Devon Nicholson’s week 32 experimental treatment update was filmed May 26th 2013. He is feeling nervous and anxious this week as he has his first post Incivek medication Virus test conducted at the Ottawa hospital on May 15th during his 31st week of treatment.

The Virus test blood work was sent to a different lab however his liver enzyme level testing was done at the Ottawa Hospital. Although Nicholson had weekly liver enzyme blood tests done during the first part of his treatment he now has it done every 14 week. Nicholson’s Hepatitis C nurse informed him on May 24th that although his liver enzyme levels are drastically down since the beginning of treatment his recent test results are showing that they have jumped up slightly.

Nicholson’s medical team has informed him that it is not uncommon for liver enzyme levels to “jump around” while on treatment due to the amount of oral medication a patient has to take during therapy.

Not only do patients have to inject multiply oral tablets a day as part of the treatment but there are often many other medications taken by mouth that pass through the liver that can lead to increased liver enzyme values. Some of these medications are used to fight the itching, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, nausea, diarrhea and other side effects associated with treatment.

Although Devon is having a tough time fighting the stress, physical side effects and outside issues effecting him related to his treatment he is staying as positive as possible and is determined to complete the full 36 weeks of the intense pharmaceutical treatment his specialist has prescribed him.