Category: Health

APNI, Belfast, DUP, HIV, news, Northern Ireland life, politics, poverty, SDLP, Sinn Féin, UUPLeave a comment

Is the Executive so tight that they cannot find £5000?

Michael McFarland Campbell

I was interested to notice that cancer patients in Northern Ireland are among those benefiting from a payment from the Northern Ireland Executive of a one-off winter fuel payment. Apparently this is because their immune systems are somewhat suppressed and they need to stay warm. £5000 is not much in the overall budget of the Northern Ireland Executive. At least you would not think that it is. Yet this relatively small amount of money is all that it would take to extend the payment of the winter fuel payment to one group of people who could really benefit from it. … Continue reading Is the Executive so tight that they cannot find £5000?

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HIV, news, News, Northern Ireland lifeLeave a comment

Crosspost: #HIV statistics pose more questions…

Michael McFarland Campbell

How many people are living with HIV in Northern Ireland? It seems that that question brings different answers from different organisations. The latest figures from the Public Health Agency stated There are now 474 people living with HIV infection in Northern Ireland. However, Rob Anderson, Chairman of The HIV Support Centre said: In Northern Ireland there are approximately 1000 people living with HIV in Northern Ireland however it is estimated that this could be as high as 1250. It would be interesting to know what the true figure is. With a little bit of curiosity I found the following information… … Continue reading Crosspost: #HIV statistics pose more questions…

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HIV1 Comment

Getting to Zero on World AIDS Day

Michael McFarland Campbell

I know that it is vital for everyone in Northern Ireland to be educated about HIV. It is a virus that affects us all here. With the figures released today by the Public Health Agency showing a 20% increase on diagnoses it is clear that the health minister and health department need to do more to ensure that we get to Zero New Diagnoses. Those of us who are living in Northern Ireland with HIV have a strong support from The HIV Support Centre. I can truly say that without the support that I have received there, I would not … Continue reading Getting to Zero on World AIDS Day

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Misinformation doesn’t help a migraine sufferer in his hours of need

Michael McFarland Campbell

It was bound to happen at some point. Usually I make sure that I have two sets of my medication for however long that I am away from home in my back bag just in case. One set in hand luggage and the other in the hold luggage. This didn’t happen this weekend. Somehow, I managed to leave it all behind. This means that I have missed two doses of my daily meds, but hopefully it won’t be too damaging to my health. However, yesterday afternoon I had an awful migraine. Little more than a year since I first knowingly … Continue reading Misinformation doesn’t help a migraine sufferer in his hours of need

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Blogging, Disability, HIV, LGBTLeave a comment

publicans should take care to provide auxiliary aids for the disabled

Michael McFarland Campbell

Sitting at the bar in a public house is a rare treat for me nowadays as it is not often that I get the chance to drink alcohol. In the past, I would have been out every night, but since spending most of my time with Andrew, this does not happen frequently. It is not that I don’t drink, simply that it is better if I do not do so as heavily as once I did. Last night, therefore, was most pleasant as I was sat in the Barley Mow public house in Bedford with a friend. All was well, after … Continue reading publicans should take care to provide auxiliary aids for the disabled

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Education, Health, LGBT, mental health6 Comments

the old school responds… and so do I…

Michael McFarland Campbell

Coat of Arms of Ballymena Academy

Apologies for the long posting – this is partially due to the response from the old school… but do read on…

Last year as part of Anti Bullying week, I took the opportunity to write to the headmaster of my old school, Ballymena Academy, to seek clarity on the school’s policy on bullying, particularly homophobic bullying.

I didn’t hear back from him, so in January I wrote again, but still heard nothing until this morning I got a response from him. It seems that the letter I wrote in November never arrived and that the letter that I wrote in January got lost in the depths of Royal Mail. However, the response is as follows:

22nd September, 2011

Dear Mr Campbell,

I am replying to your letter, received 21st September, 2011 but dated 13th January, 2011. There has not been any previous communication on this matter from you.

You raise several issus in your enquiry about the school’s measures to prevent homophobic bullying.

I will begin with pupils.

  • In the 21st Century, Ballymena Academy takes all forms of bullying seriously and seeks to ensure that all our pupils benefit from their education, enjoy the experience of their schooling and feel that the school does value them as individuals and treats them with respect. Continue reading “the old school responds… and so do I…”
Health, HIV1 Comment

Another policy, another delay: Poots does it again

Michael McFarland Campbell

Once again it seems that Northern Ireland is going to be left behind by a Minister who has delayed policies in the past in another department.  Today Edwin Poots MLA, our Health Minister informed the Health Committee in the Assembly that the lifetime ban on gay men donating blood was not going to be lifted, unlike what is happening in the rest of the United Kingdom. It is clear that the Minister is not really taking the same advice as his counterparts across the water. A number of organisations and political parties have been making comments. Are we expected to be self-sufficient … Continue reading Another policy, another delay: Poots does it again

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Blogging, CD4 count, health, HIV, News, Viral loadLeave a comment

results and more tests…

hivblogger

It’s only two weeks since I was up at the HIV clinic at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. That appointment was an emergency one due to the somewhat awful cough and chest infection from which I was suffering at the time. The news back then was that the results from May’s blood tests were very encouraging:

CD4 = 190 (9%)
VL = undetectable

Well, today I had the results of the tests on the blood taken two weeks ago. Whilst the CD4 count is down numerically to 140, the percentage is the same at 9%. This was not entirely unexpected as my body was fighting the chest infection at the time. Viral Load was once again undetectable.

My consultant, Dr Carol Emerson, reckoned that this was all down to a certain Andrew. Continue reading “results and more tests…”