Since I have been on dialysis, I have been having real difficulty with adherence for my HIV medication. This has been because of the regime including 1 tablet once a day, 1 once a week, and 1 once every 96 … Continue reading Change in medication
Back in December 2018, I gained a medical device in my chest called a permacath that allowed for haemodialysis. Since the autumn of 2019, this has now been carried out via the arteriovenus fistula in my upper left arm rendering the permacath redundant. Therefore, I am pleased to report that it is the end of the line for the permacath. Last week I was told that it would be taken out on Friday 28th February, but yesterday I received a telephone call from the dialysis unit informing me that there was a slot available this Friday, did I want it? … Continue reading End of the line…
Last week, just before Christmas, I requested a change in my dialysis shift to help me to get back to work. Having three days out of five of the working week on dialysis only meant I had the opportunity to … Continue reading New Year: new days for dialysis – from next week
Yesterday, I had my latest trip to the Guide clinic at St James’s University Hospital in Dublin. The doctor annoyed me by constantly touching my leg – so much so that I told her, If I touched you, the way you are touching me, it would be assault.” Fortunately, this made her stop and think. I have been debating whether I should let the clinic know officially. The clinical information that I received were the results of the blood test from my visit in November. Viral Load is undetectable still – which is great news. CD4 level is 573. Again … Continue reading Results and no meds collected
So today is the first anniversary of a few that are coming up. A year ago today, I went to Port Laoise Accident and Emergency Department believing myself to be dehydrated. For the week before, I had been unable to … Continue reading A bear prepares for anniversaries
It is coming up on a year since my kidneys failed. It has been a year of readjustments. Still the readjustments are needed. I am more or less settled into the rhythm of dialysis three times a week. Currently, I get it on the afternoons of Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. So, for those days I have to be in Portarlington by 1.15 pm so that I can be got to Tullamore for dialysis by 2 pm. I am often lucky to be home by 7 pm. For the last few weeks, I have been consistently arriving for dialysis under my … Continue reading feeling a bit down
Today, I heard some news that is really good. The referral to have the permacath in my arm has been made. This is now possible because the fistula in my left arm is working well, and there are now two … Continue reading Dialysis progress
Readers may be interested in more HIV blogs from around the world. You can read the Top 50 HIV blogs which includes this one. Continue reading More HIV blogs
Those of us who live with HIV face prejudice from the world around us in many ways. Sometimes this prejudice is very blatant, other times it is in the background, but still there. Examples include: believing that only certain groups … Continue reading A few recurring prejudices about living with HIV
