Another week, more treatment, lots of support

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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another HIV scam

The HIV Support Centre‘s news page has the following story, thought others might want to hear about what scams are out there for people living with HIV. The Food Standards Agency warned against ‘Miracle Mineral Solution‘ claims that it cures cancer and HIV. On the Mirror‘s website Andrew Penman writes: The Miracle Mineral Solution cure that could make you very sick Meet Jim Humble, a “bishop” who reckons that he can cure the sick – by getting them to drink bleach. For around £10 you can buy a bottle of Miracle Mineral Solution online. According to Humble’s website, it has … Continue reading another HIV scam

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Translink needs to work on access for disabled on buses

Having been falling asleep on the number 4a bus on the way home from the appointments of the day, I was very much awake when the bus driver let one person off at our stop, but then proceeded to drive on without letting myself, and my two escorts off as well – indeed we were still on the stairs at the time. I shouted No. STOP Everyone looked a bit surprised on the bus. Stephen says that those on the top deck (where he still was) were asking Did the driver just drive off there? And with the answer in … Continue reading Translink needs to work on access for disabled on buses

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it wasn't like it is in the porn films…

It’s about twenty-four hours since I went into hospital as there was blood and pus oozing from an abscess, and the doctor on call told me to head for the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. So, BelDoc told me to go to Accident and Emergency, so a friend of my boyfriend came over from north Belfast to east Belfast to take us to west Belfast and the RVH, I suspect that we did make it into south Belfast at some point but I’m not quite sure of the constituency boundaries. Once there, I reported on my predicament: having attended the … Continue reading it wasn't like it is in the porn films…

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‘six hundred of the men who got sick and died were young and fellow Catholics’

I didn’t think that I would be posting quite as quickly after the last post – but reading what I have just read really makes me want to make sure others get to read what Fr Bernard Lynch said at a rally in London today. As someone living with HIV, Fr Lynch’s words somewhat grabbed hold of me. Fortunately, we can now live with HIV – it is no longer the death sentence it once was. Here is a wordle followed by the full text… Dear Holy Father, Welcome to the United Kingdom. I am one of your fellow priests … Continue reading ‘six hundred of the men who got sick and died were young and fellow Catholics’

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time to call a halt on the war on drugs

For many politicians there are many policies to which they refer as “Wars on X”. In recent years, most notably we have the “War on Terror”, and the “War on Drugs”. When the former was used by President George W. Bush,

to denote a global military, political, legal and ideological struggle against organizations designated as terrorist and regimes that were accused of having a connection to them or providing them with support or were perceived, or presented as posing a threat to the US and its allies in general. It was typically used with a particular focus on militant Islamists and al-Qaeda” militant Islamists and al-Qaeda.

(from War on Terror (my emphases in bold)) Continue reading “time to call a halt on the war on drugs”

February 24

Well it is nearly eleven months since I found out that I was living with HIV. Yesterday, I was up at the HIV clinic once more. Results CD4= 160%, 8% Viral Load = 60,000 On diagnosis, my CD4 count was 100, but my Viral Load was 29,000. Meds With the news that my viral load was more than double what it was when I was diaganosed – I rethought the issue of medication and was prescribed the same combination as the last lot I tried. That is, Viramune and Truvada. I took them last thing at night last night and … Continue reading February 24

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December 2

The Day after World Aids Day 2009

December 1st has come and gone again for the next year and still people don’t even know what the red ribbon is.

I was talking to a friend last night, he told me of his being the only person, at a meeting of over 20 attendees last night, who actually was wearing a red ribbon. He said that this was really because there was no where to buy a red ribbon. Continue reading “December 2”

2 people in NI diagnosed every week with HIV: what we must do to stop this…

In the City of Armagh today, the Spring Youth Project came together with The HIV Support Centre, Northern Ireland’s leading HIV/AIDS charity, and Armagh City and District Council to show what the 14-16 year olds had learnt in recent HIV awareness training. Continue reading 2 people in NI diagnosed every week with HIV: what we must do to stop this…

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October 21

Updates from the Clinic

Yesterday I made my monthly visit up to the HIV clinic.

Results

The results from the blood taken at the previous appointment were:
CD4 count 150 – 10%
Viral Load 9,600 Continue reading “October 21”