six weeks of Harvoni & counting

[vecchiomaialone]

For me it was very hard discovering to have Hep C when I was almost 50, as in my heart whatever thing I did when I was 20 was a part of a past that will never come back. Then, in 2010, quitting alcohol was difficult and I've found myself full of regrets and feelings of "being infective" and some additional stigma I now do not remember. I did a good thing, anyway, and called all my friends of the old good times, found two or three silently coping with the same problem and send the rest of all for a blood test. One of them come up with hep B & C.
My IVL at the time was 15.000.000 or something like that, fibrosis moderate and in the end, while my illness was not life threatening, my feeling was that things could change for the worst.
And it happened. In January 2011 I was diagnosed with malignant cancer in the base tongue and I had to do Radio 7 weeks + chemo 3 times. Worst days of my life? Yes. And way very painful. But no life threatening, and as such, I've passed these days with hope (& not glory). In any case, it opened my mind on what pain is and what happens to people when life is in danger (not mine, luckily).
My liver values went south, some physician (an anesthetist specifically) doubted even of my ability to sustain even a simple procedure like a tongue biopsy, but by the middle of 2011 cancer therapy looked like a thing of a far away past. By August of that year, on a move I have to thank my wife for leading, I’ve changed job, we changed country and my body was relieved for leaving the so lovely city (imagine Venice, by example) we were living but where I have suffered too much. That was a surprise also to me, as I love this dreamy Venice we were living into.
For several years then, I did my annual liver controls, went from Fibroscan 11 or 13 to Fibroscan 4 or 5, did one or two liver biopsies and, IVLs went down a lot. I’ve started the 8 weeks Harvoni therapy with a IVL of 2271 at 20 October 2016.
Light diarrhoea, some slight headache, a general level of excitement and well being and right before the last day of week four: cramps! None of these a big deal, but the cramps were really painful and I had for about two weeks issues with respiration because of a cramp on the fourth rib. At week 4, the nurse also told me that I was already “virus free” (since week 2), actually.
I’ve got a strong bronchitis the 8-Nov that looked viral as my two year’s old son had been just diagnosed. Right? Well, after ten days of coughing, the 21-Nov I was diagnosed a bacterial bronchitis and I’m now enjoying also antibiotics three times a day. I also have some nausea now and a general disgust to whatever is food or beverages. Let's see.

[andrew j]

Thanks for posting, Vecchiomaialone.

... Interesting story - and it's good to know that you are getting treatment now!

Hoping your treatment journey is smooth and uneventful!

Best wishes,
A.

P.S Are you drinking enough water?

[gnatcatcher]

Welcome, vecchiomaialone. Sorry the bacterial bronchitis has taken away your appetite, but Andrew is right: you must drink water, even if it makes you nauseous, because Harvoni needs more water than usual. The antibiotics should fix things soon.

Thank you for alerting your comrades-in-youthful-indiscretions that they needed to get tested, so that they, too, can get cured.

Like you, I have survived cancer. In English, we say that "a cat has nine lives" because the cat repeatedly gets into danger, yet continues to escape death. I think some of us humans get to be as lucky as a cat, and you are one of the lucky people.

To your treatment success!

Gnatty

[vecchiomaialone]

quick update: antibiotics are helping me to win against bronchitis and the last week should be a quiet one. Just thought of the couple of friends that actually had to do months of Interferon. Flu is a pain one week, cannot imagine what can be one month.

Gnat/Andrew
In spanish we say that the lives of the cat are seven ... and then we wonder why spanish speaking people is seen as stingy ...

I'm drinking water, gatorade, beer ... whatever ... surely over 1.5 litres a day (I'm 70 kg now) ... I was not drinking enough at the beginning, but now I believe I'm not missing it ... In any case just raised a glass of water for you both ...

[gnatcatcher]

... In any case just raised a glass of water for you both ...

What a great idea -- I'll do the same. Cheers! Skol! L'chayim! (What do you say to toast someone in Italian?)

Gnatty

P.S. Benjamin Franklin wrote "A stitch in time saves seven" -- someone else changed it into the famous "A stitch in time saves nine" (quasi-rhyme being more memorable than alliteration). Could the Spanish have chosen "seven" for a linguistic reason? [As Andrew already knows, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt.]

[andrew j]

Yes, Gnatty!

Vecchio (Is that your name?):

Leave that beer alone!

[vecchiomaialone]

vecchiomaialone is a nickname, is kind of "old & dirty man" (dirty with a sexy connotation) ... my favorite pastime, I will say

I was spitting blood friday, went to emergency, in the end is pneumonia and not bronchitis what I have ... but I just have to wait for the infection to clean itself, no new meds ...

In the end my Harvoni period was far more troubled than expected, but for the wrong reasons. Acted like a moron in not going before to the general doctor.

[andrew j]

Hi Vecchiomaialone,

It sounds as if you need to be a bit gentler with yourself?
Is that fair, or accurate?
Take it easy, eh? - and look after yourself = eating healthily, a bit of exercise,
fun 'n laughter etc. etc.
I don't know. You're probably doing it already!

As to your name and it's meaning(s) / your favourite pastime:
Who am I to argue with a man of such obvious discernment!
I'm trying, but ...

[vecchiomaialone]

 

thanks a lot!!! I was trying to be objective but maybe sometimes one pushes too hard ... life/demeanor/whatever ...