I am a 57-year-old white American male infected with Hepatitis C. I am involved in a controlled medical research study by Roche Pharmaceuticals of an experimental Polymerase Inhibitor (RO5024048 also known as RG7128) drug therapy for the virus. This document is the story of my illness and the experience of treatment. My lovely and pretty damn wonderful wife will be contributing her take on the experience as well.

Monday, February 22, 2010

On the Road Again – Yet Another Retest

My lymphocytes are low again and they brought me in for another retest. They are at 410 and anything under 500 warrants a retest as they are being conservative for the purposes of the study. AVB told me that in standard clinical practice the lymphocytes can drop to 350 before they take action. I wish that were the case as this seemingly constant traipsing back and forth for a couple of vials of blood is tiresome.

I realize the complaint is a hollow one. I am, after all, getting a cutting edge and, to this point, extremely effective new compound to attack my Hep C. But after 11 weeks now of being tired and breathless and fogged in the head, it just starts to get less exciting. Even the fact that a whole new set of health care professionals know me by name begins to lose its charm.

The good news is they gave me my latest (week 10) viral load results and I am still UNDECTECTABLE. 3 straight tests covering 4 weeks of time at that level. Keep it up guys, look under every molecule to find those viruses and kill them. There is no peaceful coexistence with this virus. I want them all dead, even to the bits and pieces. There is some small mental exhilaration in having something I can root wholeheartedly to be destroyed, killed, eradicated and just stomped on. Free your inner barbarian and have it join with the RG-7128 aka RO5024048 and just go out and slaughter.

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