Comments on: Post Treatment: Week 8 http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/ Ron Metcalfe's Weblog Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:47:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: JayneC http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-627 JayneC Mon, 02 Jan 2006 17:31:48 +0000 http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-627 What a Fab! idea from Buzz. Publish your journey in a book. It'd be great to have a book like that at my bedside to dip into when I need for encouragement, reflection etc. Food for thought and money in your pocket x What a Fab! idea from Buzz. Publish your journey in a book. It’d be great to have a book like that at my bedside to dip into when I need for encouragement, reflection etc.
Food for thought and money in your pocket x

]]> By: Lynne http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-591 Lynne Mon, 19 Dec 2005 23:41:29 +0000 http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-591 Hello Ron, Thankyou so much for writng about your post treatment experience. I was "clear" after completing 24 weeks of treatment and felt cross that 3 months down the line I'm not back to my Superwoman existance. I never actually felt ill prior to trearment and only found out by accident that I was HepC positive. I managed to get some counselling, through my employer. I work for the local education authority and was fortunate to meet a very experienced counseller. She has helped me to move on by leaps and bounds. I think it should be a mandatory part of post treatment. The other thing which I have found strange is that although I never knew I was ill I have now found that I am a lot less anxious than I was before tx and now I'm having to learn how to live as this new, more chilled out being. I've even become more assertive on good days. There are still days though when I feel the need to hide, so I do and don't feel guilty. Best of luck and thanks again, Lynne Hello Ron,
Thankyou so much for writng about your post treatment experience. I was “clear” after completing 24 weeks of treatment and felt cross that 3 months down the line I’m not back to my Superwoman existance. I never actually felt ill prior to trearment and only found out by accident that I was HepC positive. I managed to get some counselling, through my employer. I work for the local education authority and was fortunate to meet a very experienced counseller. She has helped me to move on by leaps and bounds. I think it should be a mandatory part of post treatment.

The other thing which I have found strange is that although I never knew I was ill I have now found that I am a lot less anxious than I was before tx and now I’m having to learn how to live as this new, more chilled out being. I’ve even become more assertive on good days. There are still days though when I feel the need to hide, so I do and don’t feel guilty. Best of luck and thanks again,

Lynne

]]> By: Denise http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-588 Denise Mon, 19 Dec 2005 01:05:20 +0000 http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-588 I can relate being a month off treatment. I am not sure what I feel but I think on an intellectual level it is a process not an event. There is this thought that keeps entering my reality "life is supposed to be fun also... not all drama." I am not sure what the future holds and I realize my life has changed and I can't go back to before.... I guess I am creating a new life and that is an unfolding creation . I hope you encourage that inner critic to move on. The financial impact of this all can also create fear we do not need during this healing time. What you need will come Ron. Denise I can relate being a month off treatment. I am not sure what I feel but I think on an intellectual level it is a process not an event. There is this thought that keeps entering my reality “life is supposed to be fun also… not all drama.” I am not sure what the future holds and I realize my life has changed and I can’t go back to before…. I guess I am creating a new life and that is an unfolding creation . I hope you encourage that inner critic to move on. The financial impact of this all can also create fear we do not need during this healing time. What you need will come Ron.

Denise

]]> By: Andy http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-587 Andy Fri, 16 Dec 2005 10:34:15 +0000 http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-587 Hi Ron, Very eloquently put. Recovery\convalescence can be much slower than some people might think. I think it is not only the drugs leaving our bodies but also our bodies dealing with whatever liver damage the virus did before we cleared the virus. All the years of illness that we struggled with before treatment cannot just be shaken off in a few short weeks.However things do improve, as Nadine says week by week rather than day by day. I am now 6 months post treatment and feel so much better than I did at 2 months. Still not back to full time work so consequently finances are tight but do feel that things are slowly getting better. I am sure they will for you too. I also remember feeling very flat and unexcited about being PCR undetectable, I think because I just did not feel "better". I go next week for my 6 month results and am feeling confident that it will remain undetectable. Things will improve slowly but surely for you. Wishing you all the best for Xmas Andy Hi Ron,
Very eloquently put. Recovery\convalescence can be much slower than some people might think. I think it is not only the drugs leaving our bodies but also our bodies dealing with whatever liver damage the virus did before we cleared the virus.
All the years of illness that we struggled with before treatment cannot just be shaken off in a few short weeks.However things do improve, as Nadine says week by week rather than day by day.
I am now 6 months post treatment and feel so much better than I did at 2 months. Still not back to full time work so consequently finances are tight but do feel that things are slowly getting better. I am sure they will for you too. I also remember feeling very flat and unexcited about being PCR undetectable, I think because I just did not feel “better”. I go next week for my 6 month results and am feeling confident that it will remain undetectable.
Things will improve slowly but surely for you.
Wishing you all the best for Xmas
Andy

]]> By: Minerva http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-586 Minerva Wed, 14 Dec 2005 03:00:07 +0000 http://www.ronmetcalfe.com/blog/index.php/2005/12/11/return-to-health-week-8/#comment-586 Hi Ron, Sorry to hear that your feeling like this. Its good to know the realities of post tx experience tho. Similar to Teddy, im due to finish soon and after 24 weeks of tx i feel ravaged and worn by the whole experience. Yes it has brought some good lessons but the uncertainty of what happens next is quite a difficult one. I cannot imagine how it feels after 48 weeks and have immense respect for your achievement!! I also believe that it must take a while to recover from the experience too. I remember reading somewhere that it can take months to recover from a bout of flu...by those terms, how long does it take to recover from 48 weeks?... Hope you are feeling better soon Ron. xxx Hi Ron,
Sorry to hear that your feeling like this. Its good to know the realities of post tx experience tho. Similar to Teddy, im due to finish soon and after 24 weeks of tx i feel ravaged and worn by the whole experience. Yes it has brought some good lessons but the uncertainty of what happens next is quite a difficult one. I cannot imagine how it feels after 48 weeks and have immense respect for your achievement!! I also believe that it must take a while to recover from the experience too.

I remember reading somewhere that it can take months to recover from a bout of flu…by those terms, how long does it take to recover from 48 weeks?…

Hope you are feeling better soon Ron.
xxx

]]>