Hep C Survivors Community Group
A place to share experiences/difficulties after interferon treatment.
Now i don't know about you, But being Diagnosed with Hep C was the most devastating thing in my life, Until of course I found out My ONLY hope of beating this thing was a form of Experimental Chemical Torture!
Well its 6 months after TX for me, Yes I have my Hair back ;oP Which as a women is probably one of the most important things! YES I know We are Vain Creatures! Lol But the main thing is I am FINALLY getting my Energy back. There are STILL Bad days and Often my bones just ache from lingering effects of treatment. I'm Still tired and am Not ashamed to admit I Need a Dam Nap during the day! Interferon Sucked the Youth right out of me! Robbed me of a Year of My Life! TX stole my Job, My freedom, even My Boyfriend. But Slowly I REBUILD and EVERYDAY I Heal just a little more. Undergoing Treatment has taught me patience, perseverance, and revealed a strength within me that i had No Idea even existed. When I think about all the Freakin Injections and traumatizing moments of being trapped in my own body in so much pain i couldn't even stand, I still get angry. And I wonder Couldn't i have learned patience,perseverance, and Strength an Easier way?!
Well No sense i guess in pondering questions that will never be answered right? So I go on and rebuilding after TX has been a SLOW process to say the least. JUST NOW almost 7 months after TX i am finally feeling ready to return back to work, and am Happy to report that I came out of the HEP C CLOSET and told my former boss's why I really left and they offered me my Position Back! I start June 2. They even went as far as to offer me a part time 3 day a week schedule till i gain My complete strength back. How cool is that?! So many things i have to do to get back in the Game and I long for the crazy hustle of My Big City again. Soon I know things will be back to normal and This time in my life just a Memory, a very significant memory of a time when I was forced to Face a serious Monster. And I kicked its Ass!! But not before it Kicked mine! Lol But it only won the battle and I won the war! ;oP
I have been doing a couple things to help speed up recovery and wanted to share them with you here.
1. **Milk thistle Supplement** (which i bought from Botanic Choice) Milk thistle is extremely effective in helping your Liver improve its functions and protecting it from harmful substances that can aggravate an inflame your liver. ( I take 1 after Breakfast and One after dinner)
2. **Multi Vitamin** ( I only take one a day with a meal or snack, thats what my doc recommended. Dont want to put to much strain on the liver with over supplementing)
3.** Steams**- If you can go to a gym or something that has a suana DO IT Sweat that poison out !
4, **Simple short workouts** at 3 times a week.- I do a 20 Min Cardio workout and then Some simple stretching yoga to stretch out those muscles, I also am doing some small weights to regain some of my arm strength. My muscles suffered from those injections. COOL TIP: if you have the "on demand" feature on your cable they have this amazing Exercise tv section where you can play all kinds of great workout videos on demand!
5. **Juicing**- I bought a great juicer from Overstock.com for like $ 45 Everyday i Juice the following
spinach, celery,cucumber,Strawberry,Apples and any other fruit i might have that i want to add. *For the women* sometimes during that time of the month i add some Collard Greens in the Juicer for a little Extra Iron which we loose when we are going through that.
You can Add some Apple Cider to your fresh juice mix to make it sweeter. I find Juicing is a Great way to get essential vitamins from raw fresh fruit. After i drink my fresh juice i get a real boost of energy and it just feels good knowing im doing something extra nutritious for my body. This is especially a great thing for people who don't really enjoy veggies. You can get it all in one shot and have it taste like fruit!!
Well i hope these suggestions help everyone. And Big Hugs to the person who created this Survivor Site! ;oP
Stay Strong EVERYONE
~Jaz~
Well its 6 months after TX for me, Yes I have my Hair back ;oP Which as a women is probably one of the most important things! YES I know We are Vain Creatures! Lol But the main thing is I am FINALLY getting my Energy back. There are STILL Bad days and Often my bones just ache from lingering effects of treatment. I'm Still tired and am Not ashamed to admit I Need a Dam Nap during the day! Interferon Sucked the Youth right out of me! Robbed me of a Year of My Life! TX stole my Job, My freedom, even My Boyfriend. But Slowly I REBUILD and EVERYDAY I Heal just a little more. Undergoing Treatment has taught me patience, perseverance, and revealed a strength within me that i had No Idea even existed. When I think about all the Freakin Injections and traumatizing moments of being trapped in my own body in so much pain i couldn't even stand, I still get angry. And I wonder Couldn't i have learned patience,perseverance, and Strength an Easier way?!
Well No sense i guess in pondering questions that will never be answered right? So I go on and rebuilding after TX has been a SLOW process to say the least. JUST NOW almost 7 months after TX i am finally feeling ready to return back to work, and am Happy to report that I came out of the HEP C CLOSET and told my former boss's why I really left and they offered me my Position Back! I start June 2. They even went as far as to offer me a part time 3 day a week schedule till i gain My complete strength back. How cool is that?! So many things i have to do to get back in the Game and I long for the crazy hustle of My Big City again. Soon I know things will be back to normal and This time in my life just a Memory, a very significant memory of a time when I was forced to Face a serious Monster. And I kicked its Ass!! But not before it Kicked mine! Lol But it only won the battle and I won the war! ;oP
I have been doing a couple things to help speed up recovery and wanted to share them with you here.
1. **Milk thistle Supplement** (which i bought from Botanic Choice) Milk thistle is extremely effective in helping your Liver improve its functions and protecting it from harmful substances that can aggravate an inflame your liver. ( I take 1 after Breakfast and One after dinner)
2. **Multi Vitamin** ( I only take one a day with a meal or snack, thats what my doc recommended. Dont want to put to much strain on the liver with over supplementing)
3.** Steams**- If you can go to a gym or something that has a suana DO IT Sweat that poison out !
4, **Simple short workouts** at 3 times a week.- I do a 20 Min Cardio workout and then Some simple stretching yoga to stretch out those muscles, I also am doing some small weights to regain some of my arm strength. My muscles suffered from those injections. COOL TIP: if you have the "on demand" feature on your cable they have this amazing Exercise tv section where you can play all kinds of great workout videos on demand!
5. **Juicing**- I bought a great juicer from Overstock.com for like $ 45 Everyday i Juice the following
spinach, celery,cucumber,Strawberry,Apples and any other fruit i might have that i want to add. *For the women* sometimes during that time of the month i add some Collard Greens in the Juicer for a little Extra Iron which we loose when we are going through that.
You can Add some Apple Cider to your fresh juice mix to make it sweeter. I find Juicing is a Great way to get essential vitamins from raw fresh fruit. After i drink my fresh juice i get a real boost of energy and it just feels good knowing im doing something extra nutritious for my body. This is especially a great thing for people who don't really enjoy veggies. You can get it all in one shot and have it taste like fruit!!
Well i hope these suggestions help everyone. And Big Hugs to the person who created this Survivor Site! ;oP
Stay Strong EVERYONE
~Jaz~
Perhaps because of my shortened tx time I am not experiencing any of the lingering physical sides that you have described. My hair has grown back in thicker than it was before tx. It even is slightly curly which is strange because I have always had very straight hair. I had some anemia for about 3 months but blood counts have been normal for the last 4 months. I am working out with hand weights and walking on my treadmill regularly. Got our garden in and spend time in it almost daily. Looking forward to when Spring really arrives once and for all so I can get my bicycle out and ride. Overall I am feeling very good physically.
But mentally I am not sure. I have been feeling less confident about everything. And my organizational skills seem to have disappeared. I am easily sidetracked and distracted. I procrastinate on everything and can't seem to stay focused on the task at hand. Before tx I didn't have those problems. Not sure if it is related to tx or the illness last fall. Perhaps it is because I have so many things on my plate but I'm not too sure.
Any thoughts?
Im off Tx for 6 months now, and everything You said hits home for me also, although, I do have a pain in my side, at random times(around my liver)
So glad to be done with that poison, I pray Im Virus free will know next month!
My thoughts are with my fellow warriors who are still suffering!
did work out after TX , eat healthy and took milk thistle
6 month post blood work I was still undetectable
stop eating healthy stop taking milk thistle
I'm going to do every thing I can to make the virus detectable
at my 1 year post blood work. Except drink or do drugs
I'm not going to live in fear of this virus.
Living in fear is a wast of life. If I'm undetectable at 1 year great
if not I will live till I die But I will live not in fear