Am I doing the right thing?

[dodger1]

I was just diagnosed January 05 Hep C geno 1a.  I went in for a liver biopsy on Feb 22 and the doctor punctured a hole in my galbladder during the procedure.  Had to have emergency galbladder surgery because all the bile leaked out in my stomach and my galbladder was gangreen had peroditis infection and my lungs collapased.  Found and new doctor that is treating now and after 2 weeks went from 1.8 million viral load to 231.  I feel like **** every day.  I just want to sleep.  I am a mail carrier and it is so hard to get up every morning and deliver mail in this heat.  I come straight home from work and go to bed.  I feel I am depriving my family but I cannot help it.  I try to explain to them that I feel so sick.  Does anyone have shortness of breath everyday?  I am just wondering if all this is worth it considering I am a type 1a and it is the hardest to treat.  I would like to hear from someone that has been  undetected for a year after treatment.  I just needed someone to talk to about this.  Thanks for listening.  I am a 41 year old female.  I either got this virus in 1987 from a blood transfusion or from a tattoo when I was 17.

[BNR]

Also, don't forget to keep drinking the water.  The heat will make you even more dehydrated -- which makes you feel even worse.

[Lynne5477]

Yes, we all experience the shortness of breath and lack of energy.  I was anemic from the meds within just the first couple wks of tx.  I was a 1A, was still clear at 6-mo post.  My 1 yr post comes up in another 6 wks.

You'll get used to the feeling of "no energy and general weakness" but it won't really get any better til you finish tx.  Then, you'll feel a difference almost immediately.

Also, make sure you keep copies of all your bloodwork.  If your hemoglobin drops below 10.0 you definitely will need to have the dr prescribe the Procrit.  Try to make sure your dr will do this rather than reducing your meds.

Good luck with the rest of tx.

[jmjm530]

The good news is that you're responding very well to treatment with an early viral response. This means your odds of ultimately clearing the viru have increased.

I also had an early viral response with symptons similar to yours at week #2. The shortness of breath could be anemia. Do you know your pre-treatment hemoglobin level and your current hemoglobin level? (At this point in treatment, you should be having your hemoglobin checked every week.)

If your hemoglobin is below ten -- or if you've had more than a two point drop in hemoglobin within a 2-3 week period -- you're suffering from anemic syptons and need to take a drug called Procrit right away. It takes 2-4 weeks to kick in but in most cases it will bring your hemoglobin up about 2 points and you'll feel like 1000% better. Also, make sure you're drinking lots and lots of water. At least half your body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 100 pounds, that's a minium of 50 ounces of water a day.

[cuteus]

Insist with your dr that your quality of life has to improve, and that your job performance needs some help. Ask for Procrit. do not wait until the hgb goes below 10 as many drs do.  I got it at 10.2, when complaining of chest pains, whatever works.
It can be done, many of us 1a's are reaching SVR with this treatment.
Get help with effective pain meds and Procrit.

[landfill]

The drs and drugs are putting you through a wringer so if there's any justice you should get to SVR.  It sounds like you have an EVR so there's every reason to continue.  I was 1a and I got to SVR in 48 weeks so you can too.

I admire you'r hard work while taking those awful drugs.  If it's any comfort, the standard advice for dealing with the drug induced fatigue is to get as much exercise as you can.  So you're not hurting yourself.  My sympathy and best wishes for a successful tx.