Week 47 – Saturday
We arrived back in Spain from Morocco yesterday. And I have only seven more ribavirin tablets to take over the next two days and the treatment is finished. 
I think ending the treatment on holiday has worked well for me (although this may not be the case for everyone going through treatment). Even though I have been lazing about in the sun and sitting about in cafes drinking coffees I have, in practice, been more active than I was a few weeks ago sitting at home for hours and not going out at all some days. And I feel better for the sun and the exercise, although I continue to be frequently fatigued, and continue to live with all the other (by now) usual limitations.
Yesterday Carol felt nauseous and light-headed for a few hours while we were travelling. I could empathise with how she felt and realized how used to these type of symptoms I have become over the past year most days. And how tolerant I have become to coping with aches and pains in a way I never used to previously in life before doing this treatment. I guess that has to be an advantage to having been through this experience.
Our trip to Morocco was great. It was an almost continuous rich barrage on all the senses. Colours, the light, the air, sights, sounds, people, different perspectives on life, cultural differences. It made a real impact on all of us. Although we were only there four days it seemed longer as time seemed different there too. I could write at length about my impressions – but as this is a journal about HepC treatment I will limit myself on my comments. However I will upload the pictures I took though and make a link to them in a few days time (once I´m back on my own computer).
My speculation about going on an “elderly” coach trip was right. Although we went walking along a river in the mountains one day and walked up and down steps for two hours in the walled part of the old town on another, the general pace of the group was one I could keep up with – and needed only the same breaks as others. I should add that the party was actually not “elderly” as much as “mature” travellers.
I can see by my writing that I am feeling tired now and will wind this up as I can´t remember the other point I was going to write about. I am aware that as this treatment comes to an end I am ready to move on now and get on with adjusting my life yet again. More changes. I will be living without the medications and relying on my self and the inherent healing abilities of my body to move on to wellness and a return to health. I am ready now.
October 9th, 2005 at 8:41 pm
Your holiday sounds dreamy Ron. A world away from routine, falling leaves and dropping temperatures. You’ve finished treatment too! Well done and good luck with everything from now onwards.
Teddy
October 10th, 2005 at 9:35 am
My mom had strain 4 (which I understand is the worst) of Hep C, and was diagnosed in 1993. After falied attempts on trreatment, she completed a years worth of new treatment in October 2004 under guidance of the QE in Birmingham. In April this year, she was given the news we had waited 12 years to hear. The treatment had worked and the virus had gone!
My mom is now a different person! She no longer looks grey, and at least she says her head is clear for the first time in years. It has taken some 6 months for the drugs to clear her system, but she can now look forward to the future.
Lets hope your battles are now overcome, and you too will be able to put this behind you.
So you know, my mom contracted the disease from plasma doning when she had leukeamia in 1982
October 10th, 2005 at 10:06 am
Hi there! I’m visiting from the BBC article about your blog: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4229962.stm
Good on you for coming out the closet and making this public. A friend who I haven’t had contact with for a number of years also has this condition and although he told a few of us he too kept it quiet and before my days on the internet I didn’t really understand what it was about.
Morocco is lovely and glad you enjoyed the warmth and colours.
October 10th, 2005 at 11:23 am
Congratulations – I hope you savour that moment when you take your last ribavirin tablet. Look forward to hearing about your post treatment period.
Best wishes
Jeremy
October 10th, 2005 at 1:38 pm
Hi Ron,
I’m thinking off you today as I think you will have finished treatment by now. Congratulations on finishing and on keeping up with the mature travellers, (I think 48 weeks and the steps would have been too much for me). Hope you enjoy the rest of your break and I’m looking forward to seeing the pics when you get back. I know you will enjoy not having to take the treatment anymore and hope you recover quickly and have the best possible outcome from all this.
hugs to you both (and Ben who has been holding the fort)
Wendy
October 10th, 2005 at 6:16 pm
I’m yet another of the many visitors the Beeb have no doubt sent your way.
Best of luck, safe journey home!
October 10th, 2005 at 8:27 pm
Hi Ron
Congratulations, I wish you a smooth journey back to health.
Morocco is such a change of culture from the west it makes a big impact. Your blog and recent comments on the forum about
I did the mature coach trip thing a couple of years ago to Russia with my mum and sister, it wiped me out, ha
October 10th, 2005 at 8:31 pm
Ooh Ron,
What happened there? Where is that genie when you need him?
what I was foing to say was all this talk of Morocco has given me quite a yearning to go back there again.
Great finale
Best wishes
Miss Poppy
October 10th, 2005 at 10:14 pm
I just discovered your blog and have spent the last couple of hours reading it. Thank you so much for taking the time and the principled stance that you have!
I’m HC+ – I guess – it first turned up after an attempt at a blood donation. As I’ve given blood regularly throughout my life, that seems to focus my infection on a 2 week stay I’d had in hospital 6 months prior. I was contacted by a researcher wanting to take blood because she said I had antibodies but no viral load…. and they were studying “people like me who had fought it off.”
My primary Dr says I do have a viral load; my liver doc (only went once 3 yrs ago) confirmed at that time that I had no viral load, while primary said I did. So there is confusion abt my status: I’ve avoided following up and finding out because going through a yrs treatment seemed impossible anyway. (Both emotionally and practically)
All of this to tell you how much it has meant to me to read this, and to begin to believe that it might be possible to endure this proposed year, should they decide that I have it. Perhaps it seems silly and self-destructive to have not insisted on knowing, but when it seemed as though there is no help for it if I do….. well. Didn’t seem much point.
congratulations on your strength, and your success. very impressive.
Lynetta
October 10th, 2005 at 10:14 pm
Ron, I just discovered your BLOG. Great to see that your 48 week ordeal is done. I completed my treatment in Jan of 2005 and the six month post-treatment tests showed that it was all worth it! Watch the weight during the first month or two after the meds stop…the pounds piled on rather quickly on my waistline
it took six months of jogging to get them off me in a healthy manner.
Congratulations on finishing! All the best for your 3 month and 6 month tests!
October 11th, 2005 at 6:37 am
hi ron-
yesterrday was my 5th week “off drugs” still a bit achy and hard to sleep.
but wow- i can do stuff again and mostly think and i like food again. i just found your blog-wish i’d been with you- we started about the same time!
i am clear and take my 6 month test in march. taking flax oil, healthy diet, limit caffiene and still sleep 10-12 hours day. it’s wild. i am so glad the dizzy thing is gone and also the depression!!!
yay.
i did lose wt and it has not been found yet, wonder if it was swelling??
anyway i take a small amount of xanax at night only and occasinal celebrex.
was taking lots of stuff to get thru it!!!!
one lady i talked to said it took her 6 months to get off pain killers, yipes..
i’d love to keep in touch and compare notes. i think it will be while before i feel stable. i notice quite a bit of grouchy, sort of hey i want to be normal stuff. also some anger at all the stuff i have to catch up on. i was mostly on the couch, altho i did finish some semesters at school.
the minute i quit seems the world went a little crazy with all the upheaval.
i hope to get somewhere near some hot springs soon and just rest…..
good work and drop a note if you care to.
as we say in texas-YEEHAW!
October 12th, 2005 at 1:56 am
Ron:
Today, in the third week of treatment resumption, I finally had the nerve to recalculate my “end date.” Minus the 10 days I was off, I am currently on Week 38 and (Lord willing) will do my last PEG shot on December 11, and my last Ribivarin on December 17. So, after recalculating, I thought, “I wonder where Ron is in this thing now …” I jumped over and it brought me great joy to see you in completion.
I remember our first connection back in January or February and it was a joy to see someone else blogging their journey. You’ve been a great help to me and so many others. So it is that I thank God for our “connection” and I look forward to your post-treatment journey of health.
Grace and peace …
October 12th, 2005 at 3:53 pm
Hi Ron,
Congratulations on completing tx. I hope you have a smooth and speedy recovery to good health.
Eddie
October 12th, 2005 at 9:59 pm
You rock Godfather
Keep the faith.
October 14th, 2005 at 2:43 am
Beautiful pictures. I have always been impressed with your honesty and be willing to be vulnerable. This is a journey of 48 weeks that peels many layers of the onion of who we are. I have not always felt cheerful through it and had a difficult time also and many times took comfort in reading your blog. So thankyou for being real.
(I hope the drug companies will not be coming to the forum they can start their own. It would turn me off)
Best Wishes
Denise