Stigma & Social Cutting...

 

It seems reasonable to think all behavior had a purpose at some point.  These actions could've been all early people & societies could've have mustered.  Look at stigmatizing illnesses.   These people didn't have medicine or sanitation. They didn't understand how illnesses worked.

Perhaps with leprosy, TB or others; stigmatizing was all they knew to do.  Think of it as a form of social surgery.  Lets cut out the bad part & hope to save the rest.   Without the religious zealotry & ideological loathing, isn't that just an extreme quarantining?

In a time of limited resources, the problem was religion, fear & ignorance.  They didn't know what illnesses were.  Some thought sickness to be a curse or punishment.  

Unfortunately only part of society ever grew out of their superstitions.  Other's held on to hate & fear.  Some people used those emotions to wage war on those found different, lacking or ill.   Stigma is nothing new, it moved from being a poor method of social protection to a weapon.  

Look at the Crucible.  Take the battle against HIV.  Take Ebola in Africa.  Now look at COVID-19, the illness Trump calls that Chinese virus.  Stigmatizing an illness is weaponizing ignorance, fear & hatred. It's been used against the ill, the different & now it's divided a nation.

Stima may be the greatest WMD ever.

Cya...

PS - The man I wrote about yesterday, the Berlin Patient has passed.  He died of cancer. Good journeys to you sir.  May your next life be full of happiness, joy & prosperity.  May people know you.

Defined...

 

I want to talk about a man & I won't give you his name.  Google him if you feel the need.  12 years ago there was a man now known as the Berlin Patient.  Thought to be the 1st person cured of HIV.  It was via a transplant he received to fight cancer.  This process led to his cure & his life was defined.  Over a decade later another person was cured in the same manner.  Since then a few more have followed.  

This man pushed for the action to be researched.  He wanted others cured.  But he was defined.  Now his cancer has returned & his definition has been amended.   

He is the Gay, former Washingtonian, international student who studied in Germany.  He was HIV+ & developed cancer.  He had treatment that handled his cancer & cured his HIV.  He was dubbed the Berlin Patient.   He was the cured man who pushed for research.  He was the 1st.  His cancer returned & it's terminal.  He is now a resident of a California hospice.  Final points, will be added soon.

To many, that's all this man is or ever will be.   Many of us have been defined by surface details & things beyond our control.  This man is my age.  I've had others react to me over cursory definitions.  Often, those things were wrong.  Often  they were reflections of my situation at the time.  Often, they were a tiny detail of my life made to be significant.  I've interacted with so many people in my life, but so few of them ever bothered to know me.  Even those, I thought of as friends.  Even those who I was related to. 

This man, you, me & everyone else... we are all more the best or worst moments of our lives.  Life happens & things come before us, they may alter us, even change our course.  But, they don't get to be our definition.  Even if you look up the Berlin Patient.  It's not easy to find much more about him than what I've posted.  

He was a real, human person that was so much more than these points.  He's on his journey through life.  So are we.  Be kind.

Cya...

PS - My appointment went well.

Dark Early...

 

I hate morning appointments, I do.  However, if I don't get early meetings with my doctor, the wait times are awful.  Early times can still be bad, but I have a better chance of getting out of there quickly.  Still, I hate them.

I have to be at my doctor's office in less than 2 hours.  I'm trying to wake up & get around.  Saying I'm annoyed is such an understatement.

Take care, mor tomorrow.

Cya...

National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day...

This piece talks about this event.   It talks about the decades Gay men have faced HIV.  It details some of the issues & successes.  HIV.Gov also has some listings of events on it's site.  Give it a read.  

Cya...

Last Saturday...

 

September is winding down.  I woke to sunshine & that was nice.  Our schedule this week will be altered.  I have an appointment with my primary care Monday morning.  This could take 30 minutes or hours.  I never know.  So, we'll go shopping tomorrow, just in case.  

There isn't much else going on at the moment.  I'm trying not to be angry about the COVID numbers staying high in our area.  It won't do me any good.   It doesn't matter if we have high numbers, Friday night football must go on.

Oh well, take care & be safe.

Cya.

Neverending Hellweed...

 

It's foggy & that's not helping my disposition. The burr-shaped, demonic presence known as ragweed won't go away.  It been here forever this year.  Normally, once the rains start & the chill sets in, this crap goes back to hell where it & the bugs belong.  Not, this year.  No, almost everywhere else on the map is clearing up, but our area is still in the highish to OMG high zone.  There's no sign of it ending.

This crap is making me feel fairly awful at times.  It's giving me sinus headaches & slight fevers.  I can deal with it for now, but it needs to go.

I need to get around.  We have shopping & errands.  Take care.

Cya...

Run-Ons...

 

I hate punctuation in my life.  My life has been overly punctuated with bad to horrible events..  Every decent point in my life is generally followed by some level of crap-fest.  I'm always waiting for the slap in the dark or the other shoe to drop. I can get the worse buyer's remorse.  The better the moment, the bigger the crash.  

As a kid, I always knew whenever something shifted from tolerable to OK or really good, a storm of sh*tty, hellfire was about to pour down my life.  It never failed & still doesn't.  

Last December, I went into the hospital for pneumonia or corona, who knows?   I got out early & spent weeks trying to recover.  Only then to have the crapfest of 2020 threaten my health & well being.  

Sometimes, it starts at the beginning like an exclamation.  That's usually when something breaks or a crisis arises.  I panic & usually get angry.  Once that passes, I can focus & try to muddle through.  No matter what end the punctuation comes on, it sucks for me.

Recently researchers have developed regimens based on 2 instead of 3 meds.  That should mean fewer interactions & issues.  It could also lower the cost.  However, some studies have shown these 2 prong meds to more highly associated with inflammation.  Which, in itself, can be as bad or worse than HIV.   Moments like that must be ellipsis.

So, I'm go to try & live my life like a run on sentence.  Hell, I'm going for a full on Faulkner sentence. No punctuation needed here, thank you.

Cya...

2 Pieces...

 

I found 2 articles this morning.  I'm not going to discuss them much, they both deserve to be read.  They're important topics & maybe if more people visit these sites, they'll put out more.

The 1st article covers the rise in resistance to HIV meds in Germany.   They're seeing a significant uptick in the numbers of HIV samples that are resistant to current meds.   These situations used to be common  in countries where HIV meds were difficult to regularly obtain.  Now this is spreading.  It could be a natural development or due to travel.

The next piece talks about blood donation by men who engage in homosexual sex.  The FDA has been altering it's stance on the matter for a while.  It do so further this year.  Give this a read.

That's it for articles.  I woke to another grey morning.  At least most the rain seems to have passed.  We'll handle trash & some errands later.  Other than that, not much going on here.

Take care.

Cya...

Equinox Morning...

 

I'd loved to tell you this 1st Autumn morning was awesome.  But, I can't.  The start of Fall is full of drear, chill & sog.   It's been dark & drizzling since yesterday afternoon.  Summer's giving us a last screw you.   There's no chance of sunshine until Thursday.  Precious little about 2020 has been pleasant.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn.  So Fall, how about doing better than Summer.   A little less drama & suckage would be appreciated.

Take care.

Cya...

Cooling Down...

 

Last night was the 2nd night without a fan & the 1st with the windows closed.   I was warm enough, but I woke congested.   The windows will have to be closed tonight, it's supposed to rain.  The next couple of days will have highs only into the 60's.  That's 30 degrees lower than the beginning of the month.  I hope this weather gets back into a more seasonal pattern.  We don't need to be getting cold too early.  

That's about it for now.  Just trying to get through a hot tea & maybe I'll be able to breath better.  This would be a lot easier if the ragweed would just go back to hell.

Take care.

Cya...

Chilly Night...

 

I haven't used my fan in the past couple of nights.  I'll have to readjust to house & outdoor noises.  That'll take a bit.   Last night was the 1st night I pulled a blanket over me in months.   

I had a rough wake up this morning.  I'm not sure if it's seasonal change or if allergies are finally trying to kill me. Speaking of which, this is the 1st day in months pollen levels haven't been in the high zone.  They're still at medium high at pollen.com, but they're going down.

That's all for for now, take care.   Best wishes for everyone except for the idiot that just started mowing outside my window.  I could've done without that noise. 

Cya...

Hopefully Quiet Nothing Day...

 

We haven't been doing much.  But, there's been a lot going on around us.  Besides COVID issues & horrible ragweed levels, there's also just normal life crap.  The prior 2 of those are compounding the everyday junk.  Turning them from tiny irritants into major sources of aggravation.  

Everyday, our neighborhood has a contest.  Who can be the loudest.  Who can mow, power tool, scream, have a fit... the loudest.  Why stop at 11, I'm sure there's a 12 by now.  Even the dogs, trains & various levels of livestock get into the act.   Chickens, mules & goats can be amazingly loud. Yes, all that's in town.

A couple of those things, even with COVID & allergies, is tolerable.  But when they all ramp up & we have to handle things. they can get to be a lot.  Some days, too much, too the point of wanting to murder someone or something.  

So yes, I'd like a quiet, do nothing day.  Take care.

Cya...

Winding Down...

 

There are only 4 days before the equinox, Summer is over.  To be honest, Summer sucked.  Most of 2020 has sucked.  There should be a way to get a refund on such a sucktastic year, at least a prorated bill. There are still 3 more months.  Maybe something will pull out of this mess, I'm not holding my breath. 

To all the people out there refusing to cooperate & make sure this COVID things comes to an end, I despise the lot of you.  To all the raging politicos on both sides, find a cliff and jump.  To everyone else  making life more difficult for others, I hope many embarrassingly bad things come your way.   In other words, to all those making 2020 more of a crapfest than it already is, F' OFF!

Enough ranting.  Hope you enjoy the remainder of Summer, take care.

Cya...

Turducken Voting...

 

My roomie & I had a mutual 1st yesterday.  We used an absentee voting ballot.   Neither of us is in the greatest health & mobility can is an issue.  Our county/state keeps trying to lead the way on how to get coronavirus.  It's very frustrating.  With the COVID numbers still climbing, we opted for the absentee ballot. 

It's different, normally, you just grab your ID & go to the voting center.   With this, you have to request a ballot.  We did that online.   Then wait for it to arrive, which took about a week.   Then the process begins.  

There are 4 envelopes in total.   The 1st is what the packet arrived in, it's done it's duty, but don't throw it away yet.   Check & make sure the address is correct.  Then it can can hold the  leftover inserts. 

1st, read the instructions & legalities.  Next, find the ballot & figure out how you're going to vote.   Then fill it out as described.   This goes in the 2nd envelope marked, ballot.

This is stuffed in the affidavit envelope.  Fill out the pertinent info & then seal it with the ballot envelope inside.  We had to attach copies of our ID to this envelope.  Finally seal & insert into the final envelope.  This 1 is for the return mail.  It needs postage,  ours took 2 stamps.

Now mail & wait.  Oklahoma has a place online you can check the process.  It was unusual, but helpful this year.  If you're doing this, do it NOW or ASAP.    Just remember to vote.

Cya...

Gone Again...

 

It's back to famine in article land.  Yesterday's boon will have to hold me for a while.  The only info in the pieces I saw worth repeating was about vaccinations.  During this time of COVID, if  you or your dependents need vaccinations or boosters, you should get them ASAP.  These illnesses can dogpile on you.  Boosting your immunity & preventing the flu may make you less likely to contract something else like corona.   The best way to handle COVID, is not to catch it.  Protect yourself as much as possible.

Take care.

Cya...

Squeaky Wheel & 3...

 

Ha,  I actually found articles this morning,  3 in fact.  The 1st piece, is about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the ongoing fight against HIV.  How it's causing fear, shortages & redirection in treatment, medications, testing & education.

The 2nd piece, is a good infographic from the CDC.  It details facts concerning HIV & those over 50.  It's a good page to have marked.

The last article is from a military source.  It discusses how the military is still restricting service for people with HIV.   Some of the overseas & combat arguments actually make sense.  However, it'd seem there'd still be use for these soldiers in other areas.   

Cya...

Sick Of It...

 

I'm tired of looking for HIV articles only to be sabotaged by COVID pieces .  They aren't the same thing &  shouldn't be popping up in both searches.   Most research has concluded people maintaining their HIV are at no higher risk of contracting COVID than anyone else.  Some discuss the negative impact the COVID situation is having on HIV operations.   But, many have nothing to do with HIV.  COVID is serious, but it's not HIV & that's what I was looking for.  Stop dumping these 2 illnesses into the same group.  That's like looking for something over lung cancer & only finding articles over TB.

Facebook has been messing with me.  I used to post this blog here, on my FB page & onto a group page, Our Experiences.  I can no longer properly access that page for some reason.  From here out, I will only post here & on my FB page.

Take care.

Cya...

Allegation...

 

I saw an article yesterday that I didn't know how to react to it.  I decided to wait.  This morning there were more stories on the subject.  This piece alleges  a Navy veteran was never informed he was HIV+.  He was tested in 1995 as a standard battery of screenings at this time.  

He claims he was never made aware of his status.   The vet had been disabled & used the VA for medical treatment.  He says it wasn't until 2015 he was informed by some doctor asking about his HIV.   It took another 3 years to get a definite diagnosis & start treatment.  

Meanwhile, he developed AIDS.  He would've been HIV+ prior to the 1995 test & that would be 20+ without knowing his status.  He went through a host of HIV related ailments.  Other articles say he was in a long term relationship.  Most likely that person is also + now.  

If this article is true, it's heinous.  But how do you have HIV for nearly 25 years & not know something is seriously wrong with you or just die?  I'm not saying this isn't true, but's very odd.  I'll keep watching this matter.

Cya...

Overcast & Dogs...

 

Made it through another 9/11 without too much of the typical yick.  Come on,  that was nearly 2 decades ago & we're in the middle of a pandemic.  We have other things to worry about.  Funny how Oklahomans moved on from their bombing attack, but 9/11 is treated like it happened yesterday.  

I woke to grey skies, demanding cats & barking dogs.  The canines aren't ours & shouldn't be in the yard.   I  hate people who won't take care of their pets.  They're generally pretty useless & don't deal well with anything in their lives. 

I'm happy there wasn't another Windows update this morning.  Yesterday's was horrible & locked up my system for over 45 minutes.  Other than that, it was a fairly good day.

Take care.

Cya...

Annoying Morning...

 

Short post.  I was getting around well this morning, even though it was stupidly dark.  Then, of course, Windows has to screw me with an update.  These damned updates hog everything & are hellishly slow.  Half the time, they have to begin again.  I hate these damned updates.

I need to get around.  We have to go shopping.  Then my roomie has some stuff to handle.  Couldn't this damned update happened tomorrow.  Microsoft, you suck.

Cya...

PS _ Windows crashed before I could even finish this post.  MS WINDOWS YOU SUCK!!!

Dark Morning...

 

This was the 1st really dark morning of the season.  It's very overcast & raining.  It's been pouring most the night, we've had near .5".   That puts us nearly +2" for the month already.  A lot of waterways are already high or flooded. 

It wasn't easy waking up this morning.   I thought it was much earlier than it was.  I resent mornings as it is, but dark mornings deserve real loathing.   

At least the lawn was mowed yesterday before this hit.  The grass was getting fairly high.   If he'd waited, we'd had a pasture not a yard.

That's all for, take care.

Cya...

Another Wednesday...

 

The 2nd mid week of September is here.  It's another trash day.  It's weird during this time of COVID that  taking the garbage to the curb, is a milestone.  Besides when we go shopping or pay bills, trash day is 1 of our few regularities.  Right now, people need as many of those as possible.  Routines may get boring, but they can help save your sanity. 

Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all...

So, we'll take out trash.  Then go check the mail & maybe grab a bite.  That'll be our big adventure of the day.  I hope the lawn guy gets here soon, our grass is getting high.  Too bad, it might rain today.

Take care.

Cya...

1st Week...

 

The 1st week of September & being 54 has passed.  It was mostly uneventful, for which I'm thankful.  We did go out for my birthday dinner.  We didn't see a movie.  There wasn't anything playing that seemed worth the effort & possible risk.  Maybe later.

I have an appointment with my regular doctor late in the month.  We've handled house bills & what few are left haven't arrived yet.   We've handled what we can so far for the month.

We watched actual television last night.  American Ninja Warrior started.   All the necessary alterations made the show awkward, strange & somehow more cheesy.  Some shows need their audiences.  ANW is definitely on that list.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Labor Day...

It's a holiday weekend.   Feels like every other weekend since COVID started.  This morning could've been brighter.  It would've made waking easier.  

Leaves are falling, I'm not happy about that.  This year has sucked & I'm betting fall will as well.  My allergies are being a beast.  I keep waking up with my face hurting from them.  They're also making me feel very dehydrated in the morning.  Getting around on mornings like this isn't easy.

We need to hit the store. That's all, take care.

Cya...

Resistant...

 

Occasionally, there's a report of HIV cases resistant to current treatments.  This article states,

An investigation of the University Hospital of Toulouse, France, discovered that two men are carriers of a mutation of HIV resistant to all antiviral known so far and also to pre-exposure prophylaxis, a combination of drugs called PrEP. 

That means no known med can treat or prevent this strain.   That leaves condoms & abstinence, that's worked so well in the past.   At this point, they know of 2 cases.  That doesn't mean there aren't more.  These men didn't know each other, so there must a connection out there, another carrier or more.

Resistance is a developed mutation.  It usually happens when HIV has been exposed to meds by someone not taking them regularly.   This allows the virus to adapt.  

The piece argues even though this strain is resistant to meds, including PrEP, there is no need to worry.  They claim the low numbers are not a cause for concern.  Oh really?  They don't know how many actual cases there are.  The place they found these cases is a border town.  This strain could be far more wide spread then currently thought. 

Take care, use a condom.

Cya...

Tired Of It...

 

I'm tired of talking about some stuff.  I'm tired of weird, off season weather & light levels.  I'm fed up with unwanted changes in my life.  I'm sick of hearing about COVID-19 & idiots that won't help themselves avoid it.  I would enjoy less times of famine regarding  articles.  

I hope Fall is normal.  I will try to avoid & ignore the idiots with their failed approaches to COVID.  I hope the new owners of the gas station I use don't F' it up.  I can look for more articles.

For now, the sun is out.  It's a decent temp.  The cats aren't driving me nuts.  We don't have to go anywhere. The house bills are paid & those remaining are ready to go as soon as they arrive.  Other than an appointment later on, September is mostly handled

Take care.

Cya...

September Friday...

 

Other than finishing the household bills, I don't see much happening today.  It's a bright this morning & I needed it.   Articles are still MIA.  

My roomie is being frustrated.  She's trying to make a purchase.  Options may have been limited to begin with, but the COVID situation has made it much worse.  So many items are sold out & there's no telling when they'll be back in stock.  There's so many stupid panic buyers & hoarders.  

Take care.

Cya...

Worn Out At The Start...

 

It's the 1st of the month & bills need to be handled.  Between the weather, allergies & weird sleep, I'm feeling a little off.  All this has left me groggy, achy, congested & stiff.  I need the rain to move on & stop ruining my mornings.   We've had more than enough for the month, go elsewhere for a bit.

There weren't any articles & blogger is being difficult this morning.  I'll end this for today.  Hopefully, we won't get more rain.  Take care.

Cya...

Rains Slowing...

 

We have flooding near us & it's limited the ways of town.  The rains may lessen today.  It was forecast to rain as much as yesterday.  That'd been another 5+" & then we'd definitely been flooded.   Over the last few days, it's rained between  8 - 9" on already wet soil.  We've passed the rain averages for September.   Maybe we've seen the worst of it.

Take care & be safe.

Cya...

Hellos & Birthdays...

 

Hello September, I hope you turn out to be a good month.  So far you've started by dumping inches of rain on the area.  I know we need rain, but a little moderation would be nice.  What I would like from you is less drama & more sunlight.  Those would be great.

It's my birthday & 53 has left the building.  I'm a full year older.  I'd like to make through this year without any major health issues like the last 2 years.  My birthday wishes are for less stress, illness & drama.  With more laughter, sunshine & prosperity. A happy birthday to fellow 1st-ers & a very happy unbirthday to everyone else.

We went out for my birthday dinner yesterday, to a Mexican restaurant in Fort Smith, called Zapata's.   It was very good & the best thing about it was it wasn't like everything else in the area.  That was refreshing.  I'm glad we went yesterday.  I'm not sure we could've  today.  There's already flooding in some areas.  It was a very good meal.

Take care.

Cya...