So Long June...

This is it, June 2016 is done.  July will be here in less than 12 hours.  June was hotter than I'd liked,  but  at least it killed most the grass & a lot of the bugs.  On the downside, we enter Summer minus 4" of rain.  There's going to be a lot of grass fires this summer.

June marked the 1st full month of a whole year without any porch cats.  It's still weird there aren't any out there waiting for food.  There are 4 neighborhood cats that come through occasionally.  It's nice to see them play in the yard or lounge under the shrubs.  

It's bright out.  I needed a season that wasn't just a drearfest.  I'll be wanting some cloud cover come August, but for now, I like the light.  It helps me out me a lot. especially waking up in the morning. 

Until next year June.

Cya...

June Waning...

It's Wednesday & trash day.  I'm waiting for my meds to arrive.   That could happen anywhere from noon to 6 PM   Just have to love UPS.  

The weather here is teasing us.  It's staying unpleasant, but not outright blistering.  I could live without that.  At least we get to hold off on the AC until later in the day.

June's almost gone.  This was the last hump-day of June for 2016.  It's not been a bad month, but there were a lot little things that didn't make it a fun 1 either.  We came no where near our rain average.  Last month we were 2"+ shy.  This month nearly 4".   Hey, at least the grass is dying.  Fire season won't be fun though.

Wherever you are stay as comfortable possible.

Cya...

Little Things...

Yesterday, we had to have a pull chain switch replaced in our NEW ceiling fan.  It really wasn't a big deal, but it was.  It was yet another thing that had to  be handled.  It was another thing eating cash.  It was another source of stress.

It's fixed.  It didn't cost us a lot, but enough to pay most a water bill or a tank of gas.   It was $ I wish we hadn't had to be spend fixing something less than 3 month old.  It's over & it was dealt with. Still, it was stressful.  It was something we didn't need at the moment.

These are those little things in life you can't really predict.  You can only deal with them the best you can.  Ir's things like this that make laugh when doctors tell you to watch your stress.  

Never let some one tell something was just a little thing.  It may have been something small, but you still had to deal with it.  It may have taken all you had to give or more than you were capable of giving.  Some times the small things are actually worse than the big stuff.

Cya...

Not Testing...

According to this article, less than 1% of young men from 2009 - 2012  were tested for HIV.  Considering this is the most prevalent group to acquire the virus, this is a ridiculous & dangerous thing.  Read the article.  There's little more I can offer on this.

Now, I have to go see about getting a pull chain switch for a new fan.  Figures I'd buy the 1 that's light stops working.  GOtta go.

Cya...

Drugs & HIV...

Recently, several articles have been running the idea male drug use is very causal in the spread of HIV to women.   This is nothing new.  People who use drugs have altered perceptions & practicing safe sex is not high on their list.  These people have little impulse control.   This kind of behavior has been shown to be especially prevalent in areas of economic hardship & higher gender inequality.   Again, no news there.  

Being poor can lead to hardships in life.  Many choose to self medicate to deal with these difficulties.  These people are more prone to engage in risky behavior.  Sometimes, coercing others to do so with them.  Thus HIV spreads quickly among the poor, drug users & those in some way disenfranchised from what we perceive as normal & acceptable.

Cya...

National HIV Testing Day...

Monday, June 27 2016 is National HIV Testing Day in the US.  This article will give more details.  I've tried to write about this every year.  The only thing I have to say on this matter is simple, "Get Tested."

Cya...

Portrayed...

Occasionally, I see articles or hear discussions on  how there aren't enough people with HIV shown on TV or in films.   1st off, there are + people shown, just not many.  How many do we need? 

2nd, I'm not sure I want to see + people on TV.  How will they portray us?   Will we be stupid, slutty or victims?    I've seen how they handle gay people & that's not been great.  

Although HIV is a huge illness, it's not like everyone has it  or that half the folks on TV should be +.  I simply don't trust TV producers to present people living with the virus in an accurate way across the spectrum of people who have it from rich to poor, urban to rural & every color you can think of.  

HIV should be a topic of many conversations.  But it shouldn't be entertainment.  Or worse, product placement for meds.  

Cya...

2,000th Post...

This post is about my blog.  This will be my 2,000th post.   At a post a day, that makes this post like 5.8 years old.  Some of the post may not have been as elaborate or informative as others.  But, I always posted something & that was the deal I made with myself when I started this blog.  I've tried to keep this about HIV & my life.  I think I've accomplished that.    So here's to my blog & me.  

Happy 2,000th to me & my blog.

Cya...

Hot & Not Much...

It's another hot day & my roomie isn't feeling that well.  It was also trash day, not fun.  We're waiting on the lawn guy to come mow.  Hopefully we won't have to mow a lot more this Summer.    I had some errands to run.  I did them before it got too hot, but it was still unpleasant.    There isn't much else going on here or with the articles.  I'll end for now.

Cya...

More Thyroid News...

The lab results are back & my thyroid levels are still off.   My new prescription will edge up a little more.  For the remainder of what I have, I'll be pill splitting & taking 1 1/2 a day.  Fortunately, I won't have to do do that long.   In another 8 or so weeks I'll get stuck for my levels again.  I hate being a pin cushion.   But, it's what I have to do.  Still sucks.

Cya...

Summer Solstice...

This is the Summer Solstice of 2016.  Time for a formal good bye to Spring & hello to Summer.  This will be longest day of the year.  The shortest night.  That means more daylight to heat thing up.  Even though  the days will got hotter well until September.   The grass has some serious brown splotches developing.  Yay! Finally. 

With Summer here, it's time to remind people to be aware of how you & your meds interact with heat & sunlight.   Some meds  can make you susceptible to both.   Be careful to stay hydrated & cool.

Cya...

A Little OT...

OK, it's Father's day & all Creep Show - "Father's Day" jokes aside,  I usually don't talk much about this or Mother's Day.   I'm not a parent, nor am I close to mine, this isn't a thing for me.   So, I usually leave it alone.

Over the past few years instead of the usual celebratory notes on Mother's Day, there's been a lot of piss & vinegar.  Some men are crying about women getting too much attention.  Some are upset by the holiday because they aren't or can't be mothers.  

Whatever.  Not everything or every day is about you.  These are holidays for parents.  If you  don't like it, so what?  It's not hurting you.   This is a day to celebrate parenthood.  Definitely, not for me.  So, I let it be.

This Father's Day, instead of seeing congrats & high fives for fathers, I'm seeing a different type of asshattery.   There are a lot of social media posts griping at dads for not doing this, that or the proverbial other thing.   They want to tell father's what they should be doing, because everyone single other person is a better than you.

STOP HIJACKING OTHER PEOPLE'S DAY'S, MOMENTS, CELEBRATIONS, OBSERVANCES, MEMORIALS, ETC....   

JUST STOP IT!

Stop being assholes.  Let these people have their moments.  It seriously isn't hurting you.  Grow up &  let people be.

Cya....

Post Whatever....

Post this, post that.  People are happy to tack that desciptor onto anything, usually just to come off as cool or with-it, mostly hipsterish.   It's annoying when most people use it.  They hear post industrial or postmodern  & think they can tack the word onto anything & make it edgy.  How tiresome.  

I wish I could tell you I was post-HIV.  I can't & no one else can until  the virus cured & gone from our lives forever.   What I am, is post the initial shock of it all.

My roomie wrote a post yesterday concerning a life altering health matter that occurred 2 years ago.  Some people might think. "Isn't she past this 2 years later?"   I said & meant, life altering.  This event changed a lot for her.  

I didn't start my blog until  2011.  I was diagnosed in 2000.  He event happened in 2014.  It's going to take some time for her to move past the matter or should I say be post-it?   She may never be.  Life changing is just that, life changing.  It's a cause for a myriad of emotions from joy to grief.

If you've gone through something life altering give yourself time.  You old life may be in the past but you're still here.  You have to give yourself time to learn what this new life is all about.

Cya...

Another Sticky Day...

Shopping wasn't fun this morning.  It was an awful, muggy trudge through the swamp known as Walmart.   It took me almost hour to feel dry afterwards.

There are notices going out to larger cities in the north, especially in Ohio & Indiana.  These 2 states have had a massive spread of HIV in rural areas due to IV drug use.  The use of heroin is on the raise in the cities.  Health officials warned without prevention, especially needle sharing programs, they could face the same fate as these little towns.  As the economy soured, drug use soared causing HIV rates to rocket.

Wherever you are stay comfortable, I'll be looking for a cool spot.

Cya...

AC...

Yesterday was the 1st day of the year we turned on the AC.  It was 96 F with a heat index of 103.  It felt worse earlier when it was 89 with a heat index of 101.  We hold out for as long as we can, but at some point, it's just too much for our health,  It's also hard on the appliances & cats.   

I know a lot of people turn their AC on when it hits the high 70's.  I'd love to have had it on earlier, but we simply can't afford the bill.  So, we get by with open windows & fans as long as we can.   I count us lucky we held out until mid June.  

It looks to be in the upper 90's for the rest of the month.  I hope this isn't another  ridiculously hot Summer.  Hey, maybe the grass will die off.  I can at least hope for that.

Cya...

A Different POV...

I said I'd just blog about the Orlando Shooting just once.  I haven't changed my mind on that.   But this article, isn't about the shooting.  It's about the level of stigma against being gay in Afghan & Muslim cultures.   It discusses how gays are treated in these places.  It tells of how some of these people would sooner kill themselves than let it be known they were gay. 

The shooting may have been by a man conflicted over his sexuality.    He may have been looking to cover his orientation via suicide by cop.    That doesn't really matter.  It illustrates how stigmatized being gay is in these cultures.    It shows the fear, anger & hatred these religions have against gay people.  

Some of these people would choose death over a life being gay,  They choose that due to fear, anger, shame & hatred.  These things their cultures & religions shove down their throats.  The actions these people take to end their lives are the direct results of their upbringings.  They were murdered by the faith & heritage.  

What a legacy.

Cya...

Early Morning Stick...

I had to get stuck this morning for some blood work.  The doc is having my thyroid levels tested to see where I'm at on this new dosage.   He may have to alter it again. 

The lab tech, at my doc's office isn't the most friendly of people.  He does his job well, just don't ask for conversation.   This morning however, he something I'm not fond of at all.  He drew my blood from a vein on my hand.  Seriously, that stung when he pulled the needle out.  But, on the bright side, so far it isn't bruising like I usually do after blood draws.  I'll find out the results in about a week.

Cya...

Sauna Day...

It was supposed to rain last night & the night before.  It didn't.   I woke this morning to temps in the upper 70s F & 85% humidity.  We had to go shopping this morning.  It finally rained fairly hard right before we left for about half an hour.  

By the time we got home from shopping, it was steamy, muggy & very unpleasant.  The humidity has dropped some, but not much.  It's supposed to get near the century mark a lot of the next couple of weeks.  I hope the humidity dies off before that.  That would be awful to have both.  

Fingers crossed.

Cya...

This 1 Time...

This is the only I'll address this matter on this blog.  There was a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.  Not, just a mass shooting, but the biggest in US history.  The shooter is dead, the garbage is out the door.  His name is known, but I'm not going to give him the credit of calling him that here.  He was a cowardly ass who planned an attack on a nightclub, right before closing time.   This man was weak & barely worth being called human.  

The monster was slain, but the casualties are numerous & the damage will be hard to overcome.  The villain's father is proclaiming this had nothing to do with Islam.  He thought his son was homophobic.   His ex-wife told of how abusive he was.  He claimed ties to terrorists.  Enough so, he was on a watch list.  He declared loyalty to such a group before he began his rampage.

This was about hate.  This was about stigma.  This was about how the world still views gays as someone they should be able to just kill on a whim.  This was about this man's issues with homosexuality, but it was also about his upbringing.  His culture & religion got him to the point where he found this action acceptable & appropriate.  

Hell, maybe he just wanted to go out semi-famous.  Maybe he was competing with the jerk who killed the singer from The Voice in Orlando the day before.  Hopefully, this won't spark a 1-up type of thing.  

This is about hate, grubbiness & fear.  May his next life be that of a worm.  Then at least he'd be useful.

Cya...

Treat People The Same...

I've talked about the lack or proper care available to people living on the fringe; the poor, the ethnic, gays, etc..  You might think being on the flip side of that would be better.  That's not always the case.  

The wealthy can afford & access treatment, but sometimes, it goes way beyond that & you wind up with what's referred to VIP Syndrome.  This is when someone of an elevated station receives different care & standard than the average person.  Mind you, I wrote different, not better. 

People can be blinded by other's stations; fame, power or wealth.   They may make decisions they normally wouldn't for this VIP,  That's not always a good thing.   In fact, they suspect this may have been at least in part responsible for the death of Prince.  The same is thought in the deaths of Michael Jackson, Joan Rivers & even Eleanor Roosevelt.    

This doesn't just happen in medical situations,  It's been known to happen in a myriad of environments, including aviation.  The 2010 crash of the Polish aircraft Tu-154 is thought to have been caused by VIP treatment of the flight specifics. 

The point here is simple.  No matter what the field, treating people in any other fashion than the norm can be dangerous & even deadly.  The poor shouldn't be endangered due to their lack of finances.  The rich & powerful shouldn't be risked because of their affluence.   

Just treat people the same.  I know that will never happen, but still, it'd be nice & apparently safer.

Cya...

Running A Little Late & Ragged...

We had a busy morning of shopping.  It doesn't normally take so long, but we needed quite a bit.  Even that wouldn't have been so bad.  But, every single person in town had to go shopping while I was there.  OK, it might not have been everyone, but it most of them.   It was stupidly busy.  That made shopping take forever.  It was tiring & frustrating.  

We're home now & we've eaten.  I feel better, but I'm still worn out.  I'll catch up in a bit, probably.  For now, this is all I'm up to for the blog.

Cya...

In the 90's....

We hit the 90's yesterday for the 1st time this year.  It's been humid enough a few days to give us a heat index into the 90's, but yesterday was the actual temp.   It looks like the 80's are in the rear-view mirror for the foreseeable future.  

This is vexing for me.  I don't want to be overly hot & have to spend $ on the AC.  Then again, hot weather will kill the grass & bugs.  It's that silver lining thing again.  I just hope we don't get horribly hot this Summer.

It would be nice to get hot enough to drive off all the allergens & bugs.  We haven't really gotten out of allergy season in 2 years.  A break would be appreciated.

Still, we made it until the 2nd week of June before hitting the 90's.

Cya...

Just Stupid...

I keep reading reports about casual sex being on the rise in gay culture, nothing new there.  But, also that condom usage is going down.   Besides just being plain idiotic, some are going without protection because of PrEP. 

This is so very STUPID!  Only somewhere between 5 - 10 % of gay men are presumed to be on PrEP.  How will you know if they are?  Are they taking the regimen daily?   Are you?  

PrEP has already failed & will do so again.  Each time you opt not to use a condom, you're adding to your odds of contracting an STD.   Oh yes, I said STD, not just HIV.    PrEP doesn't do a thing against other STD's.

Just use a damn condom.

Cya...

Skimming...

The articles are still fairly scant.  I skimmed through a lot of them & most of the them are repeats.   The concept of CRISPR or gene editing HIV is still  in the news, but the matter keeps getting contradicted on its effectiveness.  

The UK military is surprised to find an abundance of soldiers & sailors have STD's & HIV.   Even though, according to some condoms are readily available.    It seems the unwillingness to use condoms is at least in part the reason for the spread of these illnesses.

The UK NHS is being scolded for refusing to fund PrEP.  Yet another place where Truvada isn't seen as the silver bullet.  You can bet Gilead whipped the activists into a fervor of the NHS's decision.

An HIV vaccine study in Oregon is nearing human trial stage.  I don't usually report on vaccines.  They usually fail & only get people's hopes dashed.  Even if it does work, it won't help those living with HIV already.  

That's all for now.

Cya...

Post Symptoms & Change...

It'll be a quiet day for me. My roomie is in Tulsa for an appointment.  She's been apprehensive about this meeting.  It's a followup to keep tabs on a health scare she had a while back.  It was bad enough to be called life-changing, definitely altering.  Each followup is a reminder of that.

Adding to that, her previous doctor abruptly retired.  This will be her 1st appointment with a new physician concerning an intimate topic.  I can sympathize with her on this to an extent.   Not too long ago, I tried a new doctor to see if I could get a specialist closer to where I  live.  It didn't go well, actually it was fairly awful.  Even so, I was never as exposed as my roomie will have to be.

New & intimate aren't things people who dislike change want to deal with, especially if they're not comfortable with people to begin with.  I can get that.  She went up with a friend & it'll be a lengthy trip.  I'll be here.  Hopefully, all goes well. 

Cya..

Fringe Hate...

This article isn't directly about HIV.  It's about the systemic under-reporting of hate crimes in this country.  This article primary deals with crimes against people of color, but also notes many other groups are targets as well, including gays.  

In this country, even though we have hate crime laws, most people don't want to admit hate motivated the actions of the perpetrator.   Somehow simply avoiding that admission is supposed to make it better.  But when the target is the black relative of civil rights activist on Martin Luther King day, it's hard for that not to be considered hateful.

The majority population doesn't want to realize how much hate they harbor for others or the "them".   They don't want to look in the mirror & see the seething thing that loathes others so badly as to bring them harm simply because they aren't the same.    Yoda was right.  

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.     Yoda - The Phantom Menace

Cya.... 

Rainy Day Errands...

Another bad day for articles out there.  That's OK, we've been busy this morning.  We had to run some errands this morning.  Normally, they would've been handled yesterday, but the ATM was out of commission.  We got out & paid some bills. Afterwards, we did Monday's shopping today, because my roomie has an appointment on Monday & I didn't want to have to go to Walmart 3 days in a row.  

It's been raining off & on all morning.  We need the rain.  Still, I'm really over grey skies.  A little sunshine & lower humidity would be nice for a bit.

That's about it for now.

Cya...

Stupid Things...

The articles are filled with mass idiocy today.   Some seem overly concerned with proving Prince died of HIV.  Even though the reports note an opioid overdose.  The Russian Kremlin is backing a study blaming condoms for the spread of HIV.  The silly Russian leaders want to convince everyone being in a  monogamous, heterosexual is the only way to save the world form AIDS.  Never mind Putin hates gay people.   People scream about how if only we cared as much Blacks, migrants, HIV, etc... as we did a dead gorilla, the world would be somehow saved.  

Far too much stupidity for me this morning.

Cya...

Mower Eyes...

Well it's the beginning of June.  I should've talked about this yesterday, but oh well.  OK, try to be decent & nothing overly dramatic & we'll get along.  I think it's time to get a little warmer.  May be dry out some more so the grass & fleas die off some. Thee's my wishes for the month.  Again, greetings & salutations June.

My eyes aren't happy with me.  I can barely read the screen at the moment.  The lawn got mowed less than an hour ago & it's killing my eyes.  It also stinks.  I hate cut grass.

We'll be busy tomorrow morning.  There'll be all the 1st of the month  errands.  Then on to shopping.  Yay! 

Cya...

Contaminated...

This article discussed how over 2,000 people in India were infected with HIV due to blood transfusions.  If not for an activist's curiosity this may have never be known.  The activist wanted to know what  medical institutions in India were doing to ensure a safe blood supply.  What he wound was little to nothing was being done in most places.  Even though there is an abundance of awareness on the matter & the means to screen the blood.  

These numbers were just from around 17 months.  Imagine how many others have been impacted by this lack of oversight & screening since the epidemic started decades ago.  The numbers are genuinely frightening.

You might be safe in your little corner of the world.  But to assume  others are equally safe is false & dangerous.  These assumptions could risk your health & that of others.   Even a single individual who is unknowingly + could be the epicenter of a massive number of transmissions.  We don't see all the ripples of out intentional actions, how could we know those of our unintended doings?

Until the whole world is on the same page on how to handle HIV it will never be a war we can win.

Cya...