Seasonalish...

 

We're over halfway through the 2nd Brr month.  This weekend actually got chilly.  I don't like this at all, it's getting cold & dark.  In less than 2 weeks the time change will happen & it'll be even worse.  I'm already dealing with cooler weather issues; sleeping different, skin changing, foot swelling & soreness, etc...

The temps should level out for a bit.  We're still finishing up Winter prep.  There's some outdoor stuff, things in my room & finally really closing all the windows.  I hate this.  I hate closing the house up.  I really didn't want another Winter.  I'm already not doing well & this will just make everything worse.  

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Viral Blips & What?

 

The title of this piece says a lot...

"Viral blips during HIV therapy are common and rarely signal treatment failure, Swedish study finds"

This study followed a cohort of 4,000+ patients for 5 - 11+ years.  They found that on average a 1/5 of these patients would see at least 1 blip during that period.  A viral blip is defined as a patient with previously undetectable levels or suppressed HIV, suddenly being detectable, then being undetectable again after the next scheduled testing.  

The pathogenesis of blips isn't understood.  It could be a lot of things.  The most common finding was blips were more common among those having frequent, precise testing.   By this they mean being tested every 3 - 6 months & the test had a threshold of 50 copies per ml.  My blip came after the newer test lowered that number to 20.  IMO, the more precise & available testing becomes, the more common blips are going to be.  

As the title stated, blips are common & not necessarily a sign of treatment failure.   Read this piece.  It's a little lengthy, but informative.

Cya...

The Month Found It's Brrr...

 

October finally found some chill.  OK, now send it back.  This is supposed to last the weekend.  I have no use for it or the dark.  At least it's supposed to be a clear day.

We knew this week was going to be busy.  We didn't know it was going to be filled with so much tiresome, unnecessarily trying crap.  It's like someone said, here's a extra burden & random issue for every step we took.   This week should have been a bit tiring, not nerve wracking, infuriating & exhausting.  BTW, none of the add-ons were our doing.  That nonsense was provided by people who are supposed to know how to do their jobs, bystanders & Fort Smith in general.

Mini gripe & rant over.  Take care.

Cya...

1st Cool Weekend...

 

This weekend is supposed to be considerably colder.  Our highs will be in the 70°s tops, with our lows hitting in the 40°s.  It's windy today, but at least it looks to be brighter.  The good time of the year is ending & the dark is crashing in.  I hope all those standard time lovers freeze.  There are only 76 days left in the year.  I doubt any of them will be that great, 2026 deserves every bad review.  

That's it for now.  We need to go shopping & then home.  Take care.

Cya...

Dark & Wet October...

 

Yesterday didn't go as planned.  We intended on eating somewhere different yesterday.  Then it started raining & the place we wanted to eat was closed for some reason.  Most places on that street are difficult to access unless you're already on the right side of the ride.  We wound up at a typical stop for us.  It piddle rained all the way home.  

It's dark & could rain later.  I hope so, we're still about 3/4" to an inch short.  This weather front is supposed to significantly cool down this weekend.  The windows will be closed & fans will be off.  It's supposed to return more seasonal temps after that.

That's about it for now, take care.

Cya...

Afternoon Outing...

 

My roomie has an appointment this afternoon.  I hope everything actually lines up well.  Lately even our simplest of plans have gone up like a trash fire.   They were good plans.  We just didn't count on the stupidity & inadequacy of people.  

We were looking for somewhere to eat after the appointment.  Damn, the cost has gotten ridiculous.  We'll see where we wind up.  

That's about it for now.  I still have some morning & Wednesday stuff to handle before I shower.  Take care.

Cya...

HIV & Climate Change...

 

I don't normally find articles about how climate change impacts HIV.  This piece is the best I've seen so far.  At this point, I've seen nothing stating climate change directly alters the virus, that could change.  However, the change in temperature & other weather patterns could impact the ability to maintain the infrastructure needed to manage HIV treatment & outreach.  That's true for medical establishments & individuals.  

I'll leave most of the detail to the piece, give it a read.  Climate change is real, it has been happening for decades, it is altering everything in daily life & for some that includes their fight against HIV.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...