Liftoff!

OK kids: sorry about the long silence, but nothing drastic, life-threatening or otherwise out-of-the-ordinary has happened over the last month. There was a minor alarm when my complaint about intermittent abdominal pains (more like liver aches, ribavirin-correlated) coincided with slightly increased lipase levels and my doctor thought that I could have interferon-induced pancreatitis (it happens, but rarely). Anyway, that was not my case, but now I know that my lipase seems to run about 4 points above reference point. That's all.

Anyway: Last Saturday I took my last shot of interferon--painful as always. Last night I ate my last little blue ribavirin pill--nasty as always. I AM DONE WITH THE TREATMENT! (And not a day too soon!) BUST OPEN THE BOTTLES OF BOOZE! :)

So here is the current state of play. On the POSITIVE side of the balance sheet: I guess that the viral levels are still undetectable (almost 100% certainty of that) but I will not know for sure if I have been cured until 6 months from now. The virus may still be lurking below detectability threshold, but it is quite unlikely considering that I was an early responder: if the little bastard had mutated from under the treatment, we probably would have seen the resurgence by 12 weeks. So considering my history, I would say that my chances of being cured are somewhere over 95% or so.

On the NEGATIVE and NASTY side of the balance sheet:

A lot, actually, but supposedly it all shall pass.

1.I am weak as a kitten. The last two weeks were actually quite nasty: I was falling asleep all over and generally had problems moving and thinking. I am ridiculously glad that I did not have to do the whole 48 week shebang: I can see why people take medical leaves of absence from work at this point and spend the next 24 weeks in bed. Not for me, luckily!!!

2.My blood is still all sorts of fucked up, with strong anemia (hemoglobin at 10.1 last two times I did labwork) and suppressed red and white blood cells, leading to fatigue, difficulty concentrating and oodles of little skin infections. Last batch of tests were done on Friday and I will not know the results for a couple of days but I can assume that they are essentially the same and will remain that way for another few weeks.

3.I lost about two thirds of my hair, and still come up with a big clump two-three times a day. Shedding like a dog in the summer, essentially, This is interferon-related and now that I am off it it'll grow back soon. But considering that I'd started with two years' worth of a chevelure, what is left right now is pitiful and sad.

4.Over the last couple of weeks I'd started developing a second rash. This one is likely ribavirin-related; it is in the same places as the first one, but more diffuse and itches less. Now that I am done it should improve rapidly.

So in short, I still feel quite crappy and this will last for a little while, at least. BUT IT IS OVER. There is no way to go but up!

Today me and my honey will go out to have a good fancy exotic meal...with beer!!! And I have several ciders stashed away as well as a bottle of Viking Blod mead and will partake a bit of each tonight. I will report on improvements in my attitude as they happen. Especially my cognitive function: I have stacks of literature on climate physics, macroeconomics and mathematical ecology that I simply could NOT process for some time now due to cognitive side-effects. Hopefully, the old brain will kick back into gear soon! I am also planning on learning Yiddish so I can complain about, well, everything, in a language properly designed for that. Also, I should be able to start exercising to get rid of the fat accumulated over the last 6 months and to regain lost muscle mass. And no more high-fat diet!!! Cheers!

Shriniking side-effects

More incivek byproducts bite the dust: over the last 2 weeks of taking it, I'd developed and intermittent sore throat and, even more uncomfortably, a sore roof of the mouth. 10 days after finishing it, these are gone. Excellent! My general energy levels are up as well; it's a pity that my hemoglobin is so low that 5 seconds of activity leaves me exhausted and out of breath. The general achiness in muscles, probably due to interferon, is becoming more prominent. Also, in general, muscle fatigue is ever-present: walking my 1 mile or so from the MAX to work and back makes my legs sore, my chest tight and even an occasional spinny sensation. I am pretending that walking that mile very slowly is my equivalent of cardio exercise and is actually good for me. In fact, it probably is, and I sometimes even get a bit of a second wind towards the end of that walk...:) Yes, I feel decrepit!

My GE recommended against having any surgery, no matter how minor, while on treatment. So I rescheduled my granuloma removal for September. It seems rather insignificant now, since it has healed and barely bleeds nowadays. Ah well!