Friday, June 30, 2017

🏳️‍🌈✝️ My Continued Journey Living with HIV…



Complications from living with HIV and the Effects it is having on my body.




06/30/2017

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What a week this past week!!! I ended up in the hospital ER around 1am on 6/26/2017 so sick. I was having major abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. I had to give a lot of blood for the many tests they were about to run. I was given Morphine, which I had an allergic reaction too and almost gave me a heart attack. Thank God the nurse came in just in time to see the whites of my eyes as they rolled to the back of my head. She gave me a shot of Dilaudid so my heart rate slowed back down.  I also had a CT scan that the ER Doctor finally came in around 6:00am to say looked fine; I just seemed to have a little panniculitis.  I was sent home with scripts to fill and no clear answers to why I was so sick and hurting. On the way out of the hospital the nurse had to stop so I could throw up. I spent the rest of the day throwing up everything that went into my mouth. I ended up back in the ER so they could hydrate me, do more blood work some of which is not in at this time because it was blood cultures.


At 4:15am 06/27/2017 I was transported to the main hospital from the HealthPlex where I was to be observed until I saw another Doctor. The new Doctor came in around 7am softly touched my stomach and said there was nothing wrong with me; however keep pumping him full of fluid and antibiotics and oh yeah go ahead and admit him for observation for a few days. I got really sick and started throwing up again after the Doctor left. At this point I was so frustrated and I asked the nurse for medicine to keep me from vomiting. The nurse was rude, we fought and I left the hospital after putting her in her place and forcing her to remove the IV. So I left the hospital around  8:30am had my Mom taking me to the pharmacy to fill meds and came home to take care of myself. By the time my husband got home from work at 6pm I was already feeling better. I actually had slept most of the day because I had not slept in over 48 hours.


My PCP was concerned with the CT scan that was taken at the hospital the first night so I went in to see her on 06/29/2017. Before I went in I made sure to look over the CT results so I knew what to expect. My PCP did blood work and contacted me later that day to tell me I had to come back in today 06/30/2017  for more blood work. Thank God the Kidney/Liver Scare from the day before was gone and all the blood work was back to normal.

So let me go back and talk for a moment about my visit with my PCP. Yes, I was prepared and I had prepared my Mom who went with me of what she was going to discuss with me. Of course I was right and we had an open honest discussion and put a game plan into place. This is really hard to talk about right now until I get my next CT scan in the middle of July, but I feel I need to share because it is part of my journey living with HIV and what it does to the body.


I May Have HIV - HIV will NEVER Have ME!!!


I will preference the CT results with this; currently my CD4 Count is 2460, my CD4% is 55% and I am undetectable. The results from the CT scan, that NO DOCTOR and I saw THREE different ones while in the hospital, would tell me was that it showed up that I more than likely have lymphoma. I already knew something was wrong because I have been so sick lately and so drained. At this time we are NOT going to focus on the pocket of liquid on the right side of my esophagus because it is more than likely a metastasized nodule from the lymphoma.  We are going to do another CT scan in July like I said to hopefully RULE OUT or CONFIRM I actually have lymphoma.

At this time I just want everyone to know that I fully trust God with my life, my health and my happiness. I will NOT let SATAN take my joy over something like lymphoma. I serve a BIG GOD who is in the HEALING business and I fully TRUST HIM. 

So that was my eventful week. Now let’s just praise the LORD that my liver and kidneys are great. I pray that each of you have a wonderful 4th of July.

Always REMEMBER – GOD LOVES YOU just as HE CREATED YOU – SO CELEBRATE your FREEDOM through JESUS to be the BEST YOU EVER!!!

                                     
Blessings and Peace,
 
 

 



🏳️‍🌈✝️ Early vs. Delayed HIV Treatment Is Linked to Accelerated Bone Loss

Istock

Although more research on antiretroviral associated bone loss is needed, the overall health benefits of early treatment outweigh such a risk.
June 30, 2017


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Those who start antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV as soon after diagnosis as possible experience a greater decline in bone mineral density compared with those assigned in a study to
delay going on ARVs until their immune system deteriorates somewhat.

Publishing their findings in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, scientists from the START Bone Mineral Density Sub study randomized 399 HIV-positive individuals with a CD4 count greater than 500 to start ARVs immediately or wait until their CD4s dropped below 350.

The randomized controlled START study, published to much fanfare in 2015, definitively established that there is a net health benefit to starting ARVs early in the course of infection rather than delaying. The large study’s robust findings led to global recommendations that individuals begin HIV treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis.

In this newly published sub study, the researchers followed the participants, 195 of whom were in the immediate treatment arm and 204 of whom were in the deferred treatment arm, for an average of 2.2 years. They measured the participants’ bone mineral density every 12 months at the lumbar spine and hip through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

The participants were 32 years old on average and had an average CD4 count of 642. Eighty percent were nonwhite, 26 percent were women.

Those in the immediate treatment group used ARVs for 95 percent of the follow-up period while those in the deferred treatment arm used them for 18 percent of the follow-up period. The most common ARVs used in the participants’ treatment regimens were the two components of Truvada (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine).

During the study’s follow-up, bone mineral density at the hip declined by 2.5 percent in the immediate treatment arm and 1 percent in the deferred treatment arm, for a difference of 1.5 percent. Bone mineral density at the spine declined 1.9 percent in the immediate treatment arm and 0.4 percent in the deferred treatment arm, for a difference of 1.6 percent (the figures were rounded).

Overall declines in bone mineral density were greatest during participants’ first year on ARVs. In the immediate treatment group, spine bone mineral density stabilized after the first year of follow-up, while hip bone mineral density declined progressively over two years of follow-up.  After the first year of follow-up, overall changes in bone mineral density were similar between the two study arms.

The researchers could not identify any clinical or HIV-related factors associated with greater bone mineral density loss, nor could they pinpoint any factors to do with specific ARV regimens themselves linked to bone loss.

“Better understanding of the longer-term consequences of the observed reductions in [bone mineral density] is needed,” the study authors concluded.   

To read the study abstract, click here.

To read a press release about the study, click here.

Read more articles from POZ, here.
   

🏳️‍🌈✝️ Promoting & Protecting the AIDS Drug Assistance Program


By: Brandon M. Macsata,
CEO, ADAP Advocacy Association

Thursday, June 29, 2017


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July 2007 officially marked the birth of the ADAP Advocacy Association, when a small Steering Committee filed the non-profit Articles of Incorporation in the District of Columbia and applied for its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service (which would be granted five months later). For a decade, we have been "promoting and protecting the AIDS Drug Assistance Program" (ADAP).

None of it would have happened without the steady guidance from D. Ben Tesdahl, attorney for Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville (PPSV)  who provided his services pro bono, and as such would receive our very first ADAP Champion Award the following year in 2008! "Steady guidance" because along the way in obtaining our registered trademark, we bumped heads with the Automobile Association of America and Blue Cross Blue Shield (...it's a very long story). Thank you, Ben!

Earlier this year, we posted about our "10 Years of Accomplishment, Advocacy & Access to Care" to recap some important milestones attained throughout our organization's history. None of these accomplishments would have happened without the tireless commitment and leadership from the individuals who have served on our Board of Directors since July 2007.

As we unveil our anniversary logo celebrating 10 years of providing the patient voice for people living with HIV/AIDS who rely on ADAP, we also dedicate this blog post to these twenty-five wonderful individuals. It is our way of saying "thank you" for their service! Our board members have included:
  • James Albino, 2008 to 2009
  • Michelle Anderson, 2009 to present
  • William E. Arnold, 2007 to present
  • Aaron Baldwin, 2014 to 2015
  • Robert Breining, 2010 to 2015
  • Wanda Brendle-Moss, RN, 2015 to present
  • Janine Brignola, 2011 to 2016
  • Elmer R. Cerano, 2008 to present
  • Crosby Cromwell, 2010 to 2013
  • Eric Flowers, 2012 to present
  • Darryl Fore, 2011 to present
  • Philip A. Haddad, MD, 2007 to present
  • Hilary Hansen, 2016 to present
  • John D. Kemp, Esq, 2007 to 2009
  • Jen Laws, 2016 to present
  • Duane Malone, 2009 to 2010
  • Glen Pietrandoni, Rh.P, 2009 to present
  • Gary Rose, 2007 to 2008
  • Elizabeth Shepherd, 2010 to 2015
  • Keita Simmons, 2007 to 2009
  • Robert Suttle, 2015 to present
  • Chrys Thorsen, 2014 to 2016
  • Joyce Turner-Keller, Arch-Bishop, 2007 to 2012
  • Rani G. Whitfield, MD, 2007 to 2008
  • Joey Wynn, 2009 to present
Among our directors, John D. Kemp, Gary Rose, and Arch-Bishop Joyce Turner-Keller, and Dr. Rani Whitfield have been named Directors Emeritus. We look forward to another decade dedicated to raising awareness, offering patient educational program, and fostering greater community collaboration.

Read more articles from Adap Advocacy Association.
 

 

 

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

🏳️‍🌈✝️ How People of Faith Can Make a Difference in the Health Care Debates

By Jim Wallis 6-28-2017
By Jim Wallis 6-28-2017


 6-28-2017


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“This boils down to a choice, a fundamental choice and the choice is this: Do you take a trillion dollars and help the poor and vulnerable and the working class in this country and their health care, subsidized by the federal government, or do you take the trillions of dollars and return it to the wealthy in the country? That’s really the fundamental choice here.” I heard Matthew Dowd say that on This Week with George Stephanopoulos this past Sunday. I met Dowd recently. He is a former George W. Bush advisor, and told me he is a Catholic from my home town of Detroit. He is right. These are indeed about basic choices that are not just political, but moral. It’s time to make some choices.

While a vote on the Senate health care bill has been delayed, the proposed legislation is still very much alive. And people of faith should be especially troubled by this serious life issue: Twenty-two million Americans would lose their health insurance under the bill, and 15 million will lose the Medicaid their health depends upon.

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While the bill was drafted — behind closed doors with a small group of Republican men — to fulfill the Republican campaign promise of “repealing Obamacare,” it goes far beyond that. The most important takeaway is this: The Senate bill, like the House bill, is a Trojan horse that uses the cover of repealing and replacing Obamacare to do two fundamental things:

  1. Give hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts that will primarily benefit the richest Americans, and
  2. End the Medicaid program as we know it.

Medicaid is an entitlement program that was passed during Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration in 1965 — five decades ago. Today, it pays for health care services for several of society’s most vulnerable groups: poor people, disabled people, children, and elderly Americans in nursing homes. Here are some of the key numbers. Medicaid covers: 

  • 20 percent of all Americans,
  • 49 percent of all births,
  • 64 percent of all nursing home residents,
  • 40 percent of all poor adults,
  • 30 percent of all adults with disabilities,
  • 39 percent of all children,
  • 76 percent of all poor children, and
  • 60 percent of all children with disabilities.

It’s jointly funded by the federal government and the states. For the last five decades, it has been funded as an entitlement like Social Security and Medicare, meaning as long as people qualify for the program, the federal and state governments will pay whatever it costs to treat those who qualify. That now will all change if the Republican health care bill passes both houses of Congress.

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Federal spending on Medicaid will be $772 billion lower under this plan over the next decade than it would be under the Affordable Care Act, which, combined with other cuts, would go to finance more than half a trillion dollars in tax cuts. By one new estimate the tax cuts that the 400 highest-income taxpayers in the United States would receive in the House version would be roughly equivalent to the cost of maintaining the ACA’s expansion to Medicaid over that same time period in Nevada, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Alaska combined. Think about that: Republican senators are extremely close to passing legislation that would strip away funding for health insurance from some of society’s most vulnerable people, and transfer those funds to the richest people in this country. We are at a moment when our society faces a fundamental moral choice.

Right now, enough Republican senators oppose the Senate bill to delay the vote, so they'll instead try to pass it before the long August recess. We have more time — just a little more time — to lift our voices in opposition this bill and in defense of the poor, the sick, the disabled, children, and the elderly who will bear the cost of this bill should it become law. Senators need to hear your voices.

Faith leaders across the theological and political spectrum have made their voices clear about the unacceptable attack on Medicaid in the House and Senate bills. When we as people of faith reach out, we can make a strong religious case for why the consequences of this bill are morally unacceptable to us. Most of these senators who are considering this bill claim to be people of faith themselves — and it is to their faith that we should appeal.

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Many of these senators are Catholic — like Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Pat Toomey (R-Penn.). The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has spoken strongly against this bill, both before the CBO score came out and since its release:


“It is precisely the detrimental impact on the poor and vulnerable that makes the Senate draft unacceptable as written. An acceptable health care system provides access to all, regardless of their means, and at all stages of life. Such a health care system must protect conscience rights, as well as extend to immigrant families … These changes [to Medicaid] will wreak havoc on low-income families and struggling communities, and must not be supported … the discussion draft stands to cause disturbing damage to the human beings served by the social safety net. … The loss of affordable access for millions of people is simply unacceptable.”



Other senators identify with various strands of Protestant faith, people like Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). A large group of Christian denominations — including the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., the United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America — signed a letter expressing strong opposition to the Medicaid cuts that are at the heart of this bill:


The [Republican health care bill] would turn our country farther away from health, farther away from our values, and farther away from a just society. Our faiths call us to expand life-giving health care to all, not to take it away.

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Sharon Watkins, who serves as the chair of the National Council of Churches and head of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination, gave the biblical justification for opposing the current House and Senate bills:


Hebrew and Christian Scriptures urge us to "bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2) and "rob not the poor" (Proverbs 22:22). Jesus, whom we follow, made health and healing a high priority in his ministry. We therefore join with other people of faith from all traditions to pray that…the Senate will meet its moral responsibility to defend and expand affordable, quality health care for all."



Many senators identify specifically with the evangelical faith. Galen Carey of the National Association of Evangelicals spoke last week with the Circle of Protection, stressing the responsibility of government to the most vulnerable among us:


This human responsibility to use God’s generous gifts for the common good is shared by individuals, families, churches, other institutions of civil society, and, yes, also government. … No biblical passage relieves government of its responsibility to provide for its impoverished citizens … Our call to protect programs that serve our most vulnerable neighbors transcends any political party … we support fiscal responsibility that … protects the most vulnerable among us, and does not ask them to shoulder the major burden of balancing our national budget.



Lt. Col. Ron Busroe from The Salvation Army also made a strong statement at the gathering about budget priorities:


The proposed cuts … will have a significant impact on our ability to serve the neediest in our communities. Jesus said by this they will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another. If we love each other, we ought to be willing to help each other.



Over this congressional recess when senators are home and the critical weeks they are back in session during July, we have the opportunity and responsibility to speak up and speak out as people of faith, to other people of faith, including our political representatives of faith.
I had the chance to say this to one Republican senator who is an evangelical Christian and believes he represents many other evangelicals. I asked him to imagine a cable news story that reported senators, on both sides of the aisle, had decided they would together protect the poorest and most vulnerable among us — putting their faith about their politics or their parties. He agreed how powerful that would be. It’s that story that I will be speaking, praying, and hoping for.

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Jim Wallis is president of Sojourners. His book, America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America, is available now. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis



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Read more articles from Sojourners, here.
By Jim Wallis 6-28-2017
By Jim Wallis 6-28-2017