Texas Judge F'ed Us...

 

Conservative judges have been picking away at ACA since its inception.  In the last few years they've gone after reproductive matters or things that impact the Gay community & trans.  Now an asshat texan judge declared it against the law to require free screening or free meds.  This doesn't just concern HIV, it also hits cancer & other ailments.  

These bastards want people to be in poverty, misery & utter hopelessness.  They're trying to make more babies living in poverty who can't get out because everything is too expensive.  There won't be good educations for these children, the republican asshats have gutted that as well.  These people will be so low, the conservatives hope they'll be happy with whatever scraps they're given.  

The republicans want an impoverished, poor, ignorant theocracy where religion is a mouthpiece about how important guns are & that the poor deserve what they get.  These people are monsters. 

Cya...

PS - Had out 1st mowing yesterday, that was rough on us.

Still Trying...

I'm still trying to get past this crap.  I've been dealing with this since last Friday night.  I'm on a week, my roomie's past that.  We're both better but not great.  The weather's shifting again, we're expecting storms tonight & tomorrow.  That won't help anyone.  We'll do what we can.  

Take care.

Cya...

Starting...

I'm by no means at 100%, probably more like somewhere in the upper 60s.  Still, it's better than I was before.  I'm trying to get my normal schedule back.   Have to wait & see how that works out for me.  

This article, while a little wordy does discuss the importance of understanding HIV through the lens or race, gender & biological sex.   Many people getting twitchy about admitting the physical reality than all racial ethnic backgrounds can have some differing medical needs.  This a physical thing as well sociocultural.  

There is the idea of gender.  But perceiving yourself as a gender is not the same as being raised that gender.  There are probably still a lot behaviors closer to what the person was assigned than they feel like.  The sexual behaviors & attitudes of women; cis & trans, often differ.

Finally the aspect of actual biological sex does play a large role in how medicine works.  The body of chemistry & composition of a person born female does not match that of male or transgender.  There needs to be more research concerning this.

We live in a world where woman, especially those of color, are the most apt to be impacted by HIV.  Why are we still studying men & trans more?  If a cure is to be had, biologically born women will have to be at the top of the list, not all but pushed aside.

Cya...

Lot's of Ows, But Maybe...

 

Shopping had to be postponed a day.  But I think I can handle a small today.  I'm still not great & there's some coughing.  The worst part is the ache & soreness post coughing.   I'm dehydrated & need to figure out something I can easily eat.  

That's about it for now.  Hopefully this goes smoothly.  Take care.

Cya...

Still Feel Like Crap...

 

I'm still sick.   In some ways I think I'm getting better, but not others.  I'm aching & having issues breathing.  At the moment, I'm fairly exhausted.  That's all for now.

Cya...

Missed...

 

I missed a post yesterday.  I had to have my roomie drive me to get meds for crap I'm enduring.  I saw this morning I hadn't posted.  This is a place holder.

Cya...

Bad March Morning...

 

March is trying so hard to impress with it's suckatude.  The allergens have been in the red.  High winds have been blowing who knows what.  It's been a temperature roller coaster.   Yesterday it rained 4+"  in like 12 hours.   I had to go to bed early for me.  I felt fairly off.  It was not an easy night & slept far longer than I usually do.  I woke a couple of times to painful cough fits.  March is trying to do me in.

This is all for now.

Cya...

Stormy Morning...

 

It started storming after I went to bed last night.  The lightning & rain woke me.  It's poured since.  Weatherbug says we've had over 2.5" so far & it's not even  10 AM.  We won't be taking our typical way to the store, it'll be flooded.  

With the exception of the lightning, it's dark out this morning.  It's loud, cooler & unpleasant.  I'm not feeling well, the seasonal sludge in my head is still there.  Spring 2023 started off in suck mode. 

Take care.

Cya...

Rough Warm Weather...

 

I'm not feeling the best at the moment.  The weather has been volatile in the way of storms, warmer temps & wind blown debris.  I'm waking up dehydrated, overheated & stuffy.  I wish this season would figure itself out.

My dental appointment went well.  The trip wasn't too annoying.  That's always a risk going into Fort Smith.   The new store we went to basically turned out to be an overpriced, outlet store.  Most the things I might've bought were far cheaper at Walmart. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

That's all for now.  We're expecting storms.  We didn't need them & don't want them.  

Take care.

Cya...

Appointments & Temps & Stems...

 

I have a dental cleaning appointment today.  I need to get around before then & get trash to the curb.  We'll grab something to eat over there & maybe look at a new store.

Apparently I'm never happy.  I was complaining about the cold, dark days.  It's not exactly bright but the temps jumped about 20 degrees & the pollen hiked as well.  My throat isn't happy about any of that.  I may finally be getting ready to stow covers away for the season.  We'll see, this might be yet another false Spring.

According to this article another person has been cured of HIV vis stem cells.   He was another leukemia patient.   As of yet this method is still too risky for non-cancer patients.

Cya...

Dark & No Better...

 

It's dark this morning & looks to be gloomy all week.  Whatever reserves I had for getting through Winter with SAD are mostly depleted.  I'm not having a good time of it.  There are still things that need to be handled & some new things will be added soon.  I just can't get myself in a place where I can handle much.  I really needed the beginning of Spring not to be such a miserably, dreary screw up.  From October to April could just not exist & I'd be fine with it.  Precious little comes from those months to make any of the crap worth it.

So to hell with March, it apparently came from the fount of suckage like most of the last few years.  This may be the best it gets for me for a while.  Apologies in advance.  I hate the dark of the year.

CYa...

Some Mornings & Sprung...

 

Some mornings I'm lucky & there's nothing really going through my mind.  I'm just focused or unfocused on getting around.  I prefer those mornings.  

If not, I'm thinking & usually that's not a good thing in the morning.  Everything that ever bothered or scared me is looming.  I know everything that never happened, that did happen & what will never be.  Every fear, slight, anxiety is right there in the room with me.  It leaves me shaken.  Sometimes I'm scared, but that doesn't last long.  I'm usually just numb & anxious at that same time.

These things fade as I start moving, but they never completely go away.  I know there are things I'll never have.  I've never really felt secure or that I was in the right place.  I've done what I can for others, but I never seem to be able to do for myself.

If I was told after I went to sleep some night the world would end, I'd be OK with that.  I'm here, but I've never felt part of it.  It impacts me, but not really by my choice.  It'd all be gone & I'd miss precious little & even less would notice I was gone.

Sometimes, it feels like my life was a very rough draft of someone's badly written, very typical story.  No good parts, very few ups to match the horrible downs. My life is closer to a dark absurdity than a tragedy.  Just a lot of stress, fear & running bad jokes.

It's getting brighter.  My mood will lighten until tomorrow.  Mornings truly are dreadful.

Cya...

PS - Happy Spring...

Innovation & Obstacles...

 

Sometimes new things aren't the only matters of importance for HIV research & treatment.  The new things & new info are exciting & even inspiring.   However, a lot of what goes on is innovation & all too often the development of obstacles.

For a long time ART (antiretroviral therapy) was the main source of HIV management.   Now you may start seeing LA-ART or just LART.  That refers to long acting ART.   Is it brand new?  No, but the development is important.

For some time, 2 of the biggest obstacles in fighting HIV have been ignorance & funding.  Those 2 remain with places like Tennessee taking their ignorance to outright hatred & aggression.  Their decision to refuse federal HIV monies will only harm people.  

Sometimes the new things aren't what need discussing.  Often it's the old, new takes on the existing or even the ramping up of matters.   New things don't come often, but the old lingers for a long time.

Cya...

Last Round?...

 

It's another cold weekend.  We're looking at overnights in the 20s.  I thought we were passed this.  Hopefully this is the last of it.  It's March, pack it up Winter.

There isn't much in the articles.  People are still posting about the woman's remission after her stem cell transplant.   I get it, it's big news.

So that's all for now, it's cold & bright.   Take care.

Cya...

Green Day & Remission...

 

This article is about a mixed-race woman who's HIV went into remission after receiving a transplant of stem cells from umbilical cord blood.    She was being treated for here leukemia  A couple of things about this.  As of yet, it has not be announced as a cure, just a remission.   Next, her being of mixed-race heritage is medically important.  The more factors a person has, the more difficult matching for transplants becomes.  Mixed race or distinctive ethnicities can complicate the matter genetically.  

Today's St. Patrick's.  It's colder here, but at least it's sunny & green.  Take care.

Cya...

Dismal...

 

It's dismal & the weather looks to suck this weekend.  The up & down temps, pollen & local burning have caused issues.  Breathing isn't the easiest thing.  My eyes & throat are scratchy & we're going to need heaters again this weekend.  Winter needs to go.

All I saw in the news was the same old stuff.  Tennessee is still being a dick about federal monies & HIV funding.  They're doing it because of their hate towards anything that's not exactly like them.  Sorry  Tennessee, the world has enough ignorant hillbillies already.  So many state mottos have become, we hate everything.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Chirpy...

 

There isn't much going on this morning.  We'll have some errands this afternoon.  For now, it's bright even if chilly.  I'm hoping this weekend will be the last round of temps in the 30s.  Spring starts in less than a week so Winter can move along now. 

Besides some loud songbirds, that's all I have this morning.  Take care.

Cya...

Perky...

 

It's been a while since I found another HIV blogger.  I still haven't, but I did spot a TikTok creator who is.   Rather this article talks about him.   OK, let's start with he's way perky for me, but hey if it works for him.  At least he's not trying to fabulous disease HIV like that other guy.  Here's the actual TikTok addy, he goes by Star Boy.  

Like I said, this isn't my style, but I hope this helps him & others.  It's info & it may get to a lot of people.  Also have to remember he's way younger than me, not even 20.  I don't know how I'd handled the news at that age.  My HIV is older than him.

So give the article & the TikTok a chance.  Star Boy's a little pretty in pink in a goofy way, but whatever works for him.  Take care.

Cya...

Chilly Bright...

 

Our 1st shopping trip after the time change is at least on a bright morning.  The cold's back for a bit.  It'd be nice if this was the last week of it.  I'd like to get warm & get blankets handled.  Blankets are nice & all, but after a while they get cumbersome.   It's just like fans during the Summer, eventually they get annoying.

Nothing much is gong on here, so that's it.  Take care.

Cya...

Trying Forward...

 

This won't be much.  I'm trying to wake up after springing forward with this time change.  This is going to take a while.  It's a little brighter.  This week's overnight temps could hover just around freezing.  I was hoping we were past that.  

That's all for now, hope the time change treats you well.

Cya...

Time...

 

The time change is here & we're springing forward.   It'd been nice if this had been a shiny morning, but it wasn't.  There are rain & storm chances later.  It seems March was a bit brighter when I was a kids.  The seasons have shifted.  I wish they'd get back in their proper lanes.  

That's all for now.  I'm still not fully awake.  This dread does me in.  Take care.

Cya...

National Women's & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day...

 

Today is National Women's & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.   This article & this CDC page cover more info on the matter.  HIV.Gov states the theme this year is "Prevention and Testing at Every Age.  Care and Treatment at Every Stage."   These are good resource pages, give them a look.  

The 2nd Friday of March is here & we've got some errands.  This is all for now.  It's been nice enough to be bright for a bit.  It'd be nice if it lasted.

Take care,

Cya...

Greydom...

 

The next couple of weeks aren't going to fun.  The forecast shows a lot of clouds & rain chances. It rained more last night.  It wasn't much, but the ground is so saturated already, there are large puddles everywhere.  A little more & there'll be more flooding.

That's about it for now.  I need to call the pharmacy.  Other than that, we're in for the day.

Take care.

Cya...

Pharm Barriers...

 

California made it legal for pharmacist to prescribe PrEP & PEP without a prescription. This article talks about matters concerning this issue.  While most pharmacist said they values their role in providing such services, very few had actually done so.  Many of the barriers were within the institution.   They didn't have the resources, funds, time or staff to provide these services.  Beyond that some pharmacy owners balk at doing so due to ideological issues.  

Even with allowing another means to prevent HIV, there are issues.  Testing, consulting, reviewing these matters all take time & manpower.  Things these pharmacist are often lacking.  Then they often face the BS beliefs of the owners.  There's still much to do in the fight against HIV.  

That's all for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Another Early Run...

 

My roomie has an appointment in just a bit.  This will be brief.  I didn't see any articles besides those talking about Prince Harry & the late Princess Diana's legacy in the fight against HIV.  The Prince needed a mark in the good column. 

Oh well, at least it's bright for now.  It's supposed to rain tonight & stay darker for a while.  I'm not looking forward to that.

Take care.

Cya...

PS - The little blue flowers are back in the yard.  Spring is on it's way.

1st Monday...

 

It had to happen, it's the 1st Monday of the month.  For now, it's fairly bright.  That's very much appreciated.  We have to go shopping & finish paying monthly bills this morning.   Hopefully this will be an easy day.  You never know how it's going to go when Walmart's involved. 

That's all, take care.

Cya...

Bright Today...

 

I'm trying to stay in the now for a bit.  It's sunny & getting warmer today.  I'm trying not to think about later in the week getting dark, wet & cold.  I really need more light.  I've not had the worst time this year with SAD, but it could be a lot a better.

There isn't much going on at the moment.  We have to finish 1st of the month stuff this week.   There's an appointment early on & then I think we're finished for a bit.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Some Sun...

 

There isn't much going on here or in the way of articles.  It's cooler again after the rain passed through.  At least it's sunny this morning.  It'll warm up & cool off again this week.  This weather isn't easy on anyone.   Spring is getting closer.  Next week the time change will happen.  

That's all for now.  Take care.

Cya...

It Poured...

 

Not much this morning.  We have to handle 1st of the month errands & shopping.  It's pretty dark this morning.  That's not surprising, since last night it dropped over 2" on us.  I think our final total was 2.25".   Our average for the month is just 4.25".   Some places got a lot wrose & there's probably flooding everywhere.

Walgreens is partnering with some rideshare companies to start providing free same-day delivery of HIV meds.  I'm sure there's some limits to the offer, but any little bit helps.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Tired, Appointment, & Storms...

 

There's supposed to be storms today, so I'll get through this before hand.  I'm already tired of Spring storms.  They've been happening or the last month.   

My telemedicine appointment went alright & I'll see them in September.   I have a dentist cleaning later in the month.  We still have 1st of the month bills to handle.  

All this stuff, the weather, lack of light, allergies, etc... has left me worn out.  I'll get back.  But, this has been a very busy beginning of March.  

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Hello March...

 

It's March.  Here's hoping for a good month.  It's starting off busy.  I have a telemedicine appointment today.  We have 1st of the month stuff this week.  At least we're moving towards Spring.  The time change happens soon.  I need the light.  

That's about all for now, take care.

Cya...