Tag: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Belfast, gay, Health, HIV, MRSA, news, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, PVL-MRSA3 Comments

my name is Andrew

Andrew McFarland Campbell

My name is Andrew, and I am living with HIV. You might think that I am HIV positive – I am not. I am living with HIV because my boyfriend*, Michael, the man I love,  is HIV positive. I am living with HIV because HIV has a direct impact on my life. I am also, to some extent, living with PVL-MRSA, because Michael has that too. Today Michael had an appointment at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, and his doctor took the opportunity to screen me for MRSA, because there was a chance that I was an asymptomatic carrier. It … Continue reading my name is Andrew

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Belfast, CD4 count, Drugs, Health, HIV, MRSA, news, News, PVL-MRSA, Viral load4 Comments

another day, the RVH again

Michael McFarland Campbell

This morning Andrew and I toddled up to Belfast‘s Royal Victoria Hospital once more, after last night’s abscess burst, and sat around whilst the normal business of the CUM glinic went on about us. Eventually, Dr Killian Quinn, called for me – and off I went. He didn’t take any swabs from the abscess which I had thought was the principal reason for attending the clinic. That is to ensure that it was just (the now normal) PVL-MRSA. However he did prescribe the usual special wash and Bactroban nasal spray – for the next five days. What fun! And of … Continue reading another day, the RVH again

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Health, MRSA, PVL-MRSA1 Comment

another day, another visit to the hospital…

Michael McFarland Campbell

Well it is another day, and another visit to the hospital is over. But having been sent home from A&E in the RVH with some Linezolid, whilst watching Juliet Bravo, at some point the abscess on my cheek burst – so in the morning, it’s off up to the GUM clinic to make sure that it is just PVL-MRSA that we think it is. A fun Christmas holiday…. Continue reading another day, another visit to the hospital…

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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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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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