In late 2005, I had what I thought was the flu. After 5 weeks when it didn't seem to pass, I decided to see a doctor. He did the usual blood work, etc. and he told me that my viral load was above 18 million and probably my HCV had become active. He gave me referral to GI doctor, who happened to be one of the best in the world. This liver doc explained to me that I would have to go through a course of treatment that would last about 48 weeks. I would be taking 2 types of very high powered antivirals, Peg-Interferon and Ribavarin. The Interferon was an injectable I would do every week and the Ribavarin were pills I took by the fist full 3 times a day. I was on the highest dosages allowed due to my weight, virus genotype and being male. I was also told that It would be like a 'mild case of flu'. Wonderful understatement!
I started the treatment in August of 2006. The first 4 months I was more or less functional. I was given a lot of slack at work. After Christmas, I took a leave of absence and then in February, I was let go. I had to move all my medical to the VA, which was fine. Minneapolis VA has one of the best HCV clinics in the world. January rolled around, my body was showing a lot of wear. My hair was falling out, I had ulcers on my body and inside of my mouth, some teeth were coming loose, I had chronic insomnia and my cognitive functions were really compromised. I couldn't make sense of what people were saying to me. I had lost about 75 lbs. and had to force myself to eat. Half the time it came up anyway. My balance was really messed up and I would fall down a lot. The sites I had to inject myself with the Interferon would get very bruised and mottled. I dreaded Saturday morning when I had to give myself a shot.
My wife, who was trying to deal with an adolescent daughter and my illness was working a full time job, hoping she wouldn't come home finding me at the base of the stairs with a broken neck. May of 2007 arrived and I was seriously wondering if I could make it to June. My course of treatment had to go for so long due to the particular genotype of Hepatitis I had. It was 1-A. The most difficult to eradicate. At that point, life went on minute by minute. I never knew you could feel this bad and live.
I bucked up and made it to the end of treatment.......almost. I didn't take my last shot. I really didn't feel much different for about 2 weeks. I had gotten to the point of forgetting what feeling other than miserable was like. One morning I woke up from my usual restless sleep and I was a new man! I felt a capped well spring of energy had blow off! I started in with some mild exercise, walking and just feeling like I had a new lease on life. I latter realized that this is the calm before the storm. Summer of 2007 was great! Early fall I started to see a funk roll in like a fog bank. I fell into a slump I couldn't get out of. I was just white knuckling it hoping it would pass. It didn't, it seemed like it was getting worse all the time. Then I didn't what no alcoholic should do...I drank. Seemed like a good idea at the time. All I wanted was reprieve from the hell hole I was in. What that got me was more drinking. What was worse, my personality had changed with alcohol. I used to be the 'life of the party', a fun guy to be around. I had turned into a violent, angry drunk and my wife was the one taking the brunt of it. This lasted until about January of 2008 and I opted to get into the partial psychiatric hospitalization program with the VA. The performed a battery of test on me and found out the medications I was on for Hepatitis C really messed me up. The popular label is "Chemobrain". The program was 4 weeks worth of group and individual therapy, developing cognitive and memory skills. I have to admit, it helped considerably. During this time I was introduced to a psychiatrist who got me on the right medications to deal with the depression and bipolar disorder. I finally started to function with a modicum of normalcy.
It's been over 5 years now since the 'treatment'. I have lost a considerable about of myself in the process. Though I have marked improvement, I still suffer from side effect's of the antivirals. I still have bouts of insomnia, early onset arthritis, diabetes, short term memory loss, chronic depression, mental stamina to name a few. I still go in for a PCR (virus count) to see if I am still remission and so far, so good. I guess it's a lot better than being on a waiting list for a liver transplant. Holding down a job has been difficult. I just don't have what I used to.
This You Tube discusses the salient points of HCV:
Now for the next step......
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