the smoke flavoured stuff with a small amount of Dijon mustard, Ketchup, mild soya sauce, rice vinegar, and an expensive Tamarind based chutney sauce or if you cannot find it an oriental tamarind based sweet sauce. Heat the whole sauce mix to warm and mix it then toss the almost cooked ribs in single cut serving sized pieces in the sauce. Return ribs and sauce to pan and oven at 200f till the ribs start to fall off the bone in about another hour. You cannot beat a really slow roast in the sauce it does something incredible to ribs provided you do not over cook them in the first place. So the time it takes to get the fat to come out without drying them out at 275 is not set in stone it all depends on the bone and rib thickness. It can take as little as an hour an a half before the fat starts to accumulate in the bottom of the pan and you take them out and put them in sauce three hours is only for ribs that start out cold and are really thick ones and is the maximum necessary. Check on them regularly to keep them from drying out.

I only make pork back ribs for company because if I made it all the time I would not be able to fit through the door after a while they are hard to resist!   

What I am finding a little further along in the treatment is similar to what Katie is experiencing with a bit of lethargy and a altogether too much time spent snoozing and eating. So I guess the initial big boost is now settling down for the stretch. Even though I am fairly certain twelve weeks of treatment might work in my case it is not worth taking a risk on shorter treatment because of my level of cirrhosis. I have not asked for the 12 week vl test and will wait for the 24 only to confirm that I am clear at EOT in May.

What the really good news is for me is that for the first time since I was diagnosed my liver functions are completely normal and the constant pain in my hepatic regions is almost gone.

I posted a little bit of a guide to Oriental soups so I hope you find them to your liking. When I am SVR12 I will host a party and cook my brains out for all my friends and relatives. We all deserve this!

Sending good vibes to you and all here.

Eric

[Mugwump]

Finally got approved for 12 week Harvoni.  Had to leave for 2 week biz trip Tuesday and Harvoni arrived home Wednesday.  So its waiting for me to return to start!!!Felling excited...

That is great news Walt, to quote John Wayne in the Longest Day "send em to hell!" I am sure you will do just fine!
Eric

[Bob V]

Great news Meredith.

[Mm]

I started Harvoni January 1.  4 week blood test this week, HCV UNDETECTED.  Liver function tests normal. 2 week test my viral load went down to 68 and liver function tests normal. Few side effects except headaches, worse now than at the beginning of treatment. I'm almost half way through the 12 weeks and starting to see light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.

Thank you all for sharing your stories. It really helps.
Mm

[Amj1951]

Thank you EVERYONE  : )

I was thinking earlier about my 1st day here on the forum. I came because I was petrified of taking that first pill. I just knew something bad was going to happen and of course I got up the next day and felt a bit foolish.. but its ok! Whatever it takes.

When I called and told my parents the good news, which was just seconds after I got out of the doctor’s office… my mother cried. That brought home to me how much this disease affects our loved ones.

I do think each of us needs this one moment even though we know this first 4 week test is a ‘feel good’ moment more than anything since we still have a ways to go, but it sure does help!! I think it helps too for the ones who are just starting the treatment.

I believe whole heartedly this disease has finally met its match for the majority.

ERIC you’ll have my rear end as big as a wall before this is over!!  Ribs sound pretty darn good.. that and some good old fashioned potato salad. It was 70 and beautiful here in Dallas today. I’ll check on the soups you have listed too. I shop at a store here called Central Market on Lovers Lane. You should look it up. It’s the ultimate grocery store. It’s a tad high but worth every dime. They feature things and right now its chocolate… they had a chocolate bread with cherries out, fresh baked. I try to stay away from breads, but I HAD to buy a loaf.  I ate 3 slices before I got back to the house. (I should not admit that.. it’s not a huge loaf : ) ha!!

I’ve made some very nice friends here and hope to make more. I can’t put in words how grateful I am to everyone : )

Meredith

And yes, I bought a nice new toothbrush. I even bought new toothpaste. (I was almost out.)

[kate0b1]

 

kate

[lporterrn]

Meredith - I am delighted!!!!!!!!!! (and no worries on the 4 hr delay)
Enjoy that new toothbrush.

[Trinketz]

Hi I am new to the board. I was surfing  others who have started Harvoni. I began Harvoni Feb 7th.  Doctor sais I will be doing 12 weeks.I  am happy to find others using the treatment and pleased to have others reaction to Harvoni.. I received a tinted Blood transfusion July 9th 1986 at the birth of my last child he is nearly 29. I learned  I  learned of HCV in 1990, I am type 1a, I did 22 months of interferon and rebitrol  late 1999 to 2001.  the virus ruined my marriage of 26 years by 2003. so for me I am so ready to  be free of HCV.

Harvoni  side affects for me  are headache, not a normal headache but one as if I've been out in the sun all day without sunglasses. like a numb tightness in the temples. then at night  I feel flushed and heat beams from my face..   tired and  sleeplessness. when I eat food I feel sluggish.. but all symptoms are light and  tolerable.

It's been  relief to find this board,  to  read other having such positive results.. 

[Mugwump]

Harvoni  side affects for me  are headache, not a normal headache but one as if I've been out in the sun all day without sunglasses. like a numb tightness in the temples. then at night  I feel flushed and heat beams from my face..   tired and  sleeplessness. when I eat food I feel sluggish.. but all symptoms are light and  tolerable.

It's been  relief to find this board,  to  read other having such positive results..

Hello and welcome to you.

You have come to a great place to discuss this disease and the new treatments! The best that there is IMO!
Many here are willing to help you wade through the inevitable confusion that happens to people who try to deal with this debilitating and terrible disease.


There are long series of posts about peoples experiences and side effects on Harvoni on this site and many do indicate that it is very important to make sure you drink water regularly to help your renal functions clear the dead virus particles and excess of bilirubin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilirubinis Billirubin is what your liver naturally produces to clear out changes to the liver and an excess can and does cause an imbalance in your metabolism. Here is one thread that covers a great deal of what other are experiencing and even though it ranges off topic if you spend some time reading I am sure that you will find good information. http://forums.hepmag.com/index.php?topic=1653.0 None of the posters here are mean spirited and every single post I have read is from people who genuinely understand our shared concerns!

Think of it this way your liver is replacing cells that are being discharged because they were heavily infected with HCV that was in the process of replicating. What you should experience shortly is a noticeable increase in stamina. Much depends upon how much liver damage you have from the infection. I have fairly advanced cirrhosis and am 10 weeks into a full 24 week treatment which is called for in my circumstances.

You should start waking up and suddenly feeling much much better and you will be amazed and delighted. Considering you have been through the ringer, like many here who know how debilitating the other treatments are! In fact many here including myself have forgotten what it is like to feel "normal". I know I have not since I was in my twenties forty years ago.

From a Canuck
"keep your stick on the ice"
Regards
Eric

[Long_Haul]

Meridith, again congratulations on your results.

Welcome Trinketz, Headaches are tough to endure. Most on here have found that the side effects while on Harvoni are greatly reduced or eliminated by drinking enough water. That usually equates to a simple formula of taking your body weight in pounds and dividing it by two. The resulting number is roughly what you should drink in ounces of water.  So a 120 pound person should drink roughly 60 ounces of water.  I am in my 7th week on Harvoni and Ribavirin and have found this to work well for me. Best of luck with your treatment and feel free to ask any question regarding your treatment, the fellow warriors on here are very supportive and knowledgeable. If you look through posts starting around Thanksgiving, you will learn a lot about the experiences people have had with Harvoni and other treatment plans.

22 months on Interferon and Rebitrol must have seemed like an eternity. I was a non-responder doing several combo therapies, so I can sympathize. Best of luck with treatment and I hope your headaches improve,

AL

[Islandgirl]

Welcome Trinketz, way to go Meredith!

Trinketz, Al and Eric are totally correct   We are all sincerely caring and concerned for each other and if we don't know the answer we'll help you track it down.  I've never encountered a more non-judgmental group of people and everyone is so wonderfully supportive.  We all need that.  Sorry about your marriage, you were going through a really tough treatment and that had to make it doubly hard.  But you've moved on and you're going to to great - I just know it!  Again, welcome!  ...Islandgirl

[hopeful]

How do I get soup recipes.   Very concerned with what bad foods I am consuming because of my stage 4 cirrohsis

[Lynn K]

One suggestion is a heart smart diet is also a liver smart diet avoid salt

Good luck

[Mugwump]

How do I get soup recipes.   Very concerned with what bad foods I am consuming because of my stage 4 cirrohsis

Food science.

Soup is made healthy by carefully washing the parts of vegetable that most people ignore, drying them in a spinner and then using them to create stock by saute first then adding water and a very small amount of salt. This will create a stock has the flavours and essential minerals that are the important part of nutrition. Be careful to not use vegetable that have toxicity in parts, but in most store vegetable processing facilities these possible toxic parts of vegetable food plants are removed along with dirt and other contaminants. So produce department vegetables are safe to use whole from the supermarkets.

If you make chicken stock from the carcass and skin, chill it in the fridge and then use a large table spoon to remove the excess fat that will harden on the surface of the stock. The same with pork and beef stocks.

Saute your diced vegetable that will go into the soup not the parts that you use for making stock it is great to add a very small amount of olive oil which is very liver friendly.

Use old school pot barley, whole short grain rice, washed diced potatoes including the skins.

It is a shame that we have lost these essential skills and rely so heavily upon processed products.

Avoid any soup recipe that calls for added sugar! Instead use the natural sweetness of saute onions, baked squash, fruits etc

OH BOY ANOTHER POST THAT IS MAKING ME HUNGRY as I am cooking a traditional spice dal with naan bread and samosas for a diner with family tonight.

Take good care of yourself and trust your abilities to create soups on your own and make them to the best of your abilities!

To yours and everyone's good health here that know how important a healthy diet is for your liver!

There are good soup recipes all over the net but try to avoid too much salt and fat in their creation and create your own soup bases and you will enjoy the process it becomes second nature very quickly when you understand how.

Cheers
Eric

[Lynn K]

Hi Eric

Sadly I cannot even boil water. I posses zero cooking ability. For me cooking is an alien exotic undertaking usually resulting in burned material that was formally considered to be food stuffs damaged cooking pans and a large mess.

No I am not exaggerating mostly I eat a lot of cereal

:-( 

[Vintag54]

Meredith,

Congratulations!! You must feel great. All this good news makes me (10 days on S/O treatment) very hopeful.

Keep up the good work.

Bob

[kate0b1]

@lynnk, i am right there with you about cooking, if something has more than 3 ingredients i can't have it lol. the only exception to this rule is soup, i weirdly like making soup.  LOVE cereal 

kate

[Amj1951]

Hello everyone!!

I have a odd question.. perhaps stupid........ but remember in school they said the only dumb question is the unasked question  : )

I understand about antibodies. If you had hep A for example.. and clear it.. you can never get it again but you do have the antibodies.

BUT with hep C, you clear it and will have the antibodies BUT you CAN get it again and we all know the ways you can get it, but what I've thought about is.. PLEASE don't laugh or roll your eyes too much : ) But we clear it.. and we have the antibodies.... and one day if we are one of the lucky ones and our liver is actually in good shape outside of the hep C, and we have a couple glasses of wine.. or have something known to be bad for the liver. As an example we might take too much Tylenol that day, Can the hep C be activated again?

My friend says no.. all we would do is damage our liver, but we would not restart the hep C. I guess this is a good question for the liver doctor but my appointment isn't till March 4th... so I thought I'd throw it out here and if nothing else give everyone a 'Good lord, did she really say that' day : )

Yes I did and I would love some opinions!

On cooking, I love complicated recipes because when they come out perfectly.. its such a rewarding feeling and wonderful on the palate!! I think to it has to be something you enjoy doing or its becomes a job which isn't always fun.

I hope your all having a wonderful Presidents Day!
Meredith

[Amj1951]

Meredith,

Congratulations!! You must feel great. All this good news makes me (10 days on S/O treatment) very hopeful.

Keep up the good work.

Bob

Thank you Bob and everyone for the good wishes!! I am praying we all get this great news!! : )

[Lynn K]

Hi Meridith

Having hep c antibodies unfortunatly affords no immunity from a new hep c infection. However if the virus has been eradicated there is nothing to reactivate the virus is gone.

Antibodies are produced by your body in response to the viral I infection antibodies are not the virus. For example if you either had or were vaccinated against the measles your body makes antibodies to prevent future infection. But as I said the hep c antibodies we all have don't work that way to prevent future infection guess that is part of the reason people become chronic carriers.

Once free of the virus the only way you can test positive on the hep c virus test HCV RNA  by PCR again is to become reinfected.

Good luck

[Amj1951]

Hi Meridith

Having hep c antibodies unfortunatly affords no immunity from a new hep c infection. However if the virus has been eradicated there is nothing to reactivate the virus is gone.

Antibodies are produced by your body in response to the viral I infection antibodies are not the virus. For example if you either had or were vaccinated against the measles your body makes antibodies to prevent future infection. But as I said the hep c antibodies we all have don't work that way to prevent future infection guess that is part of the reason people become chronic carriers.

Once free of the virus the only way you can test positive on the hep c virus test HCV RNA  by PCR again is to become reinfected.

Good luck

Thanks Lynn. I don't know why that's been in my head lately. I have thought about how nice it would be to have a glass of wine once in a great while once this is over and the doctor ok's it, but I've obsessed over would it re-activate which I know seems silly : )

Meredith

[Lynn K]

For me my only option is sparkling apple juice or any virgin version of a drink.

No alcohol for life for me. But beats the option

[MEG]

You should start waking up and suddenly feeling much much better and you will be amazed and delighted.

It is so wonderful to read these words. My heart fills with joy each time I read that someone is experiencing increased energy and stamina. I can't wait. I'm day 21 but I've had a cold that's interfered with measuring if the Harvoni is helping the fatigue.

[MEG]

Congratulations Meredith. Thanks for asking about the HCV antibodies. I didn't know that they don't confer life-time immunity. 

[Lynn K]

Yes even once we clear hep c we do not have immunity to being reinfected.

I have seen they are working on a vaccine not sure where they are with that

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/285027.php

Hepatitis C vaccine shows promise in early clinical trial

[MEG]

Thanks for that link, Lynn. My sense is that it will be very hard to get an effective vaccine since HCV mutates itself at will, it seems.

The good news is that as that article states, it will eventually become a very rare disease---and that is amazing.