Category: Health

Belfast, Blogging, Health, HIV, news, Northern Ireland life, politics, SDLP, Volunteering3 Comments

ending the stigma: guts needed to tackle it head on

Michael McFarland Campbell

cross-posted from positive hivblogger World AIDS Day 2010 It’s World AIDS Day 2010 today, another year has gone past, those of us living with HIV are still here – and still the stigma is being broken by some of us that are courageous enough to tell our friends, our family, and other people that we are here, living with HIV. “Coming Out” That’s right – telling others. So, today, I’m ‘coming out’ publicly on this blog as to I am. Complete with photo. Unsurprisingly given my job and other interests, I was at a political conference a few weeks ago. … Continue reading ending the stigma: guts needed to tackle it head on

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HIV, Support1 Comment

ending the stigma: guts needed to tackle it head on

hivblogger

World AIDS Day 2010 It’s World AIDS Day 2010 today, another year has gone past, those of us living with HIV are still here – and still the stigma is being broken by some of us that are courageous enough to tell our friends, our family, and other people that we are here, living with HIV. “Coming Out” That’s right – telling others. So, today, I’m ‘coming out’ publicly on this blog as to who I am. Complete with photo. Unsurprisingly given my job and other interests, I was at a political conference a few weeks ago. I was talking … Continue reading ending the stigma: guts needed to tackle it head on

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Blogging, Health, HIVLeave a comment

1, 2, 3, and an apology

hivblogger

Up to the Royal Victoria Hospital again this afternoon for my, now standard, weekly check up. First the results: Viral Load 5 October 2010 – 250 21 October 2010 – 1,100 11 November 2010 – 8300 CD4 count Don’t have dates but it is 110 and 6% – so that is all much of a muchness. What these results mean For those of you who have been reading this blog since the beginning, this will be obviously not the best thing at all. With the viral load rising, and me taking the anti-retrovirals it seems that some drug has failed. … Continue reading 1, 2, 3, and an apology

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Adherence, CD4 count, Drugs, HIVLeave a comment

1, 2, 3, and an apology

hivblogger

Up to the Royal Victoria Hospital again this afternoon for my, now standard, weekly check up. First the results: Viral Load 5 October 2010 – 250 21 October 2010 – 1,100 11 November 2010 – 8300 CD4 count Don’t have dates but it is 110 and 6% – so that is all much of a muchness. What these results mean For those of you who have been reading this blog since the beginning, this will be obviously not the best thing at all. With the viral load rising, and me taking the anti-retrovirals it seems that some drug has failed. … Continue reading 1, 2, 3, and an apology

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Health, HIV, Northern Ireland, politics, SDLP, Social DevelopmentLeave a comment

Belfast’s leading HIV charity supports Harrington Review findings

Michael McFarland Campbell

Wearing one of my many hats, I am a Trustee of Belfast’s local HIV charity, The HIV Support Centre. The Harrington Review into Work Capability Assessments that was published yesterday must be taken note of by Northern Ireland’s own Social Development Minister, Alex Attwood MLA. Below is the text of a post on The HIV Support Centre’s website. Continue reading “Belfast’s leading HIV charity supports Harrington Review findings”

Drugs, Health3 Comments

Frightened, but it came ok in the end

hivblogger

Last Friday night I was frightened, very frightened. I couldn’t stand light. It got so bad that I couldn’t even have the ‘light’ from the led on the BT Broadband home hub was too much when I was hiding under the duvet in the spare room of my friend Andrew with a very sore head. He was very worried about me – and after another fainting in his front room, which had been preceded by me not being able to speak, which was quite awkward when I was attempting to make a ‘honey drink’ (and had fainted – and Andrew … Continue reading Frightened, but it came ok in the end

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Education, Health, LGBT, mental health1 Comment

an old pupil writes, on behalf of the pupils of today

Michael McFarland Campbell

It is the start of Anti Bullying week, and I have taken 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. Dear Headmaster, I write to enquire what measures are being put into place in Ballymena Academy to prevent bullying, particularly the bullying of pupils and staff because of their actual or perceived sexuality. As a concerned Old Pupil, I feel that it is part of my responsibility to the pupils of today to be concerned for their welfare – even if when I … Continue reading an old pupil writes, on behalf of the pupils of today

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Adherence, CD4 count, Drugs, HIV, PVL-MRSA, SupportLeave a comment

Another week, more treatment, lots of support

hivblogger

It’s another week, and I’ve not had anything put up on this blog for ages, but it’s not because nothing has been happening – quite the opposite in fact. Life has been moving on. I have been working away and getting on with various things. However, last weekend I felt a bump on the back of my neck, and on Thursday I fought through the rain, gale force winds and awful traffic to make it up to the Gay Men’s clinic at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. I thought it was probably a recurrence of the now dreaded PVL-MRSA … Continue reading Another week, more treatment, lots of support

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smiling and whistling under all difficulties

hivblogger

As you know, last week I was called up to the Royal Victoria Hospital for an appointment. There was something more virulent about the MRSA that had caused my abscesses earlier in the year. The results show that what I had was PVL-MRSA. Or to spell it out… Panton-Valentine Leukocidin, MRSA. This is particularly nasty. And has meant that I have had particularly nasty abscesses that have had to be drained in emergency surgery, both times. The particularly nasty side effect that has come up now is that since we are trying to prevent me getting this form bacteria again, … Continue reading smiling and whistling under all difficulties

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MRSA yes, but a more virulent strain

hivblogger

This morning, I received a telephone call from one of the doctors at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital where I received the treatment for living with HIV. After getting the abscesses removed, a sample had been sent off for further testing. Apparently one of the reasons that I have had these attacks more often than most is that the particular strain of MRSA that I have is more virulent than usual. Further update tomorrow after my the appointment that was made today. Continue reading MRSA yes, but a more virulent strain

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