Hard Yesterday, Repairs & Little Spot...

 

Yesterday wasn't easy.  I had to have repair people over to work on the freezer.  They say it's operating alright & if it stops cooling too much, the only to do is replace it.  They did manage to unclog the defrost drain.  It had frozen over.

We still have some porch & yard cats.  The grey, Chonk tom stopped showing in July.  During that time a pregnant mother cat made her to the barn with her kitten in tow.  Soon, there were 3 more kittens.  A couple months later, she was pregnant again & then disappeared.  That left us with 2 porch cats.  A loud female we call Mu after her meow.  The other is a rough looking, tuxedo tom, called Tux. 

The 4 other kittens did OK until yesterday.  We called 1, Little Spot, he was yellow with a pale spot on his shoulder.  He was friendly & would try to interact with us as much as his feral nature would let him.  He got to where he'd nose my hand before running off.   

Somehow he got hurt, maybe hit or fell from a tree.  He'd had some kind of spinal injury.  There was nothing I could do for.  I managed to catch him & take him.  Just a few months old & already gone.  I know it was the best, kindest decision I could make.  I just wish there'd been other options.  If I hadn't, he would've died in a much worse way, possibly starving & scared.  Still, he should've had a better life.  

I wish you well in your next life Little Spot. You made me smile when so little does these days.  You were a brightness in my day.   You were adored & will be missed.  Run free.

Please be kind to strays & ferals.  They didn't ask for that life.  People did that & only people can help reduce the numbers of in-need animals.  Whether a stray is 4 legged or 2, if you can't be kind at least don't do them any harm.

So long Little Spot.

Cya...

National HIV/AIDS & Aging Awareness Day...

 

Today is National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day.  I'll start with a few links:

• NIH.gov site 
• HIV.gov site
• POZ site

Those links lead to specific pages over the topic.  People 50+ account for 40 - 50+% of those living with HIV.  The range depends on the source cited.

The sites have info about aging with HIV & demographics concerning the topic.  It provides lists of resources available, some locally.  Still not much in my area.

If you are HIV+ & older or know someone who is, give these sites a look.   Take care.

Cya...

Short & Plumbers....

 

Really short this morning.  There's just a bit before the plumbers are supposed to be here.  I'll get back tomorrow.  Hopefully, the faucet issue will be resolved.

Cya...

Summer Ending...

 

September is halfway over.  There's less than a week left of Summer.   This wasn't a great Summer, but still there was some light.  Now, it'll just get dark, damp, dismal & cold.  There's nothing about this time of year I really enjoy anymore.  Well, not enough to endure the rest of it.  I don't hate the holidays anymore, but I could live without them.  

A lot of people are cheering for Autumn to arrive.  If people want darkness, they can use blackout drapes.  No amount of artificial light really makes up for real sunlight.  From those of us dealing with SAD, screw the darkness & semi light.

The thing is, I'm fine at night.  I just hate the grey days.  My body never really wakes up & my eyes never focus.   If I could, I'd be like those people that travel with the sun all year round.  It sounds better than being stuck in the dark.

Here's to the last of Summer.  

Cya...

Cloudy Sunday...

 

It's a cloudy day & so far not much is happening.  Good.  I keep finding articles talking about how you should open & honest about yourself & your life.  I call BS on this.  If it's your doctor or someone your intimate with, then yes there is a certain need for openness.   However it can always bite you.

You're told to read the room & know your audience.   How do you do that when those are the people who you have always trusted & counted on before?   Many who have come out about things in their lives; orientation, HIV status, addiction history, etc... have had horrible shocks when their friends & loved ones cast them aside.  

Instead of compassion & support.  They all too frequently find outrage, hate & fury.  When the new version of you doesn't match their head cannon, some will reject the new & accuse you of everything they can & demand you leave.

Sometimes honesty is a dangerous thing.  We often don't know people as well as we think.  Unless it's absolutely necessary or you're in a place you can't really be harmed, keep your private info, private.    Too many people have had to find out they were only allowed at the party as long as they wore mask assigned to them. 

People keep talking about their "truth."   The reality is, the person you see as yourself only exists for you.  Every other person has their version of you, for better or worse.  Some can course correct if necessary others simply won't.  They'd rather delete the player than adjust to the new scenario.  Be careful being honest.

Take care.

Cya...

Not A Fan Of Weekends...

 

That may sound weird, but I get very apprehensive about weekends.  That's when the crap tends to happen for me.  Specifically late Friday when everything is basically closed.  Then I have to wait to Monday to even start to try to get something done.

The bathroom faucet needs to be replaced.  It was cheap & now it's breaking.  Of course it's on the weekend.  Hopefully it can get us through til we can it fixed.  

I am really trying to be in a better place.  But when stuff like my SSI review & house stuff keeps breaking, it's hard.  I get tired of trying, because the line of crap never ends.  The only way this will end is when I do.  Whoever said all life is sacred, was full of it.  Life is cheap, at best mundane & tedious.   But most often it's awful, maddening, terrifying & exhausting.   It was not worth the ticket price.

Happy Jason Day...

 

Not much going on this Friday the 13th.  We have to go shopping & hit a couple of other places, then home.  The weather in another state knocked out our internet last night, so I'm keeping things brief to get through them.

That's all.  Don't do anything Jason wouldn't approve of or at least don't get caught.

Cya...

Over A Third Down...

 

A 3rd of September has already passed.  A few bills remain, but they're mostly online.  Today will be my 7th time taking Dovato.   

It's a dark morning.  There was some rain last night.  Unless there's a lot more rain than the forecast shows, we'll probably be short on rain this month.  We're over for the year, but we still need over 3" for this month.   

There isn't much going here today.   So this is it.  Most of the articles out were praising the efficacy of long acting, injectable HIV meds.  At the same time calling them problematic with their high costs.   The expense is putting them well out of the range of most of those who these meds.  Effective or not, unless something happens to the price, they might as well not exist.

That's all, take care.

Cya...

Surprise Finding...

 

This article details a Canadian research project that led to a surprise finding.   It inadvertently found a very old, diabetes medication, Metformin could impact hidden HIV reservoirs.  They think this med could lead to the reservoirs becoming active & eventually depleted.  If this is so, it could eliminate the virus from the body.  A possible treatment.  So far they made this statement.

... when taken for three months, improved patients' immunity and reduced the chronic inflammation usually associated with complications such as cardiovascular disease.

There are more details in the piece.  This is a "Shock & Kill" approach to dealing with the viral reservoir.  This approach basically activates the dormant HIV, so meds can deal with it.  If it is possible, this could lead to a cure someday.  

It'll take further research to tell if this is a viable approach.  It could be years out or never happen.  Still, it has potential.  At least to move the research forward if nothing else.  Every little bit helps.

Take care.

Cya...

Hopefully Not Much...

 

Hopefully this is a not-much day.  After last week, we need it to tone down a bit.   I did a little on the yard the last couple of days.  It probably would've been done in an hour or so for someone more fit.  Still I managed it in a couple of days.  Now, I just have to recover from the effort & get my breathing back to normal.  The hibiscus bushes don't bother me near as much as the crepe myrtles do.  The crepes are always covered in much more debris & bugs.  It kills my breathing to mess with them.

That's about the extent of what I have to offer this morning.   Take care.

Cya...

Much Cooler Monday...

 

This morning started off almost 20° lower than last Monday.  It was in the mid 40s.  Tonight should dip down into the low 50s & then back to more seasonal temps.  

I've had no fans on in my room the last few nights.  That'll change.  Last night I had to pull on a light blanket.  It doesn't need to get that cold this early.

I've had a weekend of Dovato & so far everything's fine.  I began some end of the year yard work this weekend.  There's more to be done.  It'll get there as I can.   

This is another article over the efficacy of Dovato.  This piece focused on how the med impacted the HIV reservoir in the body.  It found the 2 drug Dovato worked as well as the compared 3 drug regimen.  

That's all for take care.

Cya...

Cooler Weekend...

 

It got cooler this weekend.  We dropped into the 50s for the overnight temps.  After this it should be back into seasonal temps for a while.  Leaves are falling &  days are getting shorter.  I have no use for this autumnal fanfare.  This show just leads down a dark road of shorter days, bitter cold & the holiday season.  None of which I need or want.   

I just wanted some lackadaisical, long days with bright skies, pleasant breezes & nice temps.  There've been precious few of those the last few years.  Just muggy darkness & blazing heat for most of the Summer.  The 2000's have definitely not been something to write home about.  I definitely wouldn't recommend them.  Horrible time, bad service, pricey everything & full of loud, angry idiots.  

There's just 2 weeks until the equinox.  Another bust Summer will be over.  Then onto another failure of a Fall.  Maybe it won't be a bust, but I'm not counting on it.  Maybe the Great Pumpkin will eat everyone, that'd be novel.

Take care.

Cya...

Made It To Saturday...

 

The 1st of the month stuff has been handled.  It was a busy week.  Things should calm down for a bit.  Most of the remaining bills are handled online until the gas bill shows later in the month.  Technically, that'll be October's bill, but it runs early.

I took the 1st dose of Dovato yesterday.  So long Triumeq & hello new med.  As long as it does the job, I should be on this for a while.  Maybe the next thing will a long acting med.  That could be interesting.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Dovato...

 

I'll take my Dovato for the 1st time today.  This is a link to Dovato's site.  I shouldn't have any problems with this medication.  Both meds in it are in Triumeq.   This is the same minus Abacavir.   Some people are hypersensitive to Abacavir.  According to research coming out for a bit now, it looks like this med can lead to heart issues in some people.  

Points for the new med.  It's much smaller.  Abacavir was the largest component of Triumeq.  The bottle itself is about an inch shorter.  I'm already on these meds.  The med has 5+ years on the market, so it's been around longer in research.  There are a lot of articles comparing efficacy of Dovato to other meds & found the medication to be non-inferior.  I hate that phrasing. Why not say, as good or performs the same?  

Another point here, if Abacavir is found to be too problematic, they will probably pull it & any meds containing it.   Triumeq could be on its last legs.  I was on it for 7+ years.  I only started Triumeq because the manufacturers stopped producing Didanosine.  That happened with Fortovase as well.  I had to stop taking Combivir because of AZT.  This is the 1st time I've opted to make a change.  It feels weird.  

Here's hoping for a good outcome with Dovato.  Take care.

Cya...

Yet Again...

 

Everything seemed normal when my telemedicine appointment began.  The nurse took my vitals & as we were preparing to go to the actual telemed part, it happened.  She asked me if I knew yet.   I didn't have any idea what she was talking about & thought that somehow my appointment had been cancelled.  

No, not cancelled, just a repeat of something that it seems I need to get used to.  The doctor I had been seeing just quit.  I have no idea why, but it must have been very recent, because his name was on everything that morning.  After the appointment, I checked, his name was gone.   My appointment was rather impromptu with a new doctor.   She could've been a resident or post residency.  For now, I will probably cycling through people until they hire a new full timer.  

My dentist did this to me.  My former telemedicine doctor did this.  My former primary care physician did this.  For a bit I saw a Nurse Practitioner at a walk in clinic.  I wasn't even an active patient when he left, but I still got a letter stating that by "this date" he would no longer be available.  That date was over a month after I received the notice.  A NP I was no longer seeing, was the only medical professional I've seen with enough courtesy & respect to be polite & informative.   That sucks.

I don't know what happened to my former telemed doctor.  I probably never will.  But there goes over a year of trying to get used to someone else.  I guess  professional rapport is just a thing of the past.

Anyway, I guess other than that chaos, the appointment went well.  I should be on a new med soon, Dovato.  I called my new primary & left a message about it.  I don't know if it's been received of not.   I go again in 6 months.

I don't appreciate surprises.

Cya...

Busy Wednesday...

 

On top of our normal midweek routine, it's the 1st month & I have an appointment.  This day is going to be rushed.  It's been that way all week already.  Tomorrow will rushed in the morning, because my roomie will have some early stuff to handle.  Then Friday will be shopping & whatever else didn't get handled earlier in the week. 

1st of the month time is always busy.  But this started on a Sunday, then there was a damn Monday holiday, then birthday stuff, then an appointment, then friend visits, etc... I'll be glad when this week is over.

BTW, the birthday meal went well.   It was all good, except for the margarita.  That shouldn't have even been called a margarita, it was awful.   But, the food was good.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

September Begins...

 

The month has actually started finally.  The 1st fell on a Sunday, then there was also Holiday Monday.  Nothing has had a chance until today.  This week will be a bit busy.

This morning, I confirmed my labs were in at the specialist's office.  Made sure of the date of my dental cleaning in October.  I'm pre-checked into my telemedicine appointment & have some points I need to update them on.  Pre-checks are sort of useless.  I always have to fill out the same things when I get there.

Later today, we'll hit the bank, mailbox & go grab something to eat.  Tomorrow, will be a few more errands, bills & trash day.  Somewhere in all of that I have my telemedicine appointment.  I think my roomie has something on Thursday.  Then Friday is back to shopping & we may handle the water bill if it's in by then.  If not, that'll be Monday.

That's about it for me.  Take care.

Cya...

1 Down...

 

The 1st of the month wasn't horrible, but could've been better.  I'm not just talking about the birthday thing.  The weather's in this place of cooling down slightly but cranking up the humidity.  And ragwood is raging.  This isn't exactly a pleasant experience.  

The 1st of the month stuff will start tomorrow.  We'll handle what we can & then go grab something out for my birthday meal.  I'll appreciate the different food, but I'm just so disassociated with my birthday.  Actually, it's not as bad as it used to be, but it's still a fairly uneasy truce.  It used to be utterly adversarial.   My take on most holidays has lessened some, but not the birthday thing.  

The sun's shining, maybe it'll burn off some of the humidity.  That's be nice.  Take care.

Cya...

Hello September & 58...

 

It's September & my birthday.  A day I've never been fond of.  At best it's blah, but it's often a beast of a day.  This may be the day I was born, but it was never my day.  If anything, this time of year at most tolerates me.   This month is the gateway to the dark of year.  So, it's no friend of mine.  No love lost either way.

I used to live for Summer, but with the way weather has gone, it's not really enjoyable at all.  June stays dark, muggy & wet until it burst to hellish, blazing heat.  There's no build up, no time to enjoy.  Just unpleasant BS year round.  Yet there's no climate change, hah!  The only people who believe that are either dumb as dirt or too worried what they'd did to cause it.  Either way for them, it's deny, deny, deny.

That's all.  Be nice September.  Birthday try to be decent & then go away.  Take care.

Cya...