HAND — What is it? And why should you care? Well, it effects over 50% of our population (HIV+ peeps). It stands for HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder. Sounds rather daunting doesn't it?
sologirl's blog
I come here when things are rough. When my head is so full I have to put it on paper. I can't say that I put it all here.
Hi all, as an aging member of our community I have seen and dealt with a lot of issues. Yesterday during a group conference call regarding health and aging with HIV, I learned that a drug I took for my HIV back 20 years ago was the probable cause for my bout with Dementia. While I understand that the drug manufacturers are pushing these drugs out with FDA clinical trials that don't run for many years, and I am grateful for drugs that have kept me alive, it's not the whole picture. My quality of life is. I am angry and sad that when they discovered this drug causes side effects that damaged my...
Hi ladies, it's been a long while since I've checked in or written on my blog. Life's been busy, a lot of things have changed for me. Things I thought I would never see. I was 18 when I was diagnosed with HIV, that was 1989. At that time there was no hope of survival past six months, so all my plans and dreams were destroyed. I can say now that that was a traumatic experience for me, although I was used to being let down and forgotten. At the time I showed no fear in the face of HIV. That's what my life had taught me. Show no fear and stare them right back in the face or else they'll squash...
I can remember back when I was a child and things were difficult. All the lessons life had to teach me, the hardships, the abuse, homelessness, drugs, rape. I struggled and fought to survive, thru the darkness, only to make it to 18 and find something had hidden itself deep in my body and hung on for the ride. Being diagnosed with HIV at 18 was difficult to hear. Being told I had 6 months to live was the icing on the cake. What does a person do with that kind of information? I will tell you what went thru my head and my heart. Fear, disbelief, anger. Feeling as if now I’m on limited time to do...
Recently I saw on the news a wonderful story of a family here in CO that had adopted several HIV+ children from Uganda and other countries. They had educated themselves about the illness and adopted these kids one after another and now have quite the brood of children. Apparently they depend greatly on their faith as well. That's where the wonderful ended for me. I have had HIV for 26 years and had made the decision for myself when I was 18 to keep my diagnosis to myself based on the kind of stigma and rejection I faced when I was diagnosed, from friends, family and "medical professionals"...
Who will teach the nursing home staff that HIV infected elders are not terrible dirty people? Who will teach them, educate them and instill some compassion and kindness into them? How will we be treated as elders in our twilight years? It's coming, for so many of us who were told we had 6 months to live. Now it's 25 years later and I am left to wonder, ponder and worry about the people who will tend to our needs as we start losing the ability to tend to them ourselves. I already lost the opportunity to attend college and get a degree because my college fund was squandered away by its financial...
Recently in the last few months I have been visiting with medical professionals more than usual. In March I went in for serious pain to the OBGYN. I was supposed to have surgery last September, but it got postponed for several reasons. I muddled thru the winter with ovarian and uterine pain hoping it would just go away.... In March I visited with the covering OB. He examined me, chatted with me, said we needed to do the surgery ASAP, and then left the room to check his schedule. He came back a few moments later and said he could operate in two days, there was a cancellation in his schedule...
Being HIV+ is one thing, doing it as a single hetero female is quite another. I find myself alone, wondering if I will ever find that compatible, understanding human being who is either a saint or also HIV+ and alone. It's not to say though, that I haven't searched. There are websites out there dedicated to us. I can say from experience it's still a lonely endeavor. I find that these sites are mostly catering to gay men, which is great for them. It is a gay men-dominated disease. In the beginning of my diagnosis I was the only woman at the "social gatherings" and now...it's still pretty much...
I am invisible, yet you see me everywhere I am grief and despair I feed off ignorance and fear. I am caution thrown to the wind I have a beginning with no end. I am anger, I am shame I've spent fortunes I've destroyed fame. I like the old I like the young Even unborn babies My work is never done. I've been uptown I've been downtown I am your brother, sister Co-worker and friend They did not ask for me, I let myself in. I'm in your office In every school The local clinic, That seedy bar playing pool I make new friends every minute. They can't wipe me out This is war. I don't care to whom you...