Story

So about a month ago I was asked by JD Smith to write a story for a book being released by OutServe. I wrote about my experiences being gay and having HIV in the military. I wasn't expecting too much out of it and I wasn't really expecting my story to be picked but today I got news. I got a email from JD today saying that my story made the cut from the publisher and the book is schedualed to be released after the repeal of DADT. I should be getting the edited version of my story back sometime this week or next. I will try to post the story if they allow me too.

Hope Alumni

Went today to the first Hope Alumni Group that I've been to in a long time. It was great seeing two of my fav guys who run the group. I will be going back next week on Monday at 1300. Hope Alumni Group is a group for poz military members that is held at Naval Medical Center San Diego on every Monday. It is a really good group for anyone who is interested. You can be newly diagnosed or been poz for years, it dosn't matter. It is a way for some of the older guys who have more experience to share their stories with those of us who havn't been dealing with this as long. Today we spoke about side affects of some of the meds and what kinds of things you should tell your doctor and things such as that. Everyone come into the group with an open mind and it is left up to us to decide what we want to talk about each week. Most guys only go once a year when they have to go to yearly evals but I find it helpful to go as often as I can. I strongly recommend for anyone who can find a group like this to go to it atleast once and see if you like it. Heard of a new website today (well new to me). I have not checked it out yet but plan on it tonight. www.beingalive.org

Off Topic

This blog is going to be off topic but it is something that is going to effect every military member serving to defend our freedom. This government shut down is going to be a hard blow for all of us. We are expected to still go to work but just not get paid for it. How am I suppose to pay my bills if I don't get paid. It's not like the government pays us that much to begin with and most of us live pay check to pay check. Who is going to stand up and defend us while we are trying to defend our country. I do not agree with this at all and something has to be done about it, but what can we do except make our voices heard. There is a group that has started on Facebook "Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011". It was just started alittle over 24 hours ago and already has almost a million members who are standing up and saying that it is wrong that we not get paid. I even sent a message to the local news channel here and told them about the group and trying to get them to do a news article on it so we can get our voices heard. Everyone should look it up and join it, the more people we get to join the greater our chances of being heard are. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=208173649210797 That is a link to the page for the group. LETS STAND UP AND MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD. WE WILL NOT SIT BACK QUIETLY AND LET THE GOVERNMENT JUST WALK ALL OVER US!!!!

OutServe

I know I have posted about our OutServe HIV workgroup on Facebook before, but I just wanted to let people know that today OutServe published it's first online magazine targated towards LGBT service members. As of right now the magazine is only avaliable online but it is said that they hope to have the next issue in print and avaliable on certain bases. They are not sure as to which bases it will be avaliable on yet. This is a major step for those of us who serve. This organization offers a place for us to connect in private and not worry about being repromanded (s/p?) from our Commands or DoD. Check out there site www.OutServe.org

Labs

So went Wednesday to have more labs drawn. My triglisorides (sp?) had gone down and were in the normal range so I guess that is one thing to be happy about. Not really sure whatelse I want to write about today but I just felt like I needed to do a post.

I'm not sure if I like the way that the Infectious Disease Clinic is changing there program up. Normally we go once a year for a 3 day class. Now they are making it a 1 day class every 6 months. I guess it is better that way so that people are not out of work as long but personally I kind of like having the time off from my everyday routine. I think they are going to be pushing too much information in too short of a time and people are not going to get half of what they need. But that is just my opinion.

Talked to Dr. Johan about possibly looking into getting my blog out there so others can read it. She gave me some good ideas like looking into TheBody.com or Poz.com and seeing if one of those sites will publish it on their website. I also gave her permission to tell people about our OutServe HIV group on facebook and that if anyone wanted to join then they could send me a message and I would invite them in.

Well I guess that is all I really have to say. Will try to post more later.

OutServe HIV Workgroup

I just wanted to do a quick post about our OutServe HIV Work. As of right now it is only for Active Duty people with HIV. It is an invite only work group and totally private. If you want to be added to it and you are on Active Duty send me a message on here and I will get you an invite. We post questions ranging from medications to DOD policy and procedures. It just started less then 2 weeks ago so we are trying to get the word out there.

Been just over a year

So I know it has been a really long time since I have updated my blog and I'm not going to go through everything that has happened to me in the past year because that would just take forever to do. I promise I will try to keep it more uptoday from now on.

Just a little about the past year. I was put in the hospital for depression and suicidal idiations. Because of that I am now going through the PEB process and being discharged from the Marine Corps. PEB is a med board proscess and I am not sure how much longer it is going to take.

I just had my yearly evaluations at Naval Medical Center Balboa. For the most part it went pretty smooth. They told me that my CD4 count was back up to 1032 and my viral load is down to 4915. I think that is really good being that when I had my numbers checked in December my CD4 count was down around 700 and my viral load was up ablove 8000. Also like I said it has been a year and I am still not on any medications at all. I did however find out that strand of the virus I have is resistant to Sustiva so no taking Atripla for me when I do have to finally start medications.

I got a few more lab results back that the doctors are alittle worried about. My Trigliserides (I can't spell) are really high, my blood is acidic, and my liver enzimes are really high. I have to return this coming Wed to have another set of labs drawn up.

That is all I am really going to go into about this past year right now. Maybe as I write more blogs I will recap on with has happened in this past year. Oh ya if anyone has any idea of how I can get my blog out there better but still keep my idenity safe let me know on here.

Another good website I found out about during my yearly evaluations is
www.dcfukit.org

Thanks again and I hope now that I'm back at it I can get more readers.