POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: DrewEm on February 05, 2013, 02:51:27 am
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I had dinner with a friend earlier this evening who happens to work for a freight railroad. He will be going on meds soon as his numbers are falling. One of the things we discussed was when I took my meds (daily at noonish). I have a stable office job with flextime so for me compliance isn't an issue.
He works for a freight railroad on the train working as called - meaning he has no set schedule. He isn't always awake at the same time day to day. So we were trying to figure out what he could do.
Anyone else here like him? The airline industry must be similar. He doesn't have enough eniority to hold a scheduled job so that option is out.
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Go for a combination with no or few food restrictions that has a wide margin on timing, eg Prezista + 2 nukes. This will give at least a 4 hour time slot, probably wider, and needs little food eg a sandwich, snack bar, half a carton of milk.
- matt
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half a carton of milk.
I just thought I'd mention that a "half carton of milk" to a Yank would probably mean at least a half quart. You don't really commonly find pint-sized cartons of milk in the US like you do here in the UK. Most Yanks buy their milk in half gallon cartons or gallon plastic jugs. :)
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You don't really commonly find pint-sized cartons of milk in the US
I was gonna say cup, but that is a tiddly little bone china tea drinking thing in England and best part of pint's worth in America.
- matt
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I was gonna say cup, but that is a tiddly little bone china tea drinking thing in England and best part of pint's worth in America.
- matt
;D
I had visions of Yanks thinking you meant they should drink a quarter of a gallon of milk. I love milk and drink it with most meals, but that amount in one go is off-putting even to me!
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The food issue isn't the problem, it's being awake to take it. He sees the doc next week so we shall see what is prescribed.
One thing at the freight roads is the crews always carry snacks and food items since the train can be held for hours in isolated areas.
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Even with an odd, changing work schedule, surely there's at least one time of the day or night when he's awake most days/nights?
Don't forget that most combos today have a couple hours leeway either side and don't have to be taken at the exact same time, down to the minute, every day. What's usually most important is that they ARE taken every day. Particularly once an UD VL is achieved.
I usually take my meds somewhere between one and seven PM, generally around three or four PM, but it can and does vary. I achieved an UD VL within six months (probably within four, but I didn't have labs done at that point - VL=65 at three months), and was only taking my combo at the same time every day for the first month, if that. Like I said, what's most important is that they are taken EVERY day.
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My dad worked the Extra Board early in his railroad career. It can be hard to get sleep, let alone have some semblance of an orderly life.
I'd say he looks at his last six months or so of work. Then pick a timeframe where he was awake most of the time. That becomes his dosage time. On days where he is asleep at that time, he can dose before bed or when he first rises.
If he can dose six days out of seven at the same time and one day, he's a couple hours off, he should be fine.
The real problem will be if his meds screw up his digestion and he needs access to a bathroom at odd intervals. He needs to carry wet wipes in his kit for emergencies.
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Thanks all, especially Antaglio! - you understand how hellish the extra board can be. We're going to look over his assignments and see what he usually is awake for. We have agreed that worse comes to worse I will call and wake him around dose time if he is off duty.
Due to the Caifornia Metrolink accident train crews can not have cell phones "alive" while on duty so if he is on the train he will be on his own. This is no problem with today;s meds.