I'm trying to get myself around this morning. It's another hazy start. I'm still not feeling good. This season change is kicking me hard. My sleep is pretty off at the moment.
I need to get cleaned up, take out trash & then be on the road. I have a dental cleaning today. Here's hoping nothing screws up. That seems to be happening a lot lately.
I think that's all for now. Take care.
Cya...
We had to take the car back to the mechanics yesterday. It had issues starting. What was supposed to take a few minutes, took well over an hour. Neither of us felt well & the chairs there aren't exactly comfortable. They still can't figure out the issue.
I'm still not sleeping well & feeling really off. There were steady winds blowing crap all day & my sinuses are hating it. I'm having a lot of stomach issues. Last night was a lot of bathroom runs & I actually got sick. That wasn't a wanted experience.
The upcoming week or so has a lot in it. I have an appointment tomorrow. At least they always wear mask & gloves. If I do have some bug, they should be fine. There's just a lot going around right now. I need to get feeling better soon.
Take care.
Cya...
I didn't wake any better this morning. Too much noise & odd atmosphere is making the mornings hard to sleep through. Screeching birds, loud trains, fussing neighbors, rattling trucks, etc... have been obnoxious this week. Things aren't enough this way or that to get comfortable with. It's muggy, but not enough for much of a fan.
I'm already crashing & this season has just started. There's things happening this week, including an dental appointment. Then it's the 1st of the month with all it's stuff. In the midst of that, will be that crapfest time change. I'm exhausted & overwhelmed just thinking about it. I'll get through it, not like I have much of a choice.
It'd been nice to post about an article or something good in my life. Neither seems to be happening any time soon. Apparently, that's just my life.
Cya...
This is the last Sunday of October. Halloween is almost here & to be honest, I don't really care. I hate that. This used to be my favorite holiday.
So much of what I enjoyed is gone & what's left I can't muster much excitement for. I should've never stayed long enough to see this. I wonder whose sick joke it was for me to live this long. Hell, it was probably mine. Another plan that backfired.
It's hazy again this morning & I don't feel well. I spent most of yesterday tired, achey & just feeling off. I thought sleep might help, but it didn't.
The light is almost gone & this is the last week before the hellish time change. I'll lose an hour of light, just some morning asshats can have it. Sunset next Sunday will be 5:41. I hope that hour of morning light brings those damn morning people misery.
The dread is hear. I don't know how well I'll fare this year. The Summer was weak & frustrating. I don't have high hopes for the dark seasons this time around. It's really hard to be this exhausted & out of it all the time & the season's just beginning.
That's all for now. Take care.
Cya...
The morning & me are both hazy. The sky's that weird, uncomfortable glow it gets at times like this. I feel like I'm walking through thick air this morning. My mind's about the same. It wasn't a bad wake up, but it wasn't a good waking either. I didn't jolt awake vibrating. I'm just having a rough time getting synch with things this morning. Nothing quite seems to be catching.
I have a dentist appointment Wednesday. I'll need to call & confirm it. The weeks got some add ons we don't normally handle. We'll see how that goes. I have a routine medical appointment the 1st week of November.
That's about it for now, take care.
Cya...
We got the van back. It's working as well as it ever does. Then again it's really old. I figured things would go the way they did. I also thought that if we didn't do take it into the mechanics, the problem could be really bad. We opted for playing it safe.
When it comes to me, I'm just out of steam. The spoons aren't refilling. Tiny little things exhaust & frustrate me. I'm tired of the constant challenges. I at least used to have more diversions. Now, most of those are gone. Little, unexpected things, can send me into a bit of a panic, sometimes more than a bit. I don't know if the me that used to be able to handle things better is ever coming back.
This is all just very draining. Maybe life's going better for everyone else.
Take care.
Cya...
I'm waiting again to hear back from the mechanic. We took the van in to check on it's brake light. It's coming on & off. We'll see what happens.
Not much in the way of articles. The weather is also having a dry spell. The month's rain average is slightly over 4". So far, we've had none.
We've been in out of a fire ban for some time in surrounding counties. Apparently ours isn't. The people around here are constantly burning stuff.
That's about it for now, take care.
Cya...
It was windy yesterday & we've had some 30°+ swings in temperature. There's still ragweed out & all that together wasn't great on me. I woke to fair amount of sinus pressure with a slight headache & fever. It'll pass, but for now, it's not comfortable.
There isn't much going on here today. We need to run a few errands & that should be it. It'd be nice to end this month with as little drama as possible.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
It's a nice morning here. This week should be warmer & then we'll dip back some again. I'm trying to enjoy it while it's here.
Besides the temps & fading light, I really hate the noise this time of the year. There aren't any fans buffering the outside racket. I hear everything; excited birds, loud cars, skittering leaves, arguing neighbors, etc... I have to relearn every sound again, so I know what's normal & what's a worry.
We shouldn't have anything to do today. So, that's about it for now, take care.
Cya...
If a injection to handle your HIV is a bit much for you, there may be other options soon. Although, Gilead's lenacapavir injection is sounding promising as a biannual option, it's still a shot. Not only is it an injection & very new, it's very expensive.
For those who don't handle injections well or whose insurance won't cover the bill, there might be another choice besides a daily regimen on the horizon. For many, a daily regimen has proven easier to handle than the multi-pill cocktail approach of the past. If that boosted adherence, then a weekly should do even better.
This piece details how Merck has recently developed Islatravir & has combined it with lenacapavir. Together they are being administered as weekly, oral option for handling HIV. The research looks promising. I have a feeling, most insurances are going to cover this before they consider the expense of Gilead's biannual lenacapavir injection.
There are new things coming to treat this virus. That's always good news. Give the article a read. Take care.
Cya...
It was another chilly night, but not cold. After tonight, the temps should warm back up into the 50s overnight. That will make a difference in sleeping.
It's bright this morning & I slept better. I don't want to get used to this. In a little bit that stupid time change will happen. Then it'll all start over.
I hate this time of the year. Everything's faded & browned. The only vibrance out there is on some birds & evergreens. I already miss the butterflies & lightning bugs. I wish I'd seem more dragons this Summer. I only saw 3 hummers. 1 of those was at McDonald's on a some orange & pink flowers.
This was not an easy Summer & never felt like I got what I needed out of it. Now, Fall's here & I already feel like I'm running on fumes. I didn't need this year.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
Sweden is the 1st country to meet the goals set by UNAIDS & WHO. This article details their progress. The goals were part of the Treatment As Prevention approach of ending the battle against HIV. I've never been the biggest proponent of this approach. It typically places the merits of treatment over all over tactics such as community outreach, education & non pharmaceutical prevention methods.
Most of the world won't meet the goals. Which was to vastly limit or eliminate further transmission of the virus by 2030. Thus in time ending the threat. However, again the Sweden is the only country to meet & surpass the goals. The goals were 95-95-95.
This means that 95 percent of all people living with HIV in the country have been diagnosed, 95 percent of these are receiving treatment, and 95 percent of those treated have undetectable levels of the virus in their blood. The targets are to be reached by 2025.
Sweden's figures are even better: 96 percent have been diagnosed, 99 percent are on treatment and 98 percent have undetectable virus levels.
According to this piece & others, the US won't meet this goal. Much of the blame falls on the US government. COVID hampered things. But various members of the government have failed to insure adequate resources to meet these goals. Add to that social issues, questionable access, lack of awareness/education & a faulty healthcare system, not meeting these goals was a given.
Sweden has proven it's possible to have an impact on this course. I have doubts for the rest of the world, especially the US. Until the power in the conservative, traditionalist & orthodox sector of this country is gone, there's no hope for success in this venture.
Cya...
I'm not sure why, but I had the 1st rough wake up of the season. I hope it's not a sign of this year's dark period for me. I didn't abruptly wake up. I slept well. There was reasonable light. Yet, I woke jittery & anxious. I hate this. There is no focus for the anxiety. Just a lot of nerves.
I hate this time of year & it's just getting started. I hope I adjust to it soon. It'd be nice to have something positive to say, but I really don't have anything to offer.
Take care.
Cya...
Short post this morning. It was cold last night & I slept fairly deep. That's good & bad. I probably needed the sleep. But, I overslept & now I'm stiff. The cold should end soon. I didn't see any articles & we have no plans. With any luck, this will be a nothing day.
Take care.
Cya...
Another morning waiting to hear back from someone. This time, we're waiting to hear from the mechanic about the car. It had issues yesterday & we aren't sure what's wrong with it. Our hopes; they can find it, they can fix it & that the cost won't be outrageous.
It got colder last night & is supposed to be that way through the week. Then the temps should be more seasonal. At least it's sunny this morning.
That's all for now, just waiting. Take care.
Cya...
The fret & dread are back. I hate the seasonal darkening. It feels like an attack on my well being. A month ago, the light lasted well past 8. Now it's sundown before 7. There's already less than 12 hours of light in the day now. I wish I could shut down when there was less than half a day's worth of sunlight.
With no fans going, I can hear every noise. Something's been waking me just before 7 AM for weeks. It's a lot of outside crap making noise I can hear now. To hell with morning birds, people, trains, etc... It's cool enough the cats feel like roughhousing all night. The cool down is changing how I sleep & how sore I am because of it.
I hate waking up. Nothing good ever comes of waking up. I know there will be BS when I wake up, I'm just not sure what that will be. What screwed up? What needs fixed? What did the cats do? Am I what's messed up?
As much as I love looking at the moon, I hate dusk & dawn. Let it be bright or dark, but the middle crap is awful. Shove the dismal somewhere I never have to deal with it again. I will never understand the people who like the dismal, overcast, cloudy, foggy, dreary days. I have serious questions concerning their character.
I wish I didn't have to sleep. That's when the defenses go down. That's when we fool ourselves with dreams. That's when stress gets creative & screws with those dreams. Most of all, if I didn't have to sleep, I wouldn't have to wake. If a person must sleep, they should have the option of never waking.
Little, if any good, ever comes from waking.
Cya...
We had a fairly plain dinner last night, but somehow it really disagreed with me. I was getting icked out after a little bit. I got rid of the part I thought was offending my stomach. That didn't help. I couldn't finish it & I stayed fairly nauseous most the night. I was still feeling off when I went to bed. There have been a lot of bathroom visits this morning. So far, I haven't gotten sick, but it's felt like a very real possibility.
Hopefully as the day goes on, my stomach will settle. I can't understand how something so basic as meat, cheese & bread set me off. That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
There aren't many Native pieces, but this article is about the OIDP (Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy) & Cherokee Nation working together for a program called HELP (Hepatitis C (HCV) Engagement and Linkage Program). The program was started in 2023 & focuses on increasing screening for HEP C, HIV & syphilis.
This is a 3 year program with goals of evaluating & working with care programs among vulnerable communities in hopes of handling these illnesses in these populations. Eventually, the HELP program could spread to other tribes. The program has partnered with medical professions, some via telehealth, local care programs & the Nation.
This is the beginning of their 2nd year. I hope it prospers. The articles in this post were good reads (the initial piece & the 1 referencing the start in 2023). If Native American health issues or HIV in vulnerable populations are an interest, I suggest these pieces.
Take care.
Cya...
Things in my life have been challenging for so long, I'm almost always just on the edge of losing it. It's less about losing my temper & more about having a mini to massive meltdown. I can maintain some level of facade if things are going OK, but I don't have much left to deal with anything going sideways.
In the past, when I've talked to people about my family they don't get it. They don't understand how someone could fall so deeply into being drunk or addicted. They can't fathom just leaving things behind. They don't see how these people could just explode & leave chaos in their wake.
The thing is, I do. I do see how it happened. I don't agree or accept it, but I understand it. I can see very well how easy it would be to just let go & dive into oblivion. To just go out the door & never return. I can picture everything that my parents did & how they got there. I've done my best, when I could to avoid their paths, it hasn't always worked. Sometimes their ways would've been so much easier, at least for a while.
This is why I don't buy the sympathy & empathy bit. Too many people can't wrap their heads around people like my family. So much for their alleged empathy. My parents were very broken people. It doesn't excuse what they did, but it explains a lot. They were broken by people before them, like their parents. The cycle goes on, until sometime steps out. Stepping out of a thing like isn't easy & often not successful.
You can't have empathy or sympathy for something you can't relate to. To do either requires an understanding most people don't have. In my case, I hope they never have. I don't ask for your sympathy. It'd be nice if you could be more understanding, compassionate & kind. But I have no need for you sympathy or empathy. Those things are nice, but being nice is cheap. Being kind can be hard & costly.
Take care.
Cya...
Many of the articles out this morning were focused primarily on cultural issues & their relationship with HIV. There were quite a few on groups, ethnicities & regions I'm not involved with including; domestic violence & how it correlates with HIV.
Most were probably perfectly fine pieces, but not in my wheelhouse. Then why am I discussing them? I realize there are a lot of works over HIV that simply do not pertain to me. That doesn't make them lesser, it just means that they aren't what I post about.
It's OK to be selective & critical. I like comic books. I don't like all comics & don't bother with a large percentage of them out every month. There are topics, styles, storylines, etc... I don't find interesting. Even with the comics I do like, I can get very critical of them & drop them for a while or forever.
Just because you like something, doesn't mean you like everything pertaining to it. You might, but you don't have to. I like cheese, but I'm not a cheese fanatic. There are cheeses I definitely do not like. Some people put cheese on things I would never want it on. That doesn't mean that I don't like cheese.
Strange venues I know, cheese & comics. But when you write about something, you need a focus, especially when it's a broad topic. If you don't hone in, your writing won't have main topic. HIV is a umbrella subject now, not a focused topic. I'm interested in things that relate to me, my area, my situation. That's what I try to write about.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
I was a little surprised this morning when I saw a slight variety of articles to choose from. Most were things I'd covered, but they were there. There were updates on the new, long acting med Lencapavir, as the studies were expanding. There were pieces of over HIV+ people being more prone to certain infections. They were less apt to contract the infection while maintaining a drug regimen.
This piece was concerning, informing & expected. The article was over how the needs of people living with HIV who were 50+ weren't being met. Studies have been ongoing for sometime & they've noted several areas that need addressing. I won't detail all of it, it's a good read. Give this piece some traffic.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
I'm not sure the this article offers much I haven't already discussed. This piece is from Rutgers & details their take on the effectiveness of telehealth in handling patients with HIV. It's straightforward & brief, but handles the points. It's a good jumping off point. There aren't as many articles over telemed results as you'd expect.
The seasons have changed & it shows. The light, air & temps have all altered. I'm already feeling different & I don't like it.
I don't need more issues. I'm a fairly broke person living in a broken down house located in a broke ass town. That's all firmly tucked into a stupid state in a country that may screw me over with the next election. Nothing around me is working in any way seriously helpful to me. Something's eventually going to give. It might as well be me. Then I wouldn't have to worry about the rest of it.
The leaves fell & my mood went with them. Take care.
Cya...
The beginning of the month stuff should wrap up today. We'll do some shopping & handle the last bill that isn't online. Then a couple of errands & we'll be home.
The light's changed pretty drastically & I already feel it. I see people online complaining about it not being Fall-ish enough for them. While I'm dreading every minute of light lost to damn seasonal dark. My wish for all those damned perky, dark of the year people is simple. I hope they have hellacious colds & ballistic diarrhea all season long. If I'm going to deal with more SAD, I'm willing to pass the misery around.
That's about it for this morning. Take care.
Cya...
I finished my 1st month on Dovato yesterday. 30 days in & all seems well. We'll know for sure when labs are drawn. So far, I'm not noticing much difference from Triumeq. Only that, all the side issues the former med had, are a little less on Dovato. Less is better. Maybe they'll tone down a more the longer I'm on the new med.
The kitten finished his run on meds yesterday. We're both happy about that. We just hope that cleared up whatever the issue was.
That's about all the catching up for this 1st bit of the month. Take care.
Cya...
I don't find many articles on HIV among the Native American Peoples. When I do I try to post about the piece. This article is about the disparities among the various groups of Natives in America; by tribe, education & other demographics.
Lee’s work is critical based on Native American health disparities that stem from historical & present-day colonization, marginalization & discrimination against Indigenous communities. Native Americans represent only 1% of the national HIV and AIDS cases, yet they rank 1/3 in new HIV diagnoses, following African American & Hispanic populations.
It was a good read & her efforts should be worth following. Give it a read. Take care.
Cya...
It's the 1st of the month & we have bill stuff to handle. My roomie had a friend over & I nearly forgot about doing a blog post. Other than a few errands & stuff, the day is mostly handled. I'll leave this brief today & post more tomorrow.
Take care.
Cya...
There've been a lot of articles this morning discussing how Gilead is allowing for generics of it's new twice yearly HIV med & PrEP med, Lenacapavir. This will only happen in about 120 poorer countries, leaving the rest of the world to foot the bill.
This isn't the 1st time this has happened. A few years back they did this to other meds. Dropping the drugs price significantly for African countries. What would pay for a few days of the medication in the US, would be year's worth there.
Gilead will be asking about $42K+ for the 2 dose med in places like the US. It has been stated in other articles this med could be made for as low $40 annually. So, these parts of the world will get a med that most people in the US & similar countries won't be able to get for some time due to broken healthcare systems.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for these people. It just seems I'm never in the right market to get these prices. I know these places are in horrible condition. Still, I think some people need to look at the level of poverty & horror shows going on in their own backyards before they go touting foreign charity efforts.
Take care.
Cya...
A new month is here, please be better than Sucktember. Of course the 1st week is a bit busy with bills & the like. It's a bright morning, a good way to start a month. It'd be really nice if this was an easy month.
I didn't notice much in articles. It's mostly the same old song. It's alway, everyone needs to do more & be more understanding. This could've been much further along if certain companies didn't value profits over health. Then there's the ideologues, who use their war on Gays, ethnic groups & HIV to further their social agenda. HIV isn't going anywhere as long as it's good resource for the wrong kind of people.
That's all for now, again, Hello October.
Cya...
