My Continued Journey Living With HIV {Test Results 02-09-2017}

Health and Wellness News Report

RAINBOW Pastor David A. Moorman

02/16/2017

__________________________________________________________________________________ 

It has been six months since my last IDD {Infectious Disease Doctor} appointment. 

My health has been a roller coaster the last six months and quite frankly it almost makes me tired of walking into Doctor's Offices, Labs, and Hospitals.

Since my last entry on My Continued Journey, I have been dealing with more insomnia than ever, of course the election of the new POTUS, family health issues and my Blood Pressure that is out of control.

I have seen my Endocrinologist, PCP several times, Optometrist, Visit to the ER, Cardiologist and Infectious Disease Doctor. 

I look at the calendar and try to remember the days when my months were not filled with Doctor Appointments. Well it is all good, I have a wonderful team of Doctor's. 

New news from the Endocrinologist, I have Hyper parathyroid Disease on top of having all the nodules he is watching. For now with this Doctor it is a "WAIT and SEE" game on the progression of both.

Great News from the Optometrist was the fact that my sight has not worsen in the past year. I did get a nice scolding for NOT wearing my glasses like I should though. That has since changed and I am now wearing them like I should. It's actually amazing how much better one can see if they just wear their glasses when necessary.

My Cardiologist visits have been the routine Stress Tests, Ultra Sounds, Echo's, wearing a heart monitor for 48 hours, blood work and NOW an angiogram next week. Not too over joyed about this one. I have been having major issues with Chest pains and Blood Pressure Spikes. So far all the tests show that everything from the neck down is in good shape with blood flow. This last test, the angiogram, will tell the Doctor if there are any blockages that the others tests have not found. 

So basically at this time it is the ole ticker that is causing some issues.

My PCP has put me on Effexor which is wonderful. Life is so much better when the anxiety level can be some what controlled. With my PCP I have had routine check ups and things look good for now. I have had this inner ear thing on the right side though since December that is driving me a little nuts. My PCP had me take antibiotics and start using nose spray but we just can not get that tube in there to clear up. My PCP had me scheduled with an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist and they called me the day before my appointment to CANCEL because they did not take my INSURANCE, which is BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE. I fear it is only going to get worse with Doctor appointments this year and going forward because of this New Administration that wants to destroy everything. Let me stop there before I go off into a Political Furry. 

The recent ER visit was a joke. My Blood Pressure had gone up higher than it ever had and I was having chest pains. So I had my husband take me to the ER. They were kind of nice, but very sarcastically rude at the same time. I had taken a nitro and a clonidine about an hour before, which I was informed had not had time to go to work and I just needed to calm down. I got the speech about taking your BP to often and getting yourself upset. Of course I had to school them on the fact that I monitor my BP regularly because I have issues with my BP. They weren't having it, it was all my fault my BP was so high. Anyway, they made me lay there for an hour as my BP started to come down. Of course I was relaxed because I knew in my heart I was going to be taken care of because I was in the Heart Hospital. Since that visit my BP has been all over the PLACE, the medicines are not working like they should thus the reason for all the many tests my Cardiologist has been doing on me.

The reason I have talked about all these things is to show people that HIV is NOT the major ISSUE in my LIFE. Science has come so far in creating MEDICATION to keep the HIV under control that people are able to HAVE CHILDREN NOW without passing HIV to their Spouse or Child. HIV has become a TREATABLE DISEASE and is NO LONGER a DEATH SENTENCE.

My recent visit with my ID Doctor was not as great as I would have liked it to be. She has decided it is in the BEST INTEREST of ALL her Patients to be on the SAME MEDICATION. I am very concerned with this. I realize I am on an OLDER MEDICATION, but it is WORKING. So I say if it AIN'T BROKE why you trying to FIX IT!?! She gave me orders to talk to my PCP and Cardiologist because she wants me to change within the next couple of weeks. Well, I have spoken with my PCP and will be talking with my Cardiologist this next week at my follow up, but I can tell YOU NOW that this man has DECIDED he is NOT going to switch medications because my MEDICATION is working just fine.

Check out my latest lab work:

 As you can see from the test results above my current medication is working just fine. It is really hard to convince someone to switch medications when their NUMBERS are GREAT. As long as I am UNDETECTABLE and my CD4 count stays HIGH, I feel it is best to stick with what is working even if "EVERYONE" else is taking something different!!!

Another important thing for me to talk about here is the fact that CHANGING to the NEW MEDICATION my ID DOCTOR wants me to take will cause issues with SEVERAL of the MEDICATIONS I already take for other health and wellness issues so I had to take that into consideration as well. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you always DISCUSS ALL MEDICATIONS and NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS with your Doctors to make sure there are no major drug to drug interactions. Because of my UNIQUE SITUATION I do NOT want to take the new medication. If I were to switch I would have to be monitored closely, having to get an ECG monthly to monitor my heart because of  the medications I take for that, plus the medication I take for anxiety, because I could have to much in my blood and have a stroke or heart attack. 

The newer medications for HIV have wonderful reports, however some of them are using a BOOSTER called COBISTAT, which will RAISE the BLOOD LEVELS of EVERY MEDICATION you take NOT just the HIV MEDICATION. A NEW medication from Gilead Sciences, Bictegravir, is in stage 3 trials and results so far look really good. Bictegravir is being studied in a single-tablet combination of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide. I am looking forward to the seeing the results of this trial. This would actually be a combination drug I would be willing to switch too because it has the new form of tenofovir. It would be nice to give my bones and kidneys some relief.

It is very important that you be involved with all the MEDICAL DECISIONS because YOU KNOW your BODY better than any of your Doctors.

I pray that God will bless all of you and that you all be in good health. I am excited to see what this new year brings as I Continue this Journey living with HIV.

I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health,

even as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2

Blessings and Peace, 

RAINBOW Pastor David A. Moorman