Goodbye February...

 

This is the last day of the month.  February is typically the roughest month for me in the year.  This year was no different.  It was cold, dark & wet.  The best thing this month ever does for me, is end.

Today's supposed to be this big boycott of major retailers & fast food places.  While I appreciate the effort, it won't solve anything.  It probably won't even dent these companies.  They can absorb a bad day.  They'll rack the lose up for taxes or funnel it into price increases.  Actions like this only work if they're well supported & permanent.   A lot of don't have a choice but to shop at some of these places.  They're the only options. 

The 1st of the month will be busy for us.  We'll have bills, shopping, errands & appointments.   It'd be nice if the weather stayed nice.   That's it for now.  

Take care.

Cya...

Important To Me...

 

I had a favorite hard candy.  I liked them & they were an alternative to cough drops for a scratchy throat.  They were the cinnamon discs from Walmart.  For a while, I just couldn't find them anywhere.  Then they were back, but they weren't.

I opened a new bag last night & tried them.  They were not the same.  Walmart either reformulated them or got a new supplier.  They're horrible.  They have no cinnamon in them.  They don't taste like cinnamon.  They taste like a weird cross of mostly cloves & a little anise.  They have a fairly bad after taste. 

I noticed right off the wrapper was different.  At 1st these things taste like nothing & then the ick hits.  I looked up the reviews on Walmart's site & nearly every recent rating tanks these things.  They won't be gotten again.  

This isn't the 1st time Walmart's reformulated things we've liked & then had to let go of.  Everytime this store changes something, it's for the worse.  It was nice while it lasted.

Cya...

Short Month Winding...

 

Not much going on this morning.  It's fairly bright & going to be warmer again.  There isn't much left in the month.   It's briefness will crunch the 1st of the month stuff a bit.   Next will be bills & appointments. 

The only thing going on today is taking out trash & checking the mail.  Hopefully this will be an easy week.  We need it.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Surfacing...

 

We had a decent outing yesterday, most of my labs are in & it's been more springish.  I've felt fairly good during the last couple of days.  But once the sun went down, I didn't.   I've been fairly nervous & rattled.  

This has been a rough season.  I haven't handled the dark, cold & wet well.  For the last few years, my major SAD issues haven't begun until late February to early March.  

Everything started earlier this time & it's been hard.  I don't think I was registering how severe this had been until we had a few days of light.  I started to relax some & the mess of seasonal anxiety rose up.  This entire Winter has been fraught to nerve wracking.  Suddenly, not having to hold it together so much, things are rising up & slipping.

Hopefully with more light & warmth this will pass sooner than later.  I need to be past this.  Life's rough enough without all this seasonal baggage.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Mostly In...

 

This is February's last Monday.  My labs are mostly in & as expected.  Hopefully, the rest of the month is non-eventful. 

My telemed appointment is the on the 5th.  The following weekend brings the time change.  The equinox is on the 20th.   It's time for Winter to go away.

It's a shopping day & my meds should be in.  We might do a run out to eat.   Other than that, it should be a nothing day.

Take care.

Cya...

Opt...

 

This piece is about a plan Memphis area emergency rooms want to implement.   In most ER's, if STI & HIV tests are done, they're Opt-In.  Many refuse the tests due to stigma, cost, ignorance, etc...  These ER's are wanting to go from Opt-In to Opt-Out.  This would make the test standard care & patients would have to choose not to allow them. 

These ER's want this due to surges in HIV rates.  This would inform patients of their status.  While this is about Tennessee, I've read other pieces noting this approach.  

Opting in for some people is knee jerk.  Opting out will be an actual decision they'll have to make. Being unknowingly HIV+ is a potential community health hazard.  No one should be allowed to endanger others just because they don't want to know.

That's all for today.   Take care.

Cya...

Steps...

 

Things are moving forward for now.  My labs were drawn yesterday.  Over half of the results are back as expected.  I'm still waiting on the actual HIV related tests.  

I called the pharmacy & they said they could handle my Dovato again.  They'll need to have the script transferred back to them.  I'll call later & see if that went through.  If so, I should pick that up on Monday.

It is supposed to get into the 50s today.  That'll feel so much warmer.  15 days until the time change happens.  

Things are looking a little better for the moment.  I'm sure something else challenging will pop up soon.  But, for now, maybe I can be a little bit more at ease.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Movement...

 

There's some movement in things.  My lab orders came in late yesterday.  I'll get them handled this morning.  It's supposed to get over freezing today.  We'll need faucets dripping tonight.  After that, it should be above freezing.

I should find out which pharmacy I'll have to use tomorrow.   At least then I can place my order.  I need to get this handled. 

The cold, dark & heaters have been rough on me.  I need things to get warmer & brighter.  All of this is wearing me down. 

That's it for.  Take care.

Cya...

Still Waiting...

 

It's a waiting game for me.  I'm waiting to see when my lab orders will get in.   Then when will it warm up?  I'm having to wait until Saturday to find out if my regular pharmacy can fill my HIV meds or if I'm still with Walmart.

It's still frigid.  To make things worse there's talk trump plans on tariffs on pharmaceuticals.  I'm not sure how that will affect me.    This hasn't been a fun week.  I have no love for February.  This is my least favorite month of my most hated season.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Frigid Days...

 

The cold front moved in & won't leave soon.  Until Friday it'll be under freezing.  I'm supposed to be getting labs drawn for telemed, but that may take a bit.  I'm not sure when it'll happen.  Both my specialist's office & local outpatient center are closed due to the weather.  I'll have to wait until the lab orders get in & the outpatient is open. 

This cold is hard on me & won't warm up any until this weekend.   By Tuesday we could see a temp of 70° for a day.  Tonight's temps could drop to 8°, so that'll be 60°+ jump.   These huge temp swings are no fun at all.  As thankful as I will be for the warmth, can't we climb into gradually & not leap?

That's it for today.  We got a little snow & frozen rain, but nowhere near what was in the forecast.  At least there's that.  Take care.

Cya...

Cells With Direction....

 

This is going to be brief.   This article is about taking natural killer cells from the body's own immune system & refocusing them to attack HIV+ cells.  They believe that this enhancement could allow these cells to target hidden HIV reservoirs.  Between this & traditional treatments the HIV cells could be eradicated from the body.  

This is still research.  If proven, it could be very useful.  Give the article & the wiki a read.

It's supposed to get cold & wintery here.  It's anyone's guess as to how much of what we'll actually get.  Anyway, take care.

Cya...

Incoming Cold....

 

This won't be a fun week.  The temps are supposed to drop after today.  There will probably be some level of winterish weather tomorrow & we might see single digit temps Wednesday night into Thursday.  We won't start to warm any until Friday.  The taps will probably be dripping from tomorrow evening to Friday.  

During all of this, I'll need to get labs drawn for telemed in early March.   That won't be fun.  At least it should warm some after this week.

Take care.

Cya...

Ugly Intrusion...

 

A lot of the articles being posted are only indirectly about HIV.  They're centered on the orange stain, because trump always has to be the focus.  The remaining posts are fairly bland & a lot of rehash.  Everyone's in a wait & see situation.  They want to speak out out, but they also don't want to alienate.  

I don't know what will happen.  It's all too uncertain.  Hopefully it won't be too horrid.

Take care.

Cya...

Yet Again...

 

It's a dark & raining, so not a good morning.  This will be the last day reasonably warm weather for a bit.  The upcoming week is supposed to be frigid.  We might single digit temps, more rain & possibly more snow, none of which is wanted.

It's not been an easy morning.  The chilly, wet weather is rough on me.  My hands, skin & breathing are paying the price.  Again, with emphasis, Winter sucks.

That's about it for now, take care.

Cya...

Happy Valentines...

Well the candy & hearts day is here.  Hope it goes well for everyone.  We don't to do much today.  We'll go shopping, grab something to eat, check mail & that should be it.   I'm running a little late this morning, so this will be brief.  

Happy Valentines & remember tomorrow is cheap chocolate day.

Cya...

6 Years Out...

 

Mid morning February 13, 2019, my roomie took me to the emergency room.  They told me I was having a stroke.  I didn't have the common type of stroke due to a blockage.  I had a microvascular bleed.  I was life flighted to Tulsa & stayed for a couple of days.  

While that seems to have resolved itself, 2019 was not an easy on me.  Right before new years I was admitted due to the hospital for either pneumonia or COVID.  Testing wasn't available for COVID then, at least not in our area.  It didn't feel like pneumonia.  That & the COVID vaccines knocked me backed harder than just about anything.  I've never fully gotten over the vaccine & booster.

That's about it for now.  It got frigid & looks to stay that for a bit.   I hate Winter.

Take care.

Cya...

Condoms...

 

After a long period of focusing almost exclusively on PrEP, talk of condoms is on the rise.  This World Health Organization posted this piece.  This is a clearly written article on the usage & effectiveness of condoms.  They are more encompassing in protecting against STIs & pregnancy.  If used properly, their efficacy is 95%+.  Comparing the cost, availability & ease, they are the better option.  Condoms don't require a doctor, lab work or the intake of medicines.

The only things actually competing with condoms in HIV prevention are the long acting injection meds.  However, even they can fail, need medical assistance  & are very expensive.  These won't be an option for many people in the foreseeable future.

Even though some people do have latex allergies, that isn't the main reason for the lack of condom use.  The most reported grounds for not using a condom is the unwillingness of a partner.  Even if someone has an allergy, there are latex alternatives.  Yes they are more expensive, but less so than PrEP, pregnancy or dealing with STIs.

It was a good read & led to similar pieces.  Give it a read.  Pass it on to anyone ignorant about condoms.  This may be the WHO's pivot due to the orange stain of trump.

Take care.

Cya...

Wet Tuesday...

 

I think some groundhog jinxed us.  It could've been some fool who loves Winter.  We went from having a fairly balmy February to the typical Winter snit.  There are quite a few below freezings in the forecast, more rain & precious little sunlight.  This could change, but it probably won't.  February is the crappiest Winter month.

Nothing much going on here today other than trying to stay warm.  That's it for now.

Take care.

Cya...

Unwanted Weather...

 

Last week there were no below freezing temps in the forecast.  Now there are a lot.  It's dreary again this morning & will remain dark for most of the week, if not the month.  It's supposed to start raining this afternoon & pretty much keep going until Wednesday.   

A lot of the previous week had light & was a fairly warm.  Less than a week ago we hit 80, Wednesday night could be down to 20.   That's a 60° drop in just over a week.  I doubt I'll fare well.  It's going to be dark, wet & freezing.   I know the cold & seasonal stuff is needed, but for me, Winter just sucks.

It's a shopping day & that's about it for us.  Then  it's home to stay warm. 

Take care.

Cya...

Beyond Ignorant...

 

This UK article  shows that a lot of people are far past ignorant.  Some have embraced a stupidly dangerous level of stupidity.  The UK has seen over a 36% surge in HIV cases.   UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) & Newfoundland Diagnostics ran a poll & found some disturbing things among the men's answers.

• 73% have never tested for HIV
• 37% were having regular unprotected sex
• 34% believing they are unlikely to contract HIV 
• 25% claimed they couldn't contract HIV.
• 20% could not be bothered to test for HIV
• 15% had never had access to a HIV test 

These were some of the findings from their survey of over 2,500 men.  They found among heterosexual  men, few had adequate access to PrEP, education, awareness or any other resources concerning HIV.

Newfoundland Diagnostics is pushing for testing to become more common & at home testing to be readily available.  The firm believes due to the US's freeze on aid there could be a global rise in HIV & in turn could impact the levels in the UK.

This was a good read.  That's it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Not So Great...

 

I did not have a good yesterday.  I haven't really had any "good days" in quite a while.  Still, this Winter has made them worse.  The cold, dark of the season has gotten to worse this year.  It started early this round.  

Last year, I made it to March before things got rough.  This year it started during the holidays. It wasn't as cold, but wetter than the previous season.  Chilblains & SAD have been issues since December.  This is the 1st year I've gotten chilblains on my hands.  That sucks & take forever to heal.  You can forget them until something bumps them. 

It looks to be cloudy for most of the forecast & it's going to get cold again.  Not seriously frigid, but some nights under freezing.  I'm over the cold, dark & damp.

None of this is good for me.  Take care.

Cya...

Rough Friday Morning...

 

I need to get around, get cleaned up & go shopping.  None of that will be easy this morning.  There's been too many overcast, dark days in a row.  It doesn't look like they're going away soon.  It's knocking me down a lot.  My SAD is ramping & making me stupidly anxious about everything & nothing.  In case I haven't stated this in a while, I hate the dark of the year.  Winter sucks.  The thing about SAD is, even though you know that's what's going on, it's still going on & you still have to deal with it.

That's all for now.  It'd be nice if the sun shined.

Cya...

February Clouds...

 

Looks like this going to be a cloudy month.  Most of the forecast is calling for it to be overcast, cloudy or raining.  The temps will fall back down this upcoming week.  That's normal for this time of year, but after this warm week, it's going to seem really cold.

It wasn't a good sleep night.  It got way too warm for a Winter bed.  I was tossing covers & still woke up overheated & dehydrated.   I'm still feeling off from it.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Cloudy Midweek...

 

Even though it's been warmer, this hasn't been an easy week for me.  There has been so much tree cutting & trimming, allergens are creeping back up & there's been a lot of wind.  These things are killing my sinuses.  

It's been warm enough at night that I'm having to juggle cover levels.  I'm waking too warm & dehydrated.  It's tanking my blood pressure in the morning.  

Harder than that though is the lack of light.  My SAD issues can creep in quick these days.  It's been rough & the remainder of this week is supposed to be dreary.   

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Nuisance Morning...

 

It's cloudy & dark this morning.  It's very humid & there could be some rain.  The biggest problem is the noise this morning.  Some neighbor decided to idle their car forever.  Local utility people are doing tree trimming.   That's a lot of sawing, motor sounds, & beeping trucks.  The moist air with all the tree debris won't be easy on breathing.  

I know these things need to be done.  Still last week it was roofers & now it's tree people.   It'd be nice it everyone would leave my mornings alone & stop making so much noise.  Mornings are rough enough on me.  

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Going Up...

 

It was warm yesterday, 70s.  It was a little too warm to sleep the way my bed is currently made for Winter.  It could be near 80 today.  This week will continue to be unseasonably warm & then next it'll dive back into normal.  Some nights will be under freezing.  

I woke dehydrated & my blood pressure was low.  It'll even out as I get around & get hydrated.  But, next week is going to be even harder on me when we get cold again. 

It's 1st of the month time.  So, we have shopping, errands & bills this morning.  Other than that, it should be a normal Monday.

Take care.

Cya...

Groundhog Day...

 

It's bright this morning & it's supposed to get into the 70s today & possibly throughout the week.  The back to seasonal temps.  February can't be trusted, it's generally a rough month.   If you trust the groundhog's forecast, he saw his shadow.  That predicts more Winter.  I guess we'll see.

The 1st weekend of the month is winding down.  Tomorrow we'll get to the business of the month. Other than that, there isn't much planned for us.

Take care.

Cya...

Hello February...

 

It's the 1st of the month.  Monday will be the start of bill stuff for us.  The upcoming week is supposed to be weirdly warm.  Then it should drop back into more seasonal temps.  It's hard to tell with February.  It's usually our roughest Winter month. 

Not much is happening.  Hopefully this will be a quiet weekend.  No drama is needed.

Hello February, let's have a good month.

Cya...