First Hepatitis C viral count after beginning treatment

Just a quick update on Rays last numbers. His viral count when he began treatment was 28 million. After the first blood draw (7 days into treatment) his viral count DROPPED to 50,500. He had labs drawn again this past Friday (Nov. 22) and it will take about a week again to get those back again- there is a 7-10 day delay from when they draw until the results. He is on week three of treatment now. Waiting to get his labs back from Friday with his liver numbers, kidney function, hemoglobin, etc...hopefully tomorrow.

In a nutshell this is a GOOD RESULT! EXCELLENT the study coordinator told Ray. He has had one of the best reactions so far. Remember they said that a cure (0 viral count) within the first 4 weeks was a good sign and would increase your likelihood of the virus not returning.

The prayers are working prayer partners, PLEASE keep it up! Pray, pray, pray that God, this treatment and Rays body continue to battle this terrible virus and finally free his body of it, complete and total healing.

Thanks as always for the words of encouragement, support and just prayer over Ray and this family. Even Riley told someone the other day "my Daddy is going to be free of Hepatitis"...truly I had never even heard her say hepatitis before...she hears, sees and takes in everything. I pray that her and Jackson WITNESS a TRUE miracle!

Happy Thanksgiving to all, we SURE are thankful this year!

Ray and Janet

First set of LABS- 8th day of treatment

Hey all....quick update on Ray today. Duke emailed his FIRST labs today. This was from last Friday...day 8 of treatment. His AST number (the number that first kept him out of the trial-liver number was 366 originally and now is 47. ALT (Another liver number) was near 303 and now is 73. His bilirubin had gotten as high as 3.1  but now is 1.8. Alk phos (another liver number) 412 but now is 282. Platelets were 88 and now are 118 (you want this number to go up not down like the others!). Kidney function 1.5. Been running between 1.7-1.8...kidneys are stable at this time. Red blood cells were not declined as of now.

Numbers are definitely headed in the right direction, a GREAT first report. Hopefully this weeks numbers will be more of the same. Hopefully by Thursday or Friday we will hear the first hep C viral count and PRAY that is decreasing as well. Ray and I were SO PLEASED to hear this first report. The first of much more good news to come I feel like. As I told the girls I worked with today on the playground in was almost SURREAL the words that were coming out of my mouth! He will head to Duke again this Friday for more labs.

 

Will keep you updated!

RAY BEGAN the new drug for the Gilead trial November 8, 2013

Morning all

Here is the update from Fridays visit 11-8-2013 (Joan can you please share with WHO ladies, Carol can you please print a copy to share with Grandma & Granddaddy!)

 

Ray began the drug!!!!!!!!!!! Whoo hoo!

He takes the new drug just once a day, the other drug(ribavirin) twice a day. He was very excited on Friday, all smiles! They did the study randomization to see if he would be 12 weeks or 24 weeks- he received 12. I had prayed about it- not one way or the other but that the Lord would just do his will and we would accept whatever that was. I wasn't disappointed or let down- I just knew the Lord had answered saying "this is my will, this is my plan". Stacey- the study coordinator also said no worries, 12 weeks was plenty of time. She said now places are looking into studying the drug for 8 weeks of treatment because that is enough time to clear the virus. WOW! Stacey also told us that she had been on the phone with Gilead ALL week last week. One day Ray was kicked out of the trial (due to a coding problem..on Gildead's end....so then he was back in the trial...then another day he was back out...coding problem on Dukes end...one day Stacey spent over 2 hours on the phone with Gilead about Ray being in this trial. Finally on Thursday of last week Stacey said she told them "he's coming tomorrow and his IS going to start taking this drug"....PRAISE the Lord for angels on earth who FIGHT for us...even when we don't even know it...we told Stacey good thing she didn't tell us any of that until AFTER we came on Friday.

Ray will travel to Duke for the next several Fridays in a row- 3 to be exact and then it will begin to space out more. Most visits will just require blood work, talking about medication- if he's had an side affects and then dispensing more medication. Some are more in depth with more EKG's, examine, but not many of them.

Next week will be the first blood draw since being on the medication for 1 week. It will take about a week to get the HCV (how much hepatitis is in his blood stream) back after the first week. After that the next few weeks will begin to let us know how his other liver numbers are beginning to come down and get back in check. Stacey did tell us that if Rays body can clear the virus within the first 4 weeks of treatment that was a very good sign and a good indicator that the virus would not reoccur. If he was not able to clear the virus until week 7 or 8 of treatment then there was more of a chance of the virus returning after treatment. Beginning the treatment his HCV (viral count) is 28 MILLION copies of the virus in his blood stream. Gilead knows this drug WILL CLEAR the VIRUS...it is keeping it away- what they are looking for.

We are truly just thrilled that Ray is in the study and has an opportunity he has never had before- ACTUALLY clearing this virus. Our next prayer is that the drug begins working and clearing the virus over the next couple of weeks. I also pray that he is able to tolerate treatment, stay strong, his kidneys remain strong and tolerant and his hemoglobin does not begin to go down anymore. I know a lot of prayers right- but it is ALL a balancing act!!!

We will keep you all posted as we hear more from upcoming labs, etc...it may be a couple of weeks though. Even though he will have labs drawn next Friday it may take up to a week to get results back.

Many have asked how many points did the number drop that was keeping him out of the trial before- it was at 366, then dropped to 360 and then dropped to 281. THAT is the POWER of GOD and healing through prayers!

Thank you all for being such FAITHFUL prayer warriors for our family. We hope that over the next several months that you all can witness ANOTHER miracle in Ray with complete healing of his body!

xoxoxox-Janet and Ray