I have just been watching the Channel 4 programme Embarrassing Bodies: Live from the Clinic which has Dr Christian Jessen as one of its presenters. Having been told about a new STI Risk checker which they have developed, I went and … Continue reading Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies has an embarrassing problem
Northern Ireland is not that large, yet we have had many, many different systems for record-keeping within the Health & Social Care system. Historically, each hospital had slightly differing forms, and of course each hospital had its own number for you as well as a record of your health while there. To me, in a country the size of Northern Ireland this is sheer madness. It could be that one consultant in one hospital did not know what another consultant in another hospital was prescribing, or even what he thought was wrong with you. All this seems set to change, … Continue reading Perhaps the Electronic Care Record can help us stop brushing HIV under the carpet in Northern Ireland
NAT has produced a great factsheet about the introduction of PIP in the United Kingdom which from this year will start to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Today the system goes live in Great Britain, but not yet in Northern Ireland (as usual we have to wait a bit). From June 2013: New claims for PIP will be accepted from across the UK (October 2013 in Northern Ireland) and no new claims will be accepted for DLA from anyone aged 16-64, unless they are making a renewal claim from a fixed term DLA award which is due to expire before … Continue reading #PersonalIndependencePayment goes live today in GB – have to wait to October for Northern Ireland
Yesterday evening an interview with me about living with HIV in Northern Ireland was broadcast on UTV. You can watch it here UTV Player | HIV in Northern Ireland. (expires 29 days from 29 Nov. 2012) Continue reading Interview with @sharon_utv for #WorldAIDSDay
Well, as I said earlier, I was heading up to the RVH for my regular check up at the HIV Clinic. I got the results of the blood tests that were done in January. In the words of the consultant, The Viral Load is completely suppressed. And the CD4 count is up to 170 and 11% so it is still rising. This is great news. It is not the 200 that I am working towards, but it is still progress. Potential new meds regimen Other good news is that he plans to take me off my current meds and switch … Continue reading Clinic visit: the results, drug news
I have quite a lot of reading to do for the study that I have begun. For those that don’t know, I’ve started a Law course with The Open University. Today, I submitted the second assignment, but I am digressing… However, A Secret Edge is not part of the required reading for my law course, it is a short novel written by Robin Reardon. At only 19 chapters and 258 pages for me it was easy to read in a morning, well an evening in bed and a morning after finishing the assignment. I’m not going to spoil the story so to … Continue reading from a secret edge to a memorial for living…
