It’s Official
Day before yesterday, MyNurse rang again and said the virologist has now looked at my blood test results. I am now officially HCV UNDETECTABLE at 6 months post-treatment.
It has taken a little while for this to sink in. I was initially sad about the ending of my relationship with MyNurse – it somehow felt a little distant and cool, not like it was during my time on treatment. As she told me (and Wendy Meister too) that she is looking for another job and can’t find one at the moment – as well as having to be interviewed by hospital managers to stay in the job she already has, I suspect her morale is not high at the moment. Only sorry this seems to have crept in at the end of our relationship which, as I say, always used to be very good. She was very supportive and cheered me on a number of times when I needed it.
And the statement there is a 3% chance the virus will return being sent in that letter to my GP kept echoing about it my mind. I felt like the prospect of this bloody virus would still be hanging over my head – will I never be free of it?
However I have at last arrived at the place where I can feel like celebrating what I achieved – SVR. I have just opened a bottle of rioja and will raise a very small glass just this once (with lots of water to wash it through) this evening with Carol to celebrate. (note later: after 3 or 4 sips I didn’t want anymore - disappointed to say I have lost my taste and interest in drinking - I really had thought I would enjoy some wine)
I feel very fortunate. I am aware of a number of people whose treatment has not worked and continue to struggle with the virus and sometimes the aftermath of the tx too. I also meet and hear about people who have a lot of illness and debility caused by HepC. I admire their strength and courage as they continue to cope so well day by day.
Genotype 1 and the 48 week treatment is no “walk in the park”. But it can be done and the virus eradicated. Looking back, I realise now that instinctively I was working on an integrated approach of mind, body and spirit to get me through this treatment and achieve SVR.
To me that has meant:
-
• Being as physically well and fit as possible before starting
• Nourishing myself with a diet that causes no damage to my liver and minimises demands and stress on it
• De-stressing as much of life generally as possible
• Finding inside myself a positive psychological attitude towards treatment and the combination therapy
• Making a ‘treatment contract’ – to accept and embrace the medication and surrender to it’s power. It can kill virus, I can’t. Fighting it won’t help the cause.
• Building an attitude of willingness to working and healing alongside the medication
• Viewing the side-effects as part of the ‘treatment contract’ between me and the medication - it kills virus for me and I tolerate it’s side-effects
• Developing a willingness to change – after all how can I give up a serious illness if I’m not prepared to change anything?
• Being committed to myself and my treatment – being prepared 100% to do whatever it takes to complete the treatment
• Being open to healing energies and spiritual experiences – a new and rich occurrence for me
• Recognising whatever there is to celebrate today
• Being kind to myself and taking care of myself because there is a war going on inside me
• Committing myself to healing and a belief that my body can be healed
Also very important to me achieving completion of the treatment and SVR has been my support network. My partner Carol has devoted 48 weeks of her life to my treatment and been on treatment too with me. As well as all the practical support she has provided emotional and spiritual support too. And frequent massages that helped shift and remove the powerful toxins left by the medications as well as reiki healing. I often think I couldn’t have done this well without her and it’s hard to say thank you enough to her.
I have also had the support of a therapist throughout helping me to maintain some semblance of balance through the roller coaster ride of emotional times. And the support of good work colleagues in my workplace helping me to keep myself in the working world and within everyday life routines.
I wasn’t going to write something that sounds like an acceptance speech at an awards ceremony and I hope this doesn’t read that way. I did want to try though to sum up somehow the things I found important. So that someone reading this and contemplating treatment for themselves might find some useful hints on preparation for their treatment journey. And inspiration to make it a successful one too.
April 29th, 2006 at 11:38 pm
Dear Ron, you have done so well and you do deserve an award and if I were presenting it to you I would say “To a hero! thank you so much for sharing your journey, it’s been invaluable knoledge, wisdom and inspiration to me and mine”
PS. I’ve got 2 more jabs and 3 weeks to go…..
April 30th, 2006 at 8:03 am
Hi Ron,
No longer a member of the 95% club. Have it in writing in front of me from Roche that quote ‘After a person has achieved a SVR, they are considered cured, since it is very rare that the virus will return (1% of cases)’
Consider yourself cured but still one of us!
All the best to you both.
Carol and Martin
April 30th, 2006 at 11:15 am
Hi Ron,
Congratulations. That was a great ’speech’ and your list of how you handled tx was very good, gave me a little lift.
On the down side, was devastated to hear that ‘mynurse’ is considering another job, she is also mynurse (the active hep c community is small and it doesn’t take long before you know who is being treated where LOL) I have felt such a bond with her, but did know she was feeling very frustrated at the lack of support she was getting. Anyway gone off track there. Congratulations again and I hope to be in the same position as you next year. Only 41 weeks left to go for me !!!!
April 30th, 2006 at 11:45 am
Congratulations, Ron - really good news and thoroughly deserved.
Now you can put Hep C behind you and focus on getting your life back to normal - or maybe even better than it was before. Let’s just hope Carol can keep up with the new ‘Hep C free’ you!!
Nick and Vicki
April 30th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
CONGRATULATIONS Ron!!!
Thanks for sharing your journey. In the early days when I started my first tx, I luckily came across your blog, and that of Martins, Sue, Jonathan and the blogs were a life-line for me.They all inspired me and helped me through tx. Thanks to you Ron we now have a fantastic Forum, allowing us all to exchange our experiences and knowledge. Without the blogs and Forum I am convinced I would be in a worse position today.The information and advice (the Guru) I gathered was invaluable, and helped me convince my new Consultant to give me a second chance changing to PegIntron + Rib at increased dosages.
All the best to you and enjoy the future being virus free!!
Eddie
May 1st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Congratulations Ron, to you and your family! Such truly wonderful news!
Sue
May 1st, 2006 at 11:05 am
I’m so pleased for you and wish you all the very best for a really HAPPY AND HEALTHY future.
K xx
May 1st, 2006 at 11:47 am
Well done Ron, and well done Carol too! Great news. and so encouraging.
All the best
Teresa
May 1st, 2006 at 5:33 pm
Congratulations.
All the best.
Mixu.
May 1st, 2006 at 7:44 pm
Hi Ron,
congratulations , i am very pleased to read this exiting news.
i wish you good healthy life for the future.
with best wishes.
Ijaz
May 2nd, 2006 at 12:29 am
Such wonderful news, Ron…and so truly deserved. The “speech” was just what I needed to read tonight, on the verge of my own tx, your honest and moving account of your tx (along with the other [forgive me!]” old timers”…Sue, Wendy, Martin, Ijaz & Jonathan etc. etc.) has given me the strength and hope that this will be acheivable for me, and all those who come to do tx after you. Enjoy your “moment” both you and Carol, and I hope you are prepared to let us follow your recovery with as much interest as we have with your journey to this point. Congratulations!!
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:23 am
Congrats could not have happened to a nicer person.
quite a list you came up with not sure I was that aware when I was doing treatment. I just tried to get through it. Although it did tend to make me more introspective.
Enjoy your summer
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:11 pm
Hi Ron
Fantastic news - congratulations to you and Carol.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:10 pm
Wonderful news Ron! Thank you very much again for sharing your journey with us. It has been an invaluable source of support and information.
All the best for the future for you and your family.
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:22 pm
Ron, congratulations! I’m in the middle of Week 16 and success stories help. Your “commencement speech” is indeed inspiring. I’m working to emulate your example. Attitude is everything.
Best wishes for a long, happy, and healthful life to you.
May 3rd, 2006 at 11:26 pm
Many congratulations Ron, brilliant news, very happy for you. And many thanks again for all you have done for the hep c community via your blog and the forum - no such community existed in anything like its current form just 18 months ago. You have turned your tx into a very positive thing from which many have and will benefit.
Wishing you a healthy future.
Maggie
May 5th, 2006 at 11:40 am
I’m just about to start the journey, thanks Ron your blog is helping me enormously.
Its not what you say, it’s the clarity of the way you say it, that I find reassuring. When travelling through fog it’s nice to follow someone else’s tail lights. (especially when you know they got home safely)
Best wishes to you and your family
John
May 11th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
Hi Ron and Carol
Terrific news for you, glad to hear about the new career move as well. I too am beginning to improve physically and mentally, though it really does feel like early days yet for me. I’ll have my post-TX 6 month blood test in August. I suppose not so far away. Your account reminds me that they’ll probably doa whole range of tests at that time. I think I’ve just put a lot of this out of my mind for the time being. I’ll think about it in August.
Very best wishes to you both, and thanks for all the support coming from yourselves and initiatives such as the Forum.
Phil
May 20th, 2006 at 12:43 am
To ron,carol well done and congrats.
To the other people who are going through this treatment i wish you all the best &stick with it as ron&carol and my self*2 ears cpr tested virus clear)its fantastic treatment and if you are feeling low just stick with it.
All the best mark.