I've now been on my new Hep C treatment for nearly a month. And it hasn't been easy.
I'm drained of energy, constantly tired. The nausea after my morning and evening pills dosages is only getting worse. Insomnia is slowly creeping back into my life. The bruises on my stomach growing ever darker. My beloved runs a thing of the past. Social visits being cancelled all over the place. Working days spent instead sat at home, feeling slightly sorry for myself. So, I won't lie to you, it's been hard.
Now that we've got that sorry business out of the way, on to the good stuff. My liver function tests results - usually hovering over the 150 mark over the last three years (anything over 40 is usually considered abnormal) - have dropped to 54. That's the best they've been in a decade! If nothing else, my poor liver's had a bit of a breather so that's good news.
I'm seeing my gastric nurse this Friday (19th July), and we'll be starting on the Boceprevir - the very reason why we're going through this all again. I understand it'll be quite hard for a couple of weeks at least, but the truth is we don't really know what's going to happen. This cocktail of drugs is fairly new - My very, very experienced and wonderful gastric nurse tells me I'm only the second patient with both Hep B and Hep C going through this treatment in her care ever. And the other poor sod is only a couple of weeks ahead of me, from the sound of it.
So, onwards we go into uncertain territory. It's been hard so far, and no doubt it's about to get harder. But I'm still hoping - hoping this is the start of a Hep C-free me.
I might not be sleeping, but no one said I couldn't still dream, right?
Peace,
E
And whilst you're here, Word Hepatitis Day is coming up... Please, get tested!
If you can't wait to hear from me [!], 'Like' my Facebook page here, or follow me on Twitter here
