POZ Community Forums
Off Topic Forums => Off Topic Forum => Topic started by: Miss Philicia on September 16, 2007, 01:04:50 pm
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Yesterday on my way to the Italian Market to forage for raw cow's milk cheese (so that I could get sick) I decided to indulge in some super-sylin' and donned my YSL light jacket and some cool shades. As I checked myself out quickly in the mirror (and Jeromy... I've stolen your fu manchu look as of last week -- so fetching and I must give you style props on that one) I seemed to think that my sunken HIV lipo cheeks had lessened somewhat. My doctor stated that when I commenced my Fuzeon/Prezista regimen that I might see this happen -- not disappear, but lessen by a grade. So maybe now instead of a "3" I now have a "2". Of course, this could all just be wishful thinking, as really I do what I can to always avoid my reflection in a mirror.
ANYWHO... it suddenly hit me. Lipo *IS* fabulous. I mean, there are blue-hair ole bitties on Park Avenue that pay for such severe cheekbones, don't you think? Heroin-chic and all that... it's very Hedi Slimane.
So now I must ponder something: I'm definitely still going to get Sculptra injections, but I'm now thinking I may only have them lessen the lipo by half so that I still maintain some cheekbones. I always used to be a full "moon pie" face. I never lost my baby fat, so when the lipo came along at first it looked really good, and in fact I scored double the amount of cock that I did before lipo... then the lipo kept going and going and going until one day someone wrote on a NYC-based web forum that I looked like a walking mummy. Needless to say that didn't do much to reinforce my over-inflated ego, but I digress.
Enough lipo rambling though. I'm also contemplating joining the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy that's located directly behind my apartment.
http://www.phillymma.com/
Anyone here do kickboxing? I'm hoping they have a small gym too... and lots of Brazilian and Italian instructors.
DISCUSS++
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Am wondering if lipo is a major side effect of all haart meds? I was being kinda vain about not wanting to lose my ass since it is one of my best features...Or does it depend on the person? And those shots, I've heard they are quite pricey, how often to do you have to get it done? Not that I could possibly afford it but was just wondering.
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Funny you should post that. I just this very minute FINALLY got a call back from a local doctor that does Sculptra injections, and he will be doing them for me FOR FREE. The company that manufactures Sculptra has a program for us po' folk, and all you have to pay for is the $50 doctor visit fee. This doctor though said he can fanagle something and bill even that fee to my Medicare so I'll be paying zilch. Hooray!
As far as your other questions Queen I know you're on Atripla and I'm not sure how much of a worry lipo is on that medication, as I've never taken it. The ones that cause so much lipo were the ones people took back in the 90's. Maybe someone else can weigh in on Atripla. Genetics comes into play to though. It's nearly impossible to predict who will get it and how severe it will be.
I'll document my journey with photographs while I go through all of this if that is of any interest to others here.
Oh, and another thing -- this same doctor will be providing all of my HPV monitoring and, in fact, personally knows the lovely Dr. Goldstone who was my ass doctor in NYC. They're going to a conference in Puerto Rico next week so I was dispensing advice on good restaurants and what the best locations are to score hustler cock.
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ps: Milker made fun of my new avatar :(
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ps: Milker made fun of my new avatar :(
no i did not!! you need to take French lessons so you can understand me when I call you
Milker.
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Funny you should post that. I just this very minute FINALLY got a call back from a local doctor that does Sculptra injections, and he will be doing them for me FOR FREE. The company that manufactures Sculptra has a program for us po' folk, and all you have to pay for is the $50 doctor visit fee. This doctor though said he can fanagle something and bill even that fee to my Medicare so I'll be paying zilch. Hooray!
As far as your other questions Queen I know you're on Atripla and I'm not sure how much of a worry lipo is on that medication, as I've never taken it. The ones that cause so much lipo were the ones people took back in the 90's. Maybe someone else can weigh in on Atripla. Genetics comes into play to though. It's nearly impossible to predict who will get it and how severe it will be.
I'll document my journey with photographs while I go through all of this if that is of any interest to others here.
Oh, and another thing -- this same doctor will be providing all of my HPV monitoring and, in fact, personally knows the lovely Dr. Goldstone who was my ass doctor in NYC. They're going to a conference in Puerto Rico next week so I was dispensing advice on good restaurants and what the best locations are to score hustler cock.
Only you would be the one to tell your doc where to score some cock.. ;D Wonders if he will take your advice. So, that is you in the avatar or one of your porn men? Not bad whoever it is, always had a thing for the bad boy look. I am glad you can get your injections for free. I would be interested in knowing how things goes and the pics. Keep us posted.. :-*
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Yeah, that's me.... a "bad boy" with Yves St. Laurent sunglasses (titanium aviator...!)
::bought on sale::
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no i did not!! you need to take French lessons so you can understand me when I call you
Milker.
Between that accent of yours and the sound of a thousand clucking chickens in the background I didn't have a clue what you were saying. I thought you were at AMG, not a Santeria gathering.
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Hi Philly please keep us posted regarding the Sculptra injections. I have always been curious about this. I still have my butt but my face is starting to thin and I'm looking at options. I keep hearing different things about Scupltra and how long it last. It is really GREAT you don't have to pay for this!
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I happen to love your avatar dear. You're a very attractive man.
I have lipodystrophy. I look like I'm six or seven months pregnant. I think the only thing that will remove that would be liposuction. Of course, there's no where around here where they would do it for free (they're all money-grabbing thieves). I'm glad you're going to get your injections done for free. I would love to see your progress, if you're going to post pics. Good luck! And with the kick-boxing.
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I happen to love your avatar dear. You're a very attractive man.
Aren't you the sweetest?!?! But you just know I picked the least liopatrophy apparent photo I could find.
Once I figure out how to use the new camera I bought FOUR months ago (procrastination rules my life) I'll start setting up a web gallery of my facial progress.
I'm just SO ecstatic about finally having this done. I've had these fucking sunken cheeks now for almost a decade. Back in '00 when I was still working I shelled out thousands to have cow fat collagen injected in my face -- oh it was horrific, but it did work for about 8 months until my body quickly absorbed the stuff. By then the lipo was even worse so I totally morphed seemingly overnight into Skeletor. Then around the same time I had a severe wasting episode, so it was double trouble.
Everyone at work constantly queried me about my looks, as before that wasting I was a muscular Chelsea gym bunny... then in a few months shrank to a mummy. Oh, the agony... and imagine what all of that did to my anxiety disorder. Is it any wonder I was popping sedatives hourly???
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your cheeks dont really look too sunken or obvious in the pic. I'll trade my hump,turkey neck,and swollen parotids for your cheeks and pay a differential.
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Congrats on scoring the Sculptra. Regardless you look faboo.
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I'm also contemplating joining the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy that's located directly behind my apartment.
http://www.phillymma.com/
Anyone here do kickboxing? I'm hoping they have a small gym too... and lots of Brazilian and Italian instructors.
DISCUSS++
pic looks like it says DADDI'S TRAINING CENTER :P ou boy, join now, DISCUSS later! :P
i'm kidding. to me it looks a tad bit violent but what do i know
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Aren't you the sweetest?!?! But you just know I picked the least liopatrophy apparent photo I could find...
Okay babe, you say that about every photo, and to me each of them have looked hot!
Anhyhoo, best of luck with the Sculptra. Keep us posted on how it goes. I think we'll need nude shots to truly judge the progress ;)
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OK... here's another picture where it should be more apparent. It's odd though -- you have to see it at certain better angles to get an idea how deep the intentions are. Even this picture doesn't do it justice.
(http://homepage.mac.com/bedstuy65/.Pictures/lipo1.jpg)
I'm going to start making a gallery of better images, but I really need to shave and not look like some dreadful homeless person like I do in this picture. I've been a bit lazy this week.
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I've always been partial to facial hair, and did I mention I'm a sucker for brown eyes :-*.
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Um, you may disagree philly, but i think you look hawt as fuck in that picture.
John
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hmmm.... WHY AM I STILL SINGLE??? :)
... summons the lamentations of the women...
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A smile wouldnt hurt either. My cheeks are very similar to yours but thanks to my parotids look worse.
How long do the injections last?
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I'm really not very knowledgeable about the intricacies of the Sculptra process. I guess it depends on how severe the doctor decides your lipoatrophy is. Frankly, since going on fuzeon/prezista my face has actually regained a bit of fat. All of my friends have made this remark.
I have a friend who has been going to this same doctor that I will go to and I think he said he went monthly for a few months, and then you only need yearly touch ups or something. I'll report more once I meet with the guy.
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A smile wouldnt hurt either. My cheeks are very similar to yours but thanks to my parotids look worse.
How long do the injections last?
Dermik, who makes Sculptra, says it can last up to two years. I've heard from people who said it lasted longer.
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(http://homepage.mac.com/bedstuy65/.Pictures/lipo1.jpg)
How fetching.
:)
-joseph
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Barbara please. I look old and sad in that picture. It's rather obvious that I ran out of my Clarins eye gel and La Prairie moisturizers. Donatella always warned me not to stop.
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Barbara please. I look old and sad in that picture. It's rather obvious that I ran out of my Clarins eye gel and La Prairie moisturizers. Donatella always warned me not to stop.
LOL
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I like your avatar and pic too, Philly. Granted, a little smile would help. But, hey, at least you don't have 41 years of harsh Australian sunlight playing havoc with your skin. You don't have any crows feet around your eyes at all. You can always pick an Aussie in a crowd from the crows feet around our eyes (hence the sunnies in my avatar) from squinting in the Aussie sunlight.
Good luck with the Sculptra. I have two mates that have used it and it was pretty damned good on both of them. As for how long it will last, I think it is an individual thing. For one of my two mates, he only needed two or three initial visits and the results have lasted about 2 years now without the need for any touch ups. The second guy looked great for the first 12 months or so, but has had to have some significant touch ups - I'm not sure whether that was because of the Sculptra losing its effect or from further wasting though.
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sorry, double post
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Philly, after 2 years of never knowing what you looked like, I am very pleasantly surprised given your posts on the subject matter. In fact, I would go a step further and say you are quite strapping... You have to give us a smile in your next trip to the camera.. So with all your med changes and further changes in October, is there any hint that the change may stop further lipo and even allow your body to build back what it has lost? Truly, you would blend into my environment without one person noticing...
Eric
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When I smile the lipo shows up even more :(
Anyway, I'm a closet Amish person and have been so since a young age. When my parents would try and take my picture I'd start to cry and run and hide, thinking that my soul would be stolen and would prevent my potential for imminent rapture.
As far as your question Eric, my lipo stopped progressing and became stable a good five years ago. From what I understand, as I went to a stage 3 lipo the most I could regain naturally is a 2 which is probably what I'm at now. I can only get back to normal with injections. I think if you stopped lipo when you first noticed it at state 1 you MIGHT be able to reverse it mostly. This is just what I've heard -- I have no hard facts to link to.
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I just wanted to say that if one day i would have met you on street, i would have never guessed you were poz, nor someone with lipo. You look pretty fine. And yes... a big smile would be good :)
I bet smiling pic will call the attention of many people in the forums and rank you at the top of the "sexiest member of Aidsmeds forums".
Cheers,
Juan Carlos
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YOUng man, you look fab. Not at all what I expected. Yes, try smiling a bit...have a little joy in your eyes cuz you're still hot. So the next time you express any negatives about the way you look, I'm gonna use your line on ya! "Barbara, Please!"
xxx,
Mike
edited: for better choice of words.
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Congrats on your free Sculptra!!!
Martial arts, uh? Are you planning for extra stretching after the Sculptra experience?
Milker.
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When I smile the lipo shows up even more :(
Anyway, I'm a closet Amish person and have been so since a young age. When my parents would try and take my picture I'd start to cry and run and hide, thinking that my soul would be stolen and would prevent my potential for imminent rapture...
I knew I'd seen you in a smart little white bonnet and grey smock dress somewhere!
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Philly I think you look great! Even though I spent all morning applying for assistance, I am somehow moved to go get my roots done today -- even though I can't afford it.
I am a little disappointed at my lipo face, although after stopping d4T in 2005, I got some of it back. I just have that prominent jaw now, that I'm not used to, aka Hillary Swank or Jennifer Garner, maybe?
Sigh....
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Well, you should check around like I did for this patient assistance program for Sculptra that Dermik Laboratories has. I think the doctor told me that if you make less than $80,000/yr you will qualify -- that's a pretty amazing figure if that's the case. Normally you still have to pay the doctor's fee though for the actual injections, but like I said somehow my doctor is sorting that out so I don't even pay that. Surely there must be some similar resource for you in Baltimore.
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My aunt has been a cosmetologist for years and is involved with that kind of thing. She started as a hair dresser, went to make-up, then spa/facials, then injections and hair replacement. She even commented on what I call my "butt crack" in between my eyebrows, said I could get it filled. That was a year ago or so, I have this furrowed brow look no matter how I try to relax my face. I think its from squinting outside, I have blue eyes. I wear sunglasses, but still, I have the "butt crack" thing going on, too, lol!
So, how uncomfortable is this procedure?......... :o Would Botox do the trick as well?
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I had collagen injections done once back in '01. I can't say it's the most pleasant of experiences to receive ~80 injections in your face, but they do numb you up a bit. Still hurts, but no worse than getting a tattoo. Totally dealable really, plus the doctor who will do my Sculptra said it's no where near that many injections for what he will do with me, though he didn't say how many it actually was. 80 or 40 injections won't make much difference :)
I would not be surprised if I have to have three separate sessions to start with. After that it's totally dependent on how your body reacts to the Sculptra material -- it's not a filler, it's some sort of thing that activates your own body's collagen or something. It's explained better on their web site if you're interested.
I'm just excited about getting it done -- it's like getting a face lift and horribly Palm Beach. I've always wanted to be one of those Palm Beach bitties who traipse around in Lilly Pulitzer outfits and get endless amounts of nip and tucks.