Difficult Year since Treatment Ended

The BEST news was achieving SVR ..... My skin took 9 months to become soft and elastic and silky and moisturised again........

I stayed on the Citalopram 11 further months since treatment end, and decided, after a lot of reading about it, reduced the dosage over a period of about 2 months. It happened that at week 3 of the reduction, my father's heart failure got worse, and after a few weeks in hospital, and 4 days at home, he died, peacefully, with me at his bedside. I was due to stop all medication 3 days after that, and I wasnt going to allow my father's death, stop me doing that. I'd worked hard on that reduction; I wasnt going to blow it, just because I felt sad. Brandy worked perfectly well !!!!

From stopping the Citalopram I had perhaps 3 weeks of strange feelings in my head, particularly when I'd turn my head to the left or right, or turn my eyes to the left or right......which made me hear the sound of wooshing .....I knew it was just the discontinuation syndrome. There was no depression or jitteryness. I felt happy, and relaxed, perhaps so relaxed that fatigue started to set in, which was quite frightening. I'd never experienced such severe fatigue in my life. I got through it, rested in the day...and it got better...

My weight, since treatment for the HepC ended, went up and up; I increased from 62kg during treatment to 74kg one year after. I'm convinced the ADs caused this weight gain....I couldnt seem to lose the weight after coming off the ADs either......Lately, I've been trying to stop eating so much, andI'm now 69.5 kg, (Sept 09) but need to get down to 60kg . My fatigue did improve alot, but I get periods of intense tiredness, which does pass, if I a)rest b)concentrate on something.

The weight gain can't have done my joints any favours. Been suffering with hip pain since during and after treatment, up to around 2 months ago. This has gone now, which I'm so happy to report !! I can bend, like a rice picker.

One of the most terrible things though, since my father died, was losing my cousin Myke. It was such unexpected news, and so devastating to all the family, that he died. Then 1 week later, my dog Buddy died, after a 2 month illness.....the vet didnt diagnose correctly, and was seeking to treat the illness which they discovered in the course of investigations; but Buddy was dying, from a fatally growing tumour, undiagnosed, and only upon post mortem were they able to see what actually killed him. His funeral was at our home, in our garden, which was so very much BUDDY's garden, and he was buried by the boys, (Jem, Leon, Diva)....whose labour of love made it possible to have him buried at home at all, as the grave needed to be very deep, and the earth is made of clay.... !!!!! Thanks Barbra Streisand, Randy Newman, Micheal Jackson, and The The, for songs of yours we played over the day.

In his memory, and to help us in our grief, we planted a japanese Red Maple tree right over his grave; I derive incredibe solice from being able to glance over to his grave and to the tree, and to say Buddy, I love you so much XXX

My mother after months of trying to sell their flat in Bournemouth, in the last few months of my father's life, did finally sell, and buy in London, and in July, finally did so, and is living not too far away from us, in North West London...actually not even half a mile from where I was born.

Sept 2009

Months later.....My hair is normal.......where it's very straight..I use velcro curlers....theyr'e brilliant !!!

My skin is soft, silky, greasy like it should be, and no longer sensitive to the sun.

My weight has been a problem. Since stopping the SSRIs (Citalopram 20mg) in January, my weight hasnt dropped.....it's gone up and up and up. From being around 62kg during treatment (mainly because my partner/husband has shopped, cooked.....then left the washing up to me......

Once 74 kg, I am now 69.5 kg. My normal weight, as people know me is 60kg.>

My good news at 8 months

Post treatment, almost 8 months, and I finally got the wonderful wonderful news.......HCV RNA not detected.......

The amazing wonderful thing although not as amazing as the news itself is that the test was done on the Monday, and the result was back by the Thursday......3 days? Now that's a record surely !!!!!

virus UNDETECTED as at 12 weeks post tx

Phew.....I kind of knew that having an ALT lower than it had ever been, was a very good sign....so I expected the good news I had today....but it was still a lovely surprise, and I feel very blessed.

xxxxx

14 weeks post treatment

As you can see from the picture, my hair is growing......

but UPWARDS !!!! Get down !!!

My tiredness and headfog have COMPLETELY gone, except for a sleepy period around 2pm; other than that my energy is normal again, I'm sleeping incredibly well, I dont get the kicks, except when I'm tired, and my skin is pretty much back to normal except for a sore spot on my left shin. I use Elocon cream once a week on that. I've put on almost a stone since last year, and it has GOT to come off !!! My tummy is f ...ing huge. I was a size 12 last year, when I should really be a 10, and now I'd be comfortable in a large size 14.

I had an ECG a few weeks ago, which was normal; I definately had chest pains during tx, probably due to my Hb, but this obviously hadnt led to a heart attack. However, not 2 days afterwards, my heart started behaving like a percussion group warming up. Very irregular! I didnt go to the doctor, because I was too scared to. A week later after daily constant irregular heart beat with no respite, my heart got back into its rhythm, and it's pumping nice and easy again. I put it down to my bloods coming back up to normal....but who will ever know.

I have my VESTIBULAR SCIENTIST appointment on Tuesday 13th May. The one for 9th April was postponed by the hospital the day before.

I noticed when I was tired a couple of days ago, my balance was worse. They definately seem to go hand in hand. Though I now think it's due to the Citalopram, which I dont intend to come off for a while. I'm feeling anxiety free for the first time in a LONG time.

I've left a message with my nurse at the Royal Free and I await the result of the PCR test today which I had 15 days ago. The ALT came back the same day, lower than it'd ever been (15), and that's a very very good sign. My HB is back 13, and probably rising still, and my bloods are all in normal range., except for the lymphs which are a bit low.

So I'm looking forward to the good news with fingers X'd....

Never been so fat !!! 10 weeks post tx

Oh dear !!! I thought it wasnt possible to put more weight on....thought I'd kept it on well during treatment....I certainly seemed not to be one of the ones who was "lucky" enough to lose 2 dress sizes during treatment. I stayed well covered, maintaining my already oversized size 14, when I should be a size 10. Trouble is, I've done what happens to everyone else AFTER treatment, and gone and put loads of weight on, so not content to be a size 14, it seems I'm now pushing for a size 16...Well I simply wont have it !!! (but seems I will) ...if only it didnt feel so uncomfortable, and of course all I can think about is what my Mum and Dad are going to think when they visit London in two weeks time....so i simply MUST go on a crash diet.

.....My Tummy feels SO massive !!!! I look 7 months pregnant.....None of my clothes fit. I guess it's the citalopram. They say ADs makes you a bit sluggish, and I'm not that ball of energy I was before ADs, all nervous and worried the whole time.

My appointment with the vestibular scientist has had to be moved, from April 9th to another day, because the doctor is off sick, and I'm now awaiting a new appointment. My dizziness is not as bad as it had been, but I'm definately still off balance, but I'm not convinced that ADs dont contribute to the dizziness further, although this dizziness was bad before I started ADs, before treatment, but while I was drinking, but continued after I gave up drinking, and it seems my brain may have been permanently affected. Anyway, I would be interested to see how I'd be without the ADs, but am not prepared to give them up yet.

Been visiting Clive, before and after his transplant. He's done so well....Text book success, and it makes me confused as to why I allowed my HepC to go on 5 more years after I was diagnosed, without going for treatment to get rid of it....I simply did not want to give up drinking alcohol, and I knew I had to stop drinking before embarking on tx, but it wasnt because I wanted to save my liver. It was because I felt f.....g terrible every day from drinking too much.

The question is though, am I able to not drink now my treatment is over ???? I had given it up 2 months before starting treatment.....Red wine just touches the parts nothing else reaches....but it also causes liver damage, and I could end up like Clive needing a liver transplant one day, but not being fortunate enough to get one. Am I stupid enough to start drinking again...??...it's a mental problem, and perhaps I should get back to AA meetings.

I go for my week 12 post treatment PCR. I hope it shows no virus....I hope I dont have a virus, but am I strong enough to abstain from alcohol......??