I AM CURED

[Bertha Venation]

Some of you will remember that during the 6-month period of Aug. '11 to Feb. '12, I was on the treatment for Hepatitis C. It was a new treatment -- I was my doctor's second patient to try it -- and it was debilitating. After trying to work through it, and missing days at a time or a week here, a week there, I gave up and went on disability. For 4 1/2 months. I have never been so sick in my life.

Today, one year after the treatment began, was the moment of truth. I went to the doctor to get the last lab results.

NO HCV DETECTED

I am bloody CURED, friends!!

Have a cigar or a beer on me, won't you? Oh, I wish I could take you all out to celebrate! Celebrate with me!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. What fabulous news, my dear Bertha!

I wish I could take you out to celebrate! What a grand time we would have! Congratulations on your earth-shattering news!

[HopeHoops]

2. Dang! That IS good news! Six months is a short recovery period. Good for you!

[Liberal Veteran]

3. Congratulations!

I am so happy for you!

[LWolf]

4. Fantastic news.

Congratulations!

[HereSince1628]

5. Was the treatment debilitating or the HCV, it seems like you say the treatment.

[MADem]

10. My question as well--is the cure almost as bad as the disease (at least for a while?). nt

[Bertha Venation]

11. Yes, it was the treatment.

I can't describe it very well. I can only describe it in snippets.

I was fatigued like I'd never experienced. To walk across the room took tremendous effort.

The center of my chest/stomach area (would this be what's called the core?) hurt. It hurt all the time.

The nausea wasn't constant, thankfully. Nor were the headaches. But I had them both.

I couldn't even think of leaving the house. When I did, I had to walk at a glacial speed coming up the steps, and then I was immobile for hours.

And the rash. God, how could I forget the rash? I itched as if all the fleas in hell had been unleashed upon my body. Finally, after three prescriptions that didn't work, we found the right combination of steroids and hydrocortisone cream.

And this wasn't a side effect but I'll tell you about part of the treatment. The treatment consisted of three drugs: Incivek, Ribivirin, and Interferon. The Incivek is the new drug. One takes it for only the first three months of treatment. The dose is two lavender horse pills, and one must take them every eight hours without fail. So at 6 AM, 2 PM, and 10 PM I choked these down. Here's the thing: in order for them to work, one has to consume 20 grams of fat with the pills. I alternated peanut butter, pecans, peanuts, ice cream, other things I'm forgetting, I'm sure. I got so very disgusted with it. But I did it, god dammit. I still don't ever want nuts again. I finally had a peanut butter sandwich and found it edible. It took me about six months before I wanted ice cream again. (I'd hoped the desire to eat ice cream would never return. Alas.)

So there we are.

[HereSince1628]

16. I wonder if this is ahead for hundreds of thousands of boomers who get tested...

The testing is being recommended for millions of persons as there are now supposed to be 2 treatments for HCV.

I can't say that months off work sounds like a good thing. Many boomers, because of their age, would never find work again.

[Bertha Venation]

17. They would be protected under the Family Medical Leave Act

That's how I did it. The act protects your job.

[Tom Ripley]

26. I never in my life thought that I would ever be repulsed by eating fat

until I underwent that regimen (I was on the 8AM/4PM/Midnight schedule)

I find out in January (keeping my very boney fingers crossed)

[Bertha Venation]

41. Tom!

Damn, my fingers are crossed for you! Do you think you might remember to PM me the good news in January? Or start another "CURED" thread?!

[hunter]

6. Hooray!

This is good news!

[OriginalGeek]

7. Awesome news BV!

I will indeed have a beer tonight in celebration for you!

[Denninmi]

8. Wow, that is awesome.

Really nice to hear some good news on somebody's health.

And it's great in the wider sense to know they now have an effective treatment/cure for Hep C.

Congrats!!!!!!

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Wow..a cure for Hep C.

Big news indeed.
Brave of you to be a pioneer for the new treatment..congrats!

[hamsterjill]

12. Happy news!!!

Glad to hear this, BV!!!! I wish you many, many more healthy and happy years so you can vote for Democrats in various elections!!!

Seriously - all the best!

[CoffeeCat]

13. You must feel like you have a whole new lease on life!

So happy for you!

May all of your enthusiasm, joy and good health help you to live a wonderful life.

How exciting.

[Baitball Blogger]

14. Congratulations!

Always good to hear good news from a fellow Lounge Lady.

[WilliamPitt]

15. WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

[Xyzse]

18. WOW!

Congratulations!

[LiberalEsto]

19. Yaaaaaaay!

Great news!

[Fla Dem]

20. CDC's new hepatitis C screening guidelines. All boomers should be screened.

Glad you are cured! What a great relief for you. Now all baby boomers need to be screened. Please all baby boomers, if you are scheduled for a Dr.'s visit, ask about the test for hepatitis C. It's only a little blood draw, but could save you a lot of misery down the road.


http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-saly-hepatitis-c-20120821,0,1599419.story

Hepatitis C test for baby boomers saves lives

By Martha Saly

August 21, 2012
I consider myself to be a fortunate person. I have a good education, a great job and excellent health insurance. I am a baby boomer who has aged reasonably well and can look forward to a fairly comfortable retirement. I am also fortunate because I was diagnosed with hepatitis C by a proactive and knowledgeable doctor in the late 1990s and had the opportunity to be treated and cured. The odds are that if I had not been diagnosed and treated, I would be on a liver transplant list right now, have liver cancer or even be dead from this disease.

The odds were against my being diagnosed early or at all, since testing wasn't routinely done back when my hepatitis was caught. That's why I was happy to learn that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released its new screening guidelines calling for all baby boomers to get tested once for the disease. For more than 95% of boomers, that means a simple blood test followed by reassuring news. But for the 3% to 5% of people who are infected, the test could mean the difference between life and death.

The recommendations are aimed at baby boomers because that generation has the highest likelihood of having been infected with the hepatitis C virus. According to the CDC, an estimated 2 million baby boomers have the disease. Many of us contracted the blood-borne virus more than 30 years ago, through injection drug use, or through blood transfusion or organ transplants before 1992, when measures to test donated blood and organs were adopted.



more at link

[Bertha Venation]

23. What a timely item.

Thanks for posting it.

I'm on the very tail end of the baby boom (almost 50). My doc figures that I contracted HCV via a blood transfusion in 1970.

I am very lucky indeed, and I know it. In 2000 I kept going to my doctor and complaining of fatigue. She tested me for it and found it.

Fortunate, lucky, blessed, whatever you want to call it.

[Fla Dem]

37. Glad you caught it in time. Hope others heed the CDC's rec.

I'm right in the middle of the Baby Boomers era. Just heard this on the news the other day. So when your post came up, thought it would be a good idea to alert all the boomers I know we have on DU. I too had an operation back in the '70s. Not sure if transfusion was used, but will be getting the test when I have my next Dr's appt.

[Tom Ripley]

21. Hell yes!

That is fantastic news

[Glorfindel]

22. HOORAY!!

Here's to you, my dear Bertha!

[LoveMyCali]

24. Fantastic news!

but is it ok if I dance instead of a cigar and beer?

[Bertha Venation]

28. Dance like no one's watching, honey

[The Wielding Truth]

25. So so happy for you, Bertha Venation!

[patrice]

27. Thank Goodness!!!

[Cleita]

29. Congratulations!

What good news!

[MrScorpio]

30. YAY! Huggage time!

[nolabear]

31. Oh my God that's WONDERFUL!!

Not just for you but for so many others! But, as for YOU, my dear, HOORAY!!!

[yesphan]

32. Many congratulations !!!!!

[hay rick]

33. Fabulous.

My best friend died from the ravages of Hep C before effective treatment was available. I am thrilled by your good news and hope it becomes the norm.

[Bertha Venation]

56. hay rick, I'm very sorry to hear this.

I hope your good memories sustain you.

[WinstonSmith4740]

34. Fabulous!

Can't tell you how happy I am to hear this news. You GO with your bad self!! Must go pour a glass of wine to help you celebrate!

[sorefeet]

35. My buddy took the treatment

It consisted of an injection once a week. He would get tired for about 3 days after the shot and then he was ok until the next shot. He is now cured also.
My brother Pinky on the other hand isn't so lucky. His Hep C has turned to cancer and has metastisised to the lungs,lymph nodes and the area around the heart has several tumors. It is a matter of time for him. But the newest cancer drugs have extended his life quite a bit so far. If the doctors would have told him 2 years ago that hey man you need treatment or else, he would have had a chance. Everybody GET TESTED.

[Bertha Venation]

36. sorefeet, I am so sorry to hear about your brother

I am very sorry.

[blueknight]

38. YAH!!!

enjoy your life bertha!

[Flaxbee]

39. Truly wonderful news; I am so very happy to hear this!

[av8rdave]

40. Awesome news!

I am having a Jailhouse IPA as I type. It is now in your honor.

[femmocrat]

42. What wonderful news, Bertha!

Congratulations! So glad you are doing better!

[murielm99]

43. Wow!

That is wonderful.

[hifiguy]

44. Huzzah!

[greatauntoftriplets]

45. That's wonderful news.

I can't have beer and won't have a cigar, but I'll toast you with water.

[Kali]

46. so glad to read this, Bertha

[Pool Hall Ace]

47. w0000000t !!

[derby378]

48. Congratulations! That's amazing!

I didn't even know there was a cure for Hep C. Awesome!

[toddwv]

49. Excellent news.

[BlueJazz]

50. You made my day. I know I have not been vocal in my feelings but I've thought about you often.

I'm so glad and happy for you.

[DinahMoeHum]

51. Thank goodness you're OK.

Looking forward to seeing you raise more hell here!

[TuxedoKat]

52. Wow

that is great news. I hope you continue to enjoy good health.

[GoCubsGo]

53. Yay!

I'm happy to hear that you ordeal is over. I am sorry you had to go through it, but happy for the outcome. I don't know if I could ever get sick of nuts or peanut butter, which is my most favorite thing in the world. Even more than ice cream.

[Dystopian]

54. Joy!

Bertha

So very happy for you...
You deserve the best, beautiful lady....
I love hearing good news....
Because of you... now...tears of joy.




peace~

[Arugula Latte]

55. Fabulous!

Very happy for you!

[Skittles]

57. WOOT!

[Sweet Freedom]

58. What wonderful news! Congratulations!!

[mopinko]

59. that is really wonderful news bertha!!!!

i will definitely raise a glass to you tonight. so glad to have you here.

[joanbarnes]

60. Your courage paid off, best wishes to you.

[bigwillq]

61. YAY!

Great news! Congrats!