Biweekly Peer Support Call

[Tonny2]

          ojo.         Hello there!… how long do these calls last?…. I have dinner every day at 7 PM and I would like to participate. Thanks….hugs

[leatherman]

usually about an hour and a half, because we are a chatty group of 3-5 people usually. There's plenty of time for you to eat and jump in on the call with us.

We also do a once a month get-together (a Saturday morning, 10am EST) that's usually 5+ people from North America and Europe just chatting, although the floor is always open to peer support needs.

[kentfrat1783]

I would like to participate

We would love to have you come and chat with us, @Tonny2.  I too usually eat around 7PM but i change it up. Even if you came in at 7:30 that would be cool.  We always have the main topic, get off topic and then get back to the agenda.  Never worry about showing up late. 

Have you used a therapist in the past? What were your thoughts or overall experiences?

I'm looking forward to this chat, on November 24th, as I think I need to understand what a therapist can do and how to find on that I can connect with.  That's the issue being in a small town and now sure what decent options are online. 

[numbersguy82]

Happy “almost” Thanksgiving to all the members who celebrate. Our next peer support call is this upcoming Friday at 7pm. If you’d like to be added to the meeting, please PM me your email address. This week’s link may go out late, or perhaps arrive the evening of, as I am traveling for the holidays and don’t have my personal laptop with me- only my work one. Looking forward to having a rousing discussion about Talk Therapy! See everyone then!

[kentfrat1783]

I'm looking forward to our upcoming peer support call tomorrow (11/24) at 7 PM EST for a Talk Therapy chat and to see what all we have been into in the past few weeks. 

Let @numbersguy82 if you would like added to the link and we will get you added.

[numbersguy82]

It was a fantastic meeting this evening. Topics discussed were talk therapy, peer sponsorship and its potential within the HIV community, drug interactions, what we disclose to which doctors, and a few off-topic convos around Black Friday and unrest around the globe.

Thanks to everyone for joining, and next session is facilitated by @Leatherman. As always send me a PM with your email to be included. These are becoming super fun as well as informative.

[kentfrat1783]

I enjoyed our conversation as always and I liked the discussion aroud Peer Sponsorship as it realtes to the HIV community.  This would be a great resource for anyone that has HIV, especially those that are newly diagnosed, to help answer questions when need and give support.

Just stinks the resoruces for such a great thing are lacking. 

[numbersguy82]

Happy Holidays Everyone. Our next Peer Support call is scheduled for this upcoming Friday, December 8th. The email invites have just gone out but if you would like to be added, please PM with your email address.

This week will be a fun one as we are having an OPEN topic hour. So any topic, any questions, all hour-ish long. Should be fun and also great fellowship with everyone. See you then~ Alan

[leatherman]

Sorry, I won't be there this time.

This past weekend, we went to our friends' Christmas party and Parade watch in a little town about 15 miles away. This Friday night, we're having some friends over to see the night time Christmas parade in our town. It wasn't until the other day that I realized this event and the parade clashed times...and yes, I'm choosing the parade over chatting with y'all. LOL

I'll miss y'all though. And I'll see you next time!

[numbersguy82]

Sorry, I won't be there this time.

This past weekend, we went to our friends' Christmas party and Parade watch in a little town about 15 miles away. This Friday night, we're having some friends over to see the night time Christmas parade in our town. It wasn't until the other day that I realized this event and the parade clashed times...and yes, I'm choosing the parade over chatting with y'all. LOL

I'll miss y'all though. And I'll see you next time!

You know you’ll be missed dearly! I wanna hear all about your adventures on our next call 😘

PS if your weather is anything like Boston’s, wear your fur lined undies!

[numbersguy82]

A fun “freestyle” call last evening. We spoke about grief and loss of family, the holiday runaround, our fave grocery store chains, and maybe a few topics that I can’t post here. Next up will be our last call of the year on December 22nd. The topic will be posted here by that meeting’s facilitator @KentFrat1784

Consider joining us as we bid farewell to 2023 and look ahead to the New Year.

[Tonny2]

        ojo.         Hi there!…I finished my dinner and I was about to geab my cell phone to join you guys for the first time when somebody rang my doorbell,  my sister and her husband stopped by “to celebrate” the end of my sister’s radiation treatment…Well, I guess next time. Thanks for the invite tho…sorry Adrian…hugs to the community

[kentfrat1783]

Topic: What a Year it has been
Date: 12/22/2023
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (or later depending on the conversation)

I enjoyed this week's "freestyle" call as I think we all needed it with things going on.  Then again when we have to Google people/businesses throughout the conversation it makes it quite hysterical.

Let's end the Year on a positive note (no pun-intended) and celebrate what we have been able to accomplish or even working on accomplishing. 

Many times we are looking in the past of what we "didn't do", looking into the future of what "I could do", but don't take the time to celebrate what we "have accomplished".

my sister and her husband stopped by “to celebrate” the end of my sister’s radiation treatment

This is awesome new @Tonny2, and a good reason why you weren't able to attend.  I just hope she is doing better now.

https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=77368.0

Don't forget we have another meeting this Sunday (12/17) at 11:00 AM EST.  Let Jim know if you want to attend.

[Jim Allen]

maybe a few topics that I can’t post here.

 

[numbersguy82]

As 2023 draws to an end, join us Friday December 22nd (7pm EST) for our last peer support call of the year. @KentFrat1783 will be facilitating and recapping the joys, successes, and stresses that this year has brought us.

If you’d like to take part please either PM myself, @leatherman, or Kent and provide us your email to access the meeting link. Again this session will be titled “What a Year it has been”

Happy Holidays and season’s best to all of you!

[numbersguy82]

Greetings! The email and link for tomm's call just went out. Please PM me if you didn't receive it or wish to be added. See you all then ~ Alan

[Tonny2]

           Hay Can Mind Thank You Period sofá So Good
        oko

[numbersguy82]

           Hay Can Mind Thank You Period sofá So Good
        oko

Tonny I added your email to the invite, in case you can join us. Cheers

[Tonny2]

M.        ojo.         @numbersguy?, I forgot the numbers… thank you my friend, I got the invite yesterday and I was planning to attend but I just got a dinner invitation hopefully it won’t be a long sinner… thanks again my friend, can I call you friend?…hugs

[kentfrat1783]

Oh what a great call tonight. Always nice meeting up with friends and making new friends.

Many topics were talked about but we started off with “What a year it has been” and going over our years. Some good, some bad, some realizations but remembering to live.

Then we diverted topics but kept coming back to the Christmas theme. Some of the other topics related to moving, new careers, illnesses that trees and pandas have, how some shows (like Frazier) couldn’t be produced today, political hypocrites and fun some may have in office (various context of “office”), and how some people wound up with their wives.

In the end we met a new record of 2 hours on our call but only felt like 30 minutes. That’s what happens when you have you are with friends.

Next meeting - January 5, 2024
Time - 7:00 PM EST
Topic - New Year - New Goals and Aspirations

Let us know if you would like to attend. We would love to have you.

[numbersguy82]

What a fantastic time per usual. You paraphrased that recap much better than I could have 😅 can’t wait for the next one.

[Tonny2]

Tonny I added your email to the invite, in case you can join us. Cheers

            ojo.            Sorry My friends for that post, I wasn’t drinking, he was a quick post that I didn’t revised…hugs

[numbersguy82]

Happy New Year everyone. 2024 is a renewed opportunity for fellowship, community, and peer support. Join the gang this Friday at 7pm EST as we discuss the new year ahead, and our goals and aspirations for 2024.

Invites via email will go out later in the week so DM myself, Leatherman, or KentFrat1783 to be added.

[Jim Allen]

Happy New Year everyone. 2024 is a renewed opportunity for fellowship, community, and peer support. Join the gang this Friday at 7pm EST as we discuss the new year ahead, and our goals and aspirations for 2024.

Invites via email will go out later in the week so DM myself, Leatherman, or KentFrat1783 to be added.

I am not 100% sure I'll make it this week, but if I don't, I hope you guys have a great call. My goals remain the same for 2024, upsetting people one at a time 2024, particularly the younger generation (easy target), contuining supporting the trans community (I might not be the support they want, but sometimes need for the moment) and advocating eating real food.

[numbersguy82]

I am not 100% sure I'll make it this week, but if I don't, I hope you guys have a great call. My goals remain the same for 2024, upsetting people one at a time 2024, particularly the younger generation (easy target), contuining supporting the trans community (I might not be the support they want, but sometimes need for the moment) and advocating eating real food.

Those all seem on brand for you. I hope you can make it, but if not we understand. We will just catch up on the next Saturday gathering. I don’t even know yet what I’m resolving to do in 2024… thus far (since I’m on vacation) it’s been to watch nothing but Midsomer Murders and eat way too much.

[Jim Allen]

Those all seem on brand for you. I hope you can make it, but if not we understand. We will just catch up on the next Saturday gathering. I don’t even know yet what I’m resolving to do in 2024… thus far (since I’m on vacation) it’s been to watch nothing but Midsomer Murders and eat way too much.

I think sometimes we tend to rush into setting ourselves resolutions, and that can lead to unrealistic goal setting or too many resolutions.

Hope to make it tonight, we see how the day goes and if I can get a nap in at lunchtime. Didn't get any sleep last night ... Teenagers 

[Jim Allen]

Great call, the best one so far this year

Topics discussed included: Goals for 2024, Aging, HIV treatments past and present, and HIV Advocacy, drawbacks of the airfryer.

[Tonny2]

         ojo.          Sorry guys, once again, I couldn’t make it. About the topic of the all medications I would have loved to share my experiences with them, specially Nir and abacavir… anyway, I hope I will see you January 28…hugs

[numbersguy82]

Sorry to have missed this week… and when air fryers were discussed!!! Next up on 1/19 is @Leatherman facilitating with a topic TBD. DM him or Kentfrat1783 to join in.

[BalkanLad]

Hi guys! Not sure how this works, but would definitely love to join in next time!

[leatherman]

but would definitely love to join in next time!

we will add your email address to the list and send you an email, probably around the middle of next week, with a link to our Google Meet room.

See you on Fri 1/19!

[numbersguy82]

Looking forward to this upcoming group session. I am struggling to maintain the “Peer Support” moniker. I wanted to start this meet up because my friendship with @Leatherman and others lifted my spirits and made me feel less alone. @Leatherman has an extensive history with HIV activism and navigating groups, panels, and seminars. He brings a LTS’ point of view as well as a medical one.

When we are fortunate to have him, @JimAllen dispenses really hard hitting facts and delivers them like no one else could (ie a wicked sense of humor). @kentfrat1783 supplies the inspiration as someone more newly diagnosed but excelling at nutrition, fitness, and positivity.

For my part I bring nothing like that. I am simply a guy who has largely ignored his dx for the past 14 years, and done mostly the wrong things along the way. However I wanted a space for all of us to come together.

If you read “Peer Support” and assume these are calls with a clinical feel and a group structure that you’ve found elsewhere, you may be disappointed. However if you’d like to come together with likeminded HIV positive people from varying walks of life, then we encourage you to join in.

Lastly this isn’t a POZ sponsored group. I personally pay the monthly fees to enable our group to meet. There isn’t an agenda within our group other than friendship, community, HIV fellowship, and many laughs along the way.

I hope that this properly sets expectations. I know that personally these meetups have changed my entire outlook on life and my diagnosis. I’d love to share that with others.

Ok- so @Leatherman has chosen some Ryan White centric themes (Quality measures) for this week. We will discuss that, our personal lives, and probably laugh way more than we should. Hope to see you there!

[leatherman]

some Ryan White centric themes

After the last week I've been through,
we could also talk about more peer-support-ish things like:

Dealing with recurring minor health issues
The mess that is the insurance system in America
Are there differences between male and female doctors?
What to do when the pharmacies screw up your meds and you're going to run out?

For my part I bring nothing like that. I am simply a guy who has largely ignored his dx for the past 14 years, and done mostly the wrong things along the way.

Don't discount your POV and what you bring to peer support. Everyone's situations and thoughts about treatment are uniquely theirs. I think part of Peer Support is pointing out the situations and thoughts that aren't unique; but are incredibly similar. (For example, I've ignored my diagnosis several times in my life. Once put me in the hospital near death. "Done wrong things along the way"? Oh boy! I think we've all done those.) Some peer support is pointing someone to the right resource, and some is simple commiseration. Sometimes knowing you're not the only one having issues/thoughts/concerns is enough to give a patient stress relief, the umph to get out there and get an issue corrected, or just some moral support

If you read “Peer Support” and assume these are calls with a clinical feel and a group structure that you’ve found elsewhere, you may be disappointed. ....
Lastly this isn’t a POZ sponsored group.

Of course, our biggest issue really has been that very few people have taken us up on our offer of peer support. After our first year, we've had the core group (you, me, kent) with 4-5 others showing up occasionally. You're right about that giving us a much less than clinical feel. Hopefully moving forward, we'll continue to get more people to drop in and we can work on having more structured meetings.

[Tonny2]

        ojo.        Hi all!… I tried to join yesterday, but I don’t know what happened that I didn’t get an answer to join you guys. Maybe next time…hugs

[leatherman]

Sorry if it wasn't made clear Tonny. the next Peer Support Call will be this coming Friday 1/19. We're trying to meet up every 2 weeks.

[Tonny2]

         ojo.        Thanks Leatherman, I’m not sure. if I did something wrong. I’m not a savvy nerd, lol. I remember the first time that I talked to you and Jim as Iclicked and terdon joint and that was iI , yesterday I did the same but I got a message to wait for something. So I wasn’t sure what to do. Maybe next time…hugs

[leatherman]

yesterday I did the same but I got a message to wait for something. So I wasn’t sure what to do. Maybe next time…hugs

we didn't have a call yesterday and that's why you couldn't connect. 
the call is this upcoming friday. You'll get an email with the link later this week.

[Tonny2]

                   ojo.        Ah!, well, I’ll see you then…gracias

[Tonny2]

            ojo.         Hi again. I missed numbers82 pist and it made me think that I might not be a good person to offer support because all of my illnesses, a conditions that I’m living with that it might be a little too much for other people who are looking for peace of mind I don’t know. It’s just a thought. What say you?…hugs

[numbersguy82]

            ojo.         Hi again. I missed numbers82 pist and it made me think that I might not be a good person to offer support because all of my illnesses, a conditions that I’m living with that it might be a little too much for other people who are looking for peace of mind I don’t know. It’s just a thought. What say you?…hugs

Happy New Year Tonny! I’m sorry about the confusion, but I sincerely hope you join us on Friday January 19th at 7pm EST. Ok all of that official stuff aside, you would be a fantastic addition to our calls. You are wonderfully enthusiastic, positive, and you bring so much history in coping with HIV. Im certain that you’d get as much out of our calls as you’d add to them! Hope to see you then!

[Tonny2]

        ojo.      @numbers82, thanks my friend. You sound like a great guy and I’m sorry that you had to deal or you are having problems to deal with the diagnosis but, after leaving to nine years of overtime, trust me, there is life after an HIV diagnosis. We just got your turn, the page, sometimes some of us need to forgive each other for our acquiring, the virus, there are rollers that have mentioned that after getting the diagnosis they felt dirty. Even though that back in the day we used to make plans for our funerals. Well now at days we can make plans for the future but all that we need to do needs to be more positive now that we ,. .are . I hope and with this call, we get to know each other and learn from each other.


It is funny that I couldn’t be with you guys in your previous calls and yesterday I was available, but there was no such a call. and yesterday that there wasn’t a call, I was there…hugs


Ps please forgive my typos I’m dictating and my cell phone types whatever it wants and read to me whatever it wants

[Tonny2]

         pjo.        * Now that we are positive we have to be more positive.*

[kentfrat1783]

Hey everyone.   I hope you are doing great and I'm looking forward to seeing you this Friday (01/19/2024).  I'm sorry I missed the last one but my life got busy but feels like things are getting back on track.

I am struggling to maintain the “Peer Support” moniker.

I do appreicate you @numbersguy82 will being the moderator of these Peer Support Calls and I'm not more involved as I know I should. I do have a Google One account so I wonder if on the nights I'm the MC that I could help out more. I do relaize it becomes a lot of work when many think it only takes a few minutes. 

Now that we are positive we have to be more positive.

I'm looking forward to seeing you @Tonny2 or at least hearing you if you don't have your camera on.  I also have made similar jokes at work and not sure if people have caught on with my status, but we need to have a positive attitude. 

Dealing with recurring minor health issues
The mess that is the insurance system in America
Are there differences between male and female doctors?
What to do when the pharmacies screw up your meds and you're going to run out?

I think all of these will be a good topic for our next meeting @Leatherman, but I'm sure the topic will divert at times. 

It also connects well with the start of the new year and how things can get messed up with insurance changes (even if you didn't think you had a change).

See all of you in a few days.  Hugs

[numbersguy82]

Howdy Everyone. The Google Calendar invite just went out. If you want to be added please PM me your email address. Have a great Thursday and see you tomm evening!

[leatherman]

This past call we chatted about two main issues: funding for our health care and the quality of health care that we receive.

Unlike citizens living with HIV in many other countries, American PLWH get health care and prescription medications through a hodge-podge system of medical insurance, prescription insurance, ADAP (aids drugs assistance program, a part of the Ryan White Care program), cash, social security and social security disability programs. A change in any of those can impact whether you always have access to daily ARVs.

The Ryan White Care Act, the principles of which helped formed the ACA (Affordable Care Act), has a quality management program built in that tracks a selection of health care actions that should be a part of everyone's health care. Tracking items like screenings for other STIs, case management, PCP prophylaxis, viral load suppression, retention in care, and gap in medical care visits not only guarantees that each patient is given a quality standard of care but helps to identify how clinics need to improve in those areas.

I'd like to thank our member from Europe who was up in the middle of the night chatting with us. I know a lot of the chat was American-centered; but we did really enjoy hearing from you and hope you had a nice time. Hopefully we can meet up with you again at the next Monthly Virtual Meeting (1/28)

[Tonny2]

          ojo.            @ Leatherman…. there are some new members, I remember, that they said that they feel dirty, etc., etc. I wonder if you guys have taken that topic. I always wonder why they feel that way…hugs

[numbersguy82]

Hello everyone. This week’s call will be focused on options for support: Therapy, Group sessions, peer sponsorship, etc. We will discuss what has worked for us in the past and what has been a miss.

PM me or @Leatherman if you’d like to take part. The invite will go out later today so check your inboxes/calendars!

[leatherman]

Thanks for keeping us on track with such good topics!

[numbersguy82]

Thanks for keeping us on track with such good topics!

It may be an intimate meeting for two… should we light candles 🤣

[Jim Allen]

I'm not sure if I'll still be awake, but if I am, I'll drop in.