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.

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Million Pound Shit-Hammer

It is week 24 of the experimental trial; half down, half to go.

Current Condition:

Hair - Thin and White
Body - Thinner and White
White Cells - Thin but recovering
Red Cells - Thin but stabilizing.
Brain – Stabilized on Antidepressants

Which, as it turns out is a good thing as I got the news today that I had been dreading. The week 24 tests came back and the Hep C virus is Back.

They call it viral breakthrough (HCV-RNA falls with treatment, but then rises even though treatment is continuing). My latest viral load number is about 17,000 IU per ml.

This means that they will retest next week and if I am not undetectable in that test, they will stop my treatment under the experimental trial protocol. Needless to say, I am encouraging my body to kick it into gear over the next several days. I will have had two additional interferon doses since the original test was performed and I am holding myself optimistic that I will remain on treatment in the trial.

I have already emailed my gastroenterologist, the good Dr. C, asking him for his take on the efficacy of continuing on the Standard Of Care treatment of Pegasys and Ribavirin outside of the trial protocol and will ask the same question of Dr. B. the trial hepatologist when I am tested next week.

We’ll see how it all turns out, but I am definitely not giving up. Hep C is not going to win and I am going to keep fighting it until I clear it from my body.

I am still in shock about the news, so this will be short. I want to explore the implications more soon, but now I just want to watch mindless TV.

As an added note, Wednesday was my birthday. I’ll have to change my age to 57…

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