Working on week 23 post treatment

I am surprised how quickly the time has passed since I stopped tx. This week I celebrate my 54th birthday and I cannot help reflecting back to my last two birthdays. My 52 birthday arrived and I was dealing with being newly diagnosed, recovering from a liver biopsy and facing treatment. I can remember the uncertainty and thinking “maybe by this time next year I’ll be finished tx.” The days dragged until I had the biopsy results and dragged more until I was given an exact date to start tx. September 21, 2007.

My 53 birthday was a day of struggling to breath, extreme exhaustion and looking forward to nearly seven more months of tx. The extension of six extra months wasn’t in my plan, but who can plan with Hepatitis C treatment? It’s like rolling dice and you can either be lucky or unlucky.

Turning 54 was a relief! I have completed 72 weeks of tx and on my way to recovery from the scourge of injecting and ingesting anti-viral drugs. My day was normal and I spent it with my immediate family. Chocolate cake was the highlight of my day. Friends called and emailed from near and far with birthday wishes. It was so wonderful to feel loved and to have such a hellish two years behind me.

Getting close to my six month PCR. I intend to go the 29th of July.