HIV & Me
I have been poked a couple of times this last week - can you imagine that?
Well I say "poked" for (limited) comedic effect - I was nudged by a couple of people on my LJ friends list to pull my finger out and actually contribute something here rather than just take take take....
Being a natural giver, here goes....
Stephen Fry has just aired a two part documentary called HIV & Me that examined the changing attitude to the public face of HIV and AIDS. Where once this was a "sexy" disease that garnered high profile awareness campaigns, over the last ten years or so, since the advent of decent drug therapies (he argues) that it is now becoming a forgotten disease. The programme focused on many aspects of HIV - history, medical advances, personal stories and current attitudes. The story that hit me hardest was the story of a couple who both contracted HIV in the late 80's and subsequently became ill. One died, the other was given just a few months to live. At that time the "miracle" of combination therapy arrived and he responded well. Cut to today and he is a completely healthy, late middle aged man with a full life expectancy.
The cruel irony of the timing was hard to watch - it touched a raw nerve.
I have written about my beautiful man before here.
Although we lived through the early days of HIV and sadly I always expected to lose him and carry on through my life without him. It hurts that if he could have had just one more year, the drugs might have arrived and he may still have been here now.
Still driving me mad.
Still making me laugh.
Still making me cry.
Still making my stomach flip every time I looked at him
- and more importantly why should I be the only one to have to experience the indignity of turning 40!
I still miss him and its sad but in a way I think a part of me is stuck there at the time he left. They say life goes on and it does, but they also say life isn't fair and it isn't.
Love you Martin
xx
Well I say "poked" for (limited) comedic effect - I was nudged by a couple of people on my LJ friends list to pull my finger out and actually contribute something here rather than just take take take....
Being a natural giver, here goes....
Stephen Fry has just aired a two part documentary called HIV & Me that examined the changing attitude to the public face of HIV and AIDS. Where once this was a "sexy" disease that garnered high profile awareness campaigns, over the last ten years or so, since the advent of decent drug therapies (he argues) that it is now becoming a forgotten disease. The programme focused on many aspects of HIV - history, medical advances, personal stories and current attitudes. The story that hit me hardest was the story of a couple who both contracted HIV in the late 80's and subsequently became ill. One died, the other was given just a few months to live. At that time the "miracle" of combination therapy arrived and he responded well. Cut to today and he is a completely healthy, late middle aged man with a full life expectancy.
The cruel irony of the timing was hard to watch - it touched a raw nerve.
I have written about my beautiful man before here.
Although we lived through the early days of HIV and sadly I always expected to lose him and carry on through my life without him. It hurts that if he could have had just one more year, the drugs might have arrived and he may still have been here now.
Still driving me mad.
Still making me laugh.
Still making me cry.
Still making my stomach flip every time I looked at him
- and more importantly why should I be the only one to have to experience the indignity of turning 40!
I still miss him and its sad but in a way I think a part of me is stuck there at the time he left. They say life goes on and it does, but they also say life isn't fair and it isn't.
Love you Martin
xx