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I found out I was positive in 1991, so have always been on the very edge of a life-saving invention or breakthrough, if you prefer. I remember reading the Washington Blade each week and feeling helpless, afraid and let's face it next. Then the protease inhibitors were introduced starting with Inverase, which helped me go from 800,000 ppc HIV to 10,000 parts over a 3 month window. At that early time in my cycle of treatment I was ecstatic. Crixivan took my vl to undetectable over just the following month. My KS went into remission. You get the idea. The best news of all, my friends disappeared from the obit. pages of the Blade. "YEA!!!!". I've changed meds to keep up with the best possible treatment for myself and happily see that my buddies are doing most of the same. Now the "rescue drugs" have come my way with fantastic as well as inspirational results. Isentress and Prezista are my Doctors choice for my cocktail at this point. BTW, Sustiva never really did what others swear by, and that is to keep their T-cell count high. It took the 2 above mentioned drugs with old-school Norvir to accomplish that, for me. I realize we are all different from one another in our response to prescribed medicines, but I read in the above blog, the gentleman discovered he was HIV positive a year within my discovering the same news. I just wanted to contrast our lives living with AIDS, at least medicinally and hope maybe we can compare other things in our respective lives which could or may not be effected by being determined with as many other guys like us to survive normal long-lasting lives despite HIV.
lynn
It it not just the attitude about homosexuality, but also the stigma of having HIV. I hate being treated as a leper. If I had parkinsons, I wouldn't be treated that way. If I had MS, I wouldn't be treated that way. I have cancer and I am still treated as a leper because I also have HIV. None of these small town bible thumping doctors want to treat me and I even had 3 big city doctors make it clear, that I am a homosexual, else I would not have Aids. Well I am not. I have been happily married for 2 1/2 decades and got it from a blood transfusion. I know 3 gay people and they are very nice people. I hope no-one treats them like I am treated....EVER!
July 15, 2009