Well where do I start? It is no secret that I have been going through one of the toughest times of my life. I thought I may not be able to go, but how can I cancel when they gave me a partial scholarship… and The Well Project, where I blog, I am on their CAB and their Global Ambassador, assisted me in every way to show my presence as a Latina activist / advocate there!! So I said "Maria, push through, truck it and be real with what you are feeling emotionally and mentally." It was not easy to go through severe depression. Being in that comfort zone or that dark hole at home and all of sudden...
MariaHIVMejia's blog
I have been going through one of the roughest times of my life and I wanted to show the world that it is ok to be a strong woman and ask for help at the same time. Being a part of the Greater Than AIDS campaign for HIV and IPV resurfaced many issues I had that I thought had healed...but the reality is that I was just glued together...I had not healed and now I am in intensive therapy for the first time in my life. I was in a very dark space...greater than any other pain I had felt before and I really wanted to end the pain and just be free. I am so happy my wife pushed for us to get help...
Cito buen amigo el Dr. Ben Young (oficial médico jefe IAPAC) "El Medicamento para el VIH previenen la enfermedades, la muerte y las nuevas infecciones. Entonces, ¿cómo hacer con su país el acceso y pautas de medicamentos para el VIH? ¿Y para las mujeres, los niños o las poblaciones clave? Averigüe en Policy Watch VIH de IAPAC." Mi afirmación: Voy a decirles algo. Me negué al medicamento durante 10 años! En el principio, ya que en 1991 tenía 18 años y querían que yo tomara AZT en dosis altas y querían que firmara un documento que decía que podría dañar mis órganos internos. Me mudé a Colombia...
I am quoting good friend Dr. Ben Young (Chief medical officer IAPAC) "HIV medications prevent disease, death and new infections. So how does your country do with access and guidelines to HIV medications? How about for women, children or key populations? Find out at IAPAC's HIV Policy Watch." My statement: I will tell you something. I refused meds for 10 years! In the beginning, because in 1991 I was 18 and they wanted me to take AZT in high dosages and they wanted me to sign a waiver that said it could damage my internal organs. I moved to Colombia that same year and we had nothing there until...
My spirit gets shaken when people write me and tell me they want to get famous for having HIV. This is not about fame or us!
It was a great honor to represent the state of Florida as a woman, a Latina and a Lesbian! It surprised me not to see more Latinas coming from Miami! I was the only one! It was like a Facebook reunion and I learned a lot from those that have been going to this for a long time...like my brother and friend from San Diego, Raul Robles. He has been involved for a very long time and he boosted me to go since my opening plenary in USCA. I was very proud to go and also represent The Well Project who brought three other A Girl Like Me bloggers and CAB members! My experience had mixed emotions! As with...
¡Sí! Triste pero cierto, esta es mi situación actual y esto me detuvo me en seco! Básicamente me estoy haciendo esto yo misma con exceso de trabajo y el estrés. Creo que en mi mente estoy tratando de recuperar tiempo perdido de cuando era una jovencita descarriada! Trato de compensar más del tiempo perdido en mi juventud…y me estoy matando a mí misma lentamente! Tomo mis medicinas diariamente y las infusiones de vitaminas constantemente, además de mis jugos de frutas y vegetales y comiendo sano y haciendo ejercicio…hago lo más que pueda para mantenerme sana y fuerte!! Soy indetectable y he...
Yes! Sad but true, this is my current situation and it stopped me dead in my tracks. Basically I overwork myself and stress about things I shouldn't be stressing about. I try to overcompensate from time lost in my youth…and I am killing myself slowly while doing it! I take my meds every day and vitamin infusions constantly, plus my juicing and eating and exercising as much as I can. I am undetectable and have been this way for almost 16 years! So why if my medicine is working and I do everything to have my CD4 cells go up and my percentage as well…am I with 289 T Cells??? Because of me! So...
Many that know me through social media know that I guide and try to answer all the questions that come to me…I get thousands a month and with all the travel and work I do I can’t keep up sometimes!! Like today, I am writing this blog while I am on a plane to Seattle for the very important CROI conference. I get this question a lot!!! "I slept with a whore. Does this mean I have HIV?" I correct them and try to educate them but sometimes it doesn't process. I think to myself, could it be that they disassociate HIV from me? Don't they realize that I hurt and feel like any other human being? I...
Well, where do I start? First of all, I am super proud in the wonderful opportunity I was given to be The Well Project's Global Ambassador. I continue to be on their CAB and of course my first love...blogging :) They really look out for us bloggers and make sure that we are trained and educated so the information that we are putting out is accurate and we can share it with our community. I only knew that CROI was the most important scientific conference in the world for scientists, researchers and doctors. Including us (the community) was a very big deal, because this is not a social or...