Hi everyone!

[texasgal]

Hi everyone!  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I may not post often, but read every day.  Truly, I have had no news to post.  But now, 3 months after taking myself off daily infergen and riba, I am still undetectable.  I went to see the doc on Dec. 19 and he gave me the news.  He tells me that this is wonderful, but to keep up with the bloodwork for the next six months just in case of relapse.  Anyway, since being off the meds, my hair has begun growing back.  Mind you, it looks like a newborn baby's hair with little fuzzies sticking up everywhere, my energy level is unbelievably high.  My headaches are gone.   I am starting to get my appetite back.  My mental state has improved.  My vision is still very impaired and doubt it will ever be back the way it was during treatment.  I do want to thank everyone for the support and valuable information you have provided throughout my ordeal.  I read your stuff every day and still take in every piece of information I can about this horrible disease.  I am not out of the woods yet, but perhaps in the near future, if I do have to go back on meds, maybe there will be something different and not so brutal.  Happy holidays everyone.

Linda

[cquest]

I know the vl hops up and down but I doubt it can jump too many millions at a time...how much higher could it go? Now THAT's a scarey thought...how much lower? A few million? Still leaves me with a whopper of a load either way...

I envy people that have thick hair...mine has always been very fine, many strands of very fine hair which doesn't help me much...I never knew anybody had such thick hair they would want less of it! See, everyone wants what they can't have! I also wish I had a nice flat stomach like when I was 18....ahhhh...and other attributes prized by the superficial male...oh well...I'll be happy with my freckles and dimple in my chin then...

[NYgirl]

It freaks me out how little CLASS people have doesn't it?

Like the girl at work who was making fun of me for being so skinny and my chicken legs.  I mean all I wanted in the world was look at this over weight woman and say "well at least I'm not OVERWEIGHT" with a horrified look on my face or something but I would never ever do that.

If I made fun of HER for being overweight I would be crucified by the office staff and probably beat up!  But what makes it RIGHT to make fun of somebody who is too SKINNY?  

How DARE somebody poke fun at all my weight loss!

Oh it burns me up that people don't EVER seem to stop their mouths from running but I tell you it taught ME a good lesson now I try to think before I act.  Not always so easy when you are a wise guy chicken leg girl like I am but...I try.

[texasgal]

People are brutal because they are uneducated and unsympathetic to our situations.  If they would just put themselves in our shoes, they wouldn't be making comments or talking behind our backs.  It hurts, but it is human nature, as sad as that may be, for people to react the way they do.  It is only us (the people on this forum and others with Hep C) that understands.

Linda

[friole]

texasgal - when you were quitting, my hair had barely begun to start falling.  Now after 3 months of falling I guess I have lost 30%.  I like the chicken fuzz image, and am imagining myself with such.  My hairdresser asked my last week - did I know my hair was thinning?  Well, I guess.  To think I used to ask her to thin it (yes cquest, I used to do that sometimes).  24 more weeks of thinning is going to be pretty brutal.

stephanie - welcome.  Can't believe you found the forum after you were done.  We have missed lots of sharing already.  So, I am Kathy and am at 24/48, started at 1.52mil and was negative at 20 weeks.  So glad to meet you and hear about your SVR and hair growth

frijole

[cquest]

You know the chick was jealous don't you? She was WISHIN' she had chicken legs! Serously! My father was really fat (circus fat), my mom really skinny (also referred to her legs as 'chicken legs', what a pair that was) anyway, he wished more than anything to be thin and she wished more than anything to have some meat on her bones...funny huh? She used to make fun of actresses that were heavier or bustier when we went to the drive-in movies...
Cin

[Wasabi Pea]

Awesome, Linda!  Love to hear wonderful news like this.  Keep us posted on your next PCRs.  Want to hear more great news. :)

[Stephanie2002]

Good morning all.  All my other post treatment symptoms have pretty much cleared up---except the hair and asthma and itching and....ok so I still feel pretty crappy a lot of the time, but not nearly like on treatment so this is progress!!!

[cquest]

That's an odd question! Who gets a hair thinning? You should have said 'why yes, would you like the name of my hairdresser?'. Like people that ask women if they are pregnant and they aren't...bad question...the answer to that is 'no, I'm just fat'.

And welcome to the new lady, can't remember your name but welcome!

I just have to tell you all the more I hear 1a's clearing, it makes me ponder tx again...I feel pretty *****y already so how much worse could it be? My vl is so high though...has anybody cleared with a vl as high as mine I wonder (62.7 million)? I am back on the fence again...
Cin

[texasgal]

Hey guys,

I am a geno 1a and was a non responder to Peg and Co-peg, so after 3 months of that hell, I was put on daily infergen and riba.  Then the hell began.  I stayed on it for a little over 6 months before I couldn't hang any more, but I consider myself lucky to still be un detectable.  There is hope.  Just hang in there.

Debby,

Yes, chicken fuzz is great if you are a chicken.  Let me tell you about vanity.  I even checked into hair extensions until they told me it would break off the hair I already had.  There wasn't anything I didn't look into, but couldn't bring myself to do the wig thing.  Now, that is vanity.  So, I just stayed home for 6 months and still am hard pressed to go any where that people may know me and that is tough living in a small town like I do.  I don't want to hear "Oh, my God!  What happened to your beautiful long blonde, thick hair".  Anyway, it is slowly but surely coming back.  

This chicken is right there with you.  Stay away from the weed whacker.

Linda

[dodger1]

How long were you on the meds before you took yourself off??  I am a geno 1 also and very curious to how long you treated.  Thanks  Sheila

[Stephanie2002]

Hi all, I am new to the website...just found it yesterday.  I am 4 months post treatment and am beginning to be very anxious about my test results in 2 months....can anyone offer advice on how to de-stress????

[NYgirl]

I just wanted to come in and say hi welcome to the looney bin!

There are a LOT of post treatment people in here who will come on and let you know their secrets.  As I'm still in tx I'm not much good at advice on that!

HOW FANTASTIC that you are done and achieved SVR!  Since it's all of our goal in here...that shining freaking STAR that is so far out of reach for some yet reachable by others...we know how nerve wracking waiting for ANY test result can really be!

Stay positive Stephanie...keep willing those stupid bugs out of your system for good!

Again..welcome! You'll find the guys in here are FABULOUS the best wealth of knowledge and caring that I've ever found on an internet community ANYWHERE.

Debby

[texasgal]

Alright, you guys have given me a laugh for the day.  People always told me that I was the only one that noticed the hair loss because I have to live with it until one day when I was sitting at my bosses desk and he asked me if I got my hair thinned.  Imagine my horror.  If he noticed, then the whole world noticed.  One of you has the Mohawk look, one has the chicken look and I have the helmet head look.  My hair is so baby fine that when the wind blows, it sticks straight out and is very unmanageable.  Very embarrassing.  Then when you try to pull it up, the pony tail is pathetic and so not there.

Well, I will tell you this.  My hair is growing back so rapidly that I have to get it colored every three weeks instead of every 6 like before and even though it is costing a fortune, at least it is a way to measure the growth.  It is amazing to wake up each day and try to figure out what chicken, mohawk or helmet head you are gonna wear today.  Just keep plugging along.  I am just waiting til I get that horrific 70's look back.

Vanity, vanity, vanity.  It is either that or lose our sanity!!

Linda

[Forseegood]

So glad to hear you are doing better, you guys are such brave souls, you think youre vain, try living in W. Hollywood! Ironically, so many people have hep here or other diseases, that you do see the "spare hair" look around here from time to time, and actually, people are pretty nice about it all.

Don't be embarrassed that you care about this stuff, in this culture we are conditioned (excuse the pun) to care about our hair like nothing else! There's a hair care commercial on every 4 minutes! But so glad that it is growing back and all, glad to hear you were able to work as well. I know of a few women who were devastated about their hair and now it's better then it was previously for them. So glad youre doing better!

[beamishboy]

thanks for the uplifting post-sorry 'bout hair  issues,but what about the 'vision problem'?--hey sounds like you beat the devil--May your post-treatment hair get so dang thick you have to thin it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stephanie2002]

Amen to that!!!!

[NYgirl]

Hey girl if I was taking it well do you think I would be whacking it off with a week whacker?   ;-)   :-p

I tell you this is bizarre. i went from having long blond/brown hair and being nice and fit to being a skeleton with stringy pieces of brown hair in a matter of weeks.  If anyone says that I am vain so be it but...I am having a major problem with vanity right now and just keep saying Well Bones...hang in there you can have fun gainning the weight back and picking out different wigs and guys will just think you are some hot Kate MOss type supermodel ;-)

I wish! HA!

I'm glad to hear you sounding so great and you really do you know that?  It always makes me feel good when someone posts who hasn't in a while and you can hear a smile in their voice when they do.

baby chicken hair is a great thing you know...a GREAT thing and I am really happy for you that it's coming in. do you know how healthy it's going to look and be? man oh man it's going to be FABULOUS!

:)

[NYgirl]

Thanks for making me laugh!  :)

I have to admit I actually own a few cheap wigs that I used to use just for fun.  Of course NOW I can't find them anywhere doesn't that figure?  Did I will this on myself?  :-O

My daughter actually said to me yesterday what about extensions and after I said well I really don't have a thousand dollars in the first place...what are the going to be extended FROM? I mean the cracked off hair is bad enough but the missing hair...can't attach anything to it and that is the problem!

Of course you have to realize I work for one of the biggest beauty companies in the entire world - while some people know others dont and I am just waiting for someone to comment on my appearance holy COW are they gonna get slapped with a DISCRIMATION SUIT! ;-)

haha.  Things like that while not reasonable make me smile. I am a sick person.

D

[Stephanie2002]

The hair thing is still an issue for me---it is starting to grow back now and I have the mohawk look on the top of my head where the new ones are growing in.  But, they are growing back and for this I am thankful.  I am trying to keep positive thoughts regarding post treatment issues but am still dealing with depression.  I hope this will go away soon as well.  I just am too afraid to get on with my life while I am in this state of limbo regarding SVR!!!

[NYgirl]

Just remember....you are making a fashion statement!  :)  At least yours sounds cool...how would you like to say you look like a long stringy haired chicken like me? hahahahaha

I try to tell myself nobody cares except me over and over and over but it doesn't REALLY work.

I hope you find an answer on the stress thing - stress is not going to help you a bit.  Aside from mega dosing on valium like they are vitamins...I don't have any advice whatsoever I am always a nervous wreck lately!  ;-)  (Just kidding I am sure you know).

Debby

[Stephanie2002]

Yes, xanax is my new best friend.   I want to get back to walking but the treatment caused asthma issues that have not cleared up yet.  So exercise is out, alcohol is suppose to be out, so...XANAX WORKS!!!  I need a t-shirt or something that says that.

After my treatment I moved in with a friend who has a VERY large cat.  My hair did not start falling out until after treatment so the joke at our house now is who is shedding more--me or the cat?  There is blond hair everywhere....we found hair in the fudge that I made for Christmas...that was embarrassing!!!

[NYgirl]

You know I didn't even THINK to say that and since I've been on tx I've been on Paxill.  Has it helped? I didn't chop off ALL of my hair in my scissor frenzy so I am assuming so!  ;-)

[Stephanie2002]

Unfortunately...I am already on two AD's--and yes they do help some but I'm sure y'all all know how hard this stuff is!  

And NYGirl, LOL they must be helping!!  

But ok, enough whining, thank you guys for welcoming me...this may be what I need is to talk to other people going thru the same things.  It has made me feel better to be able to laugh a little bit about the hair issue!

[debdeb47]

I'm at 18/24 with very little hair breakage and loss.  I was told not to color it, so my 48 y/o patches of silver are peeking through.  I want to color, but then some days the hair is very brittle and mineral-like, so I'm afraid it will all shear off in one cascading catastrophe.  It's shoulder-length+.  

Sorry, no manners, deb