Story of my life, investing too late. (NOW ya tell me about nano,! after you got in, I'll only drive your profit up).  You shoulda invested more, as it is thought we underestimate how many humans walk the face of the earth who sport zoster and simplex, whether they know it or not. Don't underestimate that 70%.

So, what did you doc say/think about your ad-ventures with nettle tea, water and 1 gm of atrologos root every day? uh ... "astragalus" (sp)??? Ain't that loco-weed?

Are you still on your eye regimen of diet and sups?

Hows the bouncey house syndrome?

C. 

Well, well, well Lamont! - that's great GFR news! Good to follow them for a while but I am guessing you are over any hump.

Have to wonder at your doc comments tho ... her "surprize" and that they "usually" go down, down, down - hm, she's a pessimist then. GFR's can just waver, can just decrease with age, sometimes what with our vascular systems and all of our systems not being quite what they used to be, and a miliion other very good reasons for why our GFR's can take a dip or dive, including just the wear and tear and extra work of dealing with taking a plethora of assorted drugs (of all kinds), short term and long term. As remarkable as the liver is, what with it's astounding regenerative capabilites and being able to withstand so much harm, so too is the "work horse" kidney amazing, in it's ability to be overworked, how much insult it can impressively withstand, and how it can regain function even when pushed/insulted into harmed territory. Ever wonder why your little work horses are shaped like a horse "shoe" - for good reason - they take a kicking and keep on ticking.

So is it you, or is it memorex?? With long bouts (the insults) of HCV and extra drugs on the table (and now, after, with less drug work to do and given some recoup time) maybe your kidneys are just not so busy nowadays, oooor, was it all that nettle tea?  

For whatever reason I'm glad your 59! 

Now, you're kinda starting to sound like a gambling man to me! You mentioned investing in Gilead once (I have no idea if you were serious or jesting), now you're onto nanoviricides!

Wanna wager on your next GFR being in good form, I will! Tell your pessimist doc I'm on, for a 10 to one with her.

The nano stuff (as a promo announcement is interesting) but I'd love to read the beef (studies), so will now have to look those up.

Do you happen to hold stock in natural health products, you have been exploring dif ones a fair bit lately. Well, whatever pays a healthy dividend I say, if ya know what I mean! 

Yer doing good alright, real glad the GFR was good. C.

Ok....my crappy GFR/Creatinine numbers bounced from the meager 45GFR to a (drum roll) after 3 weeks of water, nettle tea, 1 gram of atrologas root (chinese kidney herb)... to 59 GFR...

I should be back up over 60 but even my doctor was fairly surprised, since it isn't really what kidneys usually do.They usually go down, down down..

So I asked her to do another GFR screen in a month to see if I can improve it a little more.

The traj is lookin good!

bought 500 shares of this, too... https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nanoviricides-to-present-results-on-successful-treatment-of-herpes-induced-acute-retinal-necrosis-at-the-annual-meeting-of-the-ocular-microbiology-and-immunology-group-omig-of-the-american-academy-of-ophthalmology-300537756.html

Tig,

Well, you started it bro! er, oh .... well ... maybe I should re-state that a bit ... what i meant was .... that you and Lamont were investigating a zoster vaccine (over on one of Lamonts other threads today), but he has simplex! - just saying. But NONE of us are talkin viruses anyway, so I'm jes flappin my gums!  C.

HSV1 is generally associated with oral herpes and HSV2 is genital. I believe you can get either, anywhere. If’n ya know what I mean... What’s with all this virus stuff anyway? I hate it!

Congrats Lamont!  I hope to get the same good news on my SVR12 any day now.

To address Canuck's question, I have gotten fever blisters most of my adult life (although not recently) and have been prescribed Zovirax ointment as a treatment.  I believe that is Herpes Simplex 1.

Hey Lamont,

I see you and Tig were discussing Zostervax today or whatever its called - that vaccine for herpes "zoster".

But is it good for herpes simplex too?? Thought they only had vaccine for herpes zoster and not for herpes simplex(s)? I will have to read up now!

You were doing battle with "herpes simplex" right?

There is herpes simplex 1 and herpes simplex 2, and then there is this whole dif kettle of fish called "herpes zoster". 

Brother, you guys force me to study up. Good thing really I guess.  C.

Congratulations Lamont.

I hope you enjoy great health now.

The Waits now in my rear view mirror, so it's onward and upweird.

Found this little nugget about GastroIntestinal Gas....

https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2014/07/11/Scientists-say-sniffing-farts-could-prevent-cancer/3851405102633/

So I might live forever.

Thanks, Tig, for the celebratory "Woohoo".... It is almost a miracle. Even my GP commented that she didn't think they would cure HepC in her lifetime, and she's only in her 50s....

So Yes! woooooof-inghoooo!

Congrats, Lamont!  It was never in doubt, but it’s always nice to see it in writing. Another day this side of the real Rest Area and look, it’s better than it was yesterday. Can’t beat that with a stick, woohoo! I know you’ll take advantage of every day, or almost. I’ll let you take a day or two off from all the celebrating, occasionally... don’t take too much time off! There’s a trout with your name on it...

You’ve earned this success, enjoy it

Hey!

Lovely news bro! 

What an "informative note" your doc adds to his "UND" notifications.

That EOT+12 week UND sure feels good doesn't it, despite everything.

So, in retro, some of the "waits" surely must have felt loooong, and, some bits may feel short by now? Have you decided which are which?

Anywhichway, it has been a long haul for you, overall. I am ecstatic (indeed), without a doubt, that you a now free of that particularly nasty vile hep c virus! Good riddance to it.

What did the hep doc say to you at your last appointment with him about ALL of these most recent labs? Did you actually see him for a physical eyeball to eyeball, sit in the chair, and lay-on-the-crinkle-paper-type EOT+12 week consult/follow-up appointment, or, did you just get your SVR and the other labs by email?

Another huge milestone Lamont - EOT+12 SVR - just great! You're official now!  C.

Hey Lamont,

Well, here I am, enjoying another morning on this side of the dirt with you! Thats a good thing, right? Of course!

Medication can negatively impact the kidney function quite easily. Our use of various chemicals was never part of the plan when kidneys and livers were originally designed! I could use a little less sugar, more water and more money, too. I guess two out of three ain’t bad!

Let us know when the results come in. Good luck!

...after my final EOT labs, which were collected yesterday.

Everything, excepting my weary kidneys look good. My GFR dropped to 45, Creatinine 1.57, so that needs some work. Ive had crummy GFR numbers before and improved them to over 60 again, by being more vigilant about Drinking Water, which I admittedly have slacked off on. I'm sure being on Epclusa for 3 months and Acyclovir/Gancyclovir on top of it hasn't been fun for my kidneys, either. I know, Water!

I'm going to ease up on my favorite protein bombs and of course, sugar, and make a point to lose weight. Having been oin lisinopril and hct for 15 years probably has taken it's toll, too. Theoretically if I lost weight and got a little more exercise, my BP might not need to be treated. We'll see.

I thought I'd hear about my virus results, too, but those have taken a few days before, and my NP/Pharm is slow with the emails.

The eye booger (herpes in the eyeball!) has finally stopped eating my cornea, so that's nice. I hate it when they eat your vision. 

Getting old kind of sucks, by the way. But it beats the alternative.