Appointment & Article...

This will be brief.  I have a follow-up appointment this morning with my doctor's nurse practitioner.   We'll see how  that goes.  I have an established appointment with my  doctor on the 20th.  

This piece details how people in New York have drastically reduced the time between diagnosis & treatment.  This will benefit the patients' health  & lower their risk of transmission.  It's a decent read.

Take care.

Cya..

Busy Day & A Reminder...

I post a lot about getting tested.  It's especially important to be tested often.  Early diagnosis has 2 primary benefits.   People are the most infectious in early or acute stages of the infection.   See this page at AIDS.Gov.   Earlier testing gives the person a better chance of preventing further transmission of the virus to others.  Also, the earlier a person starts treatment, the higher the success rate if they adhere to the regimen.  Just a reminder.

OK, this is a busy day. I have a errands in Fort Smith to handle.  So this will be short.   Until tomorrow.

Cya...

Sooner, Not Later...

In many parts of the world HIV treatment is often postponed until a person's CD4 level & viral loads hit certain points.   According to the study in this article & others going around, treatment should begin immediately after diagnosis.   

Its been accepted for a while, the earlier treatment begins, the better the regimen will work.   This treatment is as soon as possible, therefore improving all odds for a good regimen & management of the person's HIV.  

My treatment was very late in the game.  I've never had a CD4 count over 400 more than twice in a row.  Its just not going to happen.  I'm usually in the 300's, but my viral loads remain undetectable.  Its entirely likely that if I'd gotten  treatment earlier, I might not feel as crappy as I often do.   Maybe my hair, skin & teeth would've stayed in better condition. 

Its not an option for me, but it is for those just being diagnosed.  Hopefully, people will listen to this & there'll be enough funds to cover it.  Now, we just have to get people to test regularly.

Cya...

December 1st - World AIDS Day...

Today is World AIDS Day.  Since 1987, December 1st  has been designated as a day to promote HIV awareness.  You can find out more about it at http://www.worldaidsday.org/ .   There a lot of things on line promoting this event.

I've talked about this concept before, the point at which you start treatment as a + person.    This article goes on about the subject in more detail.  The gist of the matter is the sooner an infected person starts treatment, the better they can expect their recovery to go.  I was very late in treatment & I'm not at all near what a person treated earlier could've been healthwise.

Finally, this is December 1st.  Hello December.  November was fairly pleasant to us, please try to be the same.  This is the holiday season, we don't need anything else adding drama.  Thanks.  2014, you're on the downhill slide of your reign,  I hope your time ends pleasantly.  

Cya...

Should Do's...

According to this article, the World Health Organization (WHO), wants people around the world who are infected with HIV to receive earlier medical treatment.  The logic is sound.  The sooner they're given meds, the sooner they can start recovering, the less damage done to their bodies & the less chance of further spreading the virus.

Wait a minute.  There's just 1 problem.   The same problem I've been talking about since all this talk of an AIDS-Free generation began.  Who's going to pay for all of this?  Where's the $ coming from?   It isn't fair to expect the US or nations of similar finances to foot this bill.  Especially, when getting treatment in the US still isn't easy & sometimes is down right impossible.

They keep talking about treating HIV on a global level if money wasn't an issue.  That's stupid!  Of course it's an issue, money is always an issue.  Like Cyndi say, "Money changes everything."  How about we stop living in the land of should-be's & wouldn't-it-be-nice's & start looking at what we really have to work with,.  It may not be enough, but it's what we have.

Cya...

Optimum...

This article talks about the optimum time to start medical treatment after being diagnosed +.  The preferred time is within 4 months of diagnosis.  This time frame would limit the chance the patient  had of passing the virus on to others.  It would also better insure a stronger response for the immunity system.  

I know my diagnosis was quite late.  As I said before, I had been tested & nothing showed up for quite some time after my last sexual encounter, well over a year.  Considering there is a window in which HIV won't show on the tests available during the 90's, it's feasible that I could've been + for 2 - 3 years, perhaps even more.

The point here is that I may have infected someone else.  I used precautions, but seeing as that I'm +, it's obvious that they don't always work.  My viral load was well over 700,000 copies/ml.  I used to wonder why some people seemed to get better with the meds & I didn't.  

Mind you, I'm way better than I was in the early days, but I'm no where near normal.  There are people on these meds that lead fairly normal day-to-day lives, I don't.  My CD4 count has never been where the doctors have wanted it, even though my viral load is undetectable.  My immunity isn't as high as it should be. I tire quickly.  Diarrhea & gastrointestinal issues are near constants for me.  I tend to catch just about every little bug that goes by & I'm very sensitive to weather/atmospheric conditions.  

Maybe if I'd been diagnosed early & been on meds soon after, I might be in a better place healthwise.  As, I said, I'm much better off than I was in the beginning, when I mostly laid sleeping on the couch, feeling like I was freezing & unable to eat.  Add the sweats to that & it wasn't pleasant.  Hopefully, getting meds early will help other people live better lives.

Cya...

Left Alone...

Recently there have been reports of HIV transmission rates in Australia increasing.  Like many countries  they've been fighting the virus since the 1980's.  They thought they were getting a grip on transmission rates a decade ago & they had plateaued 5 years ago.  They were incorrect, the numbers of new cases has increased.  They're looking into earlier treatment options now.  

What I took away from this article, is that every weapon that can be used in the war on HIV is of vast importance & should all be used in concert.  From education, testing & treatment, no one is more valuable than the other.  Most of all, health professionals can't be allowed to become lax.  There has to be a constant push to be aware of HIV & how it's transmitted.  There has to be a nonstop drive for people to get tested frequently.  Then there is an utter necessity to treat these people as early as possible. 

Without any of those 3 things, this battle against AIDS will not go as we've hoped.  We will lose this war if we can't manage to provide education, testing & treatment.  I really don't understand why that is so hard to understand.  

Cya...

$$$...

Money, money, money

Must be funny

In a rich man's world...

Abba

This article & many others on the web are finally really starting to take on the subject of $ & HIV treatment. The new mode of fighting HIV, is that HIV treatment is in itself, HIV prevention.  They have a point, maybe not the whole point, but a point none the less.  But with their point, comes a sticking point or 2.

An AIDS-Free world via HIV treatment would more than double the number of people on HIV meds.  These meds are expensive.  So, this will also more than double the costs.

Add to that the political, cultural  & religious stigma & discrimination against people with HIV & now you're looking at one hell of a fight.  People are already touchy about their $, then you go & add in their ideology & you've got the fixings for a huge firebomb.

To do this treatment as prevention thing.  There are going to be serious hurdles to be cleared: people's ignorance, their hatred, their greed & much more.  I keep hearing the what-we-should-do's, how about some how-to-do-it's.  I'm not hearing a lot of those.  This all can't keep falling on a handful of wealthier nations to foot the bill.  That just won't fly.  So, how's it going to get done?

Cya..

Now, Not Later...

This article & many others on the web are prescribing immediate treatment of HIV.  This is contrary to older protocols that had doctors wait until patients' CD4's was under 350.  The hope here is that if we start treating these newly + people ASAP, then we might prevent them from exposing others else to the virus.  

I support this approach.  I know how difficult it will be for them to adjust to taking the meds but it's the better option.  Maybe if I'd been diagnosed earlier & treated sooner, my condition wouldn't have gotten as bad as it did.  Maybe my current health would be better.  I've been on the meds for over a decade.  While, I am doing reasonably well with the virus, I'm no where near feeling 100%.  There are days I'd be happy to feel 20%.

Prolonging the medical treatment will only result in more exposures & poorer health in those who will be eventually treated.  Perhaps those people diagnosed & treated early can carry on a somewhat normal & productive life.  Maybe they will only need assistance will medications & not have to go on disability.  Perhaps a trip to the grocery store won't tax them like me.  Some days just going to get groceries is incredibly exhausting.

Everyone screams about the $.  Who's going to pay for it?  The answer is simple.  Taking the drugs sooner or later, won't matter, we're all going to pay for HIV.  Like it or not, that's the simple reality of AIDS.  We will all be burdened by this disease in one manner or another.  The best we can do is to try to lighten the load as much as possible.

Cya...