Ya know who won't be giving a fuhc v about HCV is me come mid-January! I can't wait to forget about it and totally ignore it. That is my plan. Everybody else got a chance to do it here except me it seems. Who said life was fair? Nobody that's who.

I also believe that they need alcohol-approved drug regimens for people treating for acute HCV that don't have liver problems. You know the haves and have nots. As in I'll have that double top shelf martini with 3 olives and I don't know. Everything. Man it sucks not drinking during the holidays. Doesn't help that I have the cutest neighbor who's been dying to get me out drinking again, which we haven't done since March!! FU HCV -and- Interferon!!

Just sayin'

moi - ten years of TRYING to ignore.... it was always there simmering, trust me. Kind of a slow burn; a constant low whisper --- "try to ignore me - see what that gets you..." and I sure found out.

Shouldn't have said you were "lucky" ECC - you're not; none of us are. Apologize. That was a stupid thing for me to say. We're freaking cursed, as a matter of fact. And truly unfair for you with a totally healthy liver not being able to drink - for all these months and esp. now. It's not like you had a drinking "problem" cuz you didn't. Now you do - you can't drink. Doesn't make sense. But soon you'll be done with this tx stuff - you'll be SVR Eternal - you will.

Lmao. Now I have a problem. Ha!

Ur loved despite ur gypsy hepper curse.

*sigh* I can't win. :O
u know what I meant, right?
drinking wasn't/isn't a problem for you but not being able to IS ......... somethin' like that.

Honey I'm laughing with you. It's just the HCV that's making you paranoid. It causes brain fade, hirsutism, flatulence, mental illness, diabetes, obesity, tooth loss and recital itch too. It's a great dz.

Wow, recital itch - so like when you're playing the piano in front of people you starting itching?

Who, me paranoid? You talkin' to ME? Oh - I don't have diabetes - just found out today from doc - lol - blood sugar of 137 but no diabetes - just sugar coursing thought my veins - sugar on speed fueled by a virus-ridden liver. YEE-HAW!

The rest of those conditions - I have three of them. Your guess.
Sheeeeeee-it.

Well I know the others. That's funny. Recital itch--just saw that. Well I blame every typo and grammatical error on my phone.

Anyway, so will you be treating or not treating in 2013 Cat? Very hard decision for you and most I know. I am concerned, make that very concerned, about seeing you on Interferon with all of your situation going on. At the same, if it's killing you then it's usually worth it to try. Are you in the same to treat or not to treat black hole?

Same black hole, ECC. I have to realize that by doing nothing, as in not tx'ing, this virus continues to destroy my liver function, and its picked up speed in the last few years. Stage 3/4 - usually a no-brainer - you treat while you are compensated. So that would mean, treat.

Then there is the aspect of what Interferon might do to me on mental and physical levels, some of which seem to linger on long after tx. Interferon is not going to be easy on me. You and I both know that. THEN there's the real biggie - tx can exacerbate the progression - and people have gone into ESLD (and over the edge totally) from the tx drugs. Rare, yes. But .. possible. Acc. to my doctor, we won't see it coming if it does happen. No chance to stop it. Age is really not on my side. My head meds are smoothing out, so that's a good thing. I'm not depressed like I was. NOW I have to face reality and do something about it. Or don't. Either way, it's a bitch.

Either way - treat or not - I am in a serious game of Russian Roulette. And who wouldn't be freaked out by this? I know I can't get into a trial because of my distance from EVERYWHERE. I can't afford to move to get near a trial facility.

If I wait for the all orals, my liver could be a small, hard, de-compensated seriously failing organ before I can actually get those new meds. COULD. That's the problem. No way of knowing. However, I am starting to see this from the viewpoint of how fast this progressed in the past couple of years. It took a LONG time for that to happen, like forty years, but clinically, I'm right on the timeline when things go south fast(er). I sense the clock ticking.

I am inching up to "if it's killing me (anyway), it's worth it to try." But I'm not there yet.

So stressful.

As you write it I can see it. Yeah HCV sucks for so many reasons. Well I hope you eventually make the best decision for you whatever that is. I know it must be difficult. Nothing about this damn disease has been. Anybody with me there? lol

Had HCV for probably between 35 or 38 years, still suffering the effects of Interferon (it's a motherfucker of a drug) glad I'm clear, glad I treated.

Glad you wrote, Cloudguard. I remember you writing somewhere here about the hell of Interferon. Since I'm 65, it would seem that it would be very very difficult for me to tolerate. And I'd be on it for 48 weeks, assuming I didn't have to stop for some reason. I can't quite shake the fear of it. I almost get there, then I fall back into thinking it would literally kill me. I am trying so hard to be rational about this - would have been better many to have just jumped into it last summer when I found out my Stage 3/4. In not doing that, I've given myself too much time to learn too much. I don't really see how I can eliminate the fear factor. And that's a hell of a way to go into it.

My age has everything to do with this. I'm sure the HCV has adversely affected other parts of my body by now (43 years of it). So how well will I hold up overall? It's not like I could treat and clear and have 20 years left of a good quality of life. So - I treat and suffer and maybe clear and then spend my real old age, right around the corner in misery - or I don't treat and the same thing happens, just that ESLD starts - ? - who knows when.

People here have helped me with this, and I am very appreciative. I sense that my own doctor thinks tx is not a good idea for me. He told me to take all the time I needed to decide. But more than once he's said, "You have to decide whether you want to essentially give up a year of your life, at this age, going through difficult treatment." Next time I see him, maybe next month, we are going to have a very in-depth conversation. I'll ask him what he would do.

So, as Kramer has noted, my main issue is my own mind - psychosomatic. I am afraid of Interferon (and all the sides of the two other drugs), and I am anxious. But I have good reason to feel that way. My age and general health - not in my favor.

(had a typo in first para - "many" should have been "maybe" - oh well.)

Wanted to add that I am on "new" anti-anxiety (Ativan) and anti-depressant (Celexa) meds. The depression is definitely getting better. The anxiety - not so much, but we can up the dosage if needed.

I want to thank everyone who is trying to support me with this decision. I can't believe I'm still "on the fence" after six months of getting the bad news. So that's not good for the anxiety either. Doc. doesn't want me to put pressure on myself, but I just know this virus is running amok.

They're hooligans for certain.

Great Flow Chart thanks- it gives me reinforcement that I should start Tx this Jan and not wait a few years for the new drugs oh well -evil Hep C