Mixed news

They are reducing the dialysis to only twice a week now (Tues and Sat) with the idea that the kidneys will realise they have to do something instead of relying on the hospital. Reducing the steroid medication a little that helps the immune system, and going to do another kidney biopsy in a few days to get a better idea of their current condition. Am putting weight back on, and I've finally convinced them that taking me down to 58 kilos is just too light and they've agreed on 63 as a better ideal weight. Am feeling a bit nervous about going all the way to Sat now before the next dialysis but also confident it should be OK. It is after all only one more day than Sat-Tues. 

I asked straight out what sort of time we're looking at here to keep work informed. It was pretty much the usual answer in that it's just too hard to say. The doc said he'd seen people take up to 2 or 3 months on dialysis recovering from a thing like this (*sigh*) especially when pneumonia was involved, as with me the second hospital stay, as that can do further damage.

Overall slow progress but going in the right direction. I still am in a rather precarious position would have to say. They are very limited as to what they can give me simply due to the kidney condition. Not even on any HIV pills at the moment, and had to convince them I needed the anti-depressants. Found out when I was in ICU my CD4 count dropped right down to only 450, the lowest it's ever been even counting the early stages of HIV infection. That's a big drop, given that when the viral load was undetectable the CD4 count was in the healthy range, one reading being 790 even. 

So HIV wise I'm back to square one, with all that's involved with that. Body was dealing with the virus quite well, but at the expense of everything else; struggling with minor infections and me feeling generally unhealthy. I guess that's the purpose of the steroid meds they're giving me for my immune system. Didn't take those in the past. Prednisolone 25mg a day.

Simon has gone back to the country. We had a warm goodbye when he left. He has made it clear on this stay that whatever we have together it's about more than just sex. He was very particular to make it known that he wanted to be with me and help during this bad time, and he wasn't here simply for my... um... well.....   In fact this visit we didn't even have sex. To be honest it was absolutely the last thing on my mind and the last thing I felt like doing. To me there's no point in doing it if you don't feel like it. And being fresh out of hospital after a near death experience and recovering from lack of oxygen to the head isn't exactly conducive to a fuck. Lots of guys wouldn't have understood that but he did, and let me know he did. This is certainly another aspect of the Peter/Simon thing, and I'd estimate a strengthening of whatever it is we have together. To have someone care for you like that is a rarity in this life. This was the best of the pics I took when he dragged me away from the four walls here to get out, much to my lack of enthusiasm at the time. It's just down the road at Botany Bay, this on a day when the sun came out. 

Still waiting for the Sickness Benefit to come through. The mega-form I filled out is currently being processed in some faceless Centrelink office in Canberra. It's been since the 20th of last month that I lodged the mega-form at the local Centrelink office down the road here. The lady there went through the mega-form to make sure it was all in order, and all the required info was there, before giving it the stamp of approval (literally) and sending it off to the faceless Canberra office. I then get home from dialysis yesterday only to find a letter in the mail from said faceless office, telling me there were 3 questions I'd not answered and I had to answer them and get the copies back to faceless office for my Benefit to be processed; enclosed were photocopies of the pages involved with a place for me to sign etc. WTF? I proceeded to the local Centrelink office in a state of fuming anger. It was supposed to take a max of 21 days to get processed and it had already been 11. After waiting 45 minutes in the General Inquiries line, I finally got to the counter and made my displeasure known. The General Inquiries lady couldn't believe it either and was very apologetic, which stopped me from swearing at her at least. She took the signed photocopies which had to be sent to the Canberra faceless office from there, so I don't know how much longer this will all take. The only consolation is that they reckon I will be back-paid to the 20th of last month when I lodged the forms. *sheesh*