Yesterday I had my first doctor's appointment for my HIV care in a year. Between the pandemic, remote learning with my daughter, and moving from NYC to upstate, life has been hectic to say the least. Before this I had been going to the same clinic since my diagnosis six years ago. It was affiliated with the local hospital and overall was not the best. I went through three doctors in my first three years there, the last being my doctor up until recently. Most times I went there, the wait for my appointment would be an hour long or so (even when I was just going back for my results). The nurses were probably the friendliest ones there. I always felt like just another number. It's a teaching hospital so I would always see one of the students and they would proceed to ask me the same questions they asked every single time I went in. Going over my chart on the computer and asking me about my medication. Then they would leave, my doctor would come in and he would basically give me my viral load and cd4 from the previous blood work I had done, ask a few more questions, and if I didn't have anything else of concern, that would be the end of it. Then another nurse would take my blood and I'd be on my way.
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