Finally...

This article states the U.S. Preventative Task Force has finally decried every adult 15 + needs to be tested for HIV at last once in their life.  The reasons they cite are sound & they mention the amount of infected people who are unaware they're +. 

The 1 time thing is only for people with no recognizable risk factors.  There are too many instances when people fail to recognize the risks of a given situation.  They might very well have been taking part in a risky behavior & never viewed it as such.  Therefore they never got tested.

This could prove enlightening for a lot of people.

Cya...

Pondering...

It's supposed to get warm today, like into the upper 80's F.  I"m wondering if it will.  What will it be like this Summer, pleasant or hella-hot? 

My foot is acting up a bit today.  I'm curious if I slept on it wrong & it's just sore or something else.  I'm hoping it's not a warning of an upcoming flare-up of gout.

The old cat is weird today.  He didn't poo outside of his box today (yeah!).  Everyday he gets older & I know it's only a matter of time before he's no longer here with us.  To be honest, the way he's been looking, I'm surprised he still is.

A set of noisy neighbors moved out yesterday.  I'm sort of happy, but not.  Yeah, they we're loud, but the next set could be worse.  They could be louder, more religious, have more children, etc...  It's weird to see the place empty.

My roomie's car insurance bill arrived.  Luckily we have the funds to cover it. Still, I wonder what bill's coming next.

This pondering crap is tiring.   The problem is for the most part I can't control any of these things.  I wish I could, but I can't.  Here's hoping for some smooth waters for a while.  We could use them.

Cya...

Slow Net, Noise & Hellshitz...

Not having a great day here.  I wasn't feeling that well yesterday.  I was feeling better this morning until today's frustrations kicked in.  The net is moving at a crawl & my typing looks awful because it's not getting all the spaces I'm typing.  Add to that my neighbors have decided it's let's be-loud-as-hell day.  They've got moving trucks, screaming babies, dogs, loud children & of course lawn mowers.  Woo hoo for me.  I just love listening to other people's racket.

To top it all off though, my old cat has a new trick.  It had happened before but we thought it had been another cat.  Besides his ability to imitate a fountain with vomit, he can also use his ass as a gateway to some hell dimensions of rancid loose shit.  The smell was horrible.  It was immediately cleaned up, but the damage was done.  The horrid stench lingered for over an hour.  I've cleaned a lot of litter boxes & nothing ever smelled like that.   Thank you old cat for expanding my knowledge of nasty odors.

I'll type more tomorrow.

Cya...

Don't Tell Me You're Safe...

This may seem a little off point, but it isn't.  Just got around to watching this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy,  Sleeping Monster (S09e21).  In the previous episode an intern was on the verge of being fired for spreading an infection to patients due to taking part in an operation while she was ill.  All signs pointed to this intern until Dr. Bailey had her go through her surgical notes.  As the story plays out, more cases of the infection emerge.  The intern was only present at 1 of the operations.  So, it wasn't her.

After studying the surgical notes, only 1 person was present at every surgery, Dr. Bailey, herself.  The board acts quickly & the CDC is called in, but still the other patients die from the infection.  Bailey is taken off of service & is repeatedly questioned about every detail of the surgeries.  

Bailey is carrying the MRSA bacterium & has contaminated these patients.  She was the cause.  However, it still shouldn't have happened.  The reason she was able to spread MRSA & probably how she, herself, was infected was by using a newer type of surgical gloves that were defective.  

Even though she did everything by the book.  Even though she scrubbed meticulously.  Even though she was caring, considerate & capable.  She still passed the bacterium that killed these people.  Was it her fault?  No, it wasn't.  It was due to faulty gloves.   Regardless, it won't  change the fact those patients are dead, she is infected & feels responsible for those deaths.

Grey's is just a TV show, but the metaphor is obvious.  I don't care how safe you think you play, you're not safe.  You aren't safe from HIV or any other STD.  You could make a mistake.  Your partner could be lying or ignorant.  The condom could be faulty.  In this day, there is only safer sex, not safe sex.  This is why education & testing are so important to deal with HIV.  Without prevention & testing measures there will be no end to the virus, no matter how careful people may be.

Cya...

Still Hating The Van...

We had to run some errands today over to Fort Smith.  Shouldn't have been any issue at all, but it was.  It was lightly raining & every idiotic driver was on the road.  We got through our errands easy enough & started to head out for home.

Then the driver side wiper blade bowed out away from the window.  Of course it does this when I'm 30+ miles away from home.  We stop at Wal Mart & buy a new blade.  Mind you, I just had this 1 replaced less than 3 months ago.  

Here's where the issue is.  I can't get the damn thing on.  I asked a mechanic working there if he could.  He couldn't either.  Another mechanic comes over & can't get it on & says we'll need to check in for anyone else to look at it.  So we get checked in & yet another mechanic has to come over before we can get the stupid wiper on the van.  

I hate the van right now.  I seriously didn't need that ridiculous car to throw another fit after all it's been doing lately.  Never ever ever again will I trust an American car.

Cya...

Yesterday Was OK...

I didn't do much of anything yesterday.   There was an issue with my med refills arriving, but it's supposed to be handled today.  I needed the day of nothing.  I was literally spent, running on fumes.  Between being stressed & the allergies of the season my health was not at it's best.

I slept reasonably well & managed to get morning exercises done.  I got breakfast & so far it's been OK.  I'm not planning anything big today.  I've got some cooking to do & a shower still to get, but that's about it.  I hope another day of doing very little will have me feeling back up to par.  Well, at least up to par for me.

Sometimes you just have to back up & withdraw for a bit so you can pull yourself back together.

Cya...

Chilly Trash Day...

The rain cooled us back down again.  We need the rain, but the chill was a little less than pleasant.  Other than taking out the trash today, I'm not doing much.  Right now, my roomie & I are just trying to get past the stress of the last week.  We will, but it's been tiresome. 

We both have our ways of dealing with stress & that's great when you have time to breathe & think about them.  This last little bit kept us spinning so much there was little time for deep breathing & focusing.  Still, we're getting through it.

Here's hoping most of the stress & unwanted BS went out today with the garbage.

Cya...

Enough Sad Stories...

The tail end of 2012 was hard in my house.  Very little went right & a whole lot went very wrong.  I'd really hoped 2013 would hold better tidings.  So far, it hasn't.

There have been:

• Repeated pharmacy issues
• Doctor issues
• Animal issues
• Issues with plumbing
• Issues with taxes
• Continual issues with the house
• Ongoing issues with the cars

All of this has left me very stressed.  I'm doing my best not to let it crush me, but some days that's very hard.  Even though for the moment, things seem under control, it doesn't matter.  Even if they are settled, I'm taxed, spent & exhausted even.

I'm doing my best to come up with better strategies to handle these matters & the anxiety that comes with them.  But, for some of them, I just don't see a way around being emotionally spent.  This constant drain is having an impact on my roomie & me.  Neither of us has been up to par.

Being this emotionally exhausted makes it difficult to sleep, concentrate or do much of anything.  This isn't good for either of our health.  Here's hoping Spring will be less taxing than this Winter was.  I need the rest.

Cya...

Spent...

Today has been stressful.  We're still dealing with the van & it's issues.  Turned out there was a reason why the radiator was busted.  The transmission cooler was rubbing against it because a bracket had broke.   This fix was going to tack on an extra $300 US.  Luckily, after spending  quite a while at a salvage yard, we found the part for 35$.    Between this & our other errands I'm too tired to focus on this today.

Cya...

New Approach...

This article talks about a new approach to directly administer HIV meds to the brain.  Due to the blood-brain barrier very few meds can actually reach the virus hiding in the tissue.   Making the brain a great hiding spot for HIV.  There are other places were the virus can hide as well but the brain is potentially the most difficult to treat.  If this approach is perfected it could alter treatment for not only HIV, but other illnesses where the brain is directly affected, yet hard to treat.

The article was rather brief, but promising.  I'll be keeping my eye on this research.  At this stage it wouldn't work for me.  It's based on AZZTP, which as far as I can tell is related to AZT.  I'm very reactive to that medication.  However, maybe this is just the 1st med they've tried with using this procedure.  Could prove interesting.

Cya...

More On The Tulsa Dentist...

This article says that at least 60 patients of this dentist have tested + for hepatitis and/or HIV.  That only includes those people tested so far.  Of the over 7,000 possible patients contaminated only a little over 3,000 have been tested at health department facilities.  

With that we can expect about double the current number.  That means at least 1% of this dentist's patients were exposed to these viruses.  Would you care to play with those odds?  I wouldn't.  Guess what?  You're the 100th patient & you get a big surprise.

The investigation & testing is ongoing.  Now these people have to get anyone in their lives tested who could've been exposed via them.  All of this could've been avoided if this dentist just followed protocols.  

Cya...

@#!*% Van...

I'm seriously cussing the van right now.  It had been making weird stains on the drive, but they weren't oil.  Turns out the radiator is rapidly dying.  As we were headed out this morning, there was a puddle of green in front of the van.  

We were headed out to go shopping, but took the van to mechanic's 1st.  Glad we did.  It needs a need radiator.  The part won't get in until Monday & it's going to cost almost $400 US.  I hate this car.  Correction, I hate American cars.  Everyone I've ever had to deal with has screwed me over.

I've drove my Japanese cars & those with Japanese engines into the dirt. But my American cars have failed me every time.  So Detroit, you want me to buy an American car, not likely.  But, if you really, really want me to buy American made, then try making a car that isn't a piece of crap.

Luckily we can cover the bill, but we really didn't need to be blowing the $ on this.  No more Dodge, No more Ford, No more Chevy.  I'm done with those junkers.

Cya...

What The...

I was just writing about it being too warm for my sake.  I spoke too soon.  The windows were open & a fan blowing when I went to bed.  I woke up cold.  The temperature had dropped & storms had rolled into the area.

We have the potential for some serious thunder storms today.   The lights are already flickering & the net is lagging.  This will have to quick today.

Oklahoma has been weird(er) lately.  The weather's been jumpy, even for us.  The plants aren't behaving normally.  To top it off, we're having earthquakes again.   Nothing big, but a lot of them.  Some of them up to the 3.0 range.  I think Oklahoma's trying to shake off Texas & drop it into the sea.  Great, we'll have ocean front property in Oklahoma.  I'd have to move, we couldn't afford the taxes after that.

I see a lot of wasp near my window.  I think they're trying to stay warm while they hunt.  As long as they aren't too near, wasps don't bother me.  They hunt spiders & other pests.  Most the spiders these types hunt are poisonous, so more power to the wasp.

There went a big light flicker, so I'd better get this done.

Cya...

Warm Night...

Last night was the 1st warm night of the year.  I had my windows open & a fan going.  It was just on low, but still it was on far earlier in the year than I wanted it be.    I hope we cool back down just a bit.  I'd like a real Spring.  I don't want to jump straight into Summer.

We've only had the grass mowed once & Irises are just now starting to bloom in our area.  Still, it was nearly 90 F here yesterday.   That's way too hot, too early.  Most predictions have above normal for temps this Summer.  It seems like the really hot & dry will be west of us this year.  I hope so.

Cya...

Errands & News...

I have some errands to run today.  The van needs it's oil changed.  Afterwards we're running to Fort Smith to look at some things.

On a positive note, my roomie's endeavors seem to be going along nicely.  She got some word today about setting an appointment.  It didn't quite work out as planned, but it's a start.  At least the issue caught early & not later.

I'm not going to talk about this much, but for all the people involved directly or indirectly with the bombing in Boston, my best wishes go out to you.  I can only hope this resolved as quickly as possible.

Cya...

Monday Things...

We've done some shopping & had planned on running some errands but those have been postponed until tomorrow.  I have some yard work & other household stuff I need to take care of today.  The article pool has been shallow lately of anything I've cared to cover.  At least I slept well last night.  

The pharmacy called for my refill today.  Great, I get to be nervous about that until next Wednesday when the order is supposed to arrive.  We'll see.  I'm not holding my breath.

It's really beginning to feel like Spring here, even though there's still a couple of cooler days in the forecast.  Hopefully, we'll have a good season.

Cya...

Yeah, The Yard Is Mowed...

The lawn guy finally showed up today.  I'm very happy about this.  The yard was getting way too high.  Soon, I'd been able to cut & bale it.  A neighbor cat was stalking through it earlier today.  She was probably hoping to find big game in the tall grass.  She's pregnant & could probably eat some fairly substantial prey.

The grass had gone seedy & the pollen was getting intense.  I'm glad he got here today, we have a fairly good chance for rain tonight.  It was already pass my knees in some parts.  Another rain would've given it even more of a growth spurt.

I know, a mowed yard is a small thing, but I'm still very happy it's done.  Even more thrilled by the idea I didn't have to do it.    The yard looks presentable again.  At least for the time being.

Cya...

A Change In The Weather...

We're warming up around here.  With Spring comes some changes I'm not happy to see.  I'm already tired of the allergens.  The weather & light changes are making my sleep weird.  I'm sleeping, but I still don't feel rested.  

The yard guy hasn't been able to mow due to rain & whatever else is in his life.  I hope he gets here soon, the yard's turning into a jungle of seedy grass.  Who knows what's living in some of the taller stuff.  Yet, still no blooms on the Tulips or Irises.  

The seasonal change will settle down soon enough.  Right now we're just stuck in that weird place of not being warm of to open windows & put away blankets, but too warm to be comfortable under blankets.  Another few days of this stuff & I'll definitely have to start using my allergy meds again, yuck!   

Sleep issues, allergies & dehydration have left me tired & achy.  At least I'm still getting most of my exercise.  Without that I'd be stiff as hell.   

Cya...

Another Friday...

We went shopping today & things are going well.    I heard from social services & my benefits were renewed.   They cut me back about $10 US which wasn't fun news, but apparently everyone got cut.  Still bites.  It could've been worse though.

Allergy season is here & I'm holding out as long as I can to really take my meds for them.  I'm not sure which is worse, the allergies or the meds.  They both suck.  

At least for this moment, nothing is falling apart, demanding our attention or costing unforeseen $.  That alone makes this a good day.

Cya...

.

Getting Out For A Bit...

We're headed out for a while today.  The roomie has hit a mile stone in an endeavor & quite frankly I've got cabin fever.  So we've opted to head out for a bit & see what we can come up with today.  Nothing big, but still it beats being stuck indoors.

I'd like to reiterate, we as people need to recognize & acknowledge our achievements, even those not so huge or important.   We need to build ourselves up, because most often, nobody else is going to do it for us.  There's enough in this world tearing us down, so we have to take every advantage we can of things to boost us back up.

I really hope everyone has a great day.

Cya...

Last Little Cold Front, Maybe...

The weather's not great here today. We've been under a severe storm watch for hours. So far, all it's done is drizzle.  Still, my net speed is dismal.  So it's probably storming pretty good some where nearby.   Other than the dreary weather, everything seems to be going pretty well today.  I'd like to have posted more, but the net is screwing with me, so I'll let it slide today.  

Have a great day.

Cya....

Fair Day...

Today has actually been fairly decent.  Other than when our older cat turned into a vomit fountain in the living room & it needed to be cleaned, things are going well so far.  It was the 1st day in over a week, that hadn't involved us having to do something, having crappy sleep or being stressed out.  

There's some possible foul weather coming later, but for now, I'm maintaining rather nicely.  I've done about half my exercise & have only a couple other chore type things left to do.  I'm purposely not adding any more to my plate.  I don't need any more irritation after these last few days.

I hope every one is doing well. 

Cya...

A Little Spent...

Had to go shopping today.  Since we hadn't heard back from our yard guy, we decided to go price mowers in Fort Smith.  I could get the prices online, but I wanted to see them so I could tell how well made they were.  

After a slightly annoying drive over, we stopped to get something to eat.  We were hungry & I needed to take my meds.  We were just about to head out & start comparing mowers when my roomie's phone rang.  It was the mower guy.  We may have wasted a trip to Fort Smith, but at least he said he could mow for us.  

I had psyched myself up for having to do the mowing, but I'm really glad he's going to do it.  Besides the $ of buying a decent mower, there was still the physical act of doing it.  I think I could do it, but I really don't want to push & wind up sick.

Another bump in the road passed.

Cya...

Possibly More...

It's Springtime & with that comes lawn mowing.  We've had a guy to do that up to now.  He's really the only person we can afford.  We called him today & he's not sure if he'll be able to do it this year.  This sucks.  That most likely means that we will have to handle this ourselves.  

That entails us buying a mower, keeping it maintained & dealing with weed eating.  The $ is an issue.  The more prominent problem is whether or not we can physically handle it.  This is a large lawn, a fact I'm not too happy about.  It's also an uneven lawn with many mowing issues.

We won't know until tomorrow whether or not the yard guy can do this or not.  I'm really hoping he can.  We can probably handle it ourselves.  But, I'd rather it have been a decision we made for ourselves than something forced upon us.

Cya...

Mass Testing & Impersonal Results...

This article details how people involved with the Tulsa Dentist fiasco will be informed if they are found free of  HIV & Hepatitis.  Both are standardized letters, but the 1st takes into consider the patients last appointment with the dentist was before September, 2012 & that they will need no further testing regarding this matter.

The 2nd also states the tests came back negative, but since they're last appointment was later than September 2012, they will need further testing in the future.   This test will be repeated in 6 months.  That's 6 months of having to wait to know whether or not you are +.   Waiting to know whether this dentist infected you.  That will be hell.

Or course now that the word's out, if you get a phone call on the matter, it's fairly safe to assume you're + for at least 1 of those illnesses.  This just sucks.  Someone's out there that's never been at risk before now finds themselves waiting to find out if they have HIV because some damned dentist couldn't follow the rules.  This is why pain & suffering is taken into consideration during law suits.  This will be totally unnerving. 

Again, if it's proven the dentist did this, they should just shoot him.

Cya...

More Stigma...

This article details a man who was fired from his job for being +.  He's suing the company.  I'm sure his former employers will come up with something to say it wasn't because of HIV.  The article details  some of the man's experiences. 

The point here is people act like there's only stigma against HIV + & gay people in other nations.  That's total BS!  There's plenty right here in our own country.   This instance was in NYC.  It wasn't like it was in some backwoods, Deliverance-type hell-hole.

Discrimination against gay people & + people is doing quite well in the old US.  I wonder what will come of this matter.  In my state, nothing would be done about it.   Hopefully, New York is better at handling this than Oklahoma.

Cya..

Keeping A Straight Face...

This article slightly details James Secrest II, attorney at law defending his client.  His client is Dr. Scott Harrington>  Perhaps Harrington is better known as the negligent dentist from Tulsa, OK, who may have exposed 7,000 people to Hepatitis, HIV & possibly other things.  

Secrest, says for 35 years his client has been an oral surgeon with an impeccable record.  Unless being impeccable can some how undo these people's exposure to who knows what because of negligent practices, then who gives a damn.  All his clean record shows is that he was never reported before.

Seriously, what class do lawyers take to be able to defend actions like this without cracking up?  Are they just natural born bullshitters or do they have to classes to perfect their crap?  Excuse me, I meant craft.   Really, I did.

I understand it's the nature of the US legal system, but there are some folks out there, that would be damned hard to defend.  It would seem like if Harrington screwed up, the best thing would be to come clean about it ASAP.  Maybe he might be able to salvage something of his career, if he did that.   Now, he's probably going to be known forever as the dentist who gave people HIV & tried to lie his way out of it.

Cya...

Busy, Still Stressfrul...

Well, the van got back.  It needed spark plugs, wires & a coil.  There went almost $300 US.  At least it wasn't something worse.  It's driving much better.  

I still havent' heard anything about my benefits renewal.  The waiting is a real pain in the ass.  I want to get this over with.

I'm probably going to stay stressed until I get some answers about this matter.   Hopefully, it gets resolved soon.  I'm tired of being this anxious.

Cya...

Just A Dash More Stress Please...

Yesterday, wasn't pleasant.  My roomie was supposed to have a doctor's appointment, but it fell through.   She's not much better than I am about wanting to go to the doctor.  It was just a cancelled appointment, but we both have to psych ourselves up to go the doctor's.  Then after all the prep, it's rescheduled.  Which just makes things last longer.

I'm still waiting for my call from social services about my benefits renewal.  I have no idea how long I could be waiting.  I'm such a big fan of waiting.  

To top things off, the van had to throw a fit yesterday & act weird.  It's sitting at the mechanic's. Hopefully, it's just some sparks or something relatively small.  Thanks van, really needed that right now.  It seems that in all this mess, a half gallon of milk got left in the van.  We had to run back to mechanic's to get it out before it wound up spilled & spoiled.

Yep, it's been real fun here.

Cya...

PS. It's dreary & raining, just for added gloom.

An Upside & A Downside...

According to this article, the drug maker Norvartis, just lost a major patent case in the courts of India.  This trial has been ongoing for years, but today, the pharmaceutical lost.  The case revolved the cancer medication, Glevic.  India has laws regarding public health & patents.  I'm not fully up to all the in's & out's of that law.  It seems that if a drug is deemed priced so high as to be beyond a normal person's reach or can be seem as being detrimental to the health of the population due to it's cost, then the patent can be called into question.

This article talks about how this was an older drug no longer considered protected by India's patent laws.   Norvartis claims they made changes in the medication & it should've be treated as a new medication.  The lawyers on the other side, said those changes were minor tweaks made in an attempt to extend the patent.  

The drug sells for $2,600 US per month while the generic costs $175. The upside here is a lot more people can afford treatment.   The downside is the drug maker has sworn to do no further research in India.  Norvartis claims this will have great repercussions on the industry.  Most likely they'll do less research so they can put more $ in their investors pockets.

While I agree with the court's decision, I think Norvartis & other pharmaceutical companies are about to pitch a big fit over this.  We'll just have to wait & see how this all plays out.  This could affect meds across the board.

Cya...