Monday 26 September 2011

Understanding HIV

Seeing the psychologist finally today, after the week delay from being sick. The Yellow Slime Disease appears still slightly present, with the odd bit of horror movie worthy material still coming out now and then. Nearly finished the other antibiotics that I got for it, so is a bit of a worry. Don't want it to come back like before. Took the repeats as well, the chemist across the road from the doctors was really nice and gave me the repeats without me having to make a second visit. I guess I will see if there's any worsening after stopping the pills, and go to the doctor straight away if there is. Not going to try and do the brave manly thing anymore and assume I don't need a doctor. It always seems to end in tears when I do that.

Am concerned about how quickly I fell apart over it all in my head. Although it was a long time to be sick like that; a whole month. Discouraging for anyone. And I just can't describe how bad the pain was with it all. Mouth ulcers are terrible to get even on their own (as I said I've gotten them off and on all my life) but to have the whole inside of my mouth red and inflamed along with throat and nose, was excruciating. Just simply breathing hurt.

I also didn't appreciate some comments from people who were I suppose trying to help. But it just made me pissed off at them. Saying for example that "everyone is sick with it", the inference being that I should stop complaining about it as I'm only experiencing the same thing as the general population. WTF? There were a couple of people sick with it at work, but none of them had it like I did. Try having it on top of bloody HIV and then come and tell me it's just the same as everyone else.

I know this disease has been studied a lot, and the research into it has been mind boggling. But on the other hand I wonder if some people understand it at all.

Found a good site this morning that summed up the progression of HIV (untreated) very well. I particularly liked the graph they had there, showing initial infection and the relationship between the viral load and the CD4 count over time. I'm now in the second phase after seroconversion/acute infection.



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