My mom is in town for a few days. It was this time last year when I told her about the Hepatitis C. Wow. A year ago. I remember I had so much anxiety then. I wasn't on the Paxil and I was a wreck. I've since gone through 6 months of interferon and ribavirin and was a rapid responder.

I was supposed to get my blood drawn last week but the kids were sick and the weather turned yucky toward the end of the week so I will do it tomorrow. It's not the official one (that will be in another 3 months).

My spirit is still good and I feel great. I am coming down with a little cold right now, but otherwise, feeling great. I can't say I'm missing the ribavirin (no colds last spring!)!

it's been a while, huh?

Gosh, it's been a while since I've posted. Life is busy and I'm feeling great. I will get my 3 month PCR test this week. The doctor ordered it since all the Nomads get theirs drawn at 3 months post treatment.

My hair is getting a little thicker. My eyelashes don't look so weird anymore (no llama lashes) and my fingernails are back to their brittle selves. I didn't realize my nails were so paper-thin before. But, my skin feels great--no more dry skin. I really hope and pray the virus doesn't come back.

But, the best thing about all of this is my new attitude. OK, maybe the antidepressants help with it, but I do find the good in everyday now.

switched antidepressants

Most people lose weight while on treatment. I didn't. I gained weight and I think it was due to the antidepressants. For whatever reason, my G I doctor only prescribes Paxil or Zoloft to his patients. When I failed on the 10 mg dose of Paxil during treatment he referred me to a psychiatrist. My dose was bumped up to 20 mg. I have to say I felt really great on Paxil but the weight gain bothered me. I don't weigh a lot and most people think I look great. But, my clothes are a little tighter and my waist a little thicker. Yes, I'm vain but I'm also pratical. I don't want to buy new clothes. Besides, I like my old clothes.

So, I contacted my family practice doctor and he switched me to Celexa. I think the generic is citalopram. Anyway, I'm just a week into it and I hope to lose a couple of pounds one of these days. It does help that I feel like exercising and have the energy, to boot!

I still feel like it's a blessing that I went on the anti depressants in the first place. I'm much more "settled" in my soul. I'm a much better parent to my children. I don't get as irritated with my husband! I say to anyone contemplating treatment and you have a history of depression or it runs in your family, go on them. You can always come off the antidepressants when it's all over.

getting my life back to normal...

I'm feeling great. I spent 10 days in France (mostly in Paris) and walked all over the place. Our apartment was up two flights of stairs. I kept telling my sister that 3 months ago, I couldn't have walked up these steps. I wasn't breathless at all. Hooray! I feel better now than I did before treatment.

I will find out about SVR in January.

Liver enzymes back to normal!

I saw the doctor yesterday. All is well. My liver enzymes have returned to normal as well as my CBC. I'm no longer anemic! He will check my PCR in October and then again in January. If the viral load is still undetectable then, I'm cured!

I've learned so much about myself during this last year. I will try to savor each day. I realized I need antidepressants (at least for now) and I'm OK with it. I haven't felt this great in years. I'm a much more patient mom to my kids. The fatigue is almost all gone. I must start exercising regularly to lose the weight I put on. Life is great!

I had to work today and I had energy. I'm hoping all this will just be as blur when I'm old and gray(er).

Stll feeling great!

Well, it's been 3 weeks post treatment and I'm feeling great. I had a softball game last night and I could run like I used to. I will say that I was dog-tired after the game, though. I can't wait to start running and lose this belly that I got from the antidepressant.

I have a job interview today. It's not exactly the job I was wanting but the hours will be great. It's full time but no nights or weekends. And the guy mentioned that if my kids are sick, I would be able to stay home with them, no problem. I've often wondered what I will do once both kids are in school all day. We'll see. If it doesn't work out, I still have the one day a week gig at the hospital doing nuclear medicine. And, that might be enough. Honestly, after all this treatment, I was looking forward to not working with blood anymore. I trust that God has perfect timing and whatever happens is what's meant to be.

The main thing is that I'm feeling almost normal. It's so great. I'm able to concentrate better now, too. I'm so lucky I found out about Hep C and that I was able to undergo treatment. I'm still hoping to get the sustained viral response.

Congrats to Hep C Nomads!

This forum now has 1000 members! It's a great on-line resource for support and information regarding Hepatitis C. I know it helped me before and during treatment. I now get support through the post-treatment part.

It started out as a forum out of England but now has members from Australia to Mexico to the United States and Canada and other parts of Europe. If you are in need of support for Hepatitis C or are on the side lines helping a loved-one, then I would check it out.