No news

Slightly disappointed about yesterday's trip to the hospital. I thought they were going to give me a viral load result from my two weeks blood test, but they did not take one! The test is clearly very expensive and they only do it when absolutely necessary. So, still no idea how the treatment is working. I can confidently say that I will know next Tuesday. The all important blood has been extracted and is laying in a lab somewhere in St Thomas's Hospital.

Hope

Well, as week four enters it's final days I am feeling hopeful. The recent blood test which revealed my baseline viral load as 1 million was good news on two accounts. When I began treatment before it was at 4 million so one assumes 1m will be easier to be rid of. Secondly 1m was the best drop that I achieved last time and I am pleased that my body was able to keep it at that level - one would normally expect it to rise back to previous levels after coming off treatment. If I do manage to knock the virus down to undetectable, this evidence implies, that it will remain there. Of course the fact remains that last time I could not get rid of that last 1m, but I think I was just exhausted by the process. This time it has not been so onerous. Naturally all hinges on my week four blood test. However I should get some kind of indication how things are going on Tuesday because I will get my week two blood test results back then and I'm hoping for a significant drop in the load. I have been pretty tired this week. Wednesday and Thursday as usual were the worst. Lots of headaches this time. I do worry that as the weeks go on there will be a culmantive effect. That happened last time. The sunny weather helped me keep a positive mood though. I'll post how it goes on Tuesday. Fingers crossed.