Leap Day...

It's another Leap Year & we're at the end of February a day later than normal.  Not much is happening today.  We did some shopping, but that's about it.  

So long February, you were weirdly warm & barely wet enough.  Overall, it was a pleasant enough month.  Until next year.   Hello March.

I did notice something that may be impacting me.  I had to get salt today & noticed the salt I had been buying hadn't been iodized.  This may have caused some of thyroid problem.   I have to have blood drawn for that next week.  I guess we'll see how this is going.

Cya...

Chill & Drear...

I woke up to a nice sunny morning.  That didn't last long.   The pleasant, warm morning faded into a dreary, wind fest.   The wind's been blowing for hours & we have a slight chance for rain.  

There isn't much going on today.  The articles have mostly dried up for the moment. I'm really tired of being chilled & living in drear.  I'll post more tomorrow.

Cya...

Reactions...

There've been reactions to things I've posted about the last couple of days.  To start with the matter regarding the New Jersey hospital & it's possible exposure of people to HIV & hepatitis.   The hospital has offered to pay for any testing needed, as long as it's done on site.   There lies the problem.  Some people have loss trust in the establishment & aren't comfortable going back to a place that may have exposed them to either virus.   It turns out the hospital had hired someone who had previously lost their pharmacist licence due to opioid theft.  The man's license was later reinstated, but still, he probably should'n't have been allowed to work with other opioids. 

The next reaction was to PrEP failure.  Researchers & activists are struggling to push the idea this is a rare event.  They desperately need the public to believe this is a 1 in a million type thing.   The fact is this is the only case we are aware of where PrEP failed.  There may be more.  There most definitely will be more.  As the use of Truvada spreads & more people feel safe go back into the proverbial water without condoms, the rate of failure is bound to increase.  That fails to mention the  drugs  making up Truvada are among the most apt for HIV to be resistant too at this time.  So, yes there was a failure & yes it may be rare at this moment, but that's likely to change as time passes.

The problem for these medical establishments & drug companies is we don't live in a bubble.  There are tons of factors in every action, many beyond our control.  People will continue to  contract HIV from hospitals until new protocols are established.  PrEP will continue to fail as the number of users increases & the presence of drug resistant HIV grows.

Absolutes are not present in this world.  We can only count on at some point something will fail or change. But even that main not be predictable or to our favor. All this shows us is HIV isn't being taken as seriously as it should be.  And, HIV is too much of cash cow not to be exploited by corporations.   Talk about a sad world.

Cya...

PrEP Failure...

According to Poz.com's article, there's been the 1st failure of PrEP.   A gay man reportedly maintaining his PrEP regimen for 2 years contracted drug resistant HIV.  Truvada is made up of Tenofovir & Emtricitabine.  If the virus encountered is resistant to 1 or both of these, then the efficacy of this treatment could be impaired.

Even though the results are acknowledged, researchers feel like this will be a rare phenomenon.  I'd  question that.  As PrEP users grow in number,so will the probability of failure. Especially in those not adhering to their regimen as prescribed.  

This man encountered HIV with resistances to 8 or more medications.  What happens when PrEP increasingly enters parts of the world with high levels of drug resistant HIV?  The answer is simple, PrEP will fail.

I wish I could say I was surprised by this news, but I'm not.  I've been expecting this.  The only surprise here, is it took this long to occur.

Cya..

Yet Again...

This article tells of how yet another hospital has become a potential exposure site for HIV & hepatitis.   This time in New Jersey.  It was different drug, but due to another substance abuser messing with meds & needles.  The span of possible exposure is about 15 months in 2013 - 14.  They didn't report possible numbers.   The hospital is urging testing.  Urging?  The health department should be demanding.

I keep hearing about this & it comes down to not caring, not wanting to spend resources or some addict after drugs. Or indulgence, indifference & greed.   How long before we really prosecute these people & these medical establishments for endangering their patients lives?    Who's going to pay for this.  Who will pay for these patients care if they contract HIV?  The costs for this are over $30,000 US annually just the meds, not counting all the doctor visits, labs & other secondary expenses.  

Some people will say if a patient contracts HIV like, that their lives aren't over.  True, they probably won't die, but the lives they had are most definitely impacted & over as they knew them.  Now they have to live with HIV & all that details, including the health issues, costs, stigma, etc...  People who contaminate others purposely or with reckless disregard should be shot.

Cya..

HIV & Criteria...

This isn't new, it isn't even ground breaking, but it's still amazing.  This report from the CDC gives a startling graphic of various populations & their likelihood of becoming HIV + over their lifetime.   

• MSM are the most apt to get HIV
• Heterosexual women are the least likely
• Black men are the most likely
• White women are the least likely
• Hispanics are in the middle to high end of these numbers

It also broke it down by state.  The southern states are more apt to contract HIV than the north central states.   Currently the national average risk of person contracting HIV in their lifetime is 1 in 99 or a little over a 1% chance.  Unless, you happen to be a Black male, then the chance goes up to 5%.  If your Black male having MSM, then you're chances set at 50%.  Yes, that's right a 1 - 2 chance of becoming +.  While the White male MSM sets at 1 in 11 or a little over 9%.

I've talked about this before, the dangers of being marginalized or on the fringe in regards to HIV or similar issues.   This isn't news, but to see it in a graphic is still eye opening.  Maybe this will get some people to pay attention.

Cya...

Finally Rain...

This isn't the 1st precipitation of 2016, but it's the 1st significant rain we've had this year.  It's brought some chill as well.  We'll have the lowest temps we've had for a couple weeks tomorrow.  I'm hoping this rain does some good for my allergies.  It'd be nice if it took us off the fire watch list for a while.   

I went out earlier.  That wasn't pleasant.  There are leaves on trees & red buds are blooming.  It won't be long before the dogwoods are at it.   Even though Winter technically still has weeks left in it, Spring is here.

Cya...

Celebrity Affect...

This article reports that Charlie Sheen's disclosure of his HIV status did more for HIV education than UN conferences.  In fact, the surge in info searches over HIV after Sheen's revelation was the highest since 2004.   This is the celebrity affect.  Often referred to as the "____" Affect.  Fill in the blank with Sheen, Jolie, Couric, Hudson, Mercury, Johnson, etc....

Sad as it may be, our society has to be led into things by famous people.  When a celebrity endorses, endures, or promotes something, the public listens.  Maybe to varying levels, but it obviously isn't based on the celeb's current star power.  Charlie Sheen was at his height over 5 years ago.  Before this announcement, he was looked at as just another washed-up, Hollywood mess.  Basically, a walking disaster. Post, his big reveal, he may not be back on top, but he's really salable.  

This was great PR for him & he was great PR for HIV education.  Jolie pushed awareness of issues concerning cancer involving breasts & the female reproductive system.  This is nothing new.   Star power can promote health education & research like nothing else, take  Take Danny Thomas & St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

It's a 2 edge sword.  If you get a famous person to promote your cause, then you 'll probably get some intense, if short term, interest & interaction.   If you can't, then what?  What happens when your celebrity endorsement wanes or another celeb pushes the next illness?   The world's fascination with the famous is a dangerous thing.  Especially if your healthcare is influenced by it.

While I'm thankful for the attention HIV is getting due to Mr. Sheen, I know it's fleeting.   I wish, as a people, we could have more self-confidence in our own self worth not to need such things.  I doubt that will ever happen.  

Cya..

Rural HIV...

I'm a sociologist.  My emphasis was in social psychology & social ecology with a background in anthropology, education & humanities.   The reason I mention this is because due to these disciplines I studied the intrinsic differences between the urban & rural environments.  There's much more that differentiates the 2 than just sheer size.    The mentalities, philosophies & ideologies can vary greatly

HIV in rural areas is on the rise.  Most of the spending on HIV/AIDS has been in urban areas.  People living in more urban areas may perceive those living HIV or populations more likely to contract the virus very differently.  The nature of religion & politics  often drastically differ between the 2 populations.

In recent years, rural USA has been hit  with a massive economic upheaval.   This has been hard on those living in those areas & many have turned to self medicating via drug use.  This has  been the force behind the rise of HIV & hepatitis rates in rural counties in Indiana & Kentucky.  Some are noting the same in Virginia.  

Adding to that, rural counties have little in the way of HIV prevention or education.  At best they have a health department somewhere in the county.  Many of these rural health departments can offer little more than testing.  They probably won't have staff trained to deal with HIV or other communicable illnesses.  Rural counties most likely won't have support groups, education centers or even doctors capable of helping with HIV.

It's taken this long for some people to figure out what a significant problem HIV in rural areas really is.  In my area there are no resources for HIV beyond testing.  My specialist is 2 hours away.  I no longer have access to telemedicine.   There's no one capable in my county to handle HIV in regards to medicine, support or pharmaceutical needs.

As long as the economy is in this condition & HIV is a back burner issue for most people, then the rural spread of the virus will continue at an alarming rate.  Right along with rural drug use & mental illness.  Maybe the more urban folks are just trying to outlast us.

Cya..

Not Much Saturday...

There's nothing much going on here today. I didn't see anything in the articles that I haven't already hashed out before.  The weather is still warm & my cough is ongoing.  The cough isn't as pronounced as it was, but it's still lingering.    It's still windy & the allergens are really high.  I was hoping for some rain, but we only have a 20% chance of it, so it's unlikely. 

My little blue flowers have been out for a few days.  I saw them a couple of weeks ago, but they died off for a little while.   Those little blue flowers are the 1st real sign of Spring for me.  The chill is on it's way out.  Those flowers don't last for long but I like it while they're with us.  I can see tiny little flowers starting to pop up across the yard.  Ready of not Spring is mostly here.

Cya...

Fires & Friday...

Another Friday & another shopping trip.  It's done & we're home.  The wind has been going pretty strong for the last few days & it's been dry all of 2016.  This has left us under several fire warnings.  Yesterday, a large, multi-pasture fire started about 10 miles from us & it's still burning.  The smoke form it got to us a little last night.  Between the dust, high allergen levels & smoke, my throat is shot.  I'm still coughing a lot.  I'll be glad when we get some rain.  

That's about it for now.  With any luck, they'll get that fire under control  soon.  Until tomorrow.

Cya...

Still Sniffling & Coughing...

I'm normally not that affected Spring time allergies.  The budding trees are usually later in the year & accompanied by rain to wash a lot of the pollen away.    Not so this year.  We're almost 75 F here already & there a no signs for any more freezes in our forecasts.  We're also very dry & windy.   This year the tree allergens are killing my sinuses & throat.     This stuff is seriously sticky.

For now, I'll keep my fluids up & keep downing cough drops.   Maybe we'll get some rain soon.  That's be nice to clean the air out a bit.  Until then, I think sneezes, sniffles & coughs are just part of the after effects of these allergies.

Cya...

4:30 AM...

As I wrote on my FB today, "Once you're in bed, nothing good ever happens at 4:30 AM."  Pretty much anything that happens besides sleeping or other bed stuff, absolutely sucks.   I'd just woke up from a stress dream & went  to the bathroom.  I go to flush & the lever breaks.  I have to  take the lid off & force it to flush.  Then I have to wake my roomie to tell her about it.  

I barely got any sleep past then.   I remembered this morning, we had a flush lever left in a valve kit from earlier.  I put it in & it's too damn flimsy to work the way the old 1 did.  The old lever didn't use a chain.  The new lever had a chain & I finally rigged it to work with this plunge model thing.   I have no idea how long this last.  If it breaks I'll have to see if I can get another kind of lever or call the plumber.  I'm really going to hate having to call a plumber over a flush lever.

I'm tired, more tomorrow.

Cya...

Not Happy...

I don't normally write my blog  this early, but something's been irritatingay.  I had a dental cleaning & it didn't go as planned.   My cleaning used to go:  greeting, initial look over, primary scraping (or whatever that's called), then there's intense flossing, then there's the blower to check for anything missed, then the final clean up & rinse.  Once a year, x-rays are taken.  Afterwards, the dentist comes in & give my teeth a quick look over.  The process used to take about 45 - 50 minutes.  With about 35 - 45 going to the initial cleaning.

Not yesterday.  I was in the chair for almost an hour.   The 1st 2/3 of the time, the dental hygienist was grumbling as she used a probe I hadn't seen before.  The probe was going between my teeth & the computer.  She was measuring my teeth.  I asked & she told me, it's part of the new company protocol.  Each tooth has over 14 measurements.  It took forever.  

She eventually got the rest of the cleaning, but only has an hour allotted for the appointment.  I didn't get the level of cleaning I normally do. The hygienist seemed frustrated with the process.  To top it off, my dentist wasn't even in the building.  He's only in 2 days a week now & he has a couple of other dentists that come in other days, just not Mondays.  I guess, if I'd had an emergency, I'd been screwed.

I've been with this dentist office, Dental Solutions with Dr. Stephen Wilson for years.  He's done great work for me & I really liked his office.   A week after my last cleaning I got an email.  It was to inform me that the office had been sold to Bold Dental.   I was told not to worry, nothing was changing, it'd just give them access to better options.  BS! A lot changed.  My hygienist was frustrated, my dentist was absent, the front office staff was different & they changed to Crest/Oral B.  I've never liked Crest products & they recently had a lot of their products pulled from the shelves over micro-beads,  The beads caused a lot of dental issues, especially with the gums.  

I've put a lot into to this relationship with my dentist office.  I've paid $1,000's  past insurance.   My dentist sold out & didn't even have the nerve to tell me the last time he saw me.  Coward.   Being HIV+ can make finding any doctor hard.  Finding 1 you like, even more so.  I lucked out finding this office, but now Dental Solutions is gone & it's crappy specter, Bold Dental remains.  I have another cleaning in 6 months.  I like my hygienist, so I'll go back for that.  But if she leaves or it gets any weirder, I'm gone.  I guess I'll just have to wait for the next time I actually need a dentist to see how that goes.  

I seriously, F'N hate this.

Cya...

Busy Day...

The weather is unseasonably  warm today.  It looks like Winter is gone, at least for now.  Maybe, it'll sneak back in during March.  

I've got to head out & get some shopping done.  Once we get back will have to get ready & drive over to Fort Smith.  I've got a dentist appointment for a cleaning.

I post more tomorrow.

Cya...

Happy Valentines Day...

A slightly different pic for Valentines Day.  Have a great day everyone.  Eat some chocolate, have some fun, enjoy yourselves.   

I have stuff to do tomorrow, so my post will probably be short again.  I have to go shopping & then over to Fort Smith for a dental cleaning.  Hopefully, I'll find some good day-after candy while I'm out shopping.

Cya...

Coughing...

I've been coughing for days from this mess.  This round of sickness has been 1 of the worse I've had in years.  A lot of my symptoms have passed, but the sinus drainage & coughing are still here.  My ribs & body are sore from all the coughing.   This stuff is exhausting & it's being rough on my sleep.  

I guess our Winter is mostly over.  I looked on the 10 day forecast & there wasn't a single day below freezing.  Great, let the mowing begin.  We'll probably be mowing until next December at this rate.  If we're lucky, we might make it through most of March before actually having to mow.

2015 was wet & weird.  It's beginning to look like 2016 will be drier.  Unfortunately, that probably means hotter.  Maybe, it'll finally kill off the bugs & the grass.

Cya...

Porn...Condoms..Testing...BB...HIV...

This article discusses how testing alone isn't stopping HIV transmission in the porn industry.  It focuses on the actors & films based in California.   The bareback or no-condom sex standard used to be primarily found only in the straight porn.   

Over the past several years, independent gay companies & sometimes individuals  have been putting out bareback porn.  They specialize in rougher, "realer" sex scenes with no condoms used.   They sometimes forego the industry standard of external ejaculation for the sake of "authenticity". 

I'm not trying to shame anyone here, but the man mentioned in the article engaged in sexual activity with at least 17 people in the 22 days following his negative test results.   What he didn't know was someone he had sex with less than a week before that test was HIV+.  The exposure had been too recent for the test to detect he virus.  Potentially, 17 others were exposed in less than a month.

Again, I'm not shaming anyone or pushing responsibility buttons.  However, at some point people have to assume the risks of their actions.   This shows only testing porn stars & not requiring condom use is contributing to the spread of HIV.  There are  a lot of people risking their health for a pay off from a porn film.  I'm not saying too shut down porn, just make it less risky.

Cya...

Teenagers & HIV...

This article details how some in New York wish to allow teens confidentiality when it comes to HIV.  They can already be tested for the virus without parental approval or notification.  But they can't usually receive treatment.  Most avenues of treatment would require parental consent, especially for payment. 

The politicians & health workers cite a common sentiment among the poor, "Why get tested if I can't get treatment?"  These people wish to allow the teens to go forward with testing & treatment without parental involvement. 

I get some parents might be horrid & force their children from the home for being HIV+ or gay.  But, to totally remove parental involvement is stripping away parents to a ballistic extent.  Especially if they have to foot the bill.   The people pushing for this new confidentiality aren't only talking about treatment & testing, they're also talking about PrEP.   If a parent is expected to pay for their child, then they should be involved in the process. This would be a very intrusive act on the state's part.  How long before the state decides everything for your child & you just get the bill?

Parents can be intrusive.  But that's sort of their job.  They're not their to be their kids friends or ATM's.  Going through testing is trying enough without support.  This process could rob a child & a parent the chance of being their for each other during this time.  This is a not a place for a blanket statement.   Especially not 1 made by politicians looking for  reelection. 

What rights do parents have left?  They can barely discipline their children with facing legal action.  They can barely choose their children's activities without being accused of endangering their kids or of having free-range children.  Children need rights & they need advocates, but removing parents from the process is not the answer.

I came from a background where my parents removed themselves from my life.  That left me dealing with everything.  Sometimes there were government types involved, but my interest was never their motivations.  Their only drive was their own convenience. Removing parents from such a delicate, complicated & scary process will be disastrous.

Cya...

Stress, Bills & The Morning...

This morning was a bit stressful.  I'm still not feeling great & I've had a series of fairly, nasty nosebleeds.  I"m not sure if the bleeds are from the weather, allergies or my new med.  Possibly, all the above.   

We were worried about some potential car issues.  So far, that seems not to have materialized.   Maybe we lucked out on that issue.  That's be nice.

After paying the water bill & driving around to make sure the van was working alright, we ran some errands.  Those weren't all that successful, but oh well.  Then we came home.  

Where my roomie decided to attack the stoop rail with her face, specifically her nose.   Her nose is banged up & she fell scraping her leg up pretty bad.  It'll be worse tomorrow when the swelling sets in.  

Roomie's nose 1, stoop rail - 0.

I'm hoping that's the end of the stressors for today.  I'm not up for much more.  My spoons aren't spent, but it's close.

Cya...

Still Yuck, But....

Still not feeling all that great, but I did find this article.  John Hopkin's is the 1st  hospital in the US to be allowed to perform HIV + to HIV + transplants.   It's a good read & a game changer for some folks.  I'll post more tomorrow.

Cya...

Sick Still...

I feel like crap.  Maybe, I'll feel better after my shower.  There's some stuff I really need to try to do today.   Past that, I'm not committing to anything.  Hope everyone else is doing well.

Cya...

Not Well...

I did a lot of stuff yesterday  that irritated my throat.  The weather shifted colder & a lot more humid.  This morning I woke feeling like crap.  My throat is sore & scratchy.  My ears & eyes are both feeling weird.  I'm a little feverish & achy.  Hopefully, it's just the weather & what I did yesterday.  I don't need to be getting ill.  

I'l try to blog more tomorrow.

Cya...

Not Today...

This morning has already been exhausting & sucky.  I had to deal with my pharmacy again to fix an order I place yesterday.  I really wish there was another pharmacy I could use besides CVS.  

Past that, fleas have invaded.  For the past several days, the cats have been covered.  I kill the fleas in the morning & the cats are mostly clear for the rest of the day.  But come next morning, they're back.

That led to a whole house vacuuming.  It took me outside to spray the yard with pesticide.  I sprayed the inside with a general bug spray & 1 for fleas.  The spray for fleas nearly kills me when I use it.  It chokes me & I can barely breath.  I cough for quite a while after being near it. 

I'm spent & frustrated.  Mornings still aren't good for me.  They probably never will be.  I just hope this does some good or else I exhausted myself for nothing.

Cya...

Just No...

I'm sick of reading & hearing that HIV is no longer a death sentence & people can go about their lives like nothing happened.    That isn't true.  Maybe, HIV doesn't lead to an immediate visit from the Grim Reaper like it did early on.  But, living with HIV is nothing like the life most people had before.

It isn't as easy as simply popping a pill & going out the door.  There's a lot that goes into maintaining a regimen.  Besides the meds, there are blood tests & continuous check ups.   It's not, oh your +, here's a pill, have a great life.

There's a lot of crap that comes with an HIV diagnosis.  There's the trauma of the diagnosis. Yes, I said trauma.  There may need to be counseling.  There will be emotional upheaval.  There might be a lot of stigma, shame & discrimination.  There's the ongoing, day in, day out of having a chronic illness.

That fails to mention the $.   Being + costs a fortune.  How are you going to pay for it?  There are other costs as well.  Besides the hit to your wallet & your physical well being, you could wind up paying in other ways as well.  I mentioned discrimination, but what about the people who just can't handle the idea of being around someone who's HIV+?   What about those people who'll feel the need to make your illness all about them?

HIV is hard.  HIV is tiring, trying & never ending. So, it might not drop you in 6 months like it used to, but once you're HIV +, your life will never be the same.   Stop telling people there's nothing to fear, nothing to be concerned about, because that's a outright lie.  HIV is still something to be fear & avoid.

Cya...

Yet Again...

Another medical center, this time in Colorado, has possibly exposed just shy of 3,000 patients to HIV & hepatitis.  This time a surgical technologist allegedly switched out a new syringe for a used 1.   It's not clear, but it sounds as if drug use may have been a factor.  It could've been to cover the tech's theft or something more sinister like trying to contaminate patients.  

Either way, more patients will have to be put through the process of HIV testing & waiting for their results.  This won't just be a 1 time thing either.  They'll have to have a few test to insure they've not been infected.   

It doesn't matter why this man did this.  He should be shot, for putting people's lives at risk.  Especially when they came for medical help only to have their health threatened.   There is no excuse for this.

Cya...

Not Trying To Be Sensational...

According to this article, a 60 year old, Scandinavian man was denied entrance for holiday into Australia.  This was  after visiting the country for the last 22 years.  His tourist visa was denied because he was HIV status & they said it was likely he would require care at great cost to the Australian people.

This man has been + since 1994, for 20+ of those 22 years he's vacationed in Australia.    He manages his care with a once a day pill & is considered to be in excellent health all things considered.  He takes his meds with him & has never required medical service while in Australia.  

After being denied entrance, he spoke out to the media & the event became public.  The Australian authorities insist this was just an administrative error, but was it?  This man will never know for sure.  Was it a clerical thing or a targeted action against him for being +?  

Australia has long rejected long term migrants on the basis of their HIV status.  I get that,  HIV is costly & they should treat their own.  I could even get it (not like it, but get it) if they had a blanket policy against allowing people entry with known communicable illnesses.  There is always a possibility of the illness spreading or the person needing care for which the state might have to foot the bill.  

Again, not trying to be sensational here, but was this an error or was it purposeful?  Has it happened before or since?  If this man hadn't spoke out to the media would it have been corrected?  Or was he just a squeaky wheel making bad publicity?  This loyal vacationer will probably never feel the same about Australia.  Was this the system or a single person's campaign against those living with HIV?  I'm fairly sure I'd consider another place for holiday after this incident.

Cya...

When Will It Start...

I started taking my thyroid medicine not quite 3 weeks ago.  I wonder how long it takes to build up enough to take effect.   I have to get blood drawn in 5 - 6 weeks to test my levels.  I don't know what  to expect out of this med.  That's a bit unnerving.

I know I'm still colder than I should be.  My appetite fluctuates between highly diminished & starving.  My taste are off, but that could be my sinuses.   My liking of some foods, like tomatoes is changing.  As well as my tolerance for some food textures.  Again, all this could have nothing to do with the medication.  

I'm not as anxious, but I'm still having some morning issues with it.  I know that some people do better when on thyroid meds if their levels are off. I'll just have to wait & see.  I'm not expecting miracles here, but it'd be nice not to wake up twitchy & be cold all day.

Cya...

Hello Goodbye...

To start with, these 2 articles "A" & "B",  both go into further, scary detail about Tenofovir  resistant HIV or TenoRes.  Some numbers have the rates in some areas up to 60%.  The 2nd article is the scholarly work on the matter.  It's a bit more jargony, but a good read.  You need to watch this development.

The 1st month of 2016 is gone.  So long January, you were pleasant enough, even though you had really weird weather.  So far, my 2016 resolution to make no resolutions this year is holding.

Hello, February.  Like I always ask, can you hold off on the drama.  I have a dental appointment this month for a cleaning.  That's it out of the ordinary for now.

I hope this month brings you whatever you need.

Cya...