Greg,

I can see you are moving forward. It didn't take you long to regroup and get a plan for future action for destroying the beast.  It sounds like a good plan.  Get your body stronger, get into the new tx and be done with it. 

If nothing else, this disease makes us appreciate every second of life.  Enjoy every minute of being with your family.

Love Becca

Greg, I LOVE your plan. Build urself back up and go knock hep c outta the ring! You're the can-do kid. Thanks for your comments. ditto back to ya. Resiliance? You got it! Off to work. A day of meetings. Maybe I can sneak a snooze.

Kirstin n Jill, you're like Old Faithful at Yellowstone. Your positive input is reliable and consistent. Have a Strong Day fellow dragon slayers! xo Karen

Hell yeah I will Jill   I just look at the big picture when I am feeling like crap & that brings it all back into perspective for me.. 6 months of this but a lifetime saved & to be lived to the fullest  

Hi Greg, you always have such a great attitude, you are a real inspiration to everyone here.    I like the idea of a `therapy washout`, that is just what you need right now.

This a time of respite for you, to rest, relax, and get your strength back.  As Kirstin said, the time will go by quicker than you think, and when the time is right you`ll get back in the ring and beat the living daylights out of the beast, once and for all.

Hi Kirstin, yes, we really are the lucky ones, I have so much respect for everyone who goes though 48 wks and longer, I felt as though I just about crawled to the finishing line after `only` 24!   You`ll be fine I`m sure, you`re cracking through it, even though you`re not exactly having an easy ride.

All the best to you all, love Jill xxx

Thats real good news Greg

That is the study that I was offered, I didnt see the point in it to be honest. A study of 400 people, half of them would recieve the placebo.

As with Tx, the time will pass by quickly & before you know it you'll be locking horns with & finally kicking this dragon to the curb!

Take that time now to rest, relax & rejuvenate. You'll get there sweetheart xxx

Hi Everyone,

I saw my specialist this morning and was told that I could expect to begin triple tx in early 2013 which isn't far from what your doctor said Kirstin. Again this time frame is all due to the government approving funding etc.

Apparently there is a trial open at the moment here in Oz but only for tx naive patients and this would be a placebo base study group as well. (sounds like the one you may have been offered Kirstin, not sure) So all in all it's happening here but not as fast as one would like. lol

So my plan is to relax for the next 4 weeks. As my GP put it "undedrgo a therapy washout" then back into the day to day, but with a much clearer outlook and an apperaciation of simply enjoying a single second.
Have another blood test in 6 months and see how things are make sure all the nasty markers are in check and go from there.

Kirstin as Jill said you were UND at week 4, just brilliant! your going to be just fine and you over halfway you'll be finished sooner that you realize.

Karen,
I really think just your attitude is going to heal you by itself, it's a joy to read your posts.

Looking forward to Cate coming home tomorrow and then the "Fire Dance" can't wait to burn those boxes.

Greg

lol Karen, the lab techs use me as their dartboard. It would be nice to be on the other end of the dart for once lol Dont know about the curds & whey though.. Pizza & a glass of wine sounds a whole lot better to me!.. If only huh?.. soon to come my friend, not that much longer for me.. Yippee!

Greg, thought that was great news about when they will be here huh? Though you probably already knew that. Good luck with your visit with your specialist today. Boy I hope it's nothing but great news. Keep us posted k  You rock!

Lol Karen, I got a 10 year ban on reentering the US. That time is almost up, see you then lol . But really, they aren't stingy here. I pay $5.60 for all my drugs,  I don't pay for Dr consultations, for my psychologist, nothing. I think its just because like Brendan said, they aren't here as yet & people who need them more are going to recieve them first. As they should

Jill, I was told the same about the 6 months wait. I have no worries about clearing the virus. I've got to tell you, it makes its so much easier going through the 24 weeks knowing that I will. The thought of going through as much as some others, Greg & Brendan for example & not having that 80-85%  to look forward to is just so daunting. I am certainly one of the lucky ones in all of this

Here's to a great day for everyone

Hay guys. Yeah. In the US, I think they're offering inhibbies to all geno types. It's got a higher success rate for other types than the standard tx, but it is THE most effective tx for 1a. What's w/ em being all stingy w/ you? Get over here and get some; you can use my address. There's a few spiders, but hay. They'd prolly die if they bit one of us w/ all the drugs in our system. haha. Karen

Hi Kirstin, PJ, BJ and Jill.

Thank you for this thread very promising indeed your very gracious,
(great link thanks Kirstin) I'm off to see my specialist and Nurse Roz this morning to see what my options are and will let you all know what the outcome will be. I will also be seeing my GP as well so will get the big picture today.

Kiss the girls and shake BJ's hand.
Greg

Hi kirstin, I remember asking the same thing at one of my hopital visits.  Basically my nurse said the new drugs were developed to target geno 1 because the standard treatment (SOC) is already so successful with the other genos.  She told me if I hadn`t reached SVR at 6 mnths I would have to wait another 6 mnths and do it again, same tx.   Although of course I live in the UK so the new inhibbies could take longer to get here than over there in Oz.  Don`t know about that.

You`re 3a, like me, and I haven`t heard of anyone on this forum with that geno who hasn`t had a successful outcome, even though I know that statistically there is a 10 - 20 % failure rate. I think when you`ve gone UND at 4wks you don`t have much to worry about.  That`s been my viewpoint all the way through.  I think it`s enough to have to get through tx without having extra stress.   Tx is a hard battle, even for 24 wks, but I definitely would do it all again if necessary.

All the best to you, love Jill xxx

I found something on it.. Thank god.. was stuck on it for a moment there.. phew..

www.hep.org.au/documents/factsheets/TreatmentsNew2011.pdf

Oh absolutely Brendan! I consider myself very lucky to only have to do 24 weeks, truly, I don't know how you guys do it. I have so much admiration for you all.

The reason I asked about the new drugs was because of Greg, I just wanted to know when they would be here & available for him to give it another shot when he was ready to do so

I totally agree with & understand that those who need it should get it first, without a doubt. I am not worried about needing them for myself. I have complete faith in my clearing it just how I am right now, with the help of the 2 drugs.

Brendan, I dont know if you remember, but when I first started at the forum I spoke about my Dr & how he gave me the choice of starting on the trial, which started in January or starting in Feb on just Inter/riba?. I felt pressured by him, he kept putting off starting me on Tx because he really wanted me to join the study. In fact, he kept pressuring me, putting off tx until May after he had told me Jan-Feb . So you can see how confused I am now, after the Dr today told me that people with my genotype can't have the new drugs, that they don't work, will never work & won't ever be used on us.. so not to even ask the question. So what happens if others who don't have 1a don't clear it? What other drugs are available for them?

Gidday Kirstin and PJ,

I know when I was concerned about failing my week 24's and having to wait until the "new drugs" became available in Oz, they were only going to be made available first to geno 1's that had failed tx because of the limited supply and the cost. 

Once more was available I suspect then geno I's would probably get preference on the government funded programs.  As more drugs became available I suspect it would be on a needs basis, and if normal combined tx of Interferon and ribavirin works for certain genotypes I suspect that's all that would be made available in Government funded tx clinics.

I don't know this for certain but if you've been put on a combined 24 week tx, they're pretty damn certain that's all you need. Being UND at friggin week 4 is a pretty good indicator of that, and your doctor's hippocratic oath could do with a little reviewing.

I am so envious of you guys that only need the 24 week trip (and the triple combos too), you may not feel it, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

Good luck and God's speed, or speed's god or something like that.

have a good one'

Cheers,

Brendan.

Spoke to the Dr today at the clinic that I attend. Asked about when we could expect Televipar/Incivek to arrive in Australia. He wasn't that certain but he said by the end of the year at the very latest. So thats great news

but I am confused? .. When I asked him about it he was adamant that I didnt need to worry about them. Not because I am guaranteed to clear the virus by using just using Inter/Riba but because he said that I am not even able to use those new drugs. He said that they arent used by people who don't have geno1a.. That they just don't work for anyone else who have a different geno then that. Thats not correct is it? .. The reason why it took them so long to start my Tx was because the Dr in charge was trying to pursuade me to join the trial for those drugs here. How can their opinions differ so greatly?. I am just plain confused about it all now.. Someone, please enighten me..