Goodbye July...

 

This is the last day of July.  The month started off alright.  It wasn't that Summery.  It was overcast, damp & fairly mild temps.  Then the tail end got here.  It stayed hazy, while the humidity & temps cranked up.  I haven't handled this part of the month.  I'm not sleeping well & it's leading me to feel off, sick & anxious.  

Tomorrow starts August.   I have expectations for that month & they're all bad.  I think this is going to be a bad month.  It feels like a lot is coming my way & I probably won't be able to handle it.  I think this is going to be a month of loss.   It's the last month of my birth year.  It's the last month I'll be in my 50s.  

I really needed a good Summer.  Just another thing on the list I never got.  I don't need to see September.  I don't need more trips around the circle.  I would gladly just step off the ride.  I'm tired of feeling like this.  I hate knowing my life peaked decades ago & it wasn't that great.  I broke the GenX rule.  I should've died young.  I wouldn't have had to see what a disaster I became.

Goodbye July, you failed at being a good Summer month.

Cya...

Ugh, Failed Rain...

 

It got hot yesterday, about a 100°.  Then the temps dropped & we got a decent little dump of rain.  It dropped the temp down to the low 80s.  Then the rain stopped & the humidity ramped up.  That was actually worse than when it was 20° hotter.  I'll be glad when this heat dome moves on.  It's been a hazy, humid hell. 

The AC might not be on as early today.  We'll see.  Take care.

Cya... 

Not Quite As, Still...

 

Still no luck for articles.  It's not supposed to get as hot today, but it's already warming up.  The AC will be on as early.  Maybe it'll go off earlier & start later tomorrow.  I'm over this swelter.  After a while, it starts trying to turn you into jerky.

That's all for now.  We've have a few errands today.  Take care.

Cya...

Hot & Loud...

 

It's hard to do anything, but feel lousy right now.  It's been hot, humid & hazy.  By the time the haze is gone, the heat has ramped up.  As it cools down, the humidity climbs.  Last night was hot & this morning was muggy & loud.  The electric company is trimming trees.  Tree work on the hottest days is a bit barbaric.  I feel sorry for those people doing all that in this heat.

I only saw articles I had covered before.  None were from a new perspective.   This is it for now.  Take care.

Cya... 

Trampled...

 

My nerves are colliding with the heat, iffy sleep & life in general.   It's leaving me on edge.  I feel rattled & off about everything.  Every little thing is poking at me & testing what little nerve I have left.  To make things worse, I'm feeling worn out.  I wake up, get around & I'm already spent.  I need a breather just to get ready to shower.  Shopping isn't going to be fun today.  

The next couple of days are supposed to be +100°.  We didn't need to hit the century mark this year, but we've been here for a bit.  Hopefully, they stay in July.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Looming...

 

It hate the end of Summer.  Especially when it's been such a letdown of a season.  It's been summery hot & humid, but the light's been limited.  It's like dealing with SAD in a steambath.  Now July's ending & August is the only buffer I had before Sucktember.  

I never do well during that well during September.  My birth month is usually fairly awful for me.  It's not the actual birthday, it's the damned month & the fact it brings the end of Summer.  Screw Fall.

I've been worried about August for sometime.  Then September is always a crapfest for me.  I can't even find anything I'd like to do for my birthday.  I just can't shake the feeling something's about to hit the fan. 

Yesterday my roomie got news that would've been good months ago.  But now, it's landing in September.  The next couple of months are going to be hard on me.  I'm so damned tired of hard things.  All I want for my birthday is not to see it.  I really don't see anything left for me besides stress, fear & other crap happening to make my life harder.

2026 has sucked.  I don't see that changing.  Oh well, who cares what I think?

Cya...

July Lasts...

 

The last days of July are here, no more Saturdays.  This Summer is going too quickly.  Other than being hot, it hardly counts as a Summer.  It's been hazy, dark or rainy so much of the season.  This fall isn't going to be fun.   Then again, these days what is?

There's so much I'm anxious about & nothing I'm looking forward to.  I'm not seeing much in upcoming movies.  Most of the things to-do aren't that great or are expensive & still not that good.  Fun seems to be going extinct, at least for me.  It's really tiring.

That's all for now, take care.  

Cya...

More Options...

 

Merck has announced trials for a monthly, oral PrEP medication.  This piece offers information about  Alimatravir.  This is the only data I can find on this drug.  It's a good piece & a monthly pill could offer options that other forms of prevention can't.  It may not be twice yearly, but it's also not an injection.  For some, that will be a significant factor.

It's dark today & not supposed to get much warmer.  It's also not supposed to get much cooler.  Tonight could be hard sleeping weather.  The last week of July looks to be hot.

I'm trying not to, but I'm already getting anxious about Fall.  Summer has been a bust again & I haven't handled the last 2 falls well.  I doubt I will this time.   I really don't need to see Sucktember.  I don't need all of it's hell drama.  I guess SAD is just a year round thing for me now, like allergies.  

That's all for now.

Cya...

Slept Better...

 

Short post.  I didn't find any articles & we have someone coming.  It was cooler last night, so I managed to sleep a little better.  It was needed.  That's about it for now.

Take care.

Cya...

Research & Heat...

 

There wasn't much for articles, but I found these, A & B.  The prior piece details Gilead's currently ongoing research over prevention & cures.  Both pieces discuss research from Gilead & Merck concerning a weekly pill for HIV treatment.  Neither are long, but contain updates on the process.

Yesterday was hot again.  I didn't fair well.  It's not supposed to be as hot today.  The days are hard, but it's the hot nights that are doing me in.  

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Culture War...

 

tRump's maga has declared a culture war on anything they see as DEI.  They will use it justify harming anyone or anything.  Unfortunately that included the war on HIV.   These cuts aren't just to PEPFAR & other overseas projects.  They include domestic programs for awareness, testing, treatment & prevention.   

maga's actions could very well lead to a reality where HIV is as dangerous as it was decades ago.   These people's actions aren't out of some profound need to protect themselves from some imaginary boogeyman.  These directives are meant cause harm, mayhem, degradation & even death.  maga is vile.

My hope is that every single person who supported this movement gets this illness & has no means of dealing with it.  Let them & theirs know the horrors of what unmitigated HIV can be.  They deserve it.

That's all for now.  Take care.

Cya...

LAI Roadmap...

 

This piece is a statement from a senior VP from ViiV Healthcare.  It's a plan to embrace decades of research, development & patient input to develop the future of HIV/AIDS treatment with the endgame of ending the virus.

The focus is on long acting injectables (LAI).  Some for prevention, others for treatment.  They could come in varying injection intervals.  This isn't a cure, it's a siege war against HIV.  If the virus can't spread & is contained in those currently HIV+, it will either die out with those patients or be handled if a cure ever is developed.

Like all things with HIV, this is now & will continue to be in development, striving to be the best approach possible.  Again, this isn't a cure, but it's a solid step to ending HIV.

Give this a read.  Take care.

Cya...

Rougher...

 

Yesterday was rougher than expected.  I didn't expect an easy day after handling some yard stuff in the morning.  But it turned out to be harder than I thought.  I never do well after yard work of any kind, but spraying is the usually the worst of it for me.  It got hotter & a lot more humid than it was supposed.  All of that drained me & kept me in the bathroom a lot.  I won't be doing much today except trying to stay cooler.

That's about it for now, take care.

Cya...

1 Thing...

 

I haven't been feeling that great for the last couple of days.  It's mostly been allergies, stomach & bathroom stuff.   Sometimes being in a car for a while can set me system off & I'll be in the bathroom all day.  Add to that all the burning, roadwork & humidity & my stomach was sort of doomed.  

Yesterday was big shopping for the week.  It's always a little more tiring.  We ate at place we hadn't in a while.  It'd changed hands & wasn't as good.  It'll get another try & that may be it.  It's too pricey to be meh to yick. 

Later everyone got mowed, including us.  The yard needed it, but it didn't help me out any.  I felt off for the rest of the night.

Edges of the yard needed sprayed.  It's about to get seriously hot.  I got myself to handle it this morning.  It is probably the only thing I'm doing today.  It may be the 1 thing I do all weekend.  It knocked me down pretty hard.

That's all for, take care.  I hate grass.

Cya...

Not As Planned...

 

Things didn't go as they were hoped for yesterday.  My roomie will need to handle more with her current medical situation.  Between that & a dental appointment, things are going to be busier than normal for the next several weeks.  It seems we seldom get our preferences an more.

We'll go shopping in a bit & handle a couple of errands.  After that, we should be done for the day.  It's supposed to get hot this weekend.   It is July.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

A Little Rush...

 

In a bit of a hurry this morning.  We have to be out of here soon.  My roomie has an appointment.  Not a problem, but I had some stuff to handle & of course other things had to try to pile on.  Other stuff is just going to have to wait a bit. 

There's been a reprieve from the heat, but not the humidity.  By Saturday, the Summer temps will return.  It'd be nice to ditch the humidity, but that probably won't happen.

That's it for, take care.

Cya...

Decent Day Anxiety...

 

I don't have that many "good" days.  I'm lucky to have decent, OK days.  I don't like talking about them, especially while the day is still occurring.  They make me anxious.  I can't remember a day in the last year that was going alright that there was an almost immediate case of fuckery.  Not something me or my roomie caused, but something beyond our control that was screwed with us;  car issues, power outages, internet issues, seriously bad weather...

Yesterday was being an OK day until around 6 then the water pressure all but died.  Some fiber workers broke another water line again.  The water was luckily restored in a few hours, but it's taken a lot longer than before.  Then all the lines have to cleared of yick, off-colored water, including the ice maker.  Was it a big thing, no it didn't turn out to be this time.  Was it something we did or caused?  No, it was not.  Still, it caused stress, anxiety & trashed what had been an alright day.  

Bad days are bad days.  But it's gotten to the point where I'm almost afraid of having good days.  Too much is just waiting to happen.

Take care.

Cya...

A Little Late...

 

It's a little in the Summer to be talking about seasonal change, but here we are.  It took longer to get to the Summer heat this year.  It was about the same time as fireworks, mowing & the town burning debris.  All that has made it a rough shift into the season.  I never handle seasonal change well, especially when it's abrupt.  It always seems to be that way anymore.

Changes like this screw with me.  It makes me feel off, my stomach goes south, sinuses are shot, sleep isn't always great, etc... I eventually catch up, but it can take a bit.  Until then, it sort of sucks.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Well Sorta...

 

I thought I'd found an article.  It was comparing the efficacy of 2-drug vs 3-drug medications.  I was formally on a 3, Triumeq & now I'm on a 2, Dovato.  

The piece seemed like a decent post subject.  Too bad, it was only an abstract, less than half a page.  The very brief point seemed to be that it found no difference in the performance of either regimen.  If so, I'll opt for the fewest drugs in the pill.  That would seem to mean less chance for complications.

Abstracts are better than paywalls, but just barely.  That's it for this morning, take care.

Cya...

Not What They Used To Be...

 

This is the 3rd Summer in a row that's been a let down.   The dark of the year & my SAD dragged on into early June.  Only then did things brighten up & then it was blazing.   On the days it's not been hot & it's still been muggy to the point of being sweltering.  It's another hazy morning.  It shouldn't be AC hot today, but it's dreary & humid. 

My need for sun & seasonal lightness won't be met for another year.  I'll go into the dark of the year even more depleted than before.   There really is no point in any of this.

That's all my wallowing for now.

Cya...

1st Of The Season...

 

Yesterday started off OK.  We went shopping, checked mail & got something to eat.   Mid afternoon, my body decided it was a good time for some gastrointestinal distress.  My nose had been running all morning, then I got queasy, soon after it was a day of bathroom  trips & diarrhea.   What set things off? Who knows, it could have been my meds, HIV, heat, something else entirely.   I'm hoping that's run its course.

Yesterday was the 1st day of the AC for us.  It helped, especially with how my stomach was acting.  Having stomach issues during the Summer, is kind of torturous.   

Summer's here, so are it's issues & the AC.  Take care.

Cya...

About The Jab...

 

HIV/AIDS education is important.  Some people have the notion Gilead's Lenacapavir, the long lasting PReP option is a cure or a vaccine.  It's neither.  This medication can't cure an HIV+ person.  It can only prevent transmission of the virus.  What this drug could do if properly & widely administered is slowly starve out HIV in a type of siege war.  It would die with those currently infected with no other transmissions.

There's a lot of info regarding HIV, even more misinformation.  We have access to an abundance of resources to learn from.  That may not be the same everywhere in the world.  Education, awareness & prevention will always be as important as treatment.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Not Just The Meds...

 

With all the funding cuts being made to the fight against HIV, most people focus on the medications.  While the drugs are in some ways paramount, they're not the only thing getting cut.  There are all the peripheries as well; labs, case management, consultations, referrals & various support matters.

When these cuts happen, it impacts everything in the situation, not just the meds.  Including all the people working in these places livelihoods.  There are many services outside of the clinic also feeling these cuts such as housing, financial & food assistance programs.  Which are all being slashed.  

Still there is another thing, perhaps more damaging.  For many these cuts will lead to increased isolation.  For some, the only people interacting with them at all were workers who now have no funds to help.  Many of these workers themselves may now be in need of assistance after losing their employment with these programs.  

Yes, the meds are getting cut.  Services are being gutted.   For some, the isolation may be the worst of it.  For these people, it could mean suffering, starving & dying alone.  That's what the orange bastard's cuts are doing.

Cya...

Glitchy...

 

My computer glitched yesterday.  I'm not sure how bad this could be.  It could've been a  weird update or high humidity.  I hope this PC can last a couple more months.  It'd be easier to handle this then.  Some of my subscriptions would be up for renewal & since my roomie just changed systems last February, I'm out of slots.  I hate dealing with setting up new PCs.  Getting them to talk to everything else again can be such a pain.  

It's going to get pretty hot today & we have some errands.  We'll try to make sure they don't take too long.   That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

A Week In...

 

The week is winding down.   The local bills are handled, the rest is online.   It should be a nothing day.  Both of us could use that.  Things have been a little rough with the surge in heat, humidity & holiday smoke.  Maybe that will settle down some.

The internet went down again last night.  Optimum seriously sucks.  It's back on for now.  It'd be nice if they got their act together.  

That's about it for now, take care.

Cya...

Knowledge, Awareness & Preparation...

I won't preach on this matter.  I will say with the way things surrounding health are, especially HIV, it's time to start playing safer again.   Research tells us Gen Z is the least HIV/AIDS aware generation.  That wasn't by accident.  They wanted you numb to the idea, to think it was safe & that HIV was no longer a threat.  They sold you a rose garden & gave you a embering trash fire. 

No matter your age, race, sex, etc... the info is out there.  It's online, at some schools, at health departments & other agencies that may be near you.  Educate yourself.  

Too many people think prevention is only abstinence or PrEP.  Condoms are widely available, easy to use & much cheaper.   There are tons of videos on HIV, STI's & condoms.  There are even vids explaining how to use them properly.  

Next, get tested, tested & tested again.  HIV testing isn't a 1 & done thing.   Unless you're celibate, having no contact with needles or blood, there is a chance for HIV & other STI's.  Many people lie about having an STI & even more don't even know they're infected.  Get Tested!

Knowledge, caution, condoms, testing...   These might keep you HIV-.

Cya...

July Beginnings...

 

July's in full swing.  Most of the bills are paid & the water bill would've been if the city hall hadn't closed on Friday.  I get they wanted a 3 day weekend, but they should've posted about on the website or facebook.

The 4th is over & it rained last night.  It blew most the smoke away.  That was a change.  The smelly, haze from the fireworks normally lingers for hours.  There'll still be some people setting things off for a bit, but the lion's share of it should be over.

Later in the week is supposed to get hot.  I suppose we should count ourselves fortunate that it took this long to get here.  July has arrived.

Take care.

Cya...

The 4th - Sights, Sounds & Smells...

 

The 4th is here.   That means a lot of noise, lights & odorous smoke.  Some fireworks are pretty & fun to watch.  But weeks of preamble sort of cheapen the main event.  It's like a concert with a barely OK main band preceded by dozens of unknown openers.

We don't have anything planned.  I can look out & see some of the show if I want.  Eventually the smoke will be an issue.  I hope those celebrating have a good holiday.

That's all for now, take care.  Happy 4th.

Cya...

Getting Things Started...

 

We'll handle bank stuff, some bills, groceries & errands today.  With the holiday & the way the month fell, we'll need to do more today than normal.  Monday's mail is already late arriving.  With the Saturday holiday it may be really delayed.

As far as I know this stuff will be all we have to handle today.  That's be OK, it's getting hot.   We don't have any plans for the holidays, we haven't in years.  

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Pause Before...

 

It's a bit of a pause before the bills phase of the month starts.  We'll need to do more tomorrow, due to the 4th being this weekend.  Banks & things are supposed to be open Friday & Monday, but with this area, you never know for sure.  

This used to be a favorite holiday for me.  There was fireworks & often float trips, but for years I've drifted further & further from those days.  I feel little connection to any of the holidays these days.   Maybe, I'm just not on the list anymore. 

I hope it brings some joy to those revelling.  For me it's just another day with extra noise & smoke.  Maybe that's how it gets for a lot of people.  You're either on the bus drinking the Kool Aid or you aren't. 

Take care.

Cya...

July & Anal Cancer...

 

July is here, may it be a good month.  We need it.  It's at least sunny, so that's a start.  It's supposed to get hot.  

I found a good article today.   It concerns HIV, HPV & anal cancer.    While this cancer is still more prevalent in women, its numbers are high in men, especially those with HPV.  Men with HPV who engage sex with men are at a higher risk.  The chances grow if the person is HIV+.

The risk of anal cancer in HIV-positive men who have sex with men is now higher than the risk for cervical cancer was in women before the advent of Pap tests

Almost everyone who has ever had sex has been exposed to HPV, a large family of viruses that cause six types of cancer: anal cancer, cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, penis cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer. 

Most people have been exposed to HPV & HIV can greatly increase the chances of it developing into cancer.  There is a vaccine.  It can be given to children & up to the mid 40s.  I had already aged out by the time I heard about the vaccine or I would've got it.

HIV is hard enough.  HPV alone can be deadly.  Combine them & it could be a disaster.   If you can, get vaccinated.  They have anal pap tests like cervical paps.  It's up to you to educate yourself.  Most likely your care provider won't even think about this matter.  

Give this piece a read.  Hello July, be good.  Take care.

Cya...