Forgotten memories from the early days- revived with Coronavirus

[Dfwguy]

With the coronavirus pandemic, has  anyone else had a recent reemergence  of  forgotten memories and feelings from back in the early 1980’s days of hiv and aids?

Yesterday, I saw our letter carrier delivering mail while wearing a mask. That brought
Back a forgotten  memory of  The  80’s, when our local postal workers refused to deliver mail to ‘gay houses’. And  the talk of ‘quarantining” - yikes - I recall those scary discussion.

  We are long term - 35 years ! - and still hanging in there. Stay safe and be well, my friends

[em]

for myself isolation was self imposed

now everyone is being made to do this

I did many years ago have an eye doc appointment were the person doing the exam new about my HIV and how it was AIDS . so to examine my eyes  they wore a protective suit gloves tape around his wrists mask and face shield.

now all the health care workers taking the same precautions with all their patients . 

this brings back a memory

[em]

lessons learned from HIV that people now could use

it is a long journey

filled with  hardship

and as far as isolation you might get used to it . in this ever changing world

this might be the new normal

 

[Grasshopper]

Not really. Thank God I live and tested positive in 1992 in Amsterdam. Never has any healthcare worker appoached or treated me in gown and gloves....except...the last time I was hospitalized in 2001, and that was only for the first week. I was put in immediate isolation because the biopsy came out positive for some form of TB. When it finally was determined to be MAC (Mycobacterium Avium Complex), and that I was no longer infectious, the staff and my visitors no longer needed to wear protective gear.

Not even my dentist made an issue out of it.....her twin brother also had AIDS.

[em]

this was a good one from thirty or so years ago . I was invited to speak at a VA hospital.  there was this room filled with people dying from AIDS. I sat at a round table
everyone had taken a turn to speak. I did not . one of then said and you ( my name here ) so you anything to say today ) I looked  around and off the cuff said . I just wish the healthcare industry would stop just sitting on their hands and twiddling their thumbs  do something to help end this disease because  we do not have much time left . this other guy then said while in a wheelchair he said what we need to do is invite a whole bunch of HIV + girls here and have a party then he laughed so loud and proud. the guy that said my name then said leave it you my friend to bring a smile and joy to us .  anyway that was thirty or so years ago now .. over the next few years my ID doc would sit down during my appointment and twiddle his thumbs in protest of what I said .

what does that have to do with the here and now .   we could all use something to lift our spirits give us hope and joy give us the chance to throw our heads back and loud and proud show how happy we can be on the inside .  a smile is the most powerful tool to live through what  life throughs at you 

all the best to you

EM

[em]

old memory

when I was a teen ager helping my uncle at the garage he worked at

this car came in . no one would touch it

I sat in the driver's seat . my uncle told me not to . the car belonged to a guy who was sick.

you can not get HIV AIDS from just sitting in car of someone who has full blown AIDS

but you are exposed to the residual DNA of the surroundings of the virus that weakens your immune system ..

the really cool car was maybe Arthur Ashes car o well maybe someday I will tell he rest of the story .

believe it or not ? hey I am actually related to the Ripleys maybe he was a relative ?


only one theory many more out there ? you never know where the river starts or stops . until you follow each and every path .


just a thought a what if ? who knows the truth anymore . this was on the internet so therefore it must not be true ?


maybe in my next life ? I will be able to do more go higher and achieve some sort of story telling skills worth reading and worth telling

EM

just another tall tail from the US to UK to the rest of the world .

[em]

incase you don't know what Ripley's
believe it or not is  it is a US thing sorry north east ? like you are from europe or some place across the pond
it is like the reverse of the guiness book of world records in the UK < sorry ireland

hey I am actually related to the Ripleys maybe he was a relative ?

I wonder if I have any relatives in europe UK ireland ?

could be . I do know by noes I am part native american indigenous people and part european  celtic anglo saxon  to other roots that run even deeper
sorry what does this have to do with HIV . I would not be surprised if alexander the great who died of a fever died young . had HIV AIDS way back when .

just saying the candle that burns twice as bright lasts half as long .

I hope this makes sense to someone out there

old memories .  revived with coronavirus actually the fear of nasty things happening gets my mind into a state of shock and it makes me think to find an answer . when the answer can not be found by one person. I hope and feel others are working hard and we shall get through this

life will go on

EM

[Expat1]

 The one memory it brings back is how people who were doing High risk th I vs would ratio alive their behavior. 

Like say only gays got HIM, or gay friends would say that only people who go to the baths get AIDS.

Like MAGAs saying only old people get coronavirus etc. 

Trying  to put out how it is others not us.

[em]

do not mean to high jack any else's thread or nothing

but was just reflecting on that room full of people at the VA dying form AIDS

when I finished talking and the guy who I had known from an HIV AIDS support group

looked at me and smiled and said leave it to you to bring a smile to our faces when we need it the most . I left thinking some how some way I had wished I could have done more , cause a room full of dying people is a tuff audience  to rap your mind around

it was so sad to see them all in such bad shape

to see a smile brought to their faces and laughter fill the room

I may not have done much but the smiles spoke volumes

EM