We handled our Friday stuff then went for the last round of the shingles vaccine, Shingrix. They said there could be fluish like reactions. So far I'm doing alright.
There was a surprise this morning. I was waking up when there was a loud noise outside. Part of my neighbors tree had fallen. Between the wind, remaining ragweed & that; my sinuses are shot. I've been sneezy & congested this morning.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
This article states getting vaccinated for Zoster, shingles, can significantly lower risks of cardiovascular illnesses, like heart issues & strokes. The decrease ranged from the mid 20s to high 40s% less risk for these events in the vaccinated.
Shingles or zoster can be vaccinated against. There are different types depending on age & health status. I've had the 1 of 2 doses of the Shingrix vaccine. It was more suitable for my age & for people with immunity issues like HIV, cancer, TB, etc...
There has been more published on the benefits of vaccinating against shingles. Give this material a read & come to your own decisions. With my health, it only made sense. I'll finish the doses in mid November.
That's all for now, take care,
Cya...
It's going to be a busy week. Besides our normal errands & shopping, we'll have an outing tomorrow & an appointment on Thursday. The following Monday will be another out of town appointment. This is going to packed, add to that the car's acting up.
It was a brighter, but cooler morning. It could've been nice if every bit of racket hadn't happened. The street department was doing something loud for a while. Outdoor cats were fighting & buses ran. I needed a good morning, as if that was going to happen.
It's Fall, the light & weather are weird, ragweed is awful, we just got our 1st dose of the Shingles vaccine & there's a lot to do while the car is being a pain. I'm anxious & spent. It's trying everything I've got. The only way I ever get crap-free day is by doing nothing & not leaving the house. Even that screws up half the time.
Here's hoping for an easy week. If not, at least a salvageable & solvable week. If the car screws up, let them be able to find & fix it without breaking the bank. It'd be nice for things to work.
Cya...
I took the kitten to a new vet yesterday. I was ready to come home with an empty carrier. It didn't turn out that way. The vet examined him & gave him a shot for inflammation. The kitten had some sores in his mouth, but for now his teeth alright. He was prescribed something to coat the sores & an antibiotic. He isn't enjoying the meds, but they're here for probably a week. He seems a bit more alert & interactive. He mostly stayed out with us yesterday. This morning I saw him eating & drinking a bit. That's progress. Hopefully, it continues. Now we wait & see.
A bit on the new vet. I'm glad he got us in & someone could see the kitten. Still, I don't think he was a good for for us. I think his preference is dogs & larger animals. He wasn't a good stick for drawing blood for testing. It took him quite a bit to get a temperature reading & the kitten didn't appreciate the anal attention. He seemed very interested in hard selling RX flea meds. None of our cats have handled them well & they're expensive. The vet made it sound like the kitten was covered in fleas. I went over him when we got home & found less than a dozen on him. He hadn't been letting me go over since he's been sick. That many fleas isn't a mass infestation. Now, I see why our regular vet stays so busy.
This is the last day of Summer 2024. Tomorrow is the equinox & Fall begins. It hit 101 yesterday, the hottest day of the month. It could get close again today. Tomorrow could be nearly as warm. A pleasant Fall would be nice, not to hot or cold. Goodbye Summer.
This article is over a HIV vaccine approach. The current strategies aren't working. Researchers are trying a multi stage application. At 1st they wanted 7 injections, but that wouldn't be practical. They've came down to 2; a smaller 1st dose followed by the larger 2nd. It's like priming the well. They're still in research mode. It may be a long time before this comes to fruition, if ever. Still, it's development.
Take care & until next time, so long Summer.
Cya...
On top of normal Friday things, we have other errands. The 1st bill of next month has arrived & has to be paid. The gas company always wants their payment early. Its easier just to handle it when it gets here. I also need to get my last hepatitis shot. Past that, there's checking mail, shopping & getting lunch.
The hard part of today, is that I have to take the kitten into the vet. He, Machen, has been acting off for over a week. There's been a lot of stillness & sleeping. At 1st we thought it was the seasonal change & allergies. But, he hasn't eaten anything notable since Tuesday & doesn't seem to be drinking his water either. The litter box is pretty empty. He's moving his jaw weird, drooling, has so tiny blood specks on his fur & he stinks. He's mostly been retreating. If this isn't something easy like an infection or dental issue, this could be his last morning. I hope not.
I have to get moving. Take care.
Cya...
We'll go shopping in a bit. That part of our schedule is in tact. Any plans for Wednesday are going have to happen tomorrow or wait. There's supposed to be some serious snow. It might not show at all or it could be a blizzard. It's hard to tell around here. Either way, plans will have to be adjusted.
That's about all for now. The articles are still talking about the vaccine trial getting terminated. It's a hard blow, but should've been at least somewhat expected. It isn't the 1st vaccine trial to fail.
Take care.
Cya...
Janssen Pharmaceuticals ended a global trial after independent experts determined the vaccine was not effective. But there are other possibilities in the pipeline, scientists said.
The article goes into more detail of how the company better known as Johnson & Johnson to most, had to discontinue it's pursuit into the only HIV vaccine in advanced trials. This isn't good news, but it comes with the territory. It also isn't a complete loss. It likely garnered a lot of valuable information during the trial. That will push the pursuit forward for a vaccine.
So, maybe not today or even tomorrow, but someday is still a possibility. Even though this is science, things often don't go as planned. Failures pave the way forward. No one ever walked that didn't fall down in the beginning.
Cya...
There has been a ridiculous rumor since the before the arrival of the COVID vaccine. Some people have said the vaccine could cause HIV infections. This idiocy apparently never left. Many researchers have been falsely accused of reporting that if you have had your vaccines & booster, you should have "AIDS" test.
To start, no vaccine researcher has been proven to have said anything of the sort. 2nd, if someone refers to being tested for HIV as an "AIDS" test, they're ignorant & likely to be stirring the pot.
The COVID vaccines do not & can not cause HIV. Get your vaccines & get tested. But don't worry about getting HIV from anything other than exposure to the virus.
Cya...
2 days ago, I posted on a new form of genetic editing to white blood cells to fight HIV. Gene modification & CRISPR aren't new, but they're still novel. These researchers are touting an injection that would be the final treatment for the virus.
Since that, almost every article I've seen has been over this topic. Would this be great? That depends on a lot of things, like affordability & possible reactions. But more so, is that this is still not certain.
Research brings new ideas to the table fairly often. Many of them, if not most, don't pan out. They may add to the knowledge base, but they aren't the silver bullet people sought. Will this be? I don't know. I doubt anyone does at this time.
What I'm saying is, while this looks promising, it might not be. Don't pin your hopes of this, it could fail. This is just 1 basket & you don't have that many eggs to lose.
Cya...
For the good news, it's a bright morning. For that I'm thankful. I haven't been doing well with the gloom at all. The constant weather shifting was really knocking me around. It may not last, but for the now the sky is bright.
I saw pieces, none went that far, about how finances weren't the major issue in the search for an HIV vaccine. Most writers came to the conclusion, it was the complexity of the matter that was the primary issue. That's a mixed bag of info.
I need to get around so we can head out. Take care.
Cya...
I woke up feeling like crap, so this will be a short post. I did find this piece, it concerns COVID's interaction with some older HIV meds & the flu. Like many diagnosed when I was, my 1st meds were a cocktail of pills. Among those was a protease inhibitor. I was on a few back then, now I'm not on any. According to this article, these meds lessened COVID infections rates & severity.
The other point was that a combination of COVID & the flu was dangerous. These people had a higher chance of severe illness & death. So, get vaccinated against COVID & the flu. If not a combination case could be highly damaging or deadly.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
I qualify more as staggering forward than springing. The time change might have gone better if it hadn't been such a dreary morning. There's rain chances for today & tomorrow. The area needs the rain, but I need the light, at least it's warmer.
This piece briefly details the starting of Moderna's HIV vaccine trials. The piece isn't much, but probably all they could publish at this time. Now, it's a wait & see game. These participants are brave souls. There's no money that could've got me to be involved with this trial if I'd been HIV-.
That's all for now. I'm trying to fully wake up before we head out shopping. Take care.
Cya...
It's February & the month may start off with a Wintry storm. Have to wait & see how bad it'll be. Way to start February, already messing with us.
I found 2 pieces, the 1st article is about how distance & travel are detriments to HIV treatment. The piece focuses on the Southern US. The next article is about Moderna's HIV vaccine. The clinical trials have started in the US. Now we wait & see.
OK February, we don't need an Winter hell, so send it somewhere else. Take care.
Cya...
This article deals with mRNA vaccines & a little of how they work. These are some of the vaccines being used to treat COVID. The technology is decades old & began as research for fighting cancer.
At this point, it's being tailored to better suit changing variants of COVID. The company Moderna & others are looking forward & continuing research into vaccines against cancer. The research is also moving into treatments for HIV & autoimmune disorders.
This may not work. But it's a step forward & more information in the fight against HIV & possibly other illnesses. That's all for now. Take care.
Cya...
I have a few gripes. I found a few promising articles this morning. When I tried to look further, I got blocked. I didn't even see enough to tell if the article was worth trying to find elsewhere. I understand people need to be paid for their work. However, if most sites with HIV info have paywalls, who are they really reaching? Probably not the people who could benefit from the info.
Oklahomans are stupid & many deserve to die from COVID. During the 1st week of January we have about 24K active cases. Less than a month later due to stupidity & Omicron we have over 129K. That's more than a 100,000 case increase. There is no excuse. Our hospitals are glutted & there's no room for people who have actual emergencies; heart attacks, broken bones, strokes, etc... These people aren't just stupid, they're selfish asshats willing to endanger everyone. DIE SOON IDIOTS.
Finally, because of striking workers & supply chain issues, the stores are more bare now than ever. Basic things like regular crackers & cereals are gone. I support workers. But to strike during times like this isn't hurting the company. It only hurts the people who depend on those products. It also makes some of them anti-worker.
Fix your paywalls, get vaccinated & stock the shelves. That's all I'm asking. Doubt I'll see any of it happen. OK, gripes are over. Take care.
Cya...
The bad thing about research is it's ongoing, especially about newer topics. For over a year, researchers have vacillated on the subject of HIV & COVID, now add in vaccines & boosters. The material alters between how HIV impacts the severity & risk for COVID, with or without the vaccine/booster. It's confusing & a little annoying for someone who's read a lot of articles on the matter. For a novice, it must be boggling. I'll just go with the avoid it as much as possible & get the shots.
It's going to bright & warmer today. That's good. Take care.
Cya...
I'm feeling mostly better, but there were still moments yesterday. This booster was rougher than I'd hoped for, but that figures. Hot/cold switching & anxiousness seem to be the leftovers from this shot. Maybe that will fade soon. Then again, part of the anxiety is from the car issue. I wish we could've taken it in sooner. I guess this time of the year has the mechanics busy.
I didn't see any notable articles. It got cold here. The last couple of nights it dipped under freezing. Still not enough to shock all the plants into dormancy. I'm still seeing wasps in the sunny spots. Cold wasps are an issue, they fly cold-drunk. You're more apt to get stung because of an accidental fly by than intent.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
I felt better yesterday morning, but that changed as by the early afternoon. I didn't feel as bad as I had, but that booster wore me out. I was tired after shopping.
The unusual thing was the level of anxiousness I experienced from it. I was nervous, fractious & stressed most of the day. Anything worked my nerves & nearly sent me spinning. It didn't help that the young cat was being a shit & that we're going to have the car looked at.
I hope we can avoid any more major issues during the dark of the year. I'm already dealing with SAD & everything other thing is just another straw. So much for December not being stressful.
Cya...
I hope today goes better. Yesterday was not fun. The reactions to this booster haven't been easy. Other than nausea, it's been like having the flu. Pain, chills, & fever topped the list. I wasn't able to eat much & even drinking was an effort. There was this weird disjointedness to it as well. When I'd reach for something, I felt like I was either over or under shooting for what I wanted. My steering was loose & off.
I went to bed early & managed over 8 hours. I can only do that when I'm sick. I woke up sweaty & feverish. When I had to go to the bathroom, I smelled like a sick person. I hate the smell of being sick.
Here's hoping today goes better & these symptoms start to fade soon. I really don't want another sick day. This sucks
Cya...
It's the last Friday of November & it got chilly. I'm glad it's bright out & that it's supposed to warm up a bit. We have to go shopping, so this will be brief.
We plan on getting COVID booster the beginning of the month. Seems like a smart thing to do. There's a new variant popping up in Africa. Who knows how that'll affect things?
I didn't notice any newer articles. It may be the holiday stuff happening. Take care.
Cya...
