My backwards journey

Today, in January 2012 after having had aids for alittle over 15 years, I now am in wasting syndrome.  I recently, in the span of a month,went from a healthy 6'4", 225 lb man, to a 6'4", 175 lb man.  I have been diagnosed with COPD, hiv related cardio myopathy (CHF), neuopathy in my feet, legs, hands and arms.  All apparently hiv related conditions.  I am on a good combo of meds,  I take Viread and Videx in the morning and Sustiva in the evening, along with an assorted amount of other pills for the afore mentioned conditions.  I am currently on a few pain medications for the neuropathy.  I can't work, as we say, the government likes to keep us poor.  I exist only on my social security of 766.00 per month and 189.00 from the VA pension.  Oh, I also get 156.00 in food stamps, how sad is that, after serving my country for 15 years, with 3 tours in Vietnam, I have to get food stamps.  Yet I am thank ful I can.  I am also very thank ful I can receive my treatment at the Dayton Ohio Veterans Medical Center.  Without them, I would surely be dead.  more to follow.....

If only for a little time

Being newly diagnosed with hiv/aids ( I will never capatilize those letters, I refuse to give it any more power over me than it all ready has) back in 1996, I was certain it was an immediate death sentence.   As it has turned out, I was wrong.   This hopefully will be my journey as a poz senior citizen.  I hope I can/will keep up with my on line journal.