November 19 - Autumn becomes Winter

Having venti bold coffee and Starbucks seasonal bliss bar this morning. Bliss bar is pretty sweet and pretty good, sort of a dense, slightly ginger cake, with icing containing bits of cranberry. Yum. It’s cold out! Snowed yesterday for the first time. Sweaters, boots and winter jackets, along with gloves and hats, all finding their way to the coat hooks and shelves by the front door. The walk in to work is now chilly and I’m moving more quickly to stay warm.

Four months now (a third of a year!), since completing combo. Went and had my hepatitis A booster immunization (received first shot just before treatment started; am already immunized for hepB through work), as well as my flu shot. Had the 3 month follow-up visit with nurse Sharon and my physician, and all went well. No call back re: the blood work, meaning that everything looking good. At the appointment, nurse Sharon asked me if I’d participate in a study researching health care providers as patients. I’ve agreed to (because I’m just so sure we make the best patients – not!). Will be interviewed at my appointment in January. The 6 month post-treatment pcr at that time is the kicker, obviously. Am trying to focus on other things and not stress about it. Feel so good, to find out the virus had returned would really knock me back. Mustn’t think that way, will just wait and see. Now that so many of us have reached the telling time points around treatment, my mindset is somewhat paradoxical; so happy for those who’ve cleared, so saddened for those who have not.

Life is moving and shaking. Had a very fun Halloween – attended a costume party with friends, thrown by a major Toronto anime group and the costumes were amazing. Dressed up, ate, danced and had a lot of fun. Have contact lenses for the first time - bifocal contacts – totally cool. The periphery around the pupil is dedicated to distance, with close up vision more centred over the inner pupil. The brain adapts to it. Amazing. Attending yoga twice weekly now: the Flow/Hatha session that Barb and I go to Wednesday’s after work, and then a pretty intense, Ashtanga-based class on Thursday evenings with my friend Ligia. Still having Shiatsu treatments about every two weeks. Allison says that my flow is unbelievably better and now concentrates on stretching and energizing, as compared to the healing and maintaining she concentrated on while I was on treatment. Work is crazy busy. We’ve just incorporated some very new technology that’s taking some getting used to, but it’s exciting and fun to be part of it all. The team of people I work with are really wonderful, the work I do is fascinating and I look forward to going in each day. Feel very fortunate.

Have been inhaling music. James was recently kind enough to put together a trip hop “variety pack” cd for me. Purchased the “Garden State” soundtrack and I can’t take it out of my discman – has everything from Thievery Corporation to Frou Frou to Nick Drake. It’s really good. Also recently picked up cds by Feist and by Bedouin Soundclash. Loving it all.

Still checking the blogs and forums about once weekly. Like to hear how my hepc compatriots are doing. Will keep going strong and staying positive, attempting to minimize the waiting game around pcr testing.

Pics this blog are of Kensington Market over the last few months. It’s probably my favorite part of Toronto, so gets first city show. Will focus on a different district next month.

Sue