Hey behappy,

Day 47?? MORE than halfway home! Do keep us posted about how that fever thing is going (or went). I hope it was just a fleeting thing, already past.

Keep arming yourself with that all important water, water, water.  C.

Hey BeHappy!!!!!!!!!!

Another "3", being freed, on epclusa! Yay!

Lovely, your first UND. You are 3-less!

This one's fer you.  C.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE

Hi Jackie,

HOORAY!!!! You've dealt that nasty x*s Dragon it's death blow! Congratulations is the word of the day

Stay hydrated and keep doing what yer' doing - It's working!!

Good news! Just got the results of my 4 week labs and that *&$(# virus is undetected! Such a relief 

Dr. did not order any other labs other than the HCV so I guess I wait til 12 weeks to get my ALT/AST levels.

Onward and upward!

Jackie

Hey BeHappy,

Sure glad to hear from ya, and how you're doing!

Very well we see!

I am so glad this epclusa treatment is going fairly smoothly for you (relatively speaking), I know ... it is still a hard thing to deal with (all and all), but so happy to hear you have kept up with the water! That has probably helped you more than you will ever realize - I know that is how it was with me anyway. I too felt some things and not so good on treatment (but I felt like this prior to treatment too, and additionally, I was on vox), and, it was a hard learning curve for me to connect how poorly I might have been feeling to when my water intake was not up - the flushing/excretion of the metabolized drugs from your body is important, and only helps to keep every cell and system in your bod operating at tip-top full speed.

Glad the fog was not too pronounced or at least not too long lasting - interferes with stuff, doesn't it, sorting pics can come to a standstill! - tell the kids it was NOT "funny"!

Wonderful you are actually feeling some improvements, being able to keep your eyelids open past 8PM is a biggy! Having some more energy to be able to keep busy is great!

Happy 4 week blood draw on Aug 2, I think you are feeling a bit more confident about this whole "treatment" thing, and, I think you are going to be well rewarded with what your 4 week labs show, for all your hard work in getting through this.  I think you are feeling that IS working!! You are going to be an X-GT3a-er in no time at all! Lucky, lucky, lucky you were to get epclusa girl. You ARE going to be a brand new person, an HCV cured person! - but one step at a time, don't be making too many demands of yourself just yet. Just keep doing what you are doing, concentrate on taking care of you. Good idea (anytime) to make sure we get enough fresh fruit and veggies. I am so pleased to hear how well you are doing/coping.  C.

Did you ever find out what you "elasto U/S" or your "fibroscan" Fscore was? Just curious, it was likely low, as you described.

Hi Jackie,

Thanks for checking in and letting us know how everything is progressing. Good ol' brain fog, you gotta love it! Yes, water is very important and will prevent a lot of issues, most importantly, dehydration! Keep yourself adequately water-logged and share your labs and news from your next appointment. 

Epclusa has been a fun topic in relation to it's sweet tooth generating ability. There's some good healthier varieties of ice cream out there. Our member, Wendy, recently mentioned a couple of brands, Halo and Thrive, and mentioned how good they are. We have a DQ Blizzard fetish around here, so there is that too! Be careful, they can add to your waistline!

Good luck and keep HYDRATING 

Quick update since I haven't been on in a while. All is going well!!!! Only some mild brain fog one afternoon when I had not had much water. My kids thought it was pretty funny! 

Going for my 4 weeks labs on August 2. I am sure everything will be perfect because I am feeling so great. I have so much more energy and can actually stay awake past 8:30 p.m.! My sweet tooth has reared it's ugly head once again and the scale keeps reminding me. Time to go to the farmers market for some fresh fruit and veggies.

I have been keeping busy with my photo organization projects and watching my husband do some home improvements - the honey-do list keeps growing :}

Hope all is well with everyone else!

Jackie

"(jeesh, my home town lost our internet all day and all night! Hate that! But, we're back in action this morning)."

It's the new Trudeau plan, rolling Internet blackouts to stifle social media....  

Be Happy,

(jeesh, my home town lost our internet all day and all night! Hate that! But, we're back in action this morning).

The elasto-U/S you had and the fibroscan are very likely exactly the same thing - great news that it and or your doc says it shows no cirrhosis and minimal scarring! Look for a scale on your results depicting your "Fscore", will say F0 up to F4, and/or a number indicating your kilopascal measurement (kPa) - same thing, they convert kPa's to Fscore. If that is not depicted on your fibroscan result then you can always ask next time you are at the docs offcie for them to interpret the result into Fscore/kPa's for you. If he told you no cirrhosis then that is GREAT, and you should be very pleased with that. It's just handy to know what your prior Fscores are so you can compare to later improvements in Fscores going forward after you are cured. If you use the search function button above you can search up info all about fibroscans and results.

What took my mind off treatment?? Ha! NOTHING! I gave in to it wholeheartedly, I was ALL IN! I was so danged grateful, relieved and exhusted when I got to treatment, i really had no time to be newly feeling out of control - I had already been LONG feeling out of control with HCV being in the drivers seat, when i finally secured a seat in my trial, just knowing the drugs were coming, was SUCH a relief, and more relief came with every pill I took. Not to say I did not enter into states of feeling nervous, excited, scared (fear of the unknowns), inner fights with doubt, everyone does i think to some degree. But for me, I had, for the 6 months prior to treatment thrown myself into learning everything i could about HCV and how i could get the best treatment, and all throughout treatment I did the same - I researched and learned stuff, and I am still doing it! (That's just me, I like reading about medical stuff). That took up lots of my time while on treatment - especially given that with the profound fatigue and fog i had prior to treatment (that did not dissipate while on treatment) my thinking was as slow and hard as trying to swim through a sludge puddle of mental fudge. That (trying to think/read/comprehend), and with all my Olympian naps and sleeping, my days were very full! I dove in, rather than avoid thinking about my HCV or my treatment, I found my HCV was not about to let me ignore it, but i DID fill my days doing everything that was good for me while i was on treatment, no matter what that was. 

Everything you are doing - 9 AM, water, laying down, meditating, photos, recipes, projects - IT'S ALL GOOD - go with the flow - you are going to be OK. You will see. The times will seem long AND short! 

Food/cooking/feasting/good nutrician is a very delicous distraction - but take what Observer said with a grain of salt - contrary to popular belief and folkelore, and what some die-hard Canadians will say about mmmm-maple syrup, I stop short of using maple syrup on my raspberries! hee hee  C.

Warm Welcome.

In so few words Mike said it all.

Re: "Wondering what others have done to take their mind off of it?"

I am a firm believer that the most successful ways to take your mind off something, during a fixed time frame that goes beyond a few days is create a temporary hobbies you can get into.

You really cannot follow someone. The creative aspect is the therapeutic driver.

I came up with, watches, BBQ, rocks, and watermelon stories.

Time flew and I had a blast. Not so much on the first treatment, but the second was a breeze.

JimmyK

Take it one day at a time - one gallon at a time, and before you know it you will 'Be REALLY Happy'.

Canuck wrote:

 

Did you have a recent fibroscan - do you know what your Fscore is? Any recent abdominal ultrasound?

 

---

Hi, I did not have a Fibroscan but did have an Elasto Ultrasound, can't quite decipher it though! Dr. did tell me I have no cirrhosis and minimal scarring.

Day 1 went pretty well, I ended up taking it at 9 a.m. instead. I drank a gallon of water successfully! I only had a couple short-lived headaches and was slightly lightheaded after I ate dinner, but I realized I had slowed my water consumption down. I laid down, drank more water and it went away within the hour - whew! I tend to panic, I guess it is that "beyond my control" feeling. Downloaded the Headspace app and am learning how to meditate - can't hurt!

I know that the 84 days will go by quickly but for now it seems like forever.  Since I work at home I don't have that many distractions. I have started to organize my 15 years of digital photos and will then move on to my pre-digital ones. That project should take a LONG time!! Also I am now cooking so I am spending time looking up recipes that I might actually like (picky eater here.)

Wondering what others have done to take their mind off of it?

Welcome Jackie,

very happy to hear of your decision to get rid of the HCV beast. You will feel like a new person.

Quitting sugar and processed foods will also make a huge difference to how you feel.  It's a good time to do it with all the lovely fruits in season. 

Maple syrup (the real stuff) is a great and healthy substitute for sugar in many sauces and salad dressings.

A

Hi Jackie,

Glad for your day one on epclusa tomorrow!

Welcome here from another 3a who WAS cured on epclusa too (and vox - I was in a trial). We 3a's are lucky for the likes of epclusa nowadays.

Nice you come with your sig. line already in tow!, and we can see you have been doing your reading and informing yourself on the important stuff. Diet, rest, hydration.

Admirable that you are going to use this 12 week opportunity to also improve other areas you recognize need work for good health, those are good endeavours, but if you have not been exercising then slow, gentle and steady wins the race - don't be doing over-excertion/marathon stuff. That can come later. Movement and fresh air IS our friend, right along with good food and LOTS of water. Self-TLC, striving to create less demands of you, and trying to avoid stressors (as is possible) during treatment will only help.

Nice to know your pre-treatment ALT/AST and VL.

Did you have a recent fibroscan - do you know what your Fscore is? Any recent abdominal ultrasound?

I too took my medication about the same time as day as you are, but for me, it had more to do with being able to couple my medication WITH a meal (it was a requirement for the vox drug), so that is why I chose lunchtime, but when you are only taking epclusa, you have the option to take it with or without food. Good thinking though to plan your dose around what is the best time of day for you.

You ARE going to be a brand new person, starting tomorrow, with that very first pill past your lips! - I am excited for your good fortune too.  C.

Hi Jackie,

Welcome to the forum! You have found a good place with lots of caring people. I'm glad you introduced yourself and are prepared to start treatment. You were diagnosed about the same time I was. I tried two courses of the old Interferon treatments and was lucky to have beaten the virus. I would've loved the opportunity to try Epclusa, but my liver wasn't in good shape and had to try and put a stop to the rapid progression. You're very fortunate to get the good stuff! It should be an easy ride and I know it will be effective.

I'm including a couple of links for your reading pleasure. Lots of technical info, but some is helpful and may answer a few questions now and along the way. If you have any questions, please ask. Check out the search function, too. Use a keyword or two and you'll find discussions here on the forum. 

You already saw the importance of eating right and hydrating properly. Make sure you get your rest, too. These are powerful drugs, even if they don't feel like it. We have people mention they thought their drugs were placebos, because they felt nothing. There's a battle going on that demands you do all you can to help the process along. 12 weeks of giving your body the TLC it needs will pay off big at the end! 

One gallon of water per day, starting tomorrow! Good luck!

Gilead Epclusa PDF

Epclusa Fact Sheet

Hello everyone, I must admit that I am excited and nervous to be starting Epclusa tomorrow! 

I was diagnosed in 1994. The past 23 years have been a whirlwind raising 4 kids! Still have one left at home, so thought it was a good time to start treatment. I have been waiting for a drug that doesn't have nasty side effects and Epclusa is the answer I hope! I don't feel like I have had any symptoms of HepC except fatigue, but hey, I'm not getting any younger!

I've got my water bottles all ready to go. I work at home so am planning on taking it at 1 pm after I've done most of my work. 

I want to use these 12 weeks to start taking better care of myself - I eat way too much processed food and sugar and I don't exercise. Heading out to get some fresh non-processed food first thing in the morning. I am going to quit my sugar habit, all it does is increase fatigue and give me heartburn (and I know antacids are not allowed!) By the end of the 12 weeks I will be a brand new person ;}

I've enjoyed reading all of the posts on this board, they have been most helpful! Onward and upward!

-- Edited by BeHappy44 on Tuesday 4th of July 2017 10:32:12 PM