What Are the Little Routines That Keep Me Going?Recently, I was confronted with a startling fact. During my annual physical, my doctor referred to me as 'someone in your age group.' It took me a moment to process...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
When Disclosure is a Lifelong Experience, What Do You Do?My viral load has been undetectable for 20 years. This has kept opportunistic infections at bay, leaving me to deal with other challenges to my health. Like the time I...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Being HIV+ is Not a Crime, and That's Why I'm Speaking Out!I learned that being HIV+ was a crime in 1989. It was during a training session for a demonstration I participated in to protest the lack of and high cost...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
How I Spent Two Months Being ImmobilizedThe combination of an undetectable HIV viral load and avoiding serious injury to my body over the years led me to a false sense of invulnerability. That illusion was shattered...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
From Kaposi Sarcoma to High Blood PressureIt started with a bruise on my thigh. I thought I had bumped into something, except it didn’t go away. I could run my finger over and feel the texture...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
My Life With HIV and the BlahsDespite the gratitude journal and the affirmations posted in my bathroom, I sometimes feel uninspired about life for lengthy periods. Long-term living with HIV can be very repetitive. The daily...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
My Anxiety was Killing Me, So I Took 3 Deep BreathsI knew something was wrong when I cried every time I put my shoes on in the morning. It wasn't my feet that were hurting; it was everything else. Anxiety...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
My Tips on Surviving the Holidays and Living With HIVIt doesn't take a lot for me to get excited about the holidays. I always love the feeling in the air with the festive decorations, delicious food, and holiday music...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
HIV and Happy: How I Found That Feeling AgainLong-term survival requires you to navigate the difficulties of the chronic condition landscape. The overwhelming circumstances of living with HIV can cast a shadow that is hard to pierce. One...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
HIV and the Holidays - What are you doing to get through them?It's the holiday season again, and I know it always causes stress in my life. I work in food retail, and the angry customers and long hours take a toll...Reactions0reactionsComments12 replies
Loneliness Is a Killer: Here's How I Address ItAfter the quarantine of the Covid pandemic, I wasn't surprised to learn that loneliness is a negative factor in treatment adherence. The International AIDS conference was held in person and...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
An HIV+ Gay Man's Thoughts for Gay Men's HIV Awareness DayMy identity as a gay man has always been intertwined with HIV. Before I came out, I sat in my parent’s living room watching news reports about GRID (Gay Related...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
How I Avoid HIV Burnout as a Long-Term SurvivorI recently found an article about HIV burnout at my doctor’s office. I only had time to read the first sentence before the nurse called out my name, and I...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
The Lessons Grief Taught MeRecently my time as a caregiver for our two dogs came to an end. After 2 years of midnight medicine doses and endless hours of helping them move around, we...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
How I Outlasted My DoctorEarlier this year my doctor said something that I hoped I would never hear. “I’ve decided to retire.” My reaction was immediate and intense. For 15 years we had been...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
