Good to hear from you again, Iris, thanks for stopping by with your update.

Thanks for your good wishes... Spring has Sprung here in the UK although it`s still quite chilly.

Wishing you all the best of luck, keep us posted. 

Happy Easter, Iris.

Look after yourself. Cheers.

Hey everyone, thought I would stop by and say Merry Spring to those in the northern hemi..it was quite lovely here albeit very brief, we are moving into summer way to quickly.

Anywho, I continue to have my foot in the door at USC, but they still aren't treating with the new drugs yet (unless you are an inpatient?), OR with any interferon either. Something about getting funding for a new program. So I wait. I had one appt. since this post, and for the most part the ultrasound and blood work is mostly good, have an appt. in May, so I'll know more then.

Miss you all,  Iris

Oh dear, Iris, sorry to hear that, how disappointing.  Is there nowhere else within travelling distance you can go for treatment?  I`m sure you must have explored all the options available to you but just thought I`d ask anyway.

Very sorry about your job too, and I wish you best of luck in finding new employment.  i know it`s hard to keep your chin up when things don`t go to plan but I know you have a strong spirit, so hang in there girl. 

Hope things start turning around for you soon!  xx

Hi you guys...just a quick update.

Had my March 10 appointment, no go. They aren't treating right now, (only those who are checking out) I find this rather amazing, USC, a school on the cutting edge, ...with the Keck school of Medicine right across the street,... not treating... ( well I don't know about Keck...just venting)... Although the intake Dr. said they were working on getting something in place, like a specialized clinic or something. They made an appointment for 6 more months, with a gang of blood work and and ultrasound prior. I asked about fibroscan, she said they didn't have it.

So, I guess I'm not anxious anymore, I looked at when I first made this post, Nov, 2012.  Huh... I am beginning to believe those on "Medical" are not in a good position for excellent care.

Signed, Iris on-the-shelf

on a side note, I was laid off my job of nearly 15 years last Saturday lack of work

Excellent news, Iris, at long last!!  You`ve had to wait a long time for this, and you must be so relieved that things are moving forward for you. Very pleased to hear this! 

Hope your root canal treatment is healing well, it`s not a very nice procedure, I`ve had it done too. 

Take care, and we`ll look forward to hearing how you get on in March.  All the best of luck...keep in touch! 

Hi Iris,

Great to hear from you. March 10th is 2 days short of my 71 st birthday, and I'll be having a big one, to make up for the one I missed this year (I still felt like death then). Good luck!!

Hello Iris 

Congrats on your confirmed date in March. Will you be on a trial or just the current standard treatment? Maybe you will be able to try Sofosprevir with Ribavirin if they are on the up to date protocol. 

Whateve the choice hoping the best for you, you have been very patient.

Matt

Iris Dragonfly wrote:

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 I guess they don't take kindly to folks that don't have insurance, I don't know...

---

 Congrat's Iris, the thing is by next March everyone in U.S. will have insurance due to Obama care. And if people don't have it, they will be fined. Might be a good plan, but we shall see.

Very good luck and keep us posted.

Hi there everyone!... just got my letter in the mail from USC, my appointment is March 10, 2104!!!...(8am, ugh sorry, I'm just not a morning person)

wow... this has been the most incredibly long battle, but it looks like I may be in the threshold of help. I never thought it would take so long, but I really had to push hard, I guess they don't take kindly to folks that don't have insurance, I don't know...

I'll get excited when the date gets closer...right now I just had a root canal, so I'm gonna go lay down. Thanks to everyone who has chimed in on my craziness, you have been great (esp. Jill )

Many blessings, Iris

CHEESE

Hi folks, just a quick update...                                                                                                                                                       I got a call from USC the other day, the girl was checking my address to assigning me a patient ID#,   (I guess there was some one else that had the same B-day) anyway...this is progress!,                                                                                                                                          ...funny, I look at this post from January...I was back to the UCLA clinic once (they made a follow-up so I wouldn't fall through the cracks) and it was a good thing, because that was in June, and yep ...I had fallen through the cracks, so they called USC and I guess that got the ball rolling again.

Thanks for listening...Iris

hehehe awe shucks Alan, Well no major news in the labs dept. 'bout the same as last time. Viral load in the 3,000,000. ..and the ALT. and AST. are just slightly elevated...as they always are. My AFP worries me the most. It has been out of the normal range for awhile. At 8.9. Got another report on my ultra sound, and THEY used the words" early cirrhosis",...I said is that like being a little bit pregnant??? Of course the answer is we would need a biopsy to know more. The final out come was they were going to refer me to USC for treatment! And now I wait to see when they want to see me...

I have an annual spiritual retreat at the end of March. This appt. will have miss that!

thanks for being there....blessings,  Iris

My nails are down to the quick and still no news. How are you doing? You have been supporting others for as long as I can remember. It's payback time. Let me know what's hap'nin'.

Hey Iris.. a little slow in catching up.. nail bitting with ya.. hoping for the best..  & love MJ

Good luck Iris, let us know how it went.

This whole  hep C and treatment thing is a wild crazy thing in our lives, but like...what the heck can ya do? Just keep smilling- people won't know if yer happy or just plain crazy.  

welp, it was one of those, omg did I miss the appt? ALL week. So nervous. I go in today at 3...... (I need the nail biting smiley face!)

more later! Blessings, Iris

Just an update...Had my ultra sound last Friday (she also looked at the place around my belly button that has been bothering me ever since my gall bladder was removed, but has been more painful in recent months. They also took 8 ginormous tubes of blood, (ha! I pulled #99 at the lab, they were on #50 ..that took awhile)  ...will return Jan. 10th for the results and where to go from there...

Am I getting there???BB, Iris

iris, if us ragtag bunch of crazy people can get thru this, you sure can too. i'll be in your corner girl..

(and sad news did ya hear D14 was found dead the other day, awwww, he was my favourite little eagle. i was real sad to hear it. and i owe it to you to have had that awesome time watching those eagles grow up. thanks so much) :)

Hi Iris, keep pluggin' away. You'll get there in the end. Cheers.

I could make this long story even longer, but I won't

Had my appt today. Wrong dept. (even though they deal with HCV and HIV) and they had mixed me up with another patient all they way back at the clinic... But... the Dr. I saw said,  "I don't want you to have wasted your trip" so he ordered a slew of blood tests and an ultra sound, and said he will try to rout me in the right direction. Also...they don't treat at this branch of UCLA anyway. I would have to go downtown or to Harbor.

I'm supposed to return in 7weeks...we'll see ... ( I might change my name to Iris Waitingfly)

Iris

Don't have anything pertinent, constructive, or witty to add, but glad you are moving in a good

direction Iris.  Just wanted to give some positive thoughts back to an amazing supportive friend on this board. 

That`s great news, Iris!  Try not to worry too much, just get yourself as well prepared as possible by making a list of questions you want to ask.  I came across this article from the Hep C Trust which you might find helpful in getting your thoughts organised in advance...

http://www.hepctrust.org.uk/Living+with+Hep+C/Doctors+and+Consultants/Getting+the+most+from+Consultants

Best of luck to you, remember this a positive step in the right direction!    Hugs, Jill xx

that is good news mate. i hear ya on being anxious. im still waiting for my after treatment results on tuesday.  

Well, I got a call at work today from my Dr.s nurse. She wanted to tell me I finally have an apt. at the hospitals infectious diseases dept., on the 15th. Wow....I think I have waited for about 2 years for this. Now i'm a little freaked out and incredibly anxious. Iris