Of hopes and aspirations
World AIDS Day, a time to
reflect on experiences and life, the sufferings and the blessings, along with
the prospect of things to come. During this Coronavirus pandemic time, I would
think many of us were first concerned that we would have to shield way back in
March and then we learnt that if our CD4 cell counts
exceeded a particular number and we had an undetectable viral load,
we were safe, yet had to be careful.
We have endured many
false dawns of HIV/AIDS
cures, either functional or actual, the quest for a vaccine, remains just that,
a quest. The antiretroviral drugs that I have been on since the 30th
of September 2009, with one change and the trial of a third that I aborted
because of horrible side effects have given me a productive and rewarding quality
of life. I am very grateful.
Of knowledge and
action
It is important we
all know our status regardless of activities and take advantage of the wealth
of knowledge accumulated over 3 decades that makes the treatment and management
of HIV easier and better than it has ever been. We should not be afraid to get
tested and avail ourselves of the extensive support systems that will help with
the radical adjustment to life, livelihood, and happiness after a positive HIV
result.
I remember when I
developed full-blown AIDS in 2009 with opportunistic infections and Kaposi’s
Sarcoma manifesting as an aggressive fungating tumour and cancer on the soles
of my feet, it is the body of knowledge acquired that gave my consultant the
confidence to say it can be treated and if I responded, I will come out
alright. The prognosis without that knowledge would have been just 5 weeks. It
is the same type of cancer that killed Fela
Anikulapo-Kuti just 12 years before my own diagnosis.
Blog - Remembering
Fela (1938 - 1997) through our shared history of AIDS
Blog - A
primer on cancer and chemotherapy
Of life and
possibility
Obviously, there is
still work to do, knowing that you can still live a full productive life and go
on the adventure of life, experience and achievement without fear, dealing with
the stigma that associates with HIV is still an area in need of enlightenment,
information and education, then most of all, if we have HIV under control, we
have a passionately wonderful sex life and even have children, for it is the accepted fact today that if you are Undetectable then the virus is Untransmittable
to your partner. [NAM
AIDSmap: What does undetectable = untransmittable (U=U) mean?]
Blog - Dealing
with sexuality and HIV stigma
I have lost many
friends along the way to the scourge of HIV, all from the early 1990s when
treatments were not sufficiently good enough to give people the hope of
survival. I remember them quite fondly, in their friendships and their
adversity, they laid foundations on which we stand in the celebration of life.
More pertinently, I
am thankful for the medical teams first in the Netherlands and continuously in
the UK who took on the challenge of providing the most professional and
rewarding medical care. Friends and acquaintances that were an immeasurable
source of support and strength, to God who gives life and humanity, that mines
the amazing resources of hope and innovation to give us better stories to tell.
Blog - Cancer
is a human experience, not a battle won or lost
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