HIV meds, day 5

Today I made sure I took the Maxalon tablet along with the morning pills, and it does appear to have made quite a difference in the nausea. Still feeling a bit queasy but nothing too bad. I hope the settling in period doesn't last too long as I don't like having to take a pill just to not feel like vomiting. Somebody told me it can last up to a month, fuck I hope I don't have to deal with a months worth of it.

Other than that there doesn't look like there's any major issues. Still feeling sort of out of it and somewhat detached, hasn't lessened at all over the last few days. Maybe even gotten a bit stronger, hard to say as I'm (obviously) so close to the situation. But anyway it's no biggie, not like I'm tripping out or anything. Just buzzing a bit is all. Suppose I should just relax and enjoy it while it lasts.

Just a little note BTW, the Cialis that the doctor prescribed works marvellously, much better than Viagra. It can last for about 24 hours the doc said, and I've not had any of the painful stomach indigestion that Viagra has given me. It's not a magic cure, as you have to be turned on for it to work, which isn't hard with David. 

It was very expensive though I thought. I didn't shop around at all and just walked into the nearest chemist where I was at, and it was $75 and only 4 tablets! WTF? They're 20mg's though so the do work very well, but fuck that's a lot of $. Not on the PBS and is a "private" prescription. I got repeats so I guess will try the cheaper chemists around the place. Even though the expense I'd still recommend it.

David stayed at mine last night, not working until Sunday again. We spent some time whilst he searched YouTube for the songs he likes as I had the PC plugged into everything. Am getting quite a group of new songs together now. Like I said we both have similar tastes in music, and it's interesting to see the different songs that he finds meaning in.

All The Lovers - Kylie

The real Tony Abbott

Came across this, is from a couple of years ago but it's brilliant. Tony Abbott (federal opposition leader) is cornered on the ABC's 7:30 report. I remember watching this and thinking what a fool he looked in it. It's one of those excruciating episodes where you can almost see him squirming. 


This guy could be our next Prime Minister FFS!

Day of action against DHL - update

Interesting email today from the Transport Workers Union here. Followed a few links and there's even a little video about it:

Union leaders and activists from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK were joined by representatives from the ITF and its European arm the European Transport Workers Federation in front of the DHL Supply Chain headquarters in Mechelen. They were expressing their solidarity with the ITF-affiliated union Türkiye Motorlu Tasit Isçileri Sendikasi (TÜMTIS) and its members who were dismissed following their involvement in the union. Flags from unions all over the world were on display, symbolic of worldwide support. A delegation met with the company’s chief executive officer, Walter Leysen. It stressed that the actions would continue until the workers were re-instated; Leysen said he would convey the message to DHL’s headquarters in Bonn. more

Here's the video from Mechelen (wherever the hell that is). Looks bloody cold there:


 
And this is from the main site:

DHL is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, an agreement between the global delivery giant and the UN to embrace universal principles throughout its operations worldwide. The Global Compact sets out clear guiding principles for multinationals on human rights, labour, the environment and the prevention of corruption. According to these principles, DHL Deutsche Post must use due diligence to identify and remedy abuses or violations that it causes or contributes to. This means that Deutsche Post DHL is obliged to take responsibility for all of its business operations and services – which means intervening with DHL Turkish management immediately. more

Doctor visit & day 4 HIV meds

Saw my doctor yesterday. He gave me Maxalon tablets for the nausea, so am going to take one in the morning along with the HIV pills to see if that settles down the urge to throw up. It's only the period that the body gets used to the drugs, am not worried unduly about it. The main concern is simply that I don't vomit them up when I'm still getting through this initial period.

Also told him "I've been feeling a bit vacant with them, but that's nothing unusual for me, in fact it's probably not even the pills!" He laughed.

Was also all clear on the STD's thing. No surprises there really. Apart from David have done fuck all, the three months before we met I hardly even went out at all. Not even to Oxford St, just hung around my local area. Thought later if I'd gotten an infection it'd almost been something like an immaculate conception. Wished I'd of thought of it at the doctors, he'd have laughed a lot at that one.

He did notice that my Hep B thing was a bit low. It's been years since I've had the initial injections so he organised a booster shot. I didn't know that you needed a booster shot every few years. Probably something to remember in the future.

Made an appt in 3 weeks for the bloods to get taken re the HIV pills. That needs to be done and the results in before I can get the next months supply. 

Today still feeling quite ill, was dry retching a couple of times a bit after the morning pills. Just lay back on the bed for a while seemed about the most comfortable place, eventually got up and had a small bowl of blueberries for breakfast. Mouth was all dry and they tasted strange, but I'm not feeling sick now.

Anonymous Attacks Westboro Baptist Church

 
In true wacko Westboro Baptist form, the nutters there (Shirley Phelps-Roper to be exact, daughter of Fred Phelps) have been drinking the kool aid again. Here are a couple of her tweets:

Which has raised the ire of hacktivism group Anonymous, who have released this video at the church.


Looks like a declaration of war to me!

Sunrise - USA massacre

This was on channel 7's breakfast TV show yesterday morning. It's probably a fair representation of the "WTF America?" reaction here.

 

HIV meds, day 3

I forgot how strong HIV meds are. It's only early and am told it will pass, but am feeling quite nauseous. Nearly threw up the tablets this morning only 15 minutes after taking them. Seeing doctor today so will mention to him how sick I'm feeling, maybe he can give me something for it. Looks like it's mainly in the morning, don't want to eat anything until at least midday.

Also seem a bit out of it at times. Sort of detached. I think maybe the best way to describe it is feeling numb. 

Well, my kidney's haven't bitten the dust yet and my heart's still beating! Early days though. Have to get a blood test in a month to check on everything.

The cost of the meds was really low. $5.80 each pill, for two months supply. Total of $11.60. They gave me only a month to start off with in case something has to change, but when I go back to the pharmacy in a month they'll owe me the next month as I've already paid for it.

One month with David

For some reason we're both really aware of how much time is passing since we met. Not hard as it was Sunday afternoon. Yesterday was a month. 

It's like, far out, have been happy for an entire month. Can't remember how long it's been since anything like that. Was at the pub whilst he came after his work, and just couldn't wait to see him. Told him so. 

Like a lot of his music, he's just as open as I am and likes different styles. Some of it I'm not so sure of, but he can sing as well. He played this one other day at his place and he sings along putting all this meaning into it. That's what I want in music too, not just a silly tune but something that means something to me. These are so tragically boy band-ish, but it's a rather different thing with him involved. Was very sweet of him.

Insane Walmart gun, 1200 rounds a minute :s

I Googled Walmart USA, then searched guns. It took literally seconds to find this:

link

Not that I know anything about guns, there might be better ones on that page I dunno, but the 1,200 rounds a minute was pretty out there. WTF do people need something like that for?

Anyway it was surprising that the recent deaths of all those kids and teachers in the US, although they were hit multiple times, took only 2 minutes. That's insane.

Best beer coaster ever

From the pub yesterday, brilliant!

Brainwashed by the Machine

We think we've never had it so good. 

We think we're the best ever. Better than all before us. We smugly assert our prowess. The most prosperous of all humanity.

But at what cost?

We praise those who have driven us poor. We watch their share market handiwork on the news at night. The industry captains who hold our future in their hands. When they fail, they don't get punished; we do.

We accept poverty. It's part of the system after all. The most prosperous system ever known to man. Surely those who are poor must be so of their own accord! How else could they fail with such a wonderful opportunity?

We praise the machines that have driven us stupid. The telly's, those new flat screens, the big ones, with the surround sound, the mesmerising 3D, the touch sensitive screen, the smart telly connected to the net, we absorb ourselves in it's distractions, in it's assertions of supremacy of truth in the nightly news hour.

We praise our new found knowledge, feed to us by corporations. We laugh at those who don't agree, and return to our slumber. We are right. Somehow we know that. The big screen telly with surround sound has boomed at us that we are right.

We start to hate those who are "wrong"...........


We are brainwashed. Brainwashed by our machines. 

Brainwashed by The Machine. 

The right to blow each other away

Another gun massacre in the US. Another occasion where likely nothing will be done about it. Despite the loss of so many young lives, despite the fact that another nutter has been able to access high powered weaponry (from his mother would you believe) we sit here looking from afar, dumbfounded almost to the point of frustration, knowing that again nothing will be done about it.

For according to many in the US, if you can't own a gun you're not free. By some bizarre and loopy logic they think that owning a few guns and lots of amo will protect them if the American gov ever turns against them. The US gov turned against it's citizens years ago though, but there's been no uprising. Half the population is poor, and the gov can now lock citizens up indefinitely without charge if they so decide. All that's happened is US citizens killing each other, whilst they rave on in some kind of religious ferver about keeping their guns.

They will shout to the world about their "right to bear arms". Blind to the fact that it means nothing more than the right to blow each other away.

My daughter called me into her room couple of days ago and asked if I'd seen this, pointing at her telly. I guess it must have been extremely shocking to her being in a child care centre to learn of so many young deaths. Myself I wasn't surprised at all. It will keep happening, and Americans will keep wanting to keep their guns/"freedom". Nothing will change until there's a drastic change in gun laws, but nobody can see it happening. Any argument for gun control is disarmed by binding gun ownership to some kind of philosophical good and evil struggle against the individual and gov.

"How many more......?" the newsreader said on the telly this morning as she was interviewing the Australian correspondent there for the station. Sadly, his answer was that it looks like again, nothing is going to change. And this opinion piece in the SMH today puts into words how many of us are feeling here.

Wrong. A day on which 28 innocents - 20 of them schoolchildren - are murdered is a perfect day on which to challenge and stare down those who defend a legal system and culture that makes the US one of the most violent countries on Earth. 

Americans like to tut-tut at the barbarity of those depraved people in Syria who, since the outbreak of civil war early last year, have killed an estimated 40,000 of their own. But, ho-hum, as many as 30,000 Americans die from gun violence every year. 

Mushed in with the much-abused notion of personal liberty, Americans love guns. As many as 300 million weapons are in circulation and another 4 million are pushed into the market each year. A reputable organ like The Atlantic Monthly will run a supposedly learned piece of 6000-plus words, trying to stand up an argument that more guns are the answer.

 ................................ 

The Post's Klein then notes: ''As others have observed, talking about how to stop mass shootings in the aftermath of a string of mass shootings isn't 'too soon.' It's much too late.'' 

To all this, the gun lobby responds inanely. Try this sample, penned by a Daniel Greenfield in frontpagemag.com in an article headlined ''The only way to stop a gun is with a gun'': ''The gun control debate … is reducible to the question of whether we are individuals who make our own decisions or a great squishy social mass that helplessly responds to stimuli. 

''The clash that will define the future of America is this collision between the individual and the state, between disorganised freedom and organised compassion, between a self-directed experiment in self-government and an experiment conducted by trained experts on a lab monkey population.'' 

The manner in which elected politicians cower in the face of threats by the gun lobby continues to amaze and little attention is paid to detailed research that proves it is a paper tiger. Read more

The dance

On the way to the pub from David's place is a shop selling all kinds of sexy stuff for guys. They had these Speedos in the window and we stopped on three different occasions whilst he admired them. So I bought them for him. He was so appreciative that I'd want to do that for him.

So yesterday afternoon we'd had a few at the pub and all and he decides to show them off. On the coffee table. With music. Apparently he used to choreography dancing. I can't dance, told him, even if I'm drunk. He really enjoys it though. 

Um, the red line's nature in the centre became obvious the other night......... BTW these are only off my crappy phone. Used with permission, just silly phone shots nothing of his face.

Starting HIV meds tomorrow

Third time lucky?  I say that as this will be the third lot of HIV meds that I'll have taken. The first two lots being somewhat of a disaster. The first was Virumune and Trivada, the Trivada mixing with Naproxen somehow and causing an allergic reaction/acute kidney failure (nearly carked it). Kaletra was the next one straight after that which they think now is likely the cause of my heart nearly stopping and me getting pneumonia and lack of oxygen throughout the body (also nearly carked it). 

It's been two full years this month since the last prescription of Virimune and Travada, and nearly two years since I've taken any HIV meds at all. It's given time for kidney recovery and a number of changes in accordance with the new realities of my health.

And so now this is the new and improved third time lucky anti-retroviral combination thereapy:

I hope I have better luck with these ones. The pharmacy told me that the Kivexa is the one that acts similar to the Trivada but is much easier on the kidneys. It also is the one that you can be allergic to but they test for a genetic marker first, which I don't have. 

Fingers crossed.