POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Pre-HAART Long-Term Survivors => Topic started by: aztecan on March 05, 2014, 10:15:26 pm
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This month marks an anniversary for me, my 18th anniversary of starting HIV meds.
It was in March of 1996 I started Saquinavir, AZT and Epivir. I was 11 years poz at the time, at least, and my numbers were starting to go south.
I took 17 pills a day, all for HIV. I say that because, now that I am somewhat more seasoned (read: tired old queen) I take other meds to offset the ravages of time.
I know, not really exciting news. But I think we really should celebrate the little things in life, not just the big ones.
HUGS,
Mark
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I think its worth celebrating because I remember those days too and there is plenty to celebrate having lived through them .
I remember how excited we were to have viable treatments and how hard it was to hold on to that excitement when we shit our pants at work from the side effects of those meds . You have come a long way baby .
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Oh, the clothes, bed linens and car seats I ruined thanks to Saquinavir.
Those were the days, eh Jeff. You are right, it was hard to hold on to the enthusiasm because of the side effects.
HUGS,
Mark
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I wonder if I can blame my meds for my inability to proof read my post before posting them ?
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Mark, you are a LTS, and that's something to be proud of
yesterday at my weekly , VA-LGBT-support group, they all told me
the same thing, "you survived others did not" is what they told me
what a mild-stone that can be, and a inspiration to many others
live it, be it :D
HUGS
DEN
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Oh, the clothes, bed linens and car seats I ruined thanks to Saquinavir.
HUGS,
Mark
Congrats Mark
I still have compulsions to buy underwear every time I go shopping. OH, what glorious days, eh? It was only in recent years that I finally took the plastic mattress covers off.
hugs
greg
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Congrats Mark
I still have compulsions to buy underwear every time I go shopping.
hugs
greg
I still look at underwear ads, all the time lol. Mark, congrats!
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Congrats Mark
It was only in recent years that I finally took the plastic mattress covers off.
hugs
greg
LOL Betty ;D
hey Gerg
Heck, we still use plastic mattress covers, as you just never know ;D
HUGS
DEN
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That is something to be very proud of. :) If it wasn't for people like you who went through all those terrible side effects, treatments would not be so advanced for people like myself today. Learning i was HIV positive was a big enough shock without having to deal with the side effects you are all describing from the early drugs. I am so happy when i read a great story like this because you seem to be doing so well these days.
I started on Atripla last year and the worst side effect i had was feeling a little tired in the morning and crazy dreams, which i actually really enjoy. Last night i dreamt that i was in the new Katy Perry, Dark Horse video clip and the colours were all just as bright.
I am undetectable with a T-Cell count of 1020. I am forever grateful for what you early HIV patients had to go through. I am happy things have improved so much for you. You should celebrate as much as you want, you really deserve it.
Great work Mark, celebrate whatever you feel like celebrating.
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Hi Mark,
Our timing of numbers going south is almost identical. How lucky we both were.
Happy Anniversary!
hugs,
Mark
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Mark, you have always been my hero.
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Dear Mark,
Happy Anniversary I suppose. Somehow, my celebrating starting AZT in 1988 is not something I can imagine getting too excited about. The marked change in health, yes; the actual experience with the drug, not so much.
Joe
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I say dear Mark grab and celebrate anything that you feel the tiny bit pleased about ,
There has been enough off whatever the opposite is for a village to go through let alone an individual.
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Not sure how I feel about celebrating that but to each his own.
I tried to explain it to one of my friends who congratulated me on not getting sick like everyone else (LTNP here). He meant well and I understood that, but I told him I felt strange being congratulated on achieving something that I had nothing whatsoever to do with achieving. Just the luck of the genetic draw.
Still...I will congratulate you on celebrating something in your life. Lord knows, it's hard to find stuff. So...hip, hip, hooray!!!
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Hey Mark! I think it's definitely something to remember and celebrate, because we MADE IT THROUGH it. I also started Saquinivir in 1996; I can thank that drug for saving my life. Funny how Joe and I had the same thought: there is NOTHING to celebrate about starting AZT in 1988! LOL
After seeing these recent films about our 'early years' and reading Dr. Michael Saag's book Positive, I thought 'I need to dig through my old photograph albums and find my "AIDS years" photos'....but I just can't seem to make myself do it. There are very few of those photos for me to find, because if I saw a camera I went the other way....There's one of me, at 130 lbs, being pushed in a wheel chair in the 1991 Atlanta AIDS walk, and one of me taking a pentamidine treatment....but I really don't have much "use" for those pictures now.
Again, just glad we made it through it all, and glad I know you and other LTSers from A.M.
Love & hugs,
Alan