Subscribe to this blog's feedNovember 7, 2008
This latest BLOG will be added to my reworked book as its ending.
It hit me like a ton of bricks this morning on November 6 just as I was slurping the last of my milk from my bowl of Cheerios ®, I’m turning FIFTY tomorrow! I almost choked on my mouthful of milk and then my eyes watered when so many memories hit simultaneously like cold water being thrown on me.
I never imagined that I’d see fifty back when I was in my deep and darkest depths of my PML/ AIDS/ HIV back in February 2000. Hell, I was surprised when I celebrated my forty-second birthday later that year.
I endured a difficult time over the past weekend thinking about my infamous anniversaries regarding HIV. On November 2, 1999, I was hospitalized and told I had full-blown AIDS and then on the third of November I might have PML. So, I think I was allowed feeling depressed and empty for those few days. And, like a trooper, I dusted myself off, wiped self-pity tears on my sleeve, took a deep breath and told myself to get over it. I have a future now and had nine more years of memories, both good and bad.
Honestly, I never expected to survive, never mind learn to overcome challenges and thrive. I was surprised even by my thought back when Sadie, my cocker spaniel, died on March 3, 2008 at fourteen years of age. I was sure she would have outlived me.
Sadie’s passing just really brought into focus all those that I had outlived over those nine years: Aunt Mary, my cousin Richard, a sister-in-law Leslie, a close family friend Ann, then her husband Jim, my step-mother Mary and other assorted family friends, young and old.
I hate when I think of the upcoming demise of my mother a father. It is a very real possibility now since June 2008 because my mom was diagnosed with inoperable kidney cancer and given one to five years. Then, my father has had maybe four episodes of congestive heart failure and the doctors say there is no more they can do. His lungs fill with fluid every few weeks it seems. He’s had angioplasty, catheters, open heart surgery over the last decade or so and now has a defibrillator. So, I get it. Wishing and praying; sometimes crying when I think about my impending loss.
The devastating thought that I will live a long life – alone. Well, lonely, because I have a big family. It isn’t the same for me when I look at my siblings with children or spouses and think how lucky they are that someone will be there when the do pass. Me? A sister, brother, niece or nephew just is not the same. I would hope I find my lover and we build OUR lives together. And when the time comes, we will have each other first and foremost.
On a better note, I am glad Obama won! Finally an intelligent, thoughtful and congenial man who has a chance to undo all the crap we had to endure the past eight years! It is a shame though that he has to fix this mess.
Well, I guess I will need to get a colonoscopy after tomorrow!
ron it was gods wish not to take you eventhough doctors gave up on you and gave you probably few months to live let alone years but secret to your health has been your vigrous exercise schedule like lance armstrong keep up that lifestyle and intelligent nutrition and staying away from intimacy should keep you healthy for a long time and celeberate many christmases in future god bless
ron how about applying some castor oil on your head and forehead area and on your feet and legs and ur upper abdomen area regularly to keep u out of this melancoly thoughts and for ur maddening headaches that bother u often merry christmas
Article from www.plwha.org
Entry restrictionsUpdate: October 2008
The Congressional entry restriction had been lifted, but that a second entry restriction remained - contained in administrative law (regulations) published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
There have been two developments since then:
In the media it was mentioned a process announced by George W. Bush on World AIDS Day 2006 to extend the four categories under which an HIV entry waiver is easily available (business, medical treatment, conferences and visiting friends/family) to include a fifth streamlined category for pleasure travellers.
A year and ten months later, DHHS finally announced this process has been completed and HIV-positive tourists can now access the streamlined process by contacting the US Embassy in Australia.
For details, please visit:
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1222704743103.shtm
It was also reported it was likely the DHHS would remove the second entry restriction contained in regulations listing HIV as an 'inadmissible condition'. This has been confirmed by the Director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Julie L. Gerberding, in a letter to the Washington Post on Mon 6 Oct 2008. However, just as changing the waiver process took about 22 months, it will take some time for the rule change to be drafted, published for public comment, and finalised.
For a copy of the letter please visit:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/05/AR2008100501854.html
Update: August 2008
In August, an Act of Congress containing a provision lifting the HIV entry restriction was passed by Congress and signed into law by the president. The provision was inserted by Democrat Senator Barbara Lee into a bill authorising continued American international aid for HIV prevention (including abstinence education) and treatment programmes in developing countries. This was a fairly clever move on Lee's part because the President was hardly going to veto (block) an Act providing funding for a programme he initiated himself.
However it has since been discovered there is ANOTHER entry restriction, imposed by the US Department of Health and Human Services in administrative law, which has not been removed yet. There is reason to believe it may be removed soon, because the DHHS is also the home of the Centers for Disease Control, which has advocated strongly against the entry restriction, and also because the removal of the congressional entry restriction means the departmental restriction is no longer required by law.
Continue to take care if you are travelling to the States!
Special Waiver
The United States of America is one of the countries that prohibit HIV-positive foreigners to enter its borders. HIV-positive people must request a “special waiver” to be granted entrance to the US. This waiver, pictured above and referred to as “Waiver of 212(A)(1)”, is stamped into an HIV-positive person’s passport as a permanent record of his or her HIV status.
We believe that people living with HIV/AIDS have the right to full enjoyment of their human rights, including the right to privacy, confidentiality and protection from stigma and discrimination. Short-term travel policies of any country, in which disclosure of HIV status is required for prospective visitors, treat HIV-positive people seeking entry on short term visas differently on the basis of their HIV-positive status. These are not only discriminatory, but also contribute to fuelling national and international stigma against people living with HIV/AIDS.
More on www.plwha.org