Iris Dragonfly wrote:

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So today, the first day of the rest of my life, I'm having some really mixed feelings. AND I already had a panic moment. ..omg it's after nine!!! I got to take the pill...um, no ...not today because,

I have arrived at EOT!!! I have arrived at EOT!!! 

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YAY IRIS!! Congrats!! Its a brand new day and you have a new lease on life! hallelujah!

HOORAH!!! How sweet it is!

Not sure I would be able to manage a needle, thanks for the reminder of those who had a furious battle.

So sorry to be derelict in my my update,  am very busy with Holiday preprations. Didn't get to post the last pill pic.
Here was yesterday's pill!!! Allllll gone!!! I took the last pill in the out of doors in the "light"..... into the light I go!

Hummm can't post pic due to low memory...lol!!! Ummmm, yea, how does it know ? ! ?

I'll be back,  lemme see if I can fix it.

Ok, I think it'll work now, if only I could just remove stuff from my brain to make more memory, lol.

The pill is there on the foot of the chalice.

So today, the first day of the rest of my life, I'm having some really mixed feelings. AND I already had a panic moment. ..omg it's after nine!!! I got to take the pill...um, no ...not today because,

I have arrived at EOT!!! 

Hip, hip, HUZZAH ! Hip, hip HUZZAH ! Hip, hip,

HUZZAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!***

WHAT! Iris ... you said "I want this so badly to work" ?? Huh?, like ... ya hadn't noticed the early crashed VL at 4 weeks, or .... the 8 week UND, and the soon to be your 3rd UND at EOT? Ahem, my dear .... in case you're missing it, it has already worked! And what's this about not collapsing into joy until SVR52! Huh? Get with it girl, you've been missin some really good parties here, no matter how busy and tired you may be, drag yer butt in here and have some cheers with us. There has been a party going on and ya didn't even notice yet - and it's all in your honor too. You have done it and done it so well. 5 MORE SLEEPS and you are DONE!! Bliss, my dear. A new you started on July 1 - celebrate it, and keep celebrating - every inch and milestone of it. Many good things do not always come easily, often they come fraught with effort and difficulty, which makes the goodness all the more precious. Gulp those last 5 powerful potent saviours down with gusto my dear. Be proud of all you have gone through to get here. No unhappy tears allowed, only happy ones or ones of relief. We are all so very happy for you, and we are proud of you, for what you have accomplished for yourself.  C.

Hey Tig and 5 - eeew, stop with the needles already. OMG! I am so lucky I didn't get diagnosed in the old days!

That was how I had to take my first Interferon back in the 90’s, self serve! Fill them and inject yourself three times a week. Didn’t work for nothing, but did manage to make you feel lower than whale poo.

I have a picture for you, Iris, when you’re done. I saw it and it reminded me of you. I think you’ll like it!  Thanks for sharing your final week of Dragon decimators!

yes iris, last days are monumental! very moving,,, it is done and done

thnx for that awesome pic, perfect.

and thnx tig for your pics too

i still have some old style needles from when i had to fill and inject myself

Okay, it took me longer than I thought to find these hiding amongst the Clouds,  but here’s my memory! One Interferon injection per week, two Neupogen injections weekly, 6-200 mg caplets of Ribavirin daily, for 7 months and 12 Victrelis capsules daily for 6 months... Ugh! I’m so glad you don’t have to do that now and glad you were able to wait to get the good stuff. None of it is or was easy, but the results are still the same! You will prevail and it is worth it!

GLORIOUS!!!

Ok 5 here it is....I really like that BBQ dragon banner Tig, that made me smile.

ONE WEEK LEFT!!!  Well, 5 days!!! I will be done by the 22nd of Sept....the Autumnal Equinox, that's very special and significant to me, I'm so blessed in the timing of this.

Iris Dragonfly

pill box! pill box! pill box!... the masses are rallying wanting the pill box!!

Iris,

Young lady, you send that photo to whatever device will get it on this forum and post it! If you want my personal email, just let me know and I’ll do it for you! That is a powerful photo that will be placed into Hep C history for all of your fellow Warriors to savor.

I want you to enjoy every single second of this victory and you MUST believe me, it will be YOUR victory! You deserve this and you have earned it. Let us dance around the victory fire and stars with you... 

I’m going to find the photo of my final “Dart”, just to show you how important it is to remember these final moments, in the life of this thing we call, The Dragon. Give me a few to find it in the Cloud. Everything is in the “Cloud”, lol!

one week left? . hang in there while the sweet daa does it's last mop up

Thanks guys, you have no Idea how good it is to hear from you all :) All my other blood work has been normal, I'll look for the Alt and Ast but they were within the normal range.

I wanted to post a pic of my pill box and the last week, (the pic is in my device, I'm on the laptop) But now it is two days later and I dunno, I'm feeling the moment has passed.

BB, Iris

Congrats Iris!! 

Im so happy for you and Im truly inspired by your remarkable journey. 

Thanks and rock on with your beautiful self!

Congratulations, Iris! I knew in my core that you were going to be successful. I just felt it was never in doubt and your results are proof. Now, two weeks to the finish line and the only thing you’ll have to look back on, is how hard you fought to finally obtain treatment. Keep going and leave that Dragon in the rear view mirror!

Nice!!!

Iris sweetie,

I could weep tears of joy for your wonderful news.

You have been through soooooooo much to get that UND and you soooooo deserve it.

I also had VLs throughout my treatment and between that and the the lower/normal liver function tests... it was a good motivator to comply with all of the Dr.s orders/rules...(and to not throw my bottle of evil ribivaron in the garbage)

Did they do your ALT and AST? If so how are they looking?

Its great that you are motivated to clean, nothing as awesome as a fresh start.

xox

WOW, good deal! Happy for ya Iris. Couldn't git much better! So glad they are not cheaping out on the VL testing for you - I always appreciated knowing what the results were as I went along. Lucky you, you got three on-treatment VL's without even having to ask for them! I only did 8 weeks of treatment, but I had lots of VL's done, only because it was a trial. Got any ALT/AST's to go with that UND?

Glad you are feeling OK/up about things, wish i could conjur up a cleaning spree round here! 

Won't be long now - you're alllll-most done Iris! Yay!  C. 

YAY Iris. UND, UND - and that's just the way we do it! RIGHT ON!!! So glad you got those 2 UND's under your belt - feels good to see them doesn't it - yer doing it fer sure! Lovely. CONGRATS on UND#2. Rest a little easier tonight. 

So, you got a 4 week VL and this 8 week VL, does this mean you will (or will not) get at 12 week EOT VL, in addition to these two.

How ya been feeling?  C.

whoohoo!

It's official !!!

8 Weeks UNDETECTED !!!!!!

, Iris

iris , things seem to be flowing easier for you. yay! so glad you are enjoying the last leg of the harvi pills

Yeah, Iris! I like the positivity in your message and know things will continue to get better as the weeks and months progress. You’ve done very well and buckled down when you needed to. You got this, I’m certain of it! The end of the line is just ahead, Harvoni Station. Prepare to disembark, SVR-Ville will be your final stop!

Well, time is going by much quickly-er than I expected. Have been super busy in the last couple weeks after the house ursurpers finally moved and prepping for the the craft fair and cleaning my house like a crazy person for an event here on Sunday (yesterday) I also took a hike with some friends to a little hill out in the Santa Monica Mountains for a Moon viewing Saturday night.  It's only about 2.5 miles round trip but that wore me out quite a bit after sitting on my butt for 2 months! The thing that has amazed me in these last couple weeks is... I feel Better. The lead weight seems to have lifted and, I don't know if this is my huge imagination but my blood feels "cooler"?

The Coast home does thus far feel breezy!

So as Tig said I guess I'm onto the clearing house bottle! Sweeping all the remains of those nasty buggers out, least one should spring back to life, >>growls and snarls<<  Ewe, like a cockroach, bleh. Viruses are strong little dudes, they don't want to die either, it's like a parasite. Eh just like the herpes virus for any of you that are sufferers of that lovely virus may have noticed they feel a little "friskier" just before and during a breakout...this viruses way of spreading the love 

Was so busy I didn't get a chance to share the "blossom into health" photo of the first pill from the last bottle.!!!!!!!!!! (The tablet doesn't take very good pictures anymore for some reason) I loved the way the rose is close in color to the pill. DOWN THE HATCH!

Thank you for all your good words and support blessings, Iris

Iris Dragonfly wrote:

The last bottle of Harvoni just arrived! Hope package! Box of potential miracles! Soul renewal! Life line!

Yay Iris I am so happy for you!!! Way to go, keep up the great work! Almost at the finish line

"oh happy day" iris the little brown box full of a miracle.

i'm so happy for you as you get your last botte...woohoo

That brown box contains the recipe of your successful journey! I couldn‘t be happier for you, Iris. At least not until you get that coveted SVR12! That day is coming soon, too. Just keep your eye on that prize and continue to do things as well as you have. That Dragon has already “left the building” and these last 4 weeks are simply cleaning the house, for your healthy liver to reside happily ever after!

Thank you!! thank you!  for those home stretch blessings! Much appreciated  !

I cannot stop weeping t The last bottle of Harvoni just arrived! Hope package! Box of potential miracles! Soul renewal! Life line!,  this little brown package is about the most lovely shade of Earth I have ever had the good fortune and luck to behold!  And right on time to be charged in the full moonlight once again. Everything has come together so perfectly, the timing couldn't have been any better. That must mean success! Right!?

Here is my smiling delivery guy, I could scarcely see through the water in my eyes to sign the little board. Oh fraptous day! Caloo calay!

Blessings, Iris Dragonalmostgonefly

Keep going Iris!  You'll slide into home base in a matter of weeks.  You're really maxing out now, and the meds are clogging up, but it will get better after!  We're proud  of you.

happy,happy downhill slide iris

Awe shucking husks you guys, that's awfully sweet. 

Yea! Warrior on! LoL...And then she slids into a lump on the couch....

The little dollies are for a craft fair in October, I'm being pretty optimistic about having the energy for this so wish me luck, (it will require leaving the house at 5:30am, my innards aren't ready to leave that early!!) I hope I can manage. It's a long drive. I haven't commited yet, soooooooo, we'll see.

Aaaaaaannnd here is today's update:

As any halfway marker would have it,  the rest of the trip, like Tig was saying  is downhill, coasting,  free ride, clutch in neutral...I  think I will refer to it as the home stretch. That's it. I want to go home. Home to myself, before I was all tor up. 

So this is the first pill on the OTHER side!:

First and foremost HURRAY HURRAY HURRAY

UND....   you are kicking virus a55. 

And second...those corn dollies are absolutely wonderful! I love seeing them all dancing and exclaiming their joy about your results. Super creative.

Sorry to see that rash, but glad to see youve figured out how to overcome that with your lap protector towel (because you simply MUST keep making those lovelies)

The little corn dollies are super cute!

Congratulations Iris, the time has flown.

Sorry to hear about your rash, I guess sweat mixed with perhaps your husks is the culprit but keep an eye on the rest of your body to see if it spreads. Rashes were one thing I was told to watch out for whilst on treatment, but in the heat you are experiencing I expect rashes are common. I know that even though I am an allergic type person I do get more of these things when I am sweating a lot.

I do love your little dollies. Never seen them before, they are just gorgeous. What do you do with them?

!!

yea, that also might be a reaction to the sun the other day? some calamine and yes a towel while corn husking the dolls.. they are so cute

WOOHOO! That’s a real milestone in treatment. From now on you’ll coast downhill into the Harvoni Station, EOT-Ville!

I wonder if there’s something on those corn husks that you’re sensitive to. That’s definitely a form of contact dermatitis. Do they have a prickly surface that may have caused an abrasion? If that’s what it is, hopefully it’ll clear up quick.

Congrats on reaching the halfway mark, Iris! It’s going by fast

Thank you again  

So here's the up date...TODAYS BEAN WAS THE HALFWAY MARKER, WOoooooooHOooooooooooo!!!

And I have a weird rash. Which I wonder if it was in relation to the corn husks from my corn dollies I mentioned about over in "slug in peanut butter" (I have been making them in my lap) I have never had such a reaction and I have been making them for a week now. Last night I opened a new package, maybe...huh, I just don't know. I was going to say sprayed, but they're supposed to be food grade for tamales. It doesn't itch, more like raised welts with some acne overtones. Corn reaction? Or stuff on them? Oh well. I'll put a towell on my lap. I'm on a roll!

So here's a pic of the rash:

Aaaaaaand here is some of the corn dollies:

Bb, Iriss

Fantastic new Iris You must feel just great, particularly since things haven't been good for you on the home front.

WAY TO GO IRIS You beautiful warrior queen!

Nice!!!!Iris

Seeing undetected never gets old here.

Way to go!!!

Wonderful news, Iris!!! I had forgotten the feeling of waiting for labs. It's nerve racking!  But, you got them and they're great! May I have this happy dance?

As my specialist explained it, the treatment continues after good initial successful testing because some sneaky viral varmint could be hiding in the deep, or be in the process of replication.

I know you have been having a hard time lately, but it looks like you are about to unload some big problems.  Those numbers foretell a rise in health and wellness.  For now, just slog through the treatment, and try to see the side effects as a temporary condition.

When it's all done, you can use your survival super powers

Iris,

I just mentioned on the Harvoni Train thread, that I was anxious to hear your results and here they are! This is fabulous news!! Totally expected (in my mind, lol) but outstanding to see it on paper. Congratulations, Warrior Queen! You will see ZERO for evermore...

Yea! Thank you, You guys have been very supportive, I appreciate that. 
It felt like a long labor actually, The blood draw was over a week ago, I felt like I was drumming my fingers on the table, forever. Whew. Glad that first wait is over, now for the second baby eh?!

BB, Iris

:

iris, this is such great news. even all the stress you've been under and those little magic beans are still working

i'm so happy for you 

and yea, that was quick results. awesome!

Wow iris,

Howdya get the results SO fast!? 

VIP's deserve their good news and deserve it quick-time too.

Lovely news, labs and numbers. All will be right in the world - you'll see. Happy for this day for you Iris.   C.

 aaaaAAAAAAAANNDD*** Drum roll please***...tadadadadadadadadadadada, BOOM! clang, tcshhhhhhh TA-DA! 

we have results, and they are..UNDETECTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm still having a bit of trouble digesting this, is it true?, is it really real?, how can that happen in such a short amount of time after it being there for so long?, I'm beginning to wonder how this wonder-drug actually works. If we are still unable to give blood that give me pause to think it still lingers....somewhere, but where? Is it like the containment facility on Ghost Busters???

eeeeek, I worry way too much, well you know what happened on Ghost Busters....

So this is the low down.....

AST: 18 (range 10-35) normal-this one was usually normal or in the 40's to 60's

ALT: 20 (range6-29) normal- this one was always slightly elevated

all other tests in the liver function panel were normal 

CBC: all normal

AFP: 3.9  (ref range<6.1) normal- which has been as high as 11, but I have heard ,to be considered a threat, it would be in the hundreds.

HCV RNA, Quantitative real time PCR:                                                                                                                                                                     <15 Not Detected (IU/mL)                                                                                                                                                                                    <1.8 Not Detected (Log IU/mL)

Before treatment my bloods in April were: VL was 8,550,000 and the Log @ 6.93 I also had a slightly elevated red blood cell count, and my glucose was just borderline as it had been for several years now, I could stand to loose a bit of weight, I'm 5'4" and 167lbs. Which I seriously thought I would loose a pound or two considering all this water, and lack of ale, which I haven't missed a bit. It's been a refreshing journey of cleansing,...almost... Now if I could just get away from Jack in the Box tacos! I get them like once a week now that I don't feel like cooking much. *sigh*

One thing that was slightly elevated was my blood pressure, like 138/82? (right around that), anyway mine is so low normally. I wondered how stressful the wait in the office must have inadvertently had on my anxiety?, not to mention they were short staffed and I spent much of my wait in the hall because the waiting room was full. My lady NP that convinced the insurance co. to treat me was on vacation, bummer, I really wanted to share this with her, Instead I had the head Dr. who I hadn't seen in several visits, he was excited for me, explained the need to treat the full 12 weeks, and we shared some photos, He said call if my symptoms become unbearable,  which they really aren't, I was the last one out yesterday. Late night, On the way home I pulled over to really get a good look at the results, only then did I have a moment to cry with a million thoughts racing through my head about the WHOLE JOURNEY from the time I was first diagnosed, all the time spent in libraries, days I spent distressing, people I feared infecting, times I considered suicide, and now ...will this really stick??? Oh geeze, there I go.... I still had to pick up A new bag of "lactated ringers" for the cats sub cu. fluids on the way, daughter was at my house waiting for me, (she does the cat watering while I hold the cat down), which was GREAT!

At least I had someone to share my good news with!!!! Then my Mom called Then my girlfriend e-mailed me to squeal, Then Mr. was like, "Huh".

You guys were right! I am Surprised      

Blessings from grateful Iris

Good Tuesday Iris,

It was a BIG day  and I am glad it is done now. Accomplished a fair bit today m'lady - milestones are piling up around here for you! Take a few breaths, try to rest, re-focus, wait for the rewarding lab results, take them in stride and keep on going, one step after the other - you know everything you need to do. Proud of you.  C.

Im still rooting for you too Iris, along with everyone else here who genuinely cares about your sweet little self!

ps: I pray for you every day. please stay away from that monster.