AppleBoy's latest Dr. Appoinments

[appleboy]

Met with the sleep doctor first she is an incredible lady.  She thinks several things just by talking to each other.  These are all possibilities and not set in stone at the moment.  1. Sleep Apnea 2. Narcolepsy now this one shocked me but she said that there are varying degrees of this.  3.  My sleep cycle steps might be out of order.  4.  Could be caused by the medications I am on.  I go in to do a sleep study on the night of May 5th, 2008 at the Sheraton close to the UPenn campus.  The following day they will do what is called a multiple sleep latency study (MSLT).  The Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) is a nap study. It is used to see how quickly you fall asleep in quiet situations during the day. The MSLT is the standard way to measure your level of daytime sleepiness. Excessive sleepiness is when you are sleepy at a time and place when you should be awake and alert. It affects about 5% of the general population. The study is based on the idea that you should fall asleep in a shorter amount of time as your feeling of sleepiness increases. The MSLT charts your brain waves and heartbeat and records your eye and chin movements. The study also measures how quickly and how often you enter the rapid-eye-movement (REM) stage of sleep. Results of the nap study are routinely used to detect sleep disorders.  So that should be quite an interesting study to say in the least but at least it might help find the cause of my sleep issues.  Next I visited the great and wonderful Dr. Hines.  I just honestly think the world of this lady.  She said I looked good and of course I have to agree!  We talked about my most recent lab work.  So here are the important numbers Viral Load 96.  So this is technically not undetectable that is 75.  Dr. Hines has explained this could be just a blip or the fact we are in the margin of error in the PCR testing used to measure the viral load.  So we had blood drawn for another run of this test.  My CD4 count is  834 that is up from about 6 months ago when it was in the mid 500's.   I have no Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, or Syphilis (of course don’t you have to have sex to get these cause I sure ain’t getting none!).  I did ask Dr. Hines about an issue I have with me loosing fat from my butt and thighs and the fact that I am growing Man Boobs and I look pregnant.  She looked at me and said that is not what I want to hear.  So we talked and we are going to switch meds once the new Viral Load test comes back.  The AZT I am taking is causing the loss of fat in my legs and is causing it to move to the gut.  My Sustiva component of Atripla is causing the fat to move to my chest.  So with a change of meds this could help stop this movement of fat.  Kinda depressing on that note!  So my Triglycerides are high and my HDL (good stuff) is low.   My total Cholesterol is actually decent.  I am going to start drinking one glass of wine a day and exercise to help get the Triglycerides down.  So that is the readers digest versions of yesterdays doctor appointments.  By the way I decided to name my gut George.  I am rather upset with my gut but I mean what else can I do but give it a name and make light of it?  I found that laughter and poking fun at the odd things that are happening to me is a great disconnect from having HIV.
AppleBoy

[BubbaPat]

 
Laugh away sunshine.  Laugh away.

I never thought of naming my gut.  I just tell people the TWINS and I are doing good and if the TWINS keep it up, they'll turn into TRIPLETS.

Bubba hugs!
Patrick
oh.. ALL HAIL APPLE!!!

[appleboy]

Thanks Bubba  ,
I tried to get Dr. Hines to write in my chart that I have dickeydo disease.  Dickeydo disease is my belly stick out farther than my dickey do!  HA HA HA!  She found it quite funny but said I don't think the chart readers and higher ups would enjoy it as much as we did. 

[BT65]

Welcome to the world of lipo.

[appleboy]

But I want my ass back!  This honestly gives a new meaning to loosing your ass!  HA HA HA! One of my co-workers bought chuck roasts today after we went to lunch and  I asked her if I should buy some and get a surgeon to put one in each cheek!  Talk about nice firm buns! HA HA HA HA! 
Quick someone slap me before I get out of control! 

[BT65]

I'm trying to think of those jel-things they put in women's boobs.  Maybe you could try that for your ass.  (Damn it, what are they called).

[appleboy]

I think those are called silicone implants and I think that could be awesome!  I just hope they would not pop if I fell on my butt!  I think I like the idea though!