Goodbye January 2025...

 

This is the end of January 2025.  It wasn't the worst month.  It'd been nice with less cold & not getting the orange stain.  We did finally get our furniture in, so that's a plus.

There are 37 days left until the time change & 48 until Spring.  There remain 1,449 days of dealing with the orange stain.  Maybe it will die soon, it's way past it's expiration date.

I've posted on the topic of Kick & Kill for fighting HIV before.  This piece is a newer article on that.   It's not far along, but it could develop into something.

That's all for now, goodbye January.

Cya...

Not Great Morning...

 

This isn't a great morning.  It's dark, chilly & wet.  It's rained nearly 3" since yesterday afternoon.  That didn't do great things for me.  The furniture smell is still here but getting better.   It'd fade faster if it were warmer & dry.  I woke chilled, achy & coughing.

I woke up late.  Then Windows had to update.  That should've been here Tuesday.  That was more to do & made me run later.   I still have to get morning stuff done & shower.

This isn't a great morning.

Cya...

Done & Tired...

 

It's handled, the new furniture is in & the old is out.  My meds also came in.  A lot went into getting the old stuff out & the place ready for the new.  There was a lot of dust under those pieces.  I hadn't felt like moving everything in a quite a while.  

Unfortunately, the new pieces aren lower end (Ashley Benchcraft) & offgassed VOCs.  It'll get better, but this has been rough.  Eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and allergic reactions are all common reactions to VOCs.  They can be worse for some people or with long exposure.  Other than being dizzy, I got most of those last night.  The smell will dissipate, hopefully quickly.

After dealing with the furniture, errands & getting my meds, I was wiped.  I spent most of the evening feeling like crap.  But things are handled & the smell will go away eventually.   So good for us, we have new furniture.  BTW this stuff sits high.  Any short people may have to hop onto it.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Busy Tuesday...

 

It won't be much of a post this morning.  It's going to be an oddly busy Tuesday for me.  I had to call to check on my furniture delivery & my med order from Walmart.  The furniture is supposed to be here around 2.  Walmart's automated pharmacy system leaves something to be desired.  If they get my med in their daily shipment, it should be ready late this afternoon.  If not, we'll see. 

I'm trying to get through as much this morning as I can.  I still have to get a shower soon.  Of course on top of all this, my phone had to update & delay things.  Here's hoping this goes well.  I don't need drama.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Nuisance Morning...

 

It's been an annoying morning.  People close by are having their roof redone.  It started just after sunrise.  I get they have to work when they can, but damn they're loud.  They've been pounding all morning.

Last month my Dovato had to be transferred to another pharmacy due to pricing issues.  I called my old pharmacy & they said they couldn't do it this month, but probably could the next time I need a refill.  For now, I'm stuck with Walmart.   Maybe next time.

It got colder again last night, but not too bad.  We still needed the heater & water dripping.  That'll be the case tonight as well.  After that, we may get a pass for a bit with slightly warmer temps.

Take care.

Cya...

Last Sunday of January 2025...

 

This is the last weekend of January.  It's fairly dreary out & there's a small chance for some rain.  The warm reprieve is going away for a bit.  We didn't even have heaters last night.  That won't be the case for the next couple of days.  It's dipping back under freezing for overnight temps.  It is still January.

The articles have caught up to the PEPFAR situation I posted about yesterday.  There were some other pieces, but most focused on the pause in funding due to the orange stain.  The problem is the people who supported that man are fine with others dying.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Here We Go...

 

The orange stain had Rubio pause all foreign aid.  It will most likely never begin again.  This article refers to the order's effect, to once again shut down PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief started by George W Bush.  His orangeness also reinstated the Global Gag Rule.  This prevents any agency that advocates, educates or provides abortions or most sexual and reproductive health care from receiving aid.  That includes even if they use their own funds to promote the matters.

The results of this are easy to see.  This will cripple the fight against HIV/AIDS.  More people will contract HIV, die from the virus & children that can't be supported will be born.  These asshats have declared extortion as their weapon of choice in their siege war on decent & charitable actions.  

That's all for now take care.

Cya..

Not Much Friday...

 

It was bright & cold this morning.  It's supposed to be warm enough tonight that we won't need to leave the tap dripping.  The light is slowly coming back & it's a little warmer.   But we can't forget that February can be our worst month around here.  Even March can be cold & have snow.

It's a normal shopping day.  Hopefully, it stays that way.  I'm too cold for much more. 

There were some articles on vaccines, but most of them were either above lay level or too early in development to be interesting.  Works like this that are going to the general public, should be rewritten to be easily comprehensible for non-professionals.  If  your work is still in the maybes & mights stage, it's too early to publish.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

HIV & Social Conditions...

 

This piece asserts that intervention on social factors is as important as focusing on risk behaviors in regards to contracting HIV.  Instead of looking purely at individuals' relations with high risk behaviors, we should be looking at what got them there.

Many approaches to therapy & rehabilitation focus on correcting & modifying individual behaviors.   Even if they can "fix" the person, they then put them back into a broken environment.  Psychological, social, emotional issues & addictions don't occur in a bubble.  They are not always the issue, but just a symptom of greater problem, often external of the individual.  You can't heal the person & toss them back into a damaged life & expect them to stay healthy.

44% of people with HIV have some kind of disability and 43% have a household income at or below the poverty line. 

This article details the presence of social factors in those who are living with HIV.  "...depression, homelessness, individual and neighborhood poverty, education disparities, lack of insurance or unemployment."  It states 78% of people diagnosed with HIV were affected by 1 of these factors, 58% by 2 & 20% by 3 or more. 

These factors impacted the person's living situation & the options they felt availables to them.  They impact decision making & life choices.  Instead of just focusing on individual risk behaviors, we should be trying to better the surroundings where they live. 

There is no silver bullet, medicine alone isn't going to eradicate HIV or numerous other illnesses.  Society isn't invested in these people & they have a hard time investing in themselves.  If a healthier society is what is wanted, a lot of social leveling will have to occur.  Too bad, that will never happen.

It's a good article.  Take care.

Cya...

Warming Maybe....

 

The frigid front that dumped snow on Louisiana & Florida is moving out.  We didn't get snow this round, but we got a cold.  Still not as cold as some places on the Gulf.  Some nights will still be under freezing, but the days should be considerably warmer. 

I know we need the cold to kill off snow bugs & grass.  But it never seems to succeed at that.  There's just as many annoying bugs & grass every Spring.  I'll never be a fan of Winter.  It's just too hard on me.

Here's to warming up a bit.   Take care.

Cya...

Breath Held...

 

People are waiting to see what the shift to the right means for the fight against HIV & the non-hetero situation.  It isn't just in the US.  Many countries are digging their heels into conservative hatred, while others are testing the waters.  The world was never a nice place & the ugliness was just waiting for a chance to poke it's head back up.  

There are few "good" people in the world.  Most of those that would consider themselves good aren't.  They're just naive idealist that have never been pushed or tested.  Fortunately, there aren't that many really horrible people out there either.  Most people are self concerned & apathetic to the point of letting the world burn.  They either won't care or won't accept any responsibility for the matter.  Choosing nothing is still a choice.

For now, matters concerning HIV & Gays, is a wait & see game.  Then the fight will come again.  The battles may come & go, but the war will never end.

Take care.

Cya...

Frozen Orange Yick...

 

It was in the teens this morning.  We'll be lucky if it gets over freezing.  Tomorrow won't be as cold, but still freezing.  It'll start warming on Wednesday.  By the weekend & further on, the forecast calls for temps in the 50s & over freezing at night.  That could all change, but other than some rain, it looks like a much nicer forecast.

This flip back into colder temps has been hard on me.  There's been a lot of coughing, wheezing & nose blowing.  It's been trying to give me more chilblains.  I'm ready for this to be at least a bit warmer.

Unfortunately the orange bastard returned today.  To hell with everyone who voted for him & double that for all those that didn't vote.   The real problem here isn't him, it's all the asshats that enabled him.  He'll eventually go away, they might not.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

It's Back...

 

The warm reprieve is over  & frigid temps are back.  We'll be lucky to get over freezing before Wednesday.  This sudden drop has left me feeling like crap this morning.  At least it's bright outside.  The only articles I saw were concerning PrEP & fluff pieces. 

This weather leaves me rattled & having a difficult time focusing on anything but the cold.  The house will warm up in a bit, but for now, not so much.   I'll post more tomorrow.

Take care.

Cya...

Before The Cold...

 

This is the last warmish day before the frigid temps set in for a few days.  There'll be faucets dripping for days if the temps don't get above freezing.  My body is going to hate this.  I've had enough Winter.   

There were articles, but most were inconclusive pieces over proposed HIV vaccination strategies.  The remainder were repeats.  I don't like to post on the maybe articles.  Even if these researchers get their vaccine trial underway, it's not likely to have any level of success.  At best, their failure will add to the knowledge base for the next attempt.  If there ever is a vaccine, it's likely to be years or decades out.

On a better note, only 50 days left before the time change.  Let there be a lot more light.  That's it for now.   Take care.

Cya...

3rd Friday of The Year...

 

There's not much going on here.  It's supposed to get frigid this weekend into early next week.  We'll go shopping & check mail in a bit.  Other than that, we have no plans.  

It seems like everyone is holding their breath waiting to see what happens next.  Articles are scarce & real news is focusing primarily on disasters & wars.  Things to post about for this blog have been very limited.

Oh well, it's time for me to get around.  Take care.

Cya...

Not Much...

 

With so much going on with the government, social media & drug developments, it'd be reasonable to assume there'd be more articles out at the moment.  But there aren't.  I guess everyone is waiting to see how things fall before the post more on anything.

Today & tomorrow are supposed to be warm.  Then it'll dive into frigid temps for the next few days.  I'm over cold weather.

That's about it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

3 Wednesdays In...

 

We're midway through January 2025 & I have to say it could've been better.  Between the cold, snow, dark & being sick. this hasn't been the best start.  It looks as if the cold's going to rev back up this weekend.  No one needed that.  

Other than trash & a mail, we don't have much planned.  We still have 50+ days before the time change.   It's about the only thing I'm looking forward to at the moment.

That's it for now.  Do better January.  Let there be a giant, orange splat.  

Take care.

Cya...

Still Failing...

 

I've been HIV+ for a 25 years.  Back then the county health department was the only resource within 30 miles of me for anything dealing remotely with HIV.  All it could do was testing & provide condoms.   They gave me some info for places in Tulsa, 120+ miles away.  Thanks to how healthcare is in the US, I couldn't go to Fort Smith, 35 miles away.  Not that Fort Smith had a lot of resources.  

It's 25 years later & nothing has improved.  There are more people living with HIV in the general, but still nothing specifically for HIV.  The best improvements for me have been telemedicine & better drug availability.  There are no resource centers, support groups, aid for anything to help you, etc...  There's still nothing near.

With all the medical advancements, if people had really wanted to, HIV probably could've been under control 10+ years ago.  But, people love to hate & make a profit.  HIV is good for both.  If someone near you is diagnosed with the virus, know this, it wasn't just their actions.  It was due to ignorance, hate, fear & greed.  Add in a lot of wretched meanness  & vile stupidity as well.

Stigma will never go away for anything.  It's too good a hate maker, divider.  HIV & other illnesses will likely never be cured.  They make too much profit.  Welcome to capitalism.

Cya...

Post Forgotten...

 

I'm not sure what happened, but I forgot to do a post this morning.  Not much happening today.  I'm feeling somewhat better, still not great.  We went shopping & handled some bills.   The store was still sold out from the storm shopping.  Mail hadn't run since last Wednesday, so everything was running late. 

That's about for the day & I'll post tomorrow.  

Take care.

Cya...

Sick Winter...

 

COVID & RSV are still here, but they aren't the big culprits this winter.  The flu, norovirus, pneumonia, regional bugs & colds are the issues this season.  I hate Winter, I get sick & achy.  There's always morning coughs, stiffness & aches.  I think my roomie & got a bad cold.  Neither is doing great, but not horrible either.  The coughing, congestion, runny nose, aches & slight fever have been exhausting, but not doctor worthy.  They'd probably just push ibuprofen, rest & hydration. 

Winter sucks, being sick during, even if expected, sucks more.   I'm still feeling a bit ick, but I think I'm getting better slowly.  We're doing what we can here.

Take care.

Cya...

Melt Begins...

 

It'll be over freezing soon, but the sun's already shining.  The snow is starting to melt.   It needs to go. Yesterday wasn't a good day for me.  I didn't feel good & it got worse as the day went on.   So far, I'm feeling better.  I hope it holds.

I didn't notice any articles, so that's about if or this morning.   I'm trying to get better.  

Take care.

Cya...

13+

 

The title isn't a nod to a sandwich, a baker's dozen or even a porn reference.   No, it's how much snow has fallen since yesterday.  There may be a little bit more coming.   It's supposed to end soon.

I didn't notice many articles this morning.   The snow has been pretty overwhelming.  I seriously hate Winter.  This abrupt weather system has been hard on me.   I'm really not feeling well. 

That's about it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Snows Coming...

 

It's supposed to start snowing soon.  It might get barely above freezing today.  We could anything from 0 - 13".  Hard to tell with the weather around here.  It's good we don't have to go out any today & we handled tomorrow's errands yesterday.

Today is President Carter's funeral.  There will be no mail today.  Carter's fall from politics was my 1st real clue that people don't want you to be that honest with them.

The snow has begun.  Here's hoping it's light & ends sooner than later.   Winter sucks.

Take care, stay safe.

Cya...  

Freezing & Rescheduled...

 

Yesterday's forecast was wrong.  It did not get above freezing.  The faucets have been dripping for days & I hate the noise.  It's better than busted pipes, but the noise is annoying.  It's supposed to snow tomorrow & into Friday morning.  Here's hoping we don't get what's in the forecast.  That could be a lot.

We did stuff we'd normally do today, yesterday.  We'll handle Friday's shopping today.  The only normal thing we'll do today is take the trash out & check mail.

We stopped by the furniture place yesterday & ordered a mattress.  I delayed the delivery of the other furniture.  It'll all come at the same time, around the 23rd.

We left the front stove on last night & I have regrets.  It's loud & kept waking me.  Heaters get to me after a while.  I woke with a bit of sore throat & stuffy nose.  The choice, do you want to be warm or do you want breathe?

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Grey & Looking...

 

It's grey out this morning & cold.  We barely got above freezing yesterday.  It should last longer today.  We're supposed to get snow this week.  After Friday the temps will have the faucets dripping over night, but not all day as well.

We've not had the best luck with shopping lately.  Both my roomie's & mine med orders were messed up.  They got fixed, but it wasn't fun.  I'm waiting on my furniture order.  Looks like I'm going to need a new mattress as well, mine is really old.   Who knows how long this will take.

I guess that's about it.  We have to figure out the plans for the week.  Hopefully this won't get bad.  We don't need that.

Take care.

Cya...

Freezing...

 

Short post this morning.  It's freezing & I'm trying to type with gloves on.  I don't know how people do this all the time.  I've had to redo almost everything already in this post.   

It might get above freezing & the next several days are supposed to be just above that.   Hopefully, this is our coldest week, but we still have February to get through.  This isn't going to be fun for taking a shower & then going out to handle shopping & errands.

At least it's bright out this morning.   My hate affair with Winter continues.  I'm not sure why, but the little seasonal birds that normally hang out in the yard aren't here this year.  Every year there's less of the little animals about.  I haven't little birds raid the cat food in years.  So many thing aren't here anymore.  I'm being a bit selfish as well, they always made my day a bit brighter & easier to manage.

That's all for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Uneasy Dark...

 

It's dark again this morning.  It's also drizzling.  Winds are supposed to blow in a cold week.  The hourly calls for it to be under freezing by 6:00.  The next several days will be very cold & there could be snow by Thursday night going into Friday morning.  Of course all of that could change for the better or worse.  

This Winter is being a lot harder on me than last year.  Aches, chilblains, swelling, rough breathing, skin issues, etc...   The mornings won't start coming earlier for a week  & then only by minutes.  Right now sunrise is at 7:27.  By the 19th it should be at 7:24.  But sunset should move from 5:21 to 5:34 in that time.  So in 2 weeks there should be 16 more minutes of sunshine.  It's not much, but it's something.  The time change is still over 60 days away.

I'm not doing well with this Winter or the impending orange BS storm.  I'm trying to find something as a high point.  It's not easy, but I am trying.  It'd be nice if everything else wasn't fighting so hard to make it feel impossible.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

UUGGHH!!! WTF Day...

 

Yesterday started off well, it was even bright out.  We had a lot planned for us.  There were bills to be paid locally & via mail.  It was a big shopping day.  There was a trip to the bank.  A stop buy the mail place & getting lunch.  Meds had to ordered.  All of this should've been handled by 12:30 - 1:00.  That didn't happen.  We still had to eat lunch & wait for a plumber to show by 3:00.

When I called around 9:30 to check on my meds, the pharmacy had some disturbing news.  They wouldn't be able to fill the order for my HIV meds.  There was too big a discrepancy between the cost of the med & what my insurance was paying out.  This just started, probably with new year.  There are a lot pharmacies around here, but most have the same provider.  That left Walmart.  I called & the long, ordeal of waiting for an answer began.  I didn't know until nearly noon if this would be a fix.  

Walmart did fill it & had it on hand.   I'm not sure what I would've had to do if they couldn't have.  I'd been playing phone tag with my specialist in Tulsa.  My regular pharmacy may eventually be able to get this fixed for me, but until then I'm at Walmart for my Dovato.  This isn't what I wanted, but it will work.  

The bank, bills & mail got handled.  Shopping was done & meds picked up.  The plumber did show & fix the issue.  Everything got sorted, but the stress of it wrecked the day & wiped me out.  I'm still a bit frazzled.    Albeit, we finished everything on our list, it wasn't a good day.  There was way too much crap.

Today needs to be a major nothing day before we head into this upcoming cold front BS.  It's supposed to last about a week.  I hate cold, dark, Winter.

Take care.

Cya...

Blog & HIV Anniversaries 2025...

 

I started this blog 14 years ago.  I don't always know where it's going, but it's still here.  I've tried to keep this related to HIV matters relating my situation & area.  Sometimes it's just about my life & how I'm getting by.  Here's to making to 15.

It was 25 years ago I was diagnosed with HIV.  I was given 5 years to live at that time.  It's been 5 times that.  I'm not sure that's a good thing.  It's been really stressful & difficult at times.   I started new med last September & things were going well.  This morning I found out that my pharmacy has issues covering it.  Now I'm scrambling to find another provider.  Too much of these 25 years have been confusing, hard & anxiety ridden.  Maybe the 5 years wasn't the worst option.  Hopefully this med thing will work out soon.

That's all for now.  Happy Anniversary to the blog & my HIV.

Take care.

Cya...

The 2nd Day...

 

January & 2025 have started.   Tomorrow is the 1st bills of the year day.  I don't have much to say this morning.  The holidays are over & things should return to our normal.  We'll take the decorations down in a few days.  Now on to the awfulness of Winter.

I hope the holidays treated everyone well.  They can be hard for a lot of us.  May 2025 be so much better than we hoped.

Take care.

Cya...

Ready Or Not, It's 2025...

 

2025 is here & here's hoping we don't get buyer's remorse.  Maybe that's 2024 survivor's remorse.  Here's to the year.  May it be better than we had thought it might be.

This piece is bound to cause a stir.  It shows an association in those living with HIV who are smokers & less neuroinflammation.   It also stated that smoking lead to better cognitive control.  People with HIV are more likely to smoke & have a harder time quitting.  It's providing them with some benefits.  Maybe there is a way to simulate the effects without the detriments of the smoking.

That's all for now.  It's a good piece. May your year be bright, prosperous, kind & joyful.

Cya...