Monday, April 23, 2012

"Almost" Is Not Enough

Aw man!  I'm not one yet... No "undie" this month.  I'm not undetectable. But almost...



Good news!
My viral count is less than 43 copies!
I went from 5.5 million to 43!
Yippee!

What does this mean, exactly?
  1. My body is responding to the triple therapy.
    BIG SMILE! Praise God!
  2. My treatment duration is no less than 48 weeks.
    Not so big a smile. I was prepared for this.
Based on my genetics, my doctor predicted that I would not be an "undie" at 4 weeks and that my treatment duration will likely be 36-48 weeks.  That still remains true. 

More concretely, according to my Mayo Clinic team,
my treatment duration is 48 weeks. 

You see, only "undies" at 4 weeks get a 24 week treatment duration.
4 weeks down, 44 to go!
Let's get on with it!

Each month my viral counts get tested.  Next month, I hope to be an "undie!"  I'm almost there!

Thanks for your prayers!  They are felt and are powerful!  I pray I achieve "undie" status in the next 4 weeks - and remain there for the duration!

Posted by at 6:08 PM

6 comments:

  1. joyApril 25, 2012 at 1:50 AM

    That is awesome.. slow and steady wins the race! I'm happy for you!!go shellie go!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShellieApril 30, 2012 at 4:57 PM

      Thanks for reaching out, and for your thoughts and prayers. I shall persevere! (What choice do I have? LOL!)

      Delete
  2. LauraApril 28, 2012 at 1:28 PM

    That is amazing news! Congratulations! Praying that the next 44 weeks go easier on you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LynetteApril 29, 2012 at 3:58 AM

    Shellie~

    I am so sorry you have to endure this treatment. My husband also has HepC and we have just completed his first week of Ribivirin and Interferon. He will add Vectrelis in the coming weeks and hopefully erradicate this virus that he has had since he was a young boy. (He'll be 60 this year.) I am thankful to have found your blog to help me in my preparation for what lies ahead. We have been through treatment 3 times before, but not with the new medicines and we are praying for success!! My husband is also a liver cancer survivor and we have a blog as well, www.don-n-lynette.blogspot.com. I am going to update it soon to share his most recent treatment journey.

    Good luck to you and I'll be watching for your undie news!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShellieApril 30, 2012 at 4:57 PM

      Thank you for sharing your story Lynette! I'm glad my blog can be an encouragement! And I'm encouraged by you too! I will become a "Follower" of your blog and hope and pray for your husband's full recovery!

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)