New numbers back today and holding the course

[hotpuppy]

I'm mainly posting this because I need to vent.....

As some of you may know I was in a drug study up until last November.  I was summarily booted because my AST/ALT approached 3x the normal high.  No objections, but it's frustrating none the less.  I went off of meds and after about a month my viral load appeared, on the low side no less.

Since then I've been in a watch, wait and see.  I was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease which is a metabolic side effect of HAART.

I got my new numbers back and to my doc and I's surprise they are better then expected.  I've been slowly losing weight which appears to be fixing the liver issue.

My CD4 was at 425 (up from last time) with a 25% which is down 1%.
My CD8 was at 901 / 53% which means my body is still kicking ass over something.  (cd8 is the killer cell)
Viral load was 19.5K which is 50% less than last time.  Not ideal, but certainly under control.

My AST was normal and my ALT is at 82 (55 is the high side) so it's almost normal.

My doc and I decided to stay the course for another 90 days to give my liver time to return to normal.  The discussion went along the lines of:
- HIV guidelines encourage treatment, but I'm stable.
- HIV drugs are hard on the liver and I'm making progress on the factors that contribute to FLD.
- Liver disease isn't pretty and we need to manage appropriately.
- I've really been working on my diet and weight for about 90 days.... so trending should continue with modest weight loss each month.  I've lost 8 pounds in the last 90 days.  

Lastly - I'm not looking for any medical advice.  Please do not attempt to diagnose or sharpshoot the treatment plan that my doctor and I have determined is appropriate for my condition at this time.  

My point of posting was to share what's going on with me, tell someone besides my friends who don't really understand HIV and it's nuances.

I am open to discussing the interpretation of labs and percentages....

[Realist]

Hot, I think you're doing great with the diet/weight.

[wtfimpoz]

Why the vent?  Sounds like you should be thrilled.  The virus isn't moving too quick, you're liver is getting better and you're making progress.  Congrats!

[hotpuppy]

Well, I guess it's just me... but you only get one liver and so any form of liver damage is troubling.  Fortunately I don't drink and haven't done drugs so I didn't tear up my liver before I became poz.

I just was expecting to be able to go on meds and not be hyperconcerned about getting sick.  I guess being off meds makes me acutely aware of my ability to catch a cold or get sick and how that could become a problem.

[AaronbytheC]

WaHoo!!  That sounds like good news to me!  I'd say go out and celebrate but you're dieting and don't drink...    I'm sure there is some sort of treat you can indulge to make it a celebration though!   

[hotpuppy]

WaHoo!!  That sounds like good news to me!  I'd say go out and celebrate but you're dieting and don't drink...    I'm sure there is some sort of treat you can indulge to make it a celebration though!   

Yes.... I bought a 6 pack of sprite.....

My dietary changes mainly consisted of eliminating caffeine from my diet and not drinking Soda.  I also eat more sensible portions and eat at home more often.  The net effect was to trim calories and still enjoy life.

Tonite's dinner will be a Stauffer's entree with a couple of pieces of bred.  Then off to the bank, and gym.  It's filling enough, efficient, and tasty.  I use "I wish it was butter" aka "I can't believe it's not butter" which adds butter flavor without the calories or mess. 

I was drinking kool-aid.. but have since moved to sugar-free kool-aid (grape) and crystal light.  Beats water and no calories beats soda or kool-aid. 

I also allow myself to have snacks.  I have a bowl in the fridge full of candy... and I take a couple of pieces every now and then.  I keep it stocked with different varieties of mini-bars or mini-packs.  I keep frozen M&M's as another snack.... the small packages keep me from eating a half pound of the damn things.... I also keep some ice cream cones on hand. 

So the basic idea is eat what I want within reason and give up the empty calories of soda.

[AaronbytheC]

Awesome!  Have you tried the Sprite Zero?  I love it, doesn't taste "Diety" at all and saves you 150 empty calories with each can!