We are responsible for our recovery...be it from HCV, alcoholism, etc. I have to play an active part is what I am trying to say. Being honest with my caregivers....even if it something I do not want to share is very important. 

For me, trying to stay in the present and not project is huge. I meditate and pray to help with that. 

Dave's article was spot on and those are things I do and they help. (the gym, healthy eating, hydrate, etc) I have to listen to my body and if I am tired, rest. Having supportive people in my life is key. If a friend does not understand I don't feel up to something and they keep pestering me about being down or tired, they don't remain in my life for long. This past year I did a lot of housecleaning with toxic people. 

Take care of you!

Thanks Dave - simple and helpful tips!

Great Subject Ari, thanks for starting this thread!

Also, Thanks Jill, for sharing ... all very inspirational and motivating!

I can't speak first hand, about post treatment, but I will be there one day (hopefully soon).

I found this link that I thought might be helpful, hope you don't mind my posting it here.

I know I plan on trying to incorporate as many of these as possible into my future.

Just Click the Pic below:

Dave

Hi Ari, I`m glad you found my story encouraging! 

I can`t say I`m 100% fit and well, I still get patches of low energy and catch colds quite easily, and of course I`m not 45 any more, which is how old I was when I went down with severe fatigue and had to take early ill health retirement from my job.   If I had known the difference it would make I would have started tx a lot sooner, but to be honest I was scared of how I would cope with the side effects of Peg Interferon and Riba when I was already so low on energy and feeling ill.  Those 24 weeks were rough but so worth it!

Looking back it was quite funny when I was first able to travel around on my own again using public transport after so many years, I kept getting on the wrong train or missing my stop... it became quite a joke in my family!  Since then though I`ve been on lots of trips, had a few adventures and met new people, I have to stop and remind myself sometimes how far I`ve come.

I completely agree with you about the importance of paying attention to our mental hygiene, being aware of our thoughts and attitudes and making a few positive changes can make a big difference in many areas of our life and helps with our confidence levels too. 

I really hope you find your health improves in due course and you`re able to take up regular outings and classes, I  understand your frustration at not being able to fully participate in things you want to be involved with.   I`ll be looking out for your posts and keeping my fingers crossed for SVR12!!  Best of luck!

Hi Cinnamon Girl - your story sounds like a miracle to me! And thanks for sharing it - I found it encouraging.

I have a limited life style too, although I only have patches where I am housebound and other times when I can get out and about. Not knowing how I will be each day makes it hard to commit to anything. My friends and family understand - what I would love is to be able to attend a course and get to every class feeling like I can gain and give while I am there. As a result my confidence is not good, which made it helpful to hear that once you got your confidence back the rest flowed.

I think it is valuable to give attention to our mental health. I was listening to a podcast the other day where they said we take care to brush our teeth and wash our hair but don't pay much attention to mental hygiene, like making a conscious effort to change/challenge negative thinking.

I have had some training in psychology and crisis Helpline counselling, both interrupted by poor health unfortunately. However, I know enough to think about how I going to deal with any possible stresses before I embark on a new adventure - what looks like worrying can my pragmatism 

I would love to hear other people's stories of changes in their lives and how they coped with change post treatment.

Hi Ari, thanks for starting this thread, it`s an aspect of post treatment recovery that isn`t usually mentioned.  I have a few comments on the subject from my own experience which I`d be happy to share.

For me, the improvement in my health and energy levels following the success of my tx was actually quite dramatic, in that I went from being virtually housebound with very little mobility to being able to walk again and live independently, within the first year following the end of tx..  My case may be unusual because I had been living with severe physical and mental fatigue especially for the previous 15 years, and wasn`t sure whether I would ever recover from that.  In that sense, being an ill and disabled person had become a big part of my identity, certainly. 

I must stress that the recovery in my health felt like a miracle to me, and it still feels that way, although I did have go through a period of `relearning` how to become independent again and to pick up my life and social activities which had mostly dropped by the wayside.  For the most part though, this was a very exciting adventure once I started getting my confidence back, and I feel extremely lucky to have got my life back to such an extent. 

Everyone`s experience is different of course, but I think the best advice I can give you is to try not to be scared about any changes that may lie ahead of you, and take it slowly knowing that you can make any adjustments at your own speed.  I think with your history it`s sensible to have talked this over with your counsellor.

I`m sure you`ll cope just fine, and I wish you all the very best of luck with your own journey to better health.  Try not to worry...  

Cinnamon Girl wrote:

I think that the topic of dealing with the changes in our lives that an improvement in health, energy and independence can would bring is well worth discussing, maybe on a separate thread.  It`s certainly something I experienced after getting so much better after I cleared the virus after being infected and ill for over 40 years.  And although I`m extremely thankful for that, I did need to go through a period of adjustment in many ways.

I am starting a new thread on adjusting to the changes in our lives once our health improves as advised by Cinnamon Girl.

I have concerns as I have been previously diagnosed with having Adjustment Disorder - where a person becomes overwhelmed by changes in their life, causing depression.

While on tx I started talking this over with my counsellor as I have been unwell for 45 years now and it probably has become a part of my identity. Although I am still tired from tx and am not yet declared SVR sometimes the thought that I could be a lot healthier and more independent than I was leaves me wondering if I will cope with the change.

I would be very interested in hearing other people's experiences