3 months vs. 6 months post treatment PCR

[Foreign girl]

I am about 2 month post treatment now (Originally 1B with high viral load). I am trying to decide whether to do 3 months post treatment PCR or wait for 6 months? What would you suggest? It's not the matter of money, it's just the matter of whether I want to know now.

Thank you.

Foreign girl.

[ral]

Hey Bill
I love it
Thanks you brought me up. Yes man my hair was my identity but it is ok if I loose it, it will be for a good cause, win, loose or draw. I will be praying for you man. It sounds good already. Let's keep in touch and please tell us as soon as you know your results.

GOD BLESS
Bob L

[DH Bill]

Just looked at OHC site and saw we are both about the same, age 1b, little over half way except I cleared at 24 wks (I think) Won't know for sure til Thurs, nurses voice mail just said she had good news but maybe she was doing a Gieco commercial. I too have a wee bit of a temper and it will be all I can do to hold it on Thurs appoint. Indeed all is possible with God, hang in there and keep looking up.
Hey man, this IS HARD to keep up at times, Oh yah you may relate to this being same age, My hair got wierd so I cut it all off ok. I also normaly have a mustache and beard ok. My beard turned really white lately so I cut it off a few weeks ago ok. Decided to grow it back and it's still very white ok. so for the first time in my life I bought some of that coloring today and applied it ok. WELL I REALLY LOOK STUPID my wife of 32 years keeps looking at me with my almost bald head and fake looking almost beard and mustache shaking her head. Oh man do we of all people need to keep a sense of humor. At least I could wear a hat to work before but the ski mask may be a bit much tomorrow.
Bill

[Indiana]

DO IT. Do that 3 month test. Not for any tx reason, but for the reason of mental health. It will atke a GREAT load off of your minds. If you are still clear then your "odds" go way up again and your will feel MUCH better mentally. Most relapsers do so really quickly. If you are still clear at 3 months then that is a REALLY good sign. It would be nice to know if you should get ready to tip the cows ....or kill them.
DO IT....................

[MajNeni]

I've definitely decided I want the 3-months post test as well as the 6-month; I practically had to beg my doc for it.  Most relapses would show up by by 3 months; so - as a 1 - if you're in good shape at 3 months, you'll have 3 months less to agonize, waiting for the results.  
I just wish I'd get my test results promptly!  I'm still waiting for my end-of-tx PCR results, drawn on Jan.19.  The mailman is coming; if I don't get numbers in my hand today, I'm going to cause a ruckus... Look away, folks, this isn't going to be pretty. Can I still call it Riba Rage? You bet, I can...
Maj Neni

[MajNeni]

The doctor needs to establish whether your husband was clear at the end of treatment, or whether possibly there was a breakthrough.  It would make a great difference in follow-up tx, if needed, whether we have a breakthrough or a relapse after tx.  Relapses would show up by 3 months post tx.   What's one more ***** after all the insults he's suffered?
In any case, I wish you all the best for all undetectable tests at every step.
Maj Neni
p.s. my end-of-tx results are "in the mail."  I hope they're good, and complete.  MN

[willing]

here's an opinion from the "ignorance is bliss" camp. What are you going to do with the results of the test? If, on relapse, you're thinking of re-tx, maintenance IFN, or a follow-up bx, it makes sense to test. If you'd do nothing different, at least for a few years, why test at all? A low-impact, non-rx, antifibrotic regime (eg vitE and other antioxidants) makes sense for most of us regardless of tx outcome since we have scarring to (try to) eliminate. Beyond that I believe it makes good sense to evaluate your QOL independently of the presence of virus. It's easy to make viral load a self-fulfilling prophecy for illness.

The question seems similar to whether to undergo genetic testing, which, thanks to the human genome, will become increasingly common and informative. Say you know there's a history of an untreatable disease with a documented genetic basis in either your mother's or father's family. You may have inherited it. Do you  want to know you have  a predisposition for illness-associated symptoms and a shortened life expectancy though you're unable to do anything to about it?

Besides, there's the whole can of worms about "late relapse". As far as I can tell until we can start to account for patient-to-patient variation in VL we're pretty much guessing at the extent of correlation between serum RNA and infection.

[missers]

My husband and I discussed this very issue this morning.  He did shot 48/48 last Friday and his GI wants him to take a Hemptimax this week, again in three months and then at the six month post tx point. My husband wants to skip this week's test.  I can see skipping this week's test, and we both feel that the past year and a half have been hard and just want to take a break from it all for a while, but if it were me, I'd want to take the 3 month post test. Why torture yourself for three months with it constantly being on your mind.

[DownThisRoad]

Indiana,
Please put on your calendar to remind me of what you just posted here, right now about the post testing, when I finish my treatment in 9 weeks.

I almost positive that I'll need a good nudge and solid judgement from you and others regarding my PCR, post treatment testing.

I do want to know if I'm clear but I don't especially look forward to the day if my GI announces that my bas*ard virus came back.

Wow, what a double edge sword. !!

[Indiana]

Ok baby....ask yourself this...."Did I do ALL I can to beat The Dragon? If so, then there is nothing more to be done. If you are all that worried, then NOW is the time to act. If you feel that a couple of extra weeks of tx would increase your odds then go for it. If not, then just hope for the best. The tx times are pretty good in their own right. For the vast majority of folks they are enough. It's all a matter of how YOU feel about it all. Scared??....Of Course you're scared. We ALL were scared. Even ME! But that can't slow us down. As long as you've done ALL you can then the rest is all acedemic. You were clear at 24? That's good enough. You have an EXCELLENT shot at this for a 1b.
Realize that THIS time you are in now was the hardest for me too. I had all kinds of doubts cropping up. The Dragon was workin on my head. He was "wisperin' in my ears. He said..."you can stop early, you don't need to take all these vitamins, you should have a beer, you've done this long enough, if you keep this up you'll never have sex again(ok, I just threw that one in). But the point is, you are at a VERY high depression time now. You may come up with all kinds of worries right now. DON"T GIVE IN!! Just keep on the course you have chosen. It will all be over soon.
I will still be around somewhere. You can always e-mail me. I remain availiable for those who want encouragement and the truth. You are doing fine so far. Just put on your "blinders" and cruise on down to the finish line. Then, things will get better.
If you can geta 3 moth test....GO FOR IT!  If not, then just look for the 6 month test. It's the 6 month test that REALLY matters.
I'll be around buddy.........................

[ral]

Thanks for the pep talk Indy.

downthisroad I know what Indy is saying about the depression because it is starting to get to me a bit. Being weak, losing my hair, my hearing is messed up sometimes although I tested ok at the hearing Dr, my sight is also messed up and I am not clear I got knives in my back (feels like it). I am going, Is this worth it? My Dr did not want to take my viral load test last time. I know he is thinking Maintenance for this 1b cause I did not clear at 24 wks am at 30 v/l Ul.But I still manage to bring myself back up and know that anything is possible with GOD. But all this worry does bring us down sometimes.

I want my Dr to test me and see where I am at but I feel like he is going to just give me a hard time. He is somewhat behind on tx. I don't want to get in his face because I have a bit of a temper and if I blow we may not have a very good working relationship anymore. Somewhat perplexed on this one. Any suggestions on this would be appreciated.

Thanks and downthisroad we just have to have patience and faith.

Indy Thanks again for your positive attitude. I am sorry I don't have a very good one right now

Bob

[DownThisRoad]

I can already feel this feeling creeping upon me as I am nearing the end of my 48 weeks of treatment.

I'm not sure if I'll welcome the post treatment testing or feel as though I don't want to do the testing.

[mikesimon]

I'd check it now. I would think that if you're clear now you'll probably stay clear. I was type 1 and I relapsed immediately - within 2 weeks I had a high load. I always want to know and sometimes I think I'd be better off not knowing. Whatever you do I wish you the best. Mike