Goodbye May...

May is leaving us.  This should've been a nice, Spring month, it wasn't.  It was part of Oklahoma's monsoon season.  Flooding is still ongoing & moving full force downstream to other states.  I would've loved for this month to end with no more stress, but that wasn't to be.  But, today is the last day of May.  It can take its yuck & go away.

We can only hope June is kinder.  The 1st week will be busy with bills & a trip to the neuro specialist in Tulsa.  That's if the appointment isn't rescheduled due to all the flooding.  I'll call early in the week to confirm.  After that, I'll need to be back up a couple of weeks later to go over the MRI they take.  

That's it for now. Goodbye May.

Cya...

More Rain...

As if we didn't already have enough water with the flooding, it rained more.  It drenched us with 2"+ in the last 24 hours.  Maybe we should get a boat. 

It was sunny when I woke & I'm very grateful.  We had more car angst as well.  It needed to go in for the AC.   We were fairly certain we'd get it back & a host of other expensive issues would be arise.  The last round of repairs was a bit trying.

Other than that, nothing much is happening.  I can't think of much else we have to handle.  Hopefully, it stays that way.   I'm ready for May to be over.

Take care, stay dry.

Cya...

Perspectives...

I saw an article title that says more than the actual piece.  I want to focus on the title.  It was called, Gilead Gains 6.8% YTD as HIV Franchise Maintains Momentum.  

Let's break this down.  (YTD = year to date)  Gilead is currently a, if not the, dominant corporation in the HIV med/treatment arena.   They keep pushing their own approach .  They also work with others or acquire other companies outright.  Anything to keep them at the top of the HIV game.

They see HIV as a franchisable opportunity & people living with it a market to be milked.   They profit from these things & are indebted to their shareholders to maintain, if not increase, profits.   A cure will never be in the company's best interest.   Gilead will always be looking for the new, novel & more lucrative treatments.  But they will never really push a cure, unless forced to do so by outside forces or circumstances.

Remember this, Gilead is a corporation.  It's shareholders see HIV as a franchise & those who are HIV+ as a market.   This isn't about healing, it's about greed. Never trust anyone who profits from your suffering.

Cya...

Wrapping Up & Returns...

May is wrapping up & the flood waters keep rising.  Luckily, they're not near us, but they're close by.   A few more days & June will be here.  I'd hope for a less stressed out month, but I'm beginning to believe that's not possible.  The forecast is calling for more rain, just what we need.  Maybe it won't be a lot.  This area can't handle much more water at the moment.

Take care.

Cya...

Consent...

This article is about a bill in the New York State Senate Health Committee.  If passed, it would allow doctors to test anyone for HIV without consent.  There was some reference to signage in  medical centers, but it was unclear & would be all the warning the patient was given.  Entrance would be taken as consent.  That wouldn't fly for sex, why should it for medical procedures?

I absolutely support testing.  But, I also fully support consent.  Who decides which patients to test?  Who's going to pay for this test?  It shouldn't be the patient, if they didn't request it.   This approach may have good intentions, but it's very misguided.  It could set a precedence for very dangerous & invasive things.

Your consent should always be required for anything involving your person.  Anything else, no matter the intent, is a violation.

Cya...

Better, Where...

They're saying the economy is stronger & growing everyday.  Really, where?  Not in my area.  If anything, things are bleaker than they have been.  There are few good jobs.  Prices keep going up as opportunities go down.  People are leaving this state for just about anywhere else.  And Oklahoma is not alone in this crap, many rural states are in the same situation.

As these times stay hard, an epidemic of opioid use has hit many areas.   This article is about IV drug use in West Virginia & how it's leading to higher rates of HIV.  I've been posting the this kind of article for a couple of years now.   

If the situation is getting better, it's only for the rich, not the poor or even the middle class.  A bad economy leads to stress which leads to bad choices which leads to serious, sometimes deadly consequences.  Don't tell us the economy is better when a good chunk of the United States looks like a cesspool.

Cya...

Last May Saturday...

Hard to believe this month is wrapping up already, but it's not been a great time.  Because of all the drear, storms, travel & sickness, May has been a tiresome beast.  This household needs a whole lot less agitation going into Summer.

I don't have a lot more this morning.  Yesterday was bright, even though we're under major flood warnings until Monday.   These floods are brutal & I'm hoping they bypass our area.   I'm still a bit off healthwise, but getting better.  I had to vacuum yesterday & that really killed my breathing.  

That's all, take care.  Hope the rest of May is kind to you.

Cya...

Post Rain...

The storms may have left our area, but not their effects.  It's very muggy & there's some serious flood near us.   My roomie was supposed to see a friend in Fort Smith today, but they didn't know if the roads would be open or if they'd stay open all day.  The waters are still rising in some areas.  They should probably crest today, but that could us with flood waters for several more days.  It can never just be a small rain shower here, it always have to be some sever BS.

I've managed to schedule my MRI redo & it shouldn't be hard to handle.   That's about it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Not Quite...

The weather, my health & people's need to do yard work are conspiring against me fully recovering.  I'm getting there, just not quite yet.    This is exhausting.

I'm trying to get a redo MRI scheduled in Tulsa.  The fancy, city mouse doctors, didn't like the bumpkin, country mouse MRI.   I"ll try to handle that today after we get back from shopping. 

This has seriously knocked the wind out of me.  I'm very achy & nearly spent.  I really need a few days of no BS.  Good luck on that.  That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Over It..

I'm not quite recovered but I'm definitely over this cold or whatever's crap.  We've had several days of horrible weather with storms, winds, tornados, lightning & flooding.  Not to mention the sirens, downed lines, broken trees & power outages.  We're all over it.  Nature, needs to let it be for a while. It doesn't look like there's going to be a real Spring 2019.  There was Winter, then Gloom, & next will be Summer.

Enough ranting for now, take care.

Cya..

While I Can...

I'll post while I can.  The sirens are going again.  Like a couple of days ago we're under a tornado warning.    We've been under a watch since yesterday.  The last storm did quite a bit of damage & knocked out power.  Hopefully, this won't produce a tornado.  That's it for now.  I hate this Spring.

Cya..

Blogger Weirdness & Recovery...

Sometimes Blogger decides to act up, kike today.  It's just being strange, so this will be short.  Not much going on anyway.

Read an article about another dental office having to tell it's patients to be tested for HIV.  The hygienist  wasn't sterilizing things properly.  This could affect 3 months worth of patients.  At least this time, it was in Britain & not here. 

You wouldn't know to look at me this morning, but I am sort of on the mend.  This morning sent me into another cough fit & I'm still sore.  I hope this crap is winding down.

That's all for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Outage, Stress & Yick...

May has not been easy month for me, just a continuation of this messed up Spring's drudgery.  It's only added to my SAD.  I'm trying to keep myself going, but this season has been rough.  

I went to a specialist appointment, basically for them to call for a redo, whenever they get themselves around to it.  I have no more info on the stroke situation.  Guess, I should've known better than better than to trust a local MRI.  

Then I get sick as I'm getting off the statin.  The weather sucks & my body is really stiff & achy.  Sometimes painfully so.  

Yesterday, there was a severe storm in the area.  Because Oklahoma can't just rain, it has be huge gusting, lightning filled, hail dumping thunderstorms or tornadoes.   This 1 knocked out the power for hours.  I didn't need the stress.  I'm  exhausted.

I guess my rant's over for now.  I'm tired & cranky.  I really don't see any end to this crap soon.  I hope everyone else is doing better.  Take care.

Cya...

Trying To Get Better...

Last night went, but I still feel pretty shot this morning.  I slept & only had a slight fever.  There weren't any nosebleeds or majors cough fits.   I coughed some this morning.  My body wanted rid of something.  I'm still sore from all the coughing.  It's supposed to storm today, so I woke to more grey skies.  That didn't help in the least.   I"ll post more tomorrow.

Take care.

Cya...

Still Ick...

I slept better than last night, but not great.  I woke about 4 AM so sore & achy I had to get some ibuprofen.  I wasn't as feverish, but it wasn't fun.  It took me forever to get back to sleep & then I overslept.  My voice is having issues.  Hopefully, today will get me through most of this crap.  

Cya...

Not Good Again...

I'm not feeling well.  I've been dealing with sinus issues since coming back from my specialist appointment, last Friday.  2 days ago, it developed into a slight cough.  I didn't sleep well that night & woke up with a sore throat.   I felt like crap yesterday.  I was completely wiped & coughing a lot.  Last night was hell.  I barely slept.  I was feverish & coughing so much, I gave myself a slight nosebleed.   About 4,  I got to sleep.  

I'm up now & feel like crap.  The cough is still here, but not as bad as last night.   My throat keeps tickling, like I'm heading into a cough fit.  So far, just a few this morning.  Hopefully, this, whatever it is, will head out soon.  I'm exhausted.

Take care & be well.

Cya...

Litigation....

This article gives insight into legal action against Gilead.  The company is accused of making deals to block the development of generic versions of their medications.  Especially anything with tenofovir, the base for many of the company's medications, notably Truvada (PrEP).   These same deals would also mostly eliminate any competition over cost.  Gilead would face no competition in the market.

There are many articles covering this development.  This was the most user friendly & easily available.  Give it & maybe them a read.   Take care.

Cya...

3 Months...

Yesterday was the literal day, but today is actually 90 days out from my stroke.  I still don't have a lot of answers on the matter, but I doing better.  I don't feel like I did before & I may never.  I don't know.   I'm waiting for the specialist to call back for the next round of scans & appointments. 

For now, it's the start of the 4th day not taking the statin.  Yesterday was better than it had been.  I'm still feeling the stiffness, but not as much & I was nowhere near as sore.  I hope this resolves that matter.  

That's about it for now, take care.

Cya...

Approaches...

This article is about new, long lasting treatments for HIV.  These are mostly injectables.  Among them are those focusing on medications, antibodies & other approaches.  This is a good article.  It discusses these new treatments & the possible issues with them.  Give it a read.

Cya...

Not So Fast...

Gilead announced a donation of PrEP to 200,000 people.  Sounds good, but for Gilead, it's pocket change.  It also makes Trump look good & boosts corporate relations.  

According to this piece, not everyone trusts Gilead's intent.  The company will gain much more than it loses here.  This comes off more as an investment than a charitable act.  There are a lot questions about what will actually happen here.

Sorry Gilead, but this spin won't redeem your reputation.  Some feel it's too little, too late.  Doesn't help that you've only recently started pushing the need for condoms as well as PrEP.  Gilead is  a profits driven corp, of course it's not trustable.  It just announced its intent to allow a single company to produce a generic version of PrEP.  Which could wind up meaning very little, if they have any influence on pricing or distribution.

That's all for now.  

Cya..

Post Neuro Appointment...

Yesterday went sorta well.   The drive was fine & we ate at place we like.  We made good time & found parking easily.  The office was well marked.  

The appointment was a mixed bag.  I got in quickly, a plus.  The office & staff were nice, definitely a plus.  Then, came some off news.  My last MRI's weren't good enough for a decent reading.  I'm not sure what happened, but I have to go back & have it redone.  This time in Tulsa.  I have a feeling local inadequacy had a lot to do with this.   Hello extra trips to Tulsa.   

The doctor did tell me that my stiffness could be caused by the statin I'm taking.  So, I'm off it for now.   I hope this will lessen the stiffness, because it's becoming painful.  I looked back through my posts & it was just over 2 weeks after I started simvastatin, the stiffness started.  So, it could be the med. 

The trip home went well.  I managed to pick up Triumeq at a local pharmacy.  That's another step of being free from CVS Caremark.  Definite Yay!  A couple more refills & I"ll be fairly certain of the change has worked.

Overall, a mixed day.  At least it wasn't totally useless or bad. Take care.

Cya...

No Fan Of Early...

I have to be at an appointment in Tulsa by 10:15.  I'm up early before the 2+ hour trip, so I can wake up.  I'm no a fan of early mornings.  To make matters less enjoyable, the skies are grey, it could rain & the temps dropped into the 40s last night.  Joy!

I have no idea what to expect out of this.  The more typical it is, the less apt they are to do anything for the time being.  There's a chance they'll say there's nothing to do for the time being.  Then it'll be a wait & see game.

I won't know anything until this happens.  For now, I've done what I can.  The only thing left, is to get to the appointment. 

So, here we go.  Take care

Cya...

Another Grey Morning...

Another dreary day has arrived.  I hope the skies lighten.  I really need to be more with it & recharged.  We're heading out to go shop & then come back.  I think I've gotten myself as ready as I can for the trip to Tulsa tomorrow.  I hate that the specialist is 2 hours away.   The drive isn't easy on my roomie or me.  It has to be done though. 

That's it for now. Take care.

Cya...

Nothing's Perfect...

There's tons of articles complaining about various attempts to deal with HIV.  This concerns education, awareness, medication distribution, medical availability, etc...   There's always some group complaining that "Plan A" doesn't cover this area, that problem or these people. So we should just scrap it & try something else.  This keeps happening & often nothing gets done, because no plan is perfect.

Guess what.  No plan is ever perfect.   Something will be left out.  Some group will be missed.    That doesn't make it a bad plan.  It just means there's a need for more than a single approach to the problem at hand.  HIV is a very complex issue & is never going to be solved with a 1 size fits all mentality.  So that plan didn't cover that group, what can?  This approach failed there, how can we patch it?   

Stop going back to square 1, just because  the plan isn't perfect.  A good plan that works for a good part of the people is better than no plan at all.  Perfection is unattainable, stop aiming for it.  Aim for good & then fill in the gaps.  That's how things get done.

Cya...

1st Tuesday In May...

It's the first of the month & most the bills are paid.  I'm waiting for the last statement to arrive.  I have to get tags renewed.  

I'm in the process of transferring my prescription to a local pharmacy.  I need this to work.  I'm over CVS Caremark.   During their last screw up, they told me I needed a new refill for a medication I've never been prescribed.

I need to call back to the specialist's office & get more precise directions.  I know generally where were headed, but not exacts, like where to park. I hope this appointment goes well.  I need to get through this & then an eye exam.  Then maybe I won't have to talk doctors throughout most the Summer.  

That's all for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Bad Wake Up...

I didn't wake up well.   There was weird rian making lots of noise.  The cats were obnoxious.  The neighbors were loud.  The light was strange.  I woke early.  I woke anxious, wired & groggy.   I hate mornings like this.  This Spring has been much worse for my SAD than Winter was.

I need to rest this week.  We have to go shopping & handle the rest of the bills.  Later in the week, I have a specialist appointment with neuro in Tulsa.  I still have to find out how to get there.  I'm finally trying to move my prescriptions.  We'll see how that goes. I don't need anymore stress.

That's all for now.  Here's hoping for a better day.  Take care.

Cya...

Post Mow Ugh....

The lawn man was over a week late getting our yard mowed.  There was so much rain & more is expected.  My allergies were already acting up, but after he cut the grass, they soared.  The whole ENT thing is going on, all are itching & irritated.  My eyes are horrible right now. 

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Maybe Dry...

It rained a little yesterday.  It's not bright this morning, but at least it's not supposed to rain.  I don't have much to say this morning.  We don't have any plans & I didn't find any articles worth discussing.  They're all back to rehash & PrEP-pushing.   

Hopefully today will just be easy.

Take care.

Cya...

Bill day...

It's the start of the bills, they'll mostly be handled by Monday.  That doesn't leave much time.  hen there's shopping.   Hopefully, we can get this handled before more rain.  

This time next week, I'll be seeing a neuro specialist about my post stroke MRI.   Found out, I'll need another MRI next March.  I have no idea what to expect from this appointment.  I don't like being this in the dark about my situation.  Oh well, I suppose I'll know soon enough.

Take care.

Cya...

Halfway...

Yesterday wasn't fun.  It mostly stayed.  May's rainfall average for our area is a little 6".   It rained nearly 3.5" yesterday & some local vicinities got a lot more.   There's more rain in the forecast.  That was the 1st day of what looks to be a very wet month.  There's bound to be flooding.  Who knows when the yard will get mowed.  Great start May.  

Cya...

Thanks So Much May...

May is here & it's already dumped over an inch of rain on us.  The rain looks to hold for a while, maybe even a few days.  Oh joy, more damn rain & grey skies.  The lawn guy's never going to be able to mow.   I'd really like some damn sun already.

What a crap way to begin May.  As a month, you already suck.

Cya...

PS - Sorry for the rant, but this weather has done in my mood & made my body ache.  Ever since the stroke, my left side aches when there's this kind of weather & pressure.