Goodbye December, So Long 2021...

 

It's almost over.  In less than 16 hours, the end of December & 2021 will be here.  What will you be doing?  I need to get the last shower of the year.  Then we'll go shopping & pay a bill for the last time of 2021.  As for our festivities, not much.  We'll try to get in before the rain & have a decent meal.  Maybe we'll find something nice while we're out today.  It might have been nice to have done more, but that hasn't been an option for a while.  I hope it is again soon.

Here's to 2022 being a good year.  We could all use it.  Take care & be safe as things wind down. 

Happy New Years.

Cya...

Fog...

 

It's foggy this morning.   My roomie has a friend over & the cats are never sure about how to handle that.  It's a strange day for me.  

Today is my sister's birthday.  I used to always call her during the holidays & wish her a happy holiday & birthday.  A ways back I called & she seemed off about it.  That was when I started accepting I was the one leading this relationship.

At one point, this was the closest person to me.  Then she wasn't.  Even then I think the relationship was  more leaning towards me wanting it.  When the separation started, I was very young.  Then life got weird & I held on to a memory.

We aren't even phone call close anymore, no more  monthly calls.  We've spoke twice this year.  Once to tell me my father had passed.  The next time surprised  me.  She called me, I was pretty sure  someone else had died, but no.  She had actually just called.  She hadn't done that in over a decade  probably won't ever again.

The thing I learned during that last conversation.  My sister was no longer that cool, long haired, 1970s girl  listening to the radio as we drove down the highway.  Now, she's an agitated conservative, anti-vaxxer.    She went from being my safe place, to being someone I'd never spoke to if I met for the 1st time today.  Times change & memories lie.  We try to see the best  & it's often wrong.  I wish this woman the best on her birthday, but I don't know her & she isn't the sister I knew.

There's my nostalgia for the year.  Take care.

Cya...

Grey Endings...

 

The Winter greys are here & don't look to be  going away anytime soon.  It's raining.  Looks like we'll make our monthly rain average.   This isn't supposed to last all day.  That's good.  We have to handle trash & run an errand.  I don't want to do that in the rain.  We will if we have to, but it'd be nice not to.

Looks like the year will end in a series of grey, wet &  colder days.  The forecast calls for a frigid over night for the 1st.  I don't like it, but I suppose it's expected.  It's Winter after all.  Hope it kills all the lingering bugs & weeds.  This last warm week has caused them to come out in droves.

That's  all for now.  Take care.

Cya...

3, 2, 1...

 

We're almost done with 2021.  There are only 3 full days left in the year.  So far, other than reactions to the booster, we've managed to stay fairly healthy the last half of the year.  Yet, we still managed to get some stomach bug we've been dealing for a few days now.  Still, it's better than we've done in the past near the holidays.

We have next to no plans for New Year's Eve.  Our only idea is to make a plan for NYE.  We'll see how that works out.  With few choices & lots of idiots & COVID, nothing may be the better option.

That's all for this morning, take care.

Cya...

The Last Monday & Anniversary...

 

It's the last Monday of 2021.  With all the issues of December I forgot to place my refill order for a med.   I'm usually more on top of  this.  But, things got  lost  in the shuffle.  I'll be alright.   I just need to do better with this.

Nearly a decade ago, our cat, Alice, passed.   She wasn't with us long, but she made a huge impact.  She had a home that let her become a street cat.   Then we took her in with us.   She was a great cat & loved  having her picture taken.  She helped raise  the siamese we have now.  She was loved & missed.  Here's hoping your next home is warm, kind & full of people wanting to take your picture.

Cya...

Warm & Done...

 

It's been unseasonably warm here.  The last couple of days have been in the mid to upper 70s.   There was a lot of wind.  That following days of freezing overnight  temps has left me feeling pretty off.  I spent most of yesterday dealing with seasonal stomach yuck.  Next week is supposed to be quite cold again.  The snap will go in the other direction, the result will probably be the same. 

Most of 2021 has wound up for us.  Just a couple  more rounds of shopping & an errand or so.  I hope more doesn't pile on the top.

The holiday is over until New Year's.  I hope yours went well.  May the rest of the year treat you kindly.  Take care. 

Cya...

Merry Christmas...

 

The holiday is here & I hope everyone is having a good day.  May there be joy in your day.  This is the last  Saturday of the year.  There are only 6 more  days in 2021.  Soon we'll have a new year.  I hope a lot of this mess comes out in the wash.

Take  care.

Cya...

Eve...

 

It's Christmas Eve & a bright, if windy, morning.  The pic above is of Salem the holiday kitty.  He  passed a while back, but I still post his pic, he could be very festive. 

I hope today & the rest of the year is peaceful & bright for everyone.  I'm sure most of us could use that.  Soon, this holiday & year will be a memory.  It'd be nice to close it out on a high note.

Take care & happy whatever holiday you observe.

Cya...

Car, Cold, Sleep...

 

Car issues, house stress, light changes, the cold & more conspired to exhaust me.  I woke late this morning & slept very deeply last night.  I'm a bit stiff from it all.  We got the car back & they said it was  fixed.  Days are starting to get longer again, it's a long process.  It'll be cold until at least March.   

I don't have much to write about this morning.  It's the day before Christmas Eve.   Until COVID started, we'd have tried to do more, but now it's just not worth it. Few people are wearing masks or even trying to be safe.  A little over half our state is fully vaccinated & a much lower number has had their boosters.   With the holidays & Omicron, the COVID numbers will probably go way up again.  

Maybe next year will be better & we can go see a movie or at least eat out somewhere nice for our birthdays.  Be safe this holiday season & take  care.

Cya...

Again With The Car...

 

The car is at the mechanic.  Hopefully, this won't turn into something bigger than they thought.  If it goes well, this should be handled in a few hours.   That'll be another stressor dealt with for a while.   That will be nice. 

It's also trash day.  The next to last trip to the curb of 2021.  It's really weird it's that late in the year.  2021 hasn't felt right at any point.  It wasn't a horrible time, but it wasn't a good ride either.

Hope you've got your year handled.  Take care.

Cya...

Happy Solstice...

 

The Solstice is here, may good things come to us all this Yuletide.  Fall is gone & Winter has arrived arrived.   Here's to the Holly King, may he not stay long. 

There are only 4 days until Christmas & 10 left in this year.  What are you going to do with them?   Past the new year, this blog & my HIV have an anniversary.   It's funny what winds up defining your life.

So say goodbye to Autumn & greet the new season.  Make as much peace as you can with 2021.  Soon, it will be a memory.   Look at me, trying to be positive in a post.  Weird, huh?  Take care.

Cya...

Cold, Grey & Annoyed...

 

It's cold this morning.  I'm hoping it gets above freezing before we go shopping.  I hate cold weather.  Cold air leads to heaters & heaters lead to dried out air that can cause nasal congestion, eye irritation, throat yuck & nose bleeds.  All of which, have been happening since the heaters have returned.  It's always a choice,  stay warm or breathe?

On this grey morning, I'm the thing that's annoyed.  It's hard to wake up.  My nose keeps threatening to bleed.  Then, an app on my computer screwed up.  I think I've avoided the bleed & the app seems repaired  for now.  I can't do anything about the grey except turn on more lights.

Winter sucks.  Take care.

Cya...

Ugh...

 

Over the years, something has become very clear,  I'm part of possibly the most overlooked group of people living with HIV.  Other than a tiny amount of work,  little has been published concerning anyone not of a specific ethnic/religious persuasion or gender non-typical living in the rural US.  Other than advances in telemedicine, there hasn't been much change in  treatment in a decade.  BTW, telemedicine wasn't   developed for HIV, it just benefitted HIV+ people.

When I look for articles, if I find them,  there  almost  never pertaining to my area or something that will impact me.  Most of them are concerning the drama  involved with treating ethnic or trans groups.  Hell, I see very little about HIV treatment  among the Native Americans & I live in Oklahoma. 

If you're looking for pieces over HIV in ethnic/trans  groups, foreign countries or even adjacent diseases  (COVID) you're in luck.  Those are abundant.  If you live in a rural area,  sorry.  Articles over rural  HIV are  like everything else when it comes to HIV & the rural life, non-existent.

Rants over, take care.

Cya...

Soggy Drear...

 

The grey skies have lingered.  At least the storms have subsided.  In the less than  48 hours, we've have 2"+ of rain.  We'll probably make our average rainfall this month.  

All this drear & weird rain has sacked my sleep.  I haven't felt really with it in a couple of days.  After 2 nights of loud storms & dreary days, I need some sunlight.   This  grey morning looks like it came the Fall or Spring. Instead  it's a  week before Christmas.  There's  nothing festive about this mess.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Stormy...

 

Thunder & lightning woke me last night.  It stormed hard for a bit.  It could keep storming all day & into tomorrow.  We're under flood warnings.  It's going to have to rain a lot for anything to flood in the area.  The river's way down & we've had a fairly dry last month or so.   Again, we need the rain,  but we don't need the dark, dramatic storms.

I need to shower & then go shopping.  We have a couple of other errands to handle.  Then it'll be back home for the day.

BTW, next Friday is Christmas Eve.  Take care  & try to have a happy holiday.

Cya...

Dark Thursday...

 

It's 9 AM & it's dark outside.  I doubt it's going to get  a lot brighter today.  There's a chance for storms today.  We took the car in yesterday & at least there's an answer as to what's leaking.  It won't get fixed until next week, but at least it's a start.  Just having a plan is good step.  

There isn't much going on here.   Hopefully, it won't get too stormy today.  Take care.

Cya...

Stressors...

 

There are a lot of stressors in my life at the moment.  If they came solo or even at a different time of the year it'd be better.  These things would still be stressful problems, but I might be able to handle it better a bite at time & during the bright of the year.  But, as usual, things want to come in groups.  With my SAD issues, it's all just compounded.  

I think we'll figure it out.  But I know this much,  adulting SUCKS!

Cya...

Grey Morning Again...

 

It's a yucky, grey morning.  We have some tentative plans for the day.  We'll see how those play out.  I'm not sure what happened, but yesterday was not a  pleasant allergy/sinus day.  Something messed with me all day.  I'm still not  breathing that great.  There's a lot of sinus congestion & throat clearing.  It's supposed to be dismal for the week, with rain chances.  We need the rain, but I don't need the drear.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

4K...

 

I didn't find any interesting articles this morning.  At least it's bright outside & supposed to be warmer.   The car mystery is ongoing.  Other than the last round of credit card bills, 2021 is paid for.  After that,  I'll close the box holding those papers & 2021 will be put on a shelf for a while.  

The most notable thing about this entry is that it's my 4,000th post.  It's been nearly 11 years that I've been doing this.   Other than school, I've kept very few  things going this long.  I'm not  sure what comes next for this blog.  It's getting harder to find pieces & I don't do much of anything anymore.  I guess I'll figure it out as I go.

That's all for now, take care. Happy 4K to me. 

Cya...

3-2-1 Sunday...

 

After today, there are only 2 more  Sundays left in  the month & 2021.  The year is winding down.  I feel like we're  starting to measure years in terms of COVID.  There was that 1st original year.  Then there was delta, followed by omicron.  We need to ditch this method of year remembrance.

It chilled down again last night.  It's supposed to be pretty chilly for the next couple of days & then warm up a bit.  I doubt there'll be any white Christmases near our area.   Those are pretty, but I can do without it.

Not much going on this morning.  Saw an article on HIV actually recommending condom use.  How novel.  That's it for now, take  care.

Cya...

Not Satisfactory...

 

Yesterday was hectic & unsatisfying.  The mechanics couldn't find what was leaking on the car.  They cleaned the area up & want us to drive it a bit.  Then we're supposed to bring it  back to  see the leak then.   I hope we can get answers  soon.   Needing to get a car fixed is stressful.  Not knowing what needs fixed is worse.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Busy Friday Morning...

 

It's going to be a busy morning.  I need to get cleaned  up & go shopping.  After that, we have to take the car to the mechanic so they can find out why it's leaking.  So, not much time this morning.  Here's hoping the weather holds.

Take care.

Cya...

Iffy Articles...

 

I found 2 lines of thought in the articles this morning that could've proved interesting, they didn't.  The 1st group's titles inferred AIDS or undertreated HIV could stifle COVID.  What they sort of said was that immunocompromised people could harbor the COVID virus longer & possibly allow it to mutate.  Then they went on to say there was a need to study these regions to better understand the development of COVID variants.  There was a lot of blather, but little info.

The 2nd group's main push seemed to be the CDC was going to push an aggressive, new strategy to get HIV better under control in the US.  Sounds great.  What's their plan?  They want doctors to talk to everyone who is sexually active about PrEP.  A lot of people never go to a doctor.  I've never had a doctor ask me if I was active, even though I'm HIV+.  How are all these meds getting paid for?    Who is this better for;  the people who might get HIV or the companies making PrEP?

Like I said, iffy articles.  Take care.

Cya...

Not Quite...

 

I'm feeling mostly better, but there were still moments yesterday.   This booster was rougher than I'd hoped for, but that figures.  Hot/cold switching & anxiousness seem to be the leftovers from this shot.  Maybe that will fade soon.  Then again, part of the anxiety is from the car issue.  I wish we could've taken it in sooner.  I guess this time of the year has the mechanics busy.

I didn't see any notable articles.  It got cold here. The last couple of nights it dipped under freezing.  Still not enough to shock all the plants into dormancy.  I'm still seeing wasps in the sunny spots.   Cold wasps are an issue, they fly cold-drunk.  You're more apt to get stung because of an accidental fly by than intent.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Not Expected....

 

I felt better yesterday morning, but that changed as by the early afternoon.  I didn't feel as bad as I had, but that booster wore me out.  I was tired after shopping.  

The unusual thing was the level of anxiousness I experienced from it.  I was nervous, fractious & stressed most of the day.  Anything worked my nerves & nearly sent me spinning.  It didn't help that the young cat was being a shit & that we're going to have  the car looked at.

I hope we can avoid any more major issues  during the dark of the year.  I'm already dealing with SAD & everything other thing is just another straw.  So much for December not being stressful.

Cya...

Possible Link...

 

There's been conjecture the Omicron variant of  COVID in Africa may have developed due to exposure the high levels of un/under treated  HIV in the region.  Omicron is more prevalent in Africa.   However, it isn't known where or when it developed.

While it could've developed in Africa.  It could've reacted to the presence of untreated HIV.   While  these are possibilities, they still don't know.  What they do know is that Omicron is present.  More than that will take time.  

This simply shows, the world as whole needs a much better response to COVID.   I'm not sure how that will happen without a global government.  Let alone with all the anti-vaxxers & their BS.   

I really hope we're not taking boosters every 6  months forever.  I'm just now starting to feel better.  Come on anti-vaxxers,  just die already.

Cya...

Serious Yuck...

 

I hope today goes better.  Yesterday was not fun.   The reactions to this booster haven't been easy.  Other than nausea,  it's been like having the flu.  Pain, chills, & fever topped the list.  I wasn't able to eat much & even drinking was an effort.  There was this weird disjointedness to it as well.  When I'd reach for something, I felt like I was either over or under shooting for what I wanted.  My steering was loose & off. 

I went to bed early & managed over 8 hours.  I can  only do that when I'm sick.  I woke up sweaty & feverish.  When I had to go to the bathroom, I  smelled like a sick person.  I hate the smell of being sick.

Here's hoping today goes better & these symptoms start to fade soon.  I really don't want another sick day.  This sucks

Cya...

Dreary Recovery...

 

It's a dreary morning & I'm not happy with that.  Sunshine would've been very helpful.  We're recovering after getting our COVID booster yesterday. So far, it isn't as bad as the 2nd shot, but this isn't fun either.  I'm tired, sore & slightly anxious.  I'm worried  it could worse.   I'm trying not to psych myself out about it.  

I'm too spent for more, take care. Get your boosters.

Cya...

December Beginnings...

 

It's time for the 1st of the month bills.  We've already started, because the gas bill runs early.  By Monday, everything but the credit cards will be paid for the last time of 2021.  

We'll head out in a bit to handle what we can this morning & go shopping.  After that, we'll get our boosters.  I hope this is the last time, but I'm not sure about that.  

It's been an entertaining morning outside.  Squirrels & birds don't make good neighbors.  I'm not sure who goes after who 1st, but they're always going at it.   The birds don't like the bunnies either, but at least the rabbits stay on the ground.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

December 2...

 

It's the 2nd day of December & it's supposed to get  warm today.  We could almost hit 80 today.  That's pretty warm for almost Christmas time.  We don't have much going on today.  We'll start bill paying tomorrow.  We'll try to get our boosters tomorrow.  That's about it for now.  

Take care.

Cya...

Hello December & World AIDS Day....

 

  

It's the 1st of December & the end of the year.  It's a bright morning.  We have a bit to do today.  We have some errands & my roomie has an appointment.  It's also trash day.

I didn't see many articles this morning.  Most were talking about the rising cases of HIV during the pandemic.   Many were looking forward, some back, on the age of HIV.   Biden has stated his White House will  focus more on older Americans living with HIV.  The 50+ range is a large part of HIV+ people.

Hello December, let's try to be a good month.  No one needs  any end of the year drama.   We've dealt with that too many times already.

It's also World's AIDS Day.   This year's theme is equitable access to care.   Maybe  Biden will be more involved.  It'd  be easy considering what little tRump did.

Take care.

Cya...

Goodbye November....

 

That's it for November 2021.  I don't have a lot to say good or bad for the month.  It just sort of was & not much more.  I think I've removed myself so much from things, I don't really feel much about them at all.  There's been so much beyond my ability to influence for the last couple of years, that I've just let go of it as much as I can.

With tRump, COVID, anti-vaxxers & all the other negatives I've just said F**k it.  Now there's a new strain of COVID,  joy.  Maybe this time it'll off the anti-vaxxers.  I'm starting to think that's only way this will  all end.

Goodbye November, you were alright.  Until next year.

Cya...

Wrapping Up November...

 

This week will be a little busy for us.  We have a couple rounds of shopping & some errands to handle.  My roomie will have a friend over midweek.  Then we have to start 1st of the month stuff.  Most of that'll get handled on Friday, some will have to wait until the following Monday.  So far, Friday is when we plan to get our boosters.   We'll call later to make sure that's a go.  If not, we'll get them when we can.  

That's how November will wrap up for us & December will begin.  Unless anything else falls in our laps.   We're less than a month from Christmas & just a little over that until 2022. If you have stuff you need to handle this year, now's the  time.

Cya...

Almost A Wrap...

 

November is almost over & that leads into the last month of 2021.  This week will be busy, it's  the 1st of the month during the holidays.  Sometime soon, we'll get our COVID boosters.   Hopefully it'll be the last round for this.  I'm not betting on that though.  The way these anti-vaxxers are going, we'll probably have variants until they all die off.  If that's going to be the case, I wish they'd get to it.

We rotated out decorations yesterday.  We went from our minimalist Thanksgiving motif, to our slightly more abundant Christmas fare.  We don't do a lot.  We have cats & don't want the cat/tree drama.  We put up a few things, where we'll see them & maybe they make things more festive. 

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Not Articles...

 

Occasionally I see articles that sound interesting, except they aren't articles, they're unsupported statements or opinions.  Badly written pieces don't make articles, most of them aren't even well constructed OpEd's.

I saw a piece inferring it would cover racism in the  medical setting & how it impacted the treatment of HIV+ people of color.  The lengthy article said stigma & prejudice were present for ethnic patients, it never supported.    

When dealing with HIV; stigma, discrimination & prejudice are always a fear & too often a reality.   This article implied it was going to cover such matters, it  didn't.  It simply stated it happens & it's bad. 

There was little actual research noted & I'm not certain where the few stats  cited came from.  This wasn't an article.  It wasn't an OpEd.  It was a  distraction.  People, learn to actually write articles.  Start by learning to write basic essays; have a point, make it, support it, then conclude.  These articles should be as brief  & concise  as  possible.

Take care.

Cya...

Chilly Friday...

 

It's the last Friday of November & it got chilly.   I'm glad it's bright out & that it's supposed to warm up a bit.  We have to go shopping, so this will be brief.

We plan on getting COVID booster the beginning of the month.  Seems like a smart thing to do.  There's a new variant popping up in Africa.  Who knows how that'll affect things?

I didn't notice any newer articles.  It may be the holiday stuff happening.  Take care.

Cya...

Thanksgiving...

 

It's Thanksgiving in the US.  I have to get around & get ready.  Besides cooking, I still need to shower.  Luckily trash actually ran & for that I'm grateful.  Other than cooking & such,  that's it for our day.

Happy Thanksgiving & take care.

Cya..

Last November Wednesday...

It's the last Wednesday of the month.  We need to call & make sure the trash is running tomorrow.  It usually does on holidays, but it's skipped it a couple of times.  There are a few errands later this afternoon.  Mostly, we just have to get everything ready for cooking tomorrow.

That's about it for us.  Looks like there's going to be rain tonight & it'll cool down a lot tomorrow evening.  It's not going to be fun on Friday morning.

Take care.

Cya...

Rushing...

 

After getting up early yesterday, running errands, being cold & having a difficult time with Suddenlink again, I overslept  this morning.  I didn't look for articles this morning.  I still have to get a round, get showered, then run more errands. 

Yesterday's appointment went well.  At least it went faster than usual.  The doctor's probably trying to  get  out the door for the holiday.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

PS - Of course Windows wants to update again.

Appointment...

 

I don't have much time this morning.  I have an early doctor's appointment & I need to get around.  I hate being up before the sun's up.  After that, we have to go shopping & handle some errands.  This is it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Grey Sunday...

 

It's very dreary this morning.  It was supposed to rain, but I don't think it did.  We'll probably be short on rain again this month.  This has not been a fun Fall. 

I didn't see newer articles this morning.   The holiday is just days away.  A lot of people could be out for that.  It'll probably be light for the rest of the year. 

I have a doctor's appointment in the morning.  It's just a regular meeting, nothing special.  I hate that I need regular meetings with him.  It has to be hellishly early or else his wait times are horrible.  The later you go, the longer the wait.  Even his earliest times wind up waiting.  I find it very rude, arrogant & unprofessional.

That's all for now.  I'll get around after I  finish waking up a bit more.  Take care.

Cya...

6 Left..

 

Counting today, there are only 6 Saturday's left in 2021.   Thanksgiving is this week. I have the food bought.  But it'll mostly be a different dinner for us more than a holiday meal.  Due to COVID & other matters, what little holiday traditions held by those near me have eroded.  I bet a lot of people are finding that stepping away from things is a lot easier than stepping back into them.  

Normally by this time, I'd be hoping the upcoming season would be nice & the new year would bear the proverbial good tidings.  I'm not this year.  Part of me just isn't really registering the time of the year.   Another part has just given up good years.  I'm not overly depressed.  I'm just tired of having expectations that never come to be.

For those of you celebrating the holidays, I hope they go well for you.  Just don't expect 2022 to be better.  Everything crappy since 2019 is still hanging on with death grip.  

I have a doctor's appointment Monday morning, then thanksgiving & that's about it for November.  Take care.

Cya...

Cold Friday...

 

It's not as cold as it's going to get, but last night was the 1st time we had to leave faucets dripping this season.  It's already warming up.  We'll be above freezing for the next several days.  For now, it's cold. At least the sun's shining.

We have to go shopping & I need to get a shower.  This will be it for now.  There weren't any new articles topics.  I guess I'm caught up for a bit.

Take care.

Cya...

Spreading...

 

Since their approval in the US & other countries, There's been talk of moving from daily pill regimens for HIV to injections.  There have been articles over how the UK & Scotland are starting to move towards the injection as a 1st line approach over pills. 

This could change a lot for people.  Getting a periodic injection could alter how many people adhere to their regimens.  This could help a lot of people.

As for myself, I haven't been offered anything like this yet.  I doubt I will for a while.  The price point will have to come down before it's offered to me.  Even then, I want it to be out there for a bit before I go for it.  This most likely is the next full step in HIV treatment.   

Cya...

Deluge...

 

Every article I saw this morning was over what I  posted about yesterday.  I expected that.  Every time something big happens, there's a flood of articles trying to put in their spin on it.  From what I  can tell,  there's still no more info on the woman whose body may have rid itself of HIV than there was yesterday.   It's going to take some time to get any real answers.  Until then, these articles will be repeats, Op-Eds & supposition. 

Hopefully, it'll be a quiet day.  Windows tried to push 11 on me this morning.  That's not happening for quite a while.  That's all for today, take care.

Cya...

Maybe Possibly...

 

This article is only the 1st of a flood to come on this matter.  

A woman in Argentina has become only the second documented person whose own immune system may have cured her of HIV.

The rest of the article details this phenomenon.  The details are still sketchy.  This women will have to be monitored to study the permanency of the "cure".   

This is big, strange news.  Albeit, it was what the researchers wanted.  They probably saw this is their unicorn in the distance, a goal they'd never meet.   It's uncertain what any of this will mean for HIV treatment or medicine in general.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Another November Monday...

 

Other than shopping, we don't have much to do this morning.  I'm pretty glad for that.  I haven't been handling this seasonal shift well.  I've not felt that great the last few days.  At least it's bright out this morning.  That makes a big difference.

I still have to shower & get around.  There weren't  any articles of interest this morning.   The aggregators are masters of rehash & uselessness.  That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

HIV Pro Ed...

 

HIV education & awareness is the most fundamental  aspect of the fight against the virus.  Without this, there is no war on HIV?AIDS.  So why is it so few people, including health professionals, receive  adequate education about the illness?   

This piece is an overview of a survey given to emergency room nurses concerning HIV screening.  Almost half of these nurses never offered HIV testing in the emergency room.  Almost 1/3 of the nurses thought HIV screening in the emergency was of little or no importance.  Only 1/4 reported adequate education over HIV during training.  Half reported little to very little education concerning the virus during their nurse training.

Is this academic oversight, stigma or professional inadequacy?  Who knows?  It shows HIV education is lacking at every level involved with fighting the virus.  If nurses aren't well educated about the matter, how can we expect lay people to be?

Take care.

Cya...

Rising Again...

 

This blip of an article has a link to a podcast/radio broadcast.  Both are over the rising HIV rates in Philadelphia due to IV drug use.  During the pandemic, measures & resources in the fight against HIV have been scaled back to handle COVID.  This has allowed some to fall through the cracks.  There's been a increase in various self-medicating techniques during the pandemic, including IV drug use.  This has lead to a spike in the HIV rates in the area.  

This isn't surprising.  We've heard about a lot of people using less than ideal means to cope with the pandemic; indulgent eating, spending, drinking,   using drugs, etc...  As a society, we weren't ready for something like COVID on any level.  Perhaps the average person was the least prepared for such an event.  Especially, the social, emotional & psychological impacts COVID.

All we can do, is try to reach out & help people put their lives back together however that may be.  That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Insensitive Maybe...

  

Some may find me insensitive on this matter, but here we go.  I live in a rural area.  Until telemedicine came along, I had to drive over 120 miles to get to the nearest place that handled HIV.  There weren't & still aren't support groups/agencies in my area.  There is no special support for HIV here.  Yet, I got to my doctors, labs & took my meds.   It took a lot of effort on my part & friends, but it happened. 

I can understand when they say people in less developed  areas have a hard time getting treatment. There's the logistics, monies & other issues of the area to consider.  But here, in the US, especially in urban areas, there are options.

So, why is it I often read about Black & Hispanic populations being so behind in treatment?  It's most  often worse with males.  Still, many of them are  urban & should  have access.  They're just not taking  the help being offered.   That's not a medical issue, it's  a cultural problem.  That's something for a social  worker or someone else, not a doctor.  If someone doesn't want help, fine, but stop being a spreader. 

It doesn't matter what your gender, sex,  race, etc.. is.  If you are an adult, it's on you to make sure you get what you need to stay healthy.  If you let stigma impede your treatment, that's not on doctors or clinics.   Make a choice, you can be someone who's accepted & dying or you can live.

Cya...