Category Archives: health

Hospitals are meant to be smoke-free

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I receive dialysis in the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore. As I have some other health issues, in addition to the kidney failure, I am in an isolation room for my treatment. This room overlooks the main entrance to the hospital. Unfortunately, this is where many people gather to smoke. […]

Start of the end of an era

Today is the last Sunday that I will be on dialysis in Tallaght University Hospital. No, I haven’t got a transplant. No, I don’t not need dialysis. Why, then? It is because my care is being transferred to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore (sister hospital to where this all started in Port Laoise). My […]

Adherence towards transplant

Today is five months since my first hæmodialysis. It is hard to believe that I have come so far since that first day. It certainly has been a roller coaster of a ride from thinking that plasma exchange might work (it couldn’t – kidneys too far gone), to trying peritoneal dialysis at home (that didn’t […]

Ten years on – thanks to the nurses, doctors, and friends

It’s been ten years of finding ways to raise awareness of HIV and people living with HIV. Here’s to the next ten years.

Changes afoot to dialysis

So, I’ve been on haemodialysis (HD) for just over two months now. Just settled into the rhythm of it. Sunday afternoons (after church), Tuesday mornings (first thing), and Friday lunchtimes are the days I have been going up to Tallaght University Hospital for my HD. Each day there are friendly faces from the nursing staff […]

Out of hospital — but back 3 times a week

So, after three-and-a-half-weeks out of four being in hospital, I am now home. The new reality is hitting me, hard. Three days a week, I have to return to hospital as an outpatient for hæmodialysis. I also have to manage a new diet. (No bananas amongst other things.) Thankfully, throughout all of this and for […]

Brush up your CPR for babies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2kp_IDpI6E Brush up on your first aid skill and learn Baby CPR with the stars of Nursery Rhymes Inc., the new advert from St John Ambulance. Remember the song, in case things go wrong. Please share this film. More baby first aid advice: http://www.sja.org.uk/NurseryRhymesInc

We Can. I can. Supporting #WorldCancerDay

HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is the virus which causes Genital Warts and can lead to oropharyngeal, penile, anal and cervical cancer. At this stage all cis females are vaccinated against the most pervasive strains of HPV at age 14. The idea is/was that as those cis females grew older they would immunise the men they […]

Problems using the toilet? Try squatting instead of sitting

If like me you have had problems when using the toilet, feeling a strain to evacuate waste from your body, getting all tensed up, which then makes the problem worse… well there is a solution. Squatty Potty® https://youtu.be/5P8L0r4JVpo Squatty Potty® is based in the USA, but I am sure there will be ways of getting […]

“My HIV. Our Problem.”

Andrew Keates has made this documentary about living with HIV. I don’t know him personally, but a friend does. He asks himself questions that he has been asked before and then answers them. Who gave you HIV? Don’t you just pop a pill a day and everything’s fine? How’s your love life? https://youtu.be/jXJzIQ0lRZk He tells […]

Talking can help your mental health

Every single one of us can experience a mental health problem. It is simply part of the rollercoaster of life. But as with HIV, there is a quite a large amount of stigma surrounding it, particularly in Irish society. It does not have to be this way, there are things that each one of us […]

36% increase in HIV diagnoses over last five years in Northern Ireland

The figures recently released by Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency show some worrying figures. I sincerely hope that the Health Minister, Simon Hamilton MLA, and the Health Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly take them to heart and work to make them better. The figures show that in the ten years since 2004, Northern Ireland […]

51% of new HIV diagnoses were made at a late stage.

“Statistics show that 51% of new HIV diagnoses were made at a late stage. If you’ve put yourself at risk it is really important to get tested for HIV to ensure an early diagnosis. People respond better to treatment when they are diagnosed at an earlier stage of disease.”—Dr Neil Irvine, Consultant in Public Health, […]

#WADirl launched by Irish Health Minister

The Irish Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar TD last week launched the first ever five-day national World AIDS Day campaign in Ireland. This campaign is developed by NGOs and statutory bodies across Ireland in partnership with the HSE Sexual Health & Crisis Pregnancy Programme. The focus of the Irish campaign is Solidarity with all people living […]

HIV treatment for all living with HIV says EACS. What do you think?

The new European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) HIV clinical guidelines were released at the 15th European AIDS Conference which brings Europe into line with the rest of the world by recommending HIV treatment upon diagnosis for everyone living with HIV. Complete a short survey on your views on this.

Hopefully after a trip to the GP I may be able to sleep

After some nights of very disturbed sleep, I made it to the GP and hopefully will not wake the entire household this evening.

Thanks to @imstilljosh for last year’s nomination…

This evening I have been doing a bit of research into where is linking to this blog from the Internet around the world. I was a bit surprised to find some of the places. However, amongst them I found that I was among those nominated for the TrialReach.com Top HIV Voices 2014. These “Top HIV […]

QUB research into stigma in gay men living with HIV

Stigma experiences, well-being and medication adherence in gay men living with HIV If you live in England, Northern Ireland, or the Republic or Ireland and are over 18 years of age, been living with HIV for over a year, and have been prescribed HA-ART medication then a researcher from Queen’s University Belfast would like 20 […]

Out of action for a couple of weeks at least

I had a fantastic time over in Bedford seeing Scouting at its best in PHXG Scouts and at Bedfordshire Scouts Indaba as well. After a late night scramble from London back to Bedford Station and back to where I was staying and back to the station and onwards to Luton Airport I made it back to Gibraltar. […]

Weight back to normal :) #teambounce 12-8-6

As many readers will know my weight seemed like it was never going to stop going up, and up, and up. The last time that I weighed myself I knew that it was bad, and it was about 100kg. When I arrived in Gibraltar I had had to buy new pairs of trousers and my suit […]

Disappointment from GHA today

Today, was my second appointment with my new GP here in Gibraltar. I woke up looking forward to it. I was due to get the results of the blood tests done by the Infection Control nurse about a month ago. My last results were back in March in Belfast and were quite good. I went […]