Stay tuned. For anyone reading this who has never come across this before, stay tuned darlings. You are going to get a front row seat with an HIV+ person, and their experience with starting the meds.
BTW there is in fact no crisis at all. My CD4 count was the best yet since diagnosis: 610. My Viral load had reduced from 40,000 to 25,000. It turns out I'm eligible for meds with a viral load over 10,000.
The doc was saying that (again) it's not about waiting around for things to collapse, but instead managing HIV in the best way possible. It made a lot of sense. It will be one less thing to worry about. Evidently the drugs now make the viral load undetectable in the blood with current means.
So why not? A lot of work and effort has gone into this by many many people. We now have these incredibly amazing drugs that stop the HIV virus in it's tracks. Not a cure no, but very very good. Why should I be worrying about every fuckin cold I get? Every infection? Every time some bad health thing happens and what the HIV is doing to me? Doc said I've enough to worry about without that!
The cost is minimal, through the PBS. To buy what he's putting me on outright would cost about $900 a month he reckons. Through the PBS it's accessible to me at about $50 a month, the gov pays the rest. If I was on a disability or other kind of pension it'd be about $10 a month. Have been working all my life since 17, paying taxes. This is where I get a bloody payback :)
I feel wonderful about this decision. Absolutely wonderful.
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Hooray, Peter! Very glad you made this decision - nice to know it should keep you from getting everyone else's colds all the time. Hope it will make you feel better in general as well. Love you bunches and hope all goes well. Keep your chin up!
ReplyDeleteYes I think this is the best decision I've made in a while :) Doctor was very pleased too.
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