My Hepatitis C Treatment
If you’ve landed here looking for my online diary of Hepatitis C treatment, click on the links below.
You can read it in two different formats – so choose which you prefer.
1. The original Blog format – written in reverse chronological order (ie – most recent entry at the top of the computer screen)
2. Book format – where the entries are arranged in chronological order
Good news! I have now completed the 48 weeks and successfully cleared the virus. I have achieved SVR as they say in the HepC world – Sustained Viral Response. SVR means the virus is undetectable in my blood each time they test it. The testing procedures are able to detect “down to” less than 20 copies per million. Until the tests are developed to detect down to 0 copies per million no one can be labelled “cured”.
That means there is a less than 1% chance that the virus is still there lurking and hiding. But, hey, there is a 1% chance that anyone walking about in the UK has the virus without knowing it, so I reckon my chances are about the same as anyone else out there.
1. BLOG FORMAT
Click here to read the blog in original format from the beginning…
When you click on the link you will be at the first entry. Read from the bottom of the page to the top and navigate to new pages following the Next Entries < < or > > Previous Entries hyperlinks (in light blue) at the top and bottom of the current page. Then use the Archives to open each months entries, clicking < < Previous Entries and scrolling to the bottom of the page to get to the first entries of the month.
2. BOOK FORMAT
Click on the link below to download .pdf file.
My Hepatitis C Treatment Weeks 1 – 48
You will need Adobe Reader to open .pdf files. 
(Get a free download copy from Adobe.com)
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June 26th, 2009 at 3:20 am
Hi there, my mom is 51 and has hep c. She has been on two different treatments about 7 yrs ago. I was passing by your blog and was wondering what treatment you were on to get such AWESOME results!
Thanks, Bonnie
July 7th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Hi Bonnie
Sorry I’m so slow replying – but thank you for your comment and question.
I did the standard (in the UK) treatment of pegylated interferon and ribavarin.
Sorry to hear your mum was not successful on her treatments. There are devlopments happening in the field I hear so there is always hope that a newer combo of meds could be helpful to her. No doubt she is still a patient of a hepatologist or gastroenterologist who can advise her about her medical options.
I wish her well – no one deserves to have to live with this virus.
Good luck in your studies
Ron
January 20th, 2010 at 7:31 am
hi,
Thanks so much for your blog!
I just found out that I have stage 4 Hep C & cirrhosis. I will be starting treatment soon with ribavarin I think. I was wondering if I can could ask, since you said you cleared the virus at what stage were you at when you started the treatment?
I am amazed at finding out the news, as besides feeling very tired I feel fine, but then again I not fine inside. I am very hopeful for the treatment, and hope I can be “Hep Free’ one day too!
Downloading your pdf, as I down have net access at home, thanks for thinking about people without net access as well!
Thanks so much for your blog, I appreciate it`-`
Johnny
January 23rd, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Hi Johnny
Many thanks for your kind words about my blog – glad it is of some use to people.
The UK medical terminology and tests are different than those used in the US so it isn’t always easy to make comparisons.
My liver fibrosis was stage 4 before I started – that is stage 4 on a scale of 1-6, with 6 being cirrhosis. I think a different scale is used in the US so you cannot compare. Do you know what genotype your HepC virus is? I wondered if you meant you have genotype 4 and cirrhosis.
One thing is for sure – Hepatitis C, its symptoms and treatment issues are very complicated and it can be a steep learning curve to understand all the jargon, conditions and terminology. You will no doubt learn it all in good time.
Wishing you well
Ron