Should Do's...

According to this article, the World Health Organization (WHO), wants people around the world who are infected with HIV to receive earlier medical treatment.  The logic is sound.  The sooner they're given meds, the sooner they can start recovering, the less damage done to their bodies & the less chance of further spreading the virus.

Wait a minute.  There's just 1 problem.   The same problem I've been talking about since all this talk of an AIDS-Free generation began.  Who's going to pay for all of this?  Where's the $ coming from?   It isn't fair to expect the US or nations of similar finances to foot this bill.  Especially, when getting treatment in the US still isn't easy & sometimes is down right impossible.

They keep talking about treating HIV on a global level if money wasn't an issue.  That's stupid!  Of course it's an issue, money is always an issue.  Like Cyndi say, "Money changes everything."  How about we stop living in the land of should-be's & wouldn't-it-be-nice's & start looking at what we really have to work with,.  It may not be enough, but it's what we have.

Cya...

Cooler...

It's only supposed to get to 90 F today & remain relatively low humidity.  My body could seriously use a respite.  The heat came on so suddenly, there was little time to acclimate.  

I tried to enjoy the cooler sleeping weather last night but there were issues.  The 1st issue was a smelly passerby.  A skunk decided it was a good night to visit my yard.  Apparently, it had just sprayed something & the stink lingered for about half an hour.   Later about 3, some jack ass decides to set off fire works.  I hope he blew a finger off.

Any way, I'm basking in the cooler day.  It's being really nice & I'm starting to feel more human again.  Maybe this will last a while.

Cya...

Yesterday, It Got Hot...

We cracked 100 F for the 1st time this year.  It could be the last time & I'd be happy.   The heat index was calculated at 120 F.  We finally broke down & turned on the AC.

It was pleasant to have the AC back, but we have to be careful with it.  It can kill our electric bill.   With everything else that's gone on, we can't afford bigger electric bills.

It's not supposed to as hot today & this upcoming week is predicted to be much cooler.  Yea!  80's in July.   Who'd have guessed that in Summertime Oklahoma?

Cya...

Catch Up...

The List:

The van seems to running for now (fingers crossed & stars wished upon)

Today is National HIV Testing Day, so get tested if you haven't

It's finally getting hot here, it might hit 100 F today

To possibly get through June in Oklahoma with no or just 1 day above 100 is astounding

Went to see World War Z, it was OK, but not worth the 3D charge

The heat is having an impact on sleep here

The cats are not happy with the return of the heat

The great flea war is reigniting with small skirmishes

Have to pick roomie from Fort Smith today

I think that's about it

Cya...

Testing Day...

Tomorrow is National HIV Testing Day in the US.  Anyone who is not being regularly tested should take part.   You can go to http://aids.gov/news-and-events/awareness-days/hiv-testing-day/ at AIDS Gov for more info.  I hope goes well this year.

Cya...

Recovering...

To start with, I feel a lot better than yesterday.  I'm still not great, but way better.  For that I'm grateful.  I felt like crap yesterday.

Turns out the  van had not 1, but 2, tires about to blow.  They're were both in the back & showing extreme wear issues on the interior wheel side.  At least 1 had developed a pooched out spot & was causing the bouncing & the noise.  The mechanics were amazed they hadn't already blown.  

We're actually going to see the movie were supposed to see last Friday.  I hope it all goes well.  Here's hoping, no more car issues.

Cya...

Definitely A Monday...

Besides waiting to hear about the van, my day was off to a bad start before I got out of bed.  I'm not sure what got me, but I woke up feeling like crap.  

• The right side of my head was slightly swollen
• I was congested
• My neck was stiff
• I had a slight temperature
• I had a moderate headache

Still, I had to go shopping.  I wanted to put it off, but I needed cat food & the only bag I had was still in the van at the mechanic's.  So off to WalMart we went.  I always hate that place, but right now they're remodeling, so the hate is even more intense.

Hopefully, I'll feel better later.

Cya...

Sniffs & Coughs...

A lot of people have been mowing & doing yard work for the past few days & it's starting to get to me.  I  hate the sound of a weed eater.  Worse still, is all the crap mowing sends into the air; pollen, mold, seeds & other crap.  (Sometimes, quite literally, crap.)

Then there's all the yard spraying for bugs & weeds & it adds up.  The city has been burning a lot lately & the railroad is replacing some timbers which all stink.  Now, there's something in the air at night that smells sort of like an old fashion perm.

All this crap has me wheezing a bit.  I've been coughing & sneezing a lot as well.   I hope this stuff passes over soon.  

Cya...

Saturday...

Not much going on here today.  We have to wait until Monday before the mechanic can get a chance to look at the van.   I don't understand why mechanics don't actually work more on the weekends.  Those in my area only do tires & oil changes on the weekend.  It'd seem like there'd be a lot of weekend work for them.   The shop I go to is constantly packed, they'd have the business.

It's a little hard to focus on anything else right now.  The way things are laying out, we'll be lucky if we can get to see the movie were going to next Friday.  I really hate that van.  I wish seriously bad things on whoever designed that damned thing.

Going to go before I get more negative.

Cya...

Jinxed It...

I had to go & wish for an uneventful Summer.  Well the van shot that down.  We were headed out to see a movie in Fort Smith & the damn thing starts to shudder & make noise.  It sounds like a bad tire, but they all seemed alright.  The noise was worse when the AC was on.   So back  home we went.

We dropped the damned dodge off at the mechanic shop.   I hate not knowing what's wrong with almost as much I do the fact there's something else wrong with the blasted thing at all.  No more America cars, they're money pits.  FIX..FIX...FIX.  That's all we've done with this car.

We're waiting for them to call & I'm not in the mood to really blog.  I'm too focused on what it could be.  Hopefully, it won't be too bad.

Cya...

Cya Spring...

This is the last day of Spring & Summer's here tomorrow.  Weather wise it's been rather pleasant.   I can't say the same in regards to everything else.  I've had worse Springs, but there've definitely been better.  

My hopes for Summer:

• Decent weather considering the season
• No major $ issues
• No major health issues

I don't have too many wants for the season.  I just want it to be pleasant without too much fuck-upery.  I don't think that's too much to ask for.  It's a wait & see thing now.

Cya...

Hard To Believe...

I find it hard, or maybe its weird, to believe so few people these days take the time for the little niceties that make others feel human & noticed.  I was raised to a large part by a fairly intolerant grandmother.  There were some things that were just expected & if they didn't happen, then there would be hell to pay.  Among those, was being courteous, cordial & polite.  She wasn't great at being cordial, but she was a master of being curt while maintaining social appropriateness.

It doesn't kill you to do the little things like:

• Holding open doors
• Saying Please & Thank You
• Smiling at someone & making eye contact
• Genuinely asking someone how their day went

These things aren't difficult, but most people don't seem to do them anymore.   In the morning, I usually ask my roomie how she slept.  If she has appointments, I ask how they went.  I'm not trying to snoop  I'm giving her an opening to say what she wants to about the matter.   If she doesn't want to say anything, she's not required to, but knows someone asked.

She recently told me, my practice of inquiring into her well being was not something she'd encountered until living with me.  That she'd realized what an impact it had made in her daily life.   She was appreciative  someone cared enough to ask & listen to her reply.

My roomie has always lived with someone & yet no one ever thought it important enough to ask how she was or how her day had gone.  I find that insulting.  Everyone deserves to be noticed, to be heard & acknowledged.

So when you choose to open a door for someone, give them a pleasant greeting or whatever other little nicety you may undertake, remember this.  That brief moment of contact may be all that person gets that day.  It may very well have been the only contact they've had in a long while.  That slight bit of effort & time you spent on them, may mean the world to them.  It may be the only thing that gets them through the day.

Cya...

Tuesday...

Pretty quiet in the house right now.  The fans are off & the roomie's out to an appointment.  The cat's are sleeping well since it's fairly cool today.  We're through half of June & haven't hit 100 F yet.  That's fantastic.

So far we've managed not to turn on the AC.  That'll be a huge relief when it comes to paying our electric bill.  Being on a fixed income, we have to take advantage of whatever boon we can get.

We need the lawn mowed, but it's been raining.  Apparently the lawn guy changed his number.  Roomie has called his parents to get word to him.  Hopefully he'll show up before we have a jungle.  

So far this has been a quiet week, I hope it stays that way.

Cya...

Getting Sticky...

We had quite a thunderstorm last night.   We really needed the rain.  Maybe not the lightning & wind, but definitely the rain.  We've still have a pretty high chance for more rain as it heats up today.  I hope it does.  It'd be nice to deal with some all this humidity.

We'd parked the van under the tree for some shade.  I'm just glad it didn't get stuck in the yard after all that rain.  Would've put  a damper on the morning's errands.  

Other than shopping & some dishes, I think I'm about wrapped up for the day.  I"m going to keep this short & just enjoy the coolness while it's here.

Cya...

It Stays With Me...

I've seen blips here & there about the idea of, "It stays with me," in reference to HIV.  There's research out there saying anywhere from 50 - 80% of gay men infected with the virus, contracted it from partners who were unaware they were +.  That number is huge.  Even if the number is less, it's still too high.

With all the testing, education & access to condoms, we should be able to greatly limit the spread of HIV.  We are in some populations, but not others.  It's up to you to protect yourself as much as possible.

Let's say you roll craps & wind up +.   Now what?  That's where this sentiment comes in, "It stays with me."  I may have been infected, but I can make sure I don't infect anyone else.   We're not brain-craving zombies here.

We can take our meds & lower our detectable levels.  We can inform our partners of our status.  We can make sure protection is always used.  Or, we can simply opt not to engage in sexual activity with others.

OMG, no sex, are you kidding?  NO, I'm not.  I played safe & wound up +.  I will not knowingly risk anyone else's life just for sex.  I couldn't live with myself knowing after all I've gone through, I'd infected another person.  Quite frankly if someone can live with that or even the chance of it, I don't want to know them.  You had your time on the ride & it came up bust, accept it & move on with your life.

I may be +, but I can make sure it stays with me.

Cya...

A Little Cooler...

The weather has cooled down a bit from yesterday.  It's stills sticky but not as hot.  A cooler Summer would be nice.  Even if it does mean more mowing.  It seems we've hit another lull in articles for now.  With that, I think I'll just be happy with the weather.

The sound of fans has returned.  It hasn't reached it's terrible roar yet, but I know that's coming.  I'm thankful for the air they move about, but that noise can be very draining.  When I was little this was my favorite season.  That was before Hell Summers & taking meds that reacted to heat. 

Still I like it better than Spring.  Spring's usually just a bit too wet & dreary for me.  I mostly prefer Fall these days.  It reminds me more of what Summer was like when I was a kid.  I think most of my better childhood memories were during summertime.  Mostly they were just being in a car with the wind blowing through the windows with the radio blaring as we sailed down the road.  Simple, I know, but it was pleasant.

Cya...

Always Do Your Own Research...

I've talked about researching your condition & medications before.  No matter what your ill or pill may be, the doctor doesn't know everything about it.  Unless they're a specialist, at best your physician will know the most general points of your concern. 

When you are diagnosed or have something prescribed to you, go online & educate  yourself on the matter.  It's unlikely anyone else will.  Search & see if there are forums or groups addressing your issue, most likely there are.  Type in the name of your drug & find out what all the professionals have to say about it.  Then go to the forums & find out what's it really like from people who actually have experience taking the medication.

Recently my roomie had the rug pulled out from under her on a medical matter.  I won't go into details but I will say it was due to some misinformation she was given.   She needs a procedure that requires a specific type of machine for someone of her size.  There were many points of misinformation:

• Our machine takes people of X weight.  When really they wanted her to weigh less
• Imprecise measurement maximums were given
• She was led to believe a place was no long in business

The 1st point was a serious heart-breaker for her.   She met the weight goal & then was told they wanted more.  They pulled a bait & switch.  If you need a specific thing, you should state it up front.  Not just give some answer, only to give facts later when the need arises.  Bad measurements can kill any project, but this was just an example of seriously bad communication skills.  As for the last point, I don't know what happened there.  The business is still operational, I called them.  Maybe its an insurance problem, I don't know.

Never trust anyone else with your medical information.  It's not their problem, they're most likely not that invested, so they won't do enough.  This is on you.  It's your health were talking about.   Take the initiative, you'll be surprised what turns up.  BTW, if you doctor doesn't like, get a new 1.  Always remember, the only reason the white coats have a job is because of paying patients, even if that $ does come from medicare/medicaid.  If the doc gets too pissy about the matter, report them to whatever board they answer to, your insurance & find a new physician.

Cya...

Not Pleasant...

We've been in the mid 90's this week & while that isn't all that hot, the high humidity has been a kicker.  I'll get more used to it as Summer goes on, but right now, it's not fun.  Just another seasonal adjustment, an undesirable 1.  

It's time to make sure the hydration levels stay high.    It's easy to dehydrate in the Summer.  This can lead to a lot of health issues like diarrhea, exhaustion & heat stroke.

Not much going on here today.  For everyone in warm weather, try to stay cool & hydrated.

Cya...

Appointment...

Having a busy day.  Trying to get some stuff done.  I had doctor's appointment this morning & it pushed everything back.  

The appointment was just a regular visit to make sure everything was going alright.  Nothing big, just getting vitals, discussing my situation & making the next appointment.   I seriously wish this could be done by phone.

Next, is a dentist appointment in July.  Then blood work in August & appointment for telemedicine 2 weeks later.  My next follow up with my primary is in 3 months.  That's a lot of doctors to see in a Summer.

Cya...

Frustrated...

Sometimes when I read the articles on HIV I get irritated.   The virus has been well publicized since the 1980's, yet some people still act like it's something new & mysterious.  It's not.  

Yet again & again, I see articles having to explain how the virus is transmitted.  Publications over the need for education, testing & treatment.  This isn't reiteration, these articles are being written like it's the 1st time the info has been available.

Things we've known qt least since the 1990's"

• HIV is a virus, not a divine act
• We understand how the virus is passed
• We understand the need for testing
• We understand the need for education
• We understand the need for treatment
• We understand the need for safer sex practices

Still with all of that known for over 20 years, some people act like it's earth shattering news.  I can have sympathy for those who for whatever reason have been unable to keep HIV out of their lives.  But, unless you live under a rock in the most remote part of the world, you should most likely know these things by now.  

It's well past time for people just to get with the program.

Cya...

Costs...

Less than a year ago, the activists of the world were calling for an AIDS-Free generation.   They were so happy, enthusiastic & utterly sure their goal could be met.   I pointed out some things then like accessibility & stigma that could impede their goals.  But the obstacle most of us discussed was costs, pure & simple.  

These hopeful people made all these plans for a grand world without HIV, yet did little to actually gain the means to pay for it.  They've pointed to pharmaceutical companies, governments, churches & rich people.  Guess what?  That's not working.  None of these agents are fully willing & possibly not even capable of footing this enormous bill.

Regardless of the could's or should's, the point is the money isn't there.  Articles are coming out daily talking about lack of funds for testing here or treatment there.  Whether it's in the poorest countries or the wealthier nations, the money isn't showing up like they thought it would.

It's fine to be a dreamer.  But at some point in order for those aspirations to become reality, there has to be more of a plan, then just a motto.  There has to be a means to facilitate the matter.  Most of all, the costs have to be covered.  Like the song says, "Money changes everything."

Cya...

Desensitize...

We become desensitized to things in our lives.  We're like toads in slowly heated water.  We often fail to notice things that slowly creep up on us.  But, people can also become overwhelmed & blinded by too much blatant or extreme exposure to things.  

In the 90's, HIV/AIDS advertisements were everywhere, literally.  At 1st they had a lot of impact, but slowly they became clutter in our landscape & soon we didn't notice them at all.  Slowly those ads became fewer & fewer.  

When we finally noticed they were mostly gone, many assumed we were winning the war against HIV.  Contrary to that thought, those very populations that started a lot of the HIV safety ball rolling, are yet again where you can find the highest incidence of newer & higher HIV transmission rates.

We've slacked off.  Yes, there's info galore on the web, but not in these people's everyday lives.  The posters are gone from the bars, the bowls of condoms are gone from the bathrooms, the gay papers aren't littered with info anymore.  So, the young people have figured it was safe to go out in the water again unprotected.  Sorry but HIV is still there.

It's time to push the issue again.  It's time to plaster the walls with posters.  It's time to make sure these kids really understand the risks they're taking.  

Cya...

Warming Up...

We're not hot here yet, which is amazing for Oklahoma, but we're warming up.  We're supposed to be in the 90's F most of the week.  Things are going relatively well, weather-wise.

I wish they were going as well neighbor-wise.   Our new neighbors have none of the qualities we'd hoped for & all the ones we didn't.  

• They're loud
• They have tons of children
• They have loud trucks
• They have dogs
• They seem to live outdoors
• They have no concept of an indoor voice

So far they're a failure as neighbors.  Hopefully they won't last long.  Maybe the house will burn down again. That'd be nice.  

What is it with people needing to own the absolute loudest vehicle they can?  Or, having dogs they don't want to play with, so the animals whine all day?    Why not take your drama indoors?

Cya...

Social Nasties...

This article talks about how poverty & marginalization are fueling the HIV epidemic in Europe. The study covers things I've discussed before like being on the fringe.  The primary drive for the epidemic was considered to be social exclusion.  The more a person was removed from the social core, the more apt they were to have HIV & to infect others.

I've covered this before, a few times.  To me, it's a no-brainer,  but apparently some people are taking longer to get the message.  The farther removed an individual is from the group, the less apt they are to conform to it's norms.  People on the fringes are often subjected to things the mainstream never face; more discrimination, higher crime rates, higher rates of disease, less security, etc...

I've said it before, if HIV treatment isn't brought to everyone, then no one will ever be free of it. 

Cya...

Medical Stuff & Teens...

Lately, there's been a lot of talk about medical procedures, meds & teens.  These have mostly revolved around  sex.  Should a teen be able to have access to:

• Birth control without a parent's consent?
• The Morning After pill without parental knowledge?
• Access to abortion services without parental consent?
• HIV testing without a parent's knowledge?

Teens are young & can make incredibly stupid mistakes, .  Not saying adults can't.  However, most young people don't have the experience to make some of life's more tricky choices.   In most instances, medical procedures & meds should require parental notification.  

However, not here.  If you're kid finds themselves needing any of the above mentioned medical options, then they're already playing an adult game.  Placing more pressure on them by confronting their parents with the news, may lead to even worse choices.   They could opt to have a baby in a bathroom & leave it in a trash can.

If we had adequate sex ed in our schools, part of this conversation might very well be moot.  But most schools have little, none or completely erroneous sex ed.   So here we are.  

If your kid wants birth control, at least they're trying to engage in sexual activity in a more educated & responsible manner than those who don't use contraception.    Use of contraception, depending on the type, could limit possibilities of STD's, HIV, pregnancy...  

If your teen is properly using contraception, then the need for some form emergency contraception is greatly lessened.  This also applies to abortions.  The proper use of condoms can limit the possible exposure to HIV.

If we let them have access to contraception & a reasonable amount of education to go with it we could alleviate the need for many of the other issues.  If a kid goes for a HIV test, at least they're trying to take some responsibility.  If they fear having to face both the test & their parents they may avoid both & be 1 of the many + people in the world living unaware of their HIV status.  That would not only endanger their own health, but most likely that of others as well.

To wrap it up, if you're kid is old enough to play the sex game, you had better give them all the tools they need to do it as intelligently as possible.  If that means parents take a back seat on some issues, then so be it.  Better the back seat, then none at all.

Cya..

Wind & Rain...

It's huffing & puffing again today.  The net is being sluggish & the electricity jittery.  We need the rain, but not the wind.  It's strange to think this is June & we haven't had a need to turn on the AC.  

We've had our 1st showings of fleas.  We've found a few on the cats.  Let the vacuuming & brushing begin.  We've got flea control products for them, but we're holding out on using those for as long as possible.  They're not easy on the cats & it could be really bad on our old cat.

For now, we brush & vacuum.   We'll keep an eye out on the fleas.  If it gets too bad we'll dose them up & hope for the best.   Fingers crossed they don't get bad this year.

Cya...

Regimen Adherence...

Adherence is 1 of the biggest issues with HIV treatment.  There a countless articles on it.  Still many people fail to adhere to their treatment regimen.  For some, it's things beyond their control;  lack of access to meds, lack of access to medical professionals, lack of food, etc...  For others though, it's a matter of getting into & staying in the habit of adherence.

That's sounds really easy, trust me as someone who has taken meds daily for over a decade, it isn't at all easy.  There are days when I really wish I'd never see another pill again.   I hate needles, but if they got to a point I could get a weekly/monthly does in a shot & be done with it, I would.  

It isn't that taking the pills is hard, it isn't.  It's that taking them is so easy to forget.  Ask any women on "The Pill".   I've driven myself nuts trying to remember to take my meds.  Only later to wonder if I actually did take them.  I've tried tons of little tricks.  They all worked for a while.  Even now, with the pills sitting right in front of my face, I still have problems remembering to take them sometimes.

Then there's the resentment.  The feeling of being so damned dependent on a drug.  The fact these things have to be with you always.  Every dose is a reminder you have this condition.  This is the price you pay to live.  You know you should be thankful these meds even exist, but still at times you resent them.   No one wants to be reminded they're dependent or ill.  

This isn't just my life problem.  It isn't just my life that rotates around meds & medical appointments.  It isn't just the lives of those living with HIV.  It's everyone finding themselves on whatever medical regimen.  Chronic illness & lifelong regimens are something healthy people can't properly appreciate.  The can't really understand the never-ending doldrums of the situation, of being ill & dependent.   They think, "All you have to do is take a pill."   

Such a naive statement.   So simplistic to think adherence was an easy task.   If it was, it wouldn't be a problem.  Hell, if it was there wouldn't be so many "Oops babies" born because someone forgot to use birth control.  The more common something is, the more mundane & tedious, the more easily it is forgotten or overlooked.

No matter what your ill, adherence is probably a must for your health.   Knowing that doesn't make it any easier.  Here's to adherence, such annoying troll.  

Cya...

The Sun's Out...

After a lot of rain, the sun's shining & everything is drying out.  Too bad that also means there's a lot of mold growing.  As bad as allergies can be for me, mold can be even worse.   My allergy meds do next to nothing  on the matter of mold.

We went shopping this morning & ran some errands.  Even though the storm & flood damage wasn't that bad in my area as it was in others, the crews were still out.  They were tending to low-water bridges & fallen limbs.  It's going to be a while before some folks around here get completely back to normal, even longer for those who actually had to deal with tornadoes.  

Right now, I'm just thankful my roomie & I didn't have to deal with any of this.   We've had enough on our plates without storm damage as well.  

Cya...

Today... June

It's fairly nice today, that was not the case the last few days.  We got about 2.5" of rain yesterday & nearly 6" in the last week.  Notably, we're under a flood watch.    The electric kept popping & the net dropping so doing anything online was next to impossible.  I'm still trying to catch up on all the things I wanted to do yesterday.

Even with all the bad weather, it's been good for sleeping.  I usually sleep fairly well in storms.  At least there's that, I'm well rested.  

I can't believe it's already June.  It's June & we have yet to turn on the air conditioner.   Usually the AC's on sometime in early May.   It's great for our electric bill.  It's been great for the cats as well.  They don't usually fair well in the heat.

May was a weird month.   It seemed like it was hardly here & then it was gone.  During the 1st part of the month were getting ready for my roomie's uncle & then the rest of the month just evaporated.  So, until next year May.  Hello June.

Wherever you are, I hope your having good weather.

Cya...

Weather Issues...

Sorry, but the weather has zapped my net.  I have no idea my connection will last. So, no pertinent post today.

Cya...