Treatment Advancements: How Far We Have Come

Today I received my first Covid vaccine shot.  As I sat there after receiving the injection, I realized the impact one may have for getting their hep C treatment. 

I was sitting there and thoughts of possible feelings came through my mind.

The mind is a powerful thing

I didn’t know if I was making this up in my head or if I actually was beginning to feel the tingle in my hands. The more I waited for 15 minutes to safely leave, I began to feel other things, such as needle pricks in my arm. 

As I rubbed the arm where I “thought” I was having this sensation, it dawned on me that it was all in my head.  I really was actually not feeling tingles or needles.

Our minds are powerful things. They can create things or objects that we truly may think we feel or see when in reality, we don’t.

I can remember being nervous to start treatment with an older medication called Interferon.  They would prep the patients with videos and mental health evaluations. 

They made sure we were fully aware that this treatment was not a cakewalk. There were some not-so-great reports from people who took it.

I knew back in 2010 that this was my only hope. I really did not care about the side effects of this treatment. 

I wanted to live. I wanted to survive what ultimately took my mother's life. 

Ignoring medication warnings from others

The warnings I heard went through one ear and out of the other. I lived through those horrible side effects firsthand and did so for 12 weeks before being pulled off for non-responding.

Ultimately The treatment was not working for me. 

I was devasted. There was no other cure and I felt like I was seeing my fate real fast. I was scared to death. 

I begged my doctor to stay on, however, he stated that it would only do more damage to my body. He kept telling me to trust him.

New treatment options are so much better than the old

It was a couple of years later that I did a clinical trial on Solvaldi and Ribavirin.  I had no issues then. 

My body took to the medication just fine. Ribavirin has a bad reputation, as well as being the “rage pill”, but for me, it was nothing like Interferon days. 

I battled side effects however I still worked, did my mom stuff with my kids, and tried to keep life as normal as possible.

To those getting ready to treat on the newer regimens, do not be leery or afraid. These newer treatments are nothing close to the older ones, from what I have read. 

In fact, one pill once a day is the most common dose and for myself, the common side effect is mild headaches. Again, nothing like those Interferon days.

It is ok to be cautious but I am here to say that these treatments are a godsend. People are raving about their easiness and how quickly treatment is. Long gone are the days of doing 48-52-week treatments.

Keep your mind clear, focused, and try to realize when it is trying to play tricks on you. Just like today at my Covid vaccination appointment.

I was by no means feeling what I thought I was. I turned my thoughts positive 4 hours after my injection.

I am doing good. Feeling good and feeling positive.