Thanks Cheryl, now I'm starved! Your menu this weekend, sounds scrumptuous! 

WOW! I can now shift over to post harvoni side effects. And post in post-treatment. Let's hope that's where I'll stay.

On a quick note, I am a bit extra tired this past week, which could be placebo as I've read that others were. And hands and feet still achey. No improvements yet, but really it's only been a week... Lol.

All in all I feel I handled the 24 weeks rather well. Never missed a day of work, still married, exercised all through, ate more chocolates than Walmart and cannot believe I'm done.

Now on to SVR - and weight watchers - after I eat my holiday chocolate gifts that is ....  ;)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hey Gracie,

Congratulations! Please post your great news on the Train thread. You have a lot of well wishes coming your way and there are a lot of people monitoring that thread for inspiration. You have helped so many get through treatment, you've earned some well deserved attention for your success!

Time to rest, relax and recover! I'm so happy for you. You did it!!!

                                              WOOT            

PS: Belated Happy Boxing Day!

Well done, Gracie, congrats on finishing your Harvoni! 

How you`re feeling is quite natural after spending all these weeks totally focused on getting through each day at a time, but I`m sure you have no need to worry.  You`ve done everything you could and you know the treatment has been doing its job well, so now it`s your time to relax and recuperate!  As the days go by and you start to feel more like yourself again, you`ll be so thankful you stuck with it, and you can look forward to a life finally free of Hep C!

Relax and treat yourself kindly while you`re recovering, and we`ll all look forward to celebrating with you! 

Oh Cheryl, it's a weird and sometimes rough road we walk. And totally get the tainted feeling. If one more health professional asks me where I got hep c, I think I'll drum up some of the old RIBA rage to teach them some manners. I never want to change dentists, or eye doctors, tattoos are out, and always guarding your tooth brushes, razors etc. it's been one heck of a long road. To even imagine it could be over, just makes me feel anxiously optimistic. That we can finally answer no on that stupid question that they even ask if you go to a new massage therapist! 

We will get there my dear, keep your spirits up! 2016 is hopefully the year we can answer NO.... And start working on healing and renewed health!

Congrats on finishing treatment Gracie. You have done very well and will see the reward soon. You are going to drive yourself crazy if you don't stop questioning the outcome of the treatment. HCV is likely "gone for good!" and it's time to get on with living your life. The Sx's will go away but you know it takes some time. Hang in there. You got this!

Hey Gracie,

We all experienced the same highs and lows during and at EOT. While we're on treatment and watching those numbers plummet, we feel invinsible. It's when we have to ask our own immune system to step in and take over for the drugs that the anxiety starts. I want you to first, relax and understand that you did it. Don't be a denier! You have responded to treatment exactly the way we hope to witness it. Your labs are good, your viral load is undetected and now all you have left to do is rest and recover. Let your attention to detail, and the documented rates of success be your guiding light. You crossed your t's and dotted all the i's, now it's time to stay positive and believe this is the start of your new Hep free life. I believe it and now it's your time to shine!!

Good going Gracie.

 I hope the wait for your next VL test go by fast. Keep on with the healthy stuff. Congratz on finishing your TX. Relax and enjoy the holidays.

Best wishes for all. Have a feeling we are gonna see a lot of SVR's for 2016

Well the day has arrived! I just took my final "little yellow pill" and am actually not as happy as I thought I would be. I am nervous and uneasy. Can I actually be done with hep c or will it sneak back with some dirty rotten little creepers lurking around in some organ somewhere waiting to get out and reproduce! Without the crutch of the harvoni, does it open up these doors to failure?

And my symptoms, will they continue on? Will they subside? Will I always have these achy hands and feet? Which I can totally tolerate but want them to go as a sign of healing. Will I continue to crave sweets? Will I need as much water or get headaches?

I'll continue on my exercise and try and eat healthy, although xmas makes that difficult. I'm also an emotional eater, so even though the harvoni is gone, the next 3-4 month waiting on pins and needles will make me eat.

Wish there was an easy test one could do every day to "just know" you were still UND. But there isn't so I'll wait like all my fellow warriors before and after me did / will. We are in this together and I'll keep going until it's gone for good!

Thanks guys... I'm finding It so hard to believe that it's almost over. And still today I rush home thinking I forgot to take the darn thing and check the case. I've been very compliant this time around. Been drinking my water, exercising, eating healthy (healthy dose of sweets at least... Lol). So I'd this doesn't work, it's not because of anything I did wrong. 

Going to be pretty weird looking walking around for the next three months with my fingers crossed but ya do what ya gotta do!

Okay Gracie,

Enough of that bootcamp stuff! I think you need to take the next two weeks off, plan your holiday celebrations (plural) and concentrate on the GREAT news that is surely coming! No more negativity, young lady! You've got this, remember that.

Instead of worrying, I found something to take your mind off of it. Grab your cookie, a cup of hot chocolate and FedEx will deliver this, but only if you promise to finish it! Relax and enjoy the last leg of your journey...

I'm convinced that overdoing it pain is the only pain I've had since week 4 of my treatment Gracie.  Hang in there hon.  Only a couple weeks to go before you get to start finding out which of the owchies goes away first and which of them become old friends.

Less than two weeks to go and I am really getting nervous. Had some liver area pains, but this was after a strenuous day, bootcamp, hour walk with some friends followed by grocery shopping and housework. Logically I know this is probably overdoing it pain. I do have cirrhosis, even though it's in the beginning stages, it still can cause inflammation, and pain, especially if I overdo it. But the devil shoulder side says "could it be back?" And the paranoia sets in. Going to be one long wait to freedom! 

Had some real aches in my hands this week. We are getting our first snow of the year, so maybe it's the climate change combined with the harvoni. I hope that subsides one I'm done. It's an odd achy feeling that I can do without. 

On a positive note, the sweet Tooth has subsided this past week. Down to one cookie a day! of course I'm not counting the little holiday chocolates. They are too small to count Right?

Thanks for the feedback. One awesome thing about this site, is it helps realize we are not alone. 

Yes Wendy, my sides seem to cycle through. This week I'm sleeping like a log with vivid dreams again. That's happened near the beginning of my treatment Too. Inconsistancy seems to be very consistent with harvoni. Except the sweet tooth. That's been pretty consistent. Headaches - about every 2-3 weeks they come for a day or two; achy feet and hands - some days I hardly notice, some days they ache for a couple of hours. Nothing too bad though, all in all pretty tolerable. And I do feel better despite the sides. Stronger inside somehow. 

Thanks for sharing this as I did not realize it was a side effect. What is odd for me is the side effects went away (fatigue, nausea and insomnia) and then came back. But I have a few weeks to go and I can handle that!

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving as we have lots to be grateful for.

TIG!!! YOUR EVIL!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Okay, looks like we've located one of Harvoni's worst side effects! Be on the look out for this evil, evil troublemaker. DQ must be working with Gilead and Weight Watchers!

Our thanksgiving was in October, and you might as well just give in to the pies... Lol. I craved sweets from day one. It has subsided a little so I am seeing hope for that ending with SVR. Ice cream was my major downfall -- I had to stay totally away from the ice cream freezer when I went for groceries -- I'm salivating now thinking about it. Guess it hasn't passed after all, I've just learned to control it ..ha ha. Good thing we are getting our first snow fall of the year, or I'd be on my way to Dairy Queen! The harvoni 15 may turn into the harvoni 20 if I'm not careful .... Mmmmm, ..... Ice cream ..... 

Falelalee - we deserve this! Failed treatments and decades of just knowing you have it... all will be behind us soon! 2016 will be our year!

Thanks guys... It's been quite a ride. I actually started weight watchers to lose the extra ten lbs I've gained. Except the brain fog makes me forget to count everything (isn't that convenient... Haha). 

I keep seeing ads for harvoni on tv. It's odd for us old timers to be a part of this amazing cure! You are all my buddies now and it sure makes treatment and sides more durable. Being part of the best team out there!

Gracie, congrats on the last bottle. Ha Ha just thought about that.   For me after EOT, my sweets craving seemed to disappear along with the weight and bloat. Happy for that. Now I can say that each new day I am feeling much better mentally and physically in a new way also. It continues. Happy for you Gracie. If you need to have a sweet tooth, its the best time of the year to have one.  Ummmm, gravy and mashed, etc..

Thanksgiving every day, my Best to you, Marsha

I'm trudging onwards right behind you Gracie and following your lead. I do pretty good at keeping my mind occupied with enough other stuff that I don't dwell much on how much time / how many pills I have left, but I've got to admit I get a little apprehensive sometimes too. I guess that's unavoidable for us both considering we are both previous relapsers but you've got to acknowledge the fact that we are on a Tx this time with much better SVR odds. We'll get that "FREEDOM" in due time. Keep doing what you're doing. 

And this:   

Hi Gracie,

It is hard to believe you're almost done.. You fought hard to get to this point and the fact is, it is true and you've just about completed the journey. I very much understand the building anxiety as you get ever closer to pulling into the station. Do your best to ignore the butterflies, they're there to remind you of the new life ahead. Nothing but good things ahead for you, my Magic 8 Ball says it's true and it hasn't been wrong yet! Keep your chin up and confidence high, you got this!

Here's proof:

Yeah, Gracie! ...you will celebrate the New Year Hep free!  I understand all the anxiety of stopping treatment and the thrill of it being over.....Take good care of yourself! And enjoy everyday!

Ro

Well tomorrow I start my last bottle of pills - week 21. So hard to believe I could possibly be almost done with hep c for good. I do feel like I've gotten rid of it. I just feel different. More energy but in a different way.

I can still get tired and have a quick nap after dinner; still sleep well and don't want to get up some mornings, but I have more energy when I am awake. I'm cooking more from scratch, trying out new recipes, I'm exercising 4, sometimes 5 times a week. And I want to! The changes happened so gradual, that it just dawns on you that it's actually happened. 

So apprehensive to stop treatment, and so excited to stop treatment. It is so very hard to believe that this treatment could have rid me of this virus I've been carrying around for decades. It just doesn't seem real. Too good to be true.

I'm trudging onward towards what I am considering my final battle.... Four weeks, 28 more pills.... Two more VL tests .... To FREEDOM!

Hey Guys & Gals

I think you have got the saying wrong, its  " a apple a day keeps the doctor away" 

Not a Pie a day or a dozen of donuts a day keep the doctor away.

I so understand the crave of a donut, happiness is your favorite donut/muffin/coffee cake and a fresh cup of coffee. AAAHHH!! 

matt

Gracie you make me smile!  24+ weeks after treatment and unfortunately I am calling it the Harvoni 20  BUT feeling fine , just a bit bigger!  LOL

When we accept a tasty indulgence, all is good! 

Did I mention we had apple pie too?  lol

Oh yes, I've dubbed it "the harvoni 15". Sweets are my new best friend. Cookies, ice cream, chocolate bars.... Mmmmm... I ate half a pumpkin pie over Thanksgiving weekend. It's brutal lol. 

Gracie

Any visual problems should be checked by a retinal specialist. I met a man who lifted too much weight and a few days later he was seeing flashes, pinwheels and stars in his peripheral vision. He had a detached retina.

I had a shattered visual field. Wavy lines, blank spots, strange shapes. It was fluid behind the retina. If I had left it very much longer the fluid would have built up pressure, damaging the macula and the retina. I would have been blind.

The Eye Doctor said visual disturbances can be caused by damage to the eye or by strokes, aneurisms, bleeding and clots in the brain.

Light flashes, pinwheels patterns, any visual disturbances should be checked as soon as possible by a Retinal Specialist.

Yes, I have a low platelet count so that could be the cause of the eye issue. And with harvoni headaches, migraine is certainly an option too. I will go the the eye doc "just in case" it's something else. 

Thanks y'all... hearing from you always perks me up. I'm on the home stretch now! 

Gracie

It was the eye doctor who sent me to the PCP who finally tested for Hep C.

I had blood serum leaking behind the retina. That causes strange visual distortions. The Eye Dr. thought it was wet macular degeneration but after he sealed the leaks with a laser, the structure of the leaking vessels was not consistent with WMD. An MRI brain scan didn't reveal any abnormalities.

Also the distortions were not usual for WMD. Now I am wondering if the low platelet count and the the slow clotting time isn't part of the problem.

I don't understand the entire situation but the vision problems might be related to active Hep C. It might clear up once your liver starts to heal.

I wonder if anyone else has visual distortions or greying out occasionally of some areas of their vision. It is like bruising anywhere on the body. It can happen anywhere, on an arm, leg and probably where vessels are fragile. My vision problems come and go because the leaks seal themselves usually then the body clears the blood out and my vision clears up.

You might have the eye doctor check for fluid behind the retina. Visual disturbances are caused by bleeding in the brain or eyes or chemical imbalances in the brain. Serious enough to have it checked out by a retinal specialist.

Your doing excellent Gracie and you'll be finished with Tx before you know it. Try not to worry. It is wasted mental energy that can actually affect us physically. I always stretch my muscles the very first thing in the morning to get some of the aches out of the joints. I mean very first thing starting before I get out of my bed, before the bathroom if I can wait a few minutes, and certainly before shower, dressing, breakfast etc. This results in less pain throughout the day. It does hurt some but it feels so much better after everything is stretched out good. Keep up with the "water water water" and keep up the good work!

Yeah!! You can handle 6 more weeks on your head, lol! That should go by pretty quick Gracie and you'll start noticing these sfx diminish. We all either have or remember well what they were like. You've handled them remarkebly well throughout. Just keep doing what you're doing, we're right here with you!

Those issues with your eyes sound exactly like the migraine auras that I get. Very often they aren't accompanied by a headache either. They never last long, so they're more of an annoyance. I had more of them before and during treatment, but I can't remember the last. Something improved!

Get out and enjoy that wonderful weather. It might not last that long up there in the Arctic, ha, ha! That's a little dig from Florida . I hope the exercise will soften some of those aches and pains, just take it easy, you don't want to add to them. Keep up your hydration routine, that's one of the best things you can do for yourself right now. If your body is demanding it, it needs it! Stay the course ol friend, the "End is near"! 

Finished up week 17 and suddenly realized I only have 6 weeks left! SIX WEEKS!!! WOOT!

It's going pretty quickly. I'm actually apprehensive about stopping the pills. I know while I'm on them, I'm undetected and once I stop, that's when they could come back with a vengeance. Really really really hoping I'm done with it though, and that I've got two more viral load tests left in my lifetime!

No vertigo this week, but did have a vision incident. Saw a circle of colour lines and spots on the Pereferal of my right eye. Was the weirdest thing. All bright colours and short lines in a semi circle shape. Didn't last thankfully. I'll probably go see my eye doctor, but was told by somebody that it was a migraine Aura. I did take some Tylenol and didn't get a bad headache so who knows.

I was also abnormally thirsty this week. Could not get enough water and had to have it in my car, by my bedside and everywhere I sat. Water water water ... Can't get enough of that water! Should be a song.

Still getting aches and pains. Mostly when I first wake up. Had some hip pain yesterday that lasted until mid morning. Today it's hands aching. My travelling pain bugs are still at work.

Six more weeks starts today! Happy Fall Friends. We have a beautiful fall day ahead here today with temperatures abnormally warm. A walk or run is in order! Keep fighting the beast! 

Sounding really good Gracie!...so very happy for,you!

And yes...I am sleeping like a baby post treatment

Ro

You've got the light at the end of the tunnel in sight. Keep up the good work Gracie!

Way to go, Gracie!  Keep up the good work!

P.

I will use a cane before I quit Tig... Or just break into a dance and pretend I'm a break dancer... Lol. Who would know?

I love my hepologist because she calls me her "mini cirrhotic". She says she thinks my chances are as good as a non cirrhotic and I like those odds. 

Here's a question... Does the sleeping well continue on after treatment? I'm loving that!