Biweekly Peer Support Call

[Jim Allen]

Purpose/Scope:
The Peer support call aims to create a safe virtual meeting place for anyone living with HIV, regardless of how long they have been living with HIV, who wants to either offer support or gain support from peers with any aspect of living with HIV, including personal issues, stigma, practical problems, experiences, struggles, thoughts, ect.

Facilitator:@numbersguy82

Meeting Schedule:
The Peer support calls will be held biweekly on Fridays, and one of the facilitators will announce the next peer support call date in the thread.

Meeting time: 
4 PM PDT Friday
5 PM MDT Friday
6 PM CDT Friday
7 PM EDT Friday
1 AM CEST Saturday (Central European Summer Time)
1 AM CAT Saturday (Central Africa Time) 

How to join?
Sign up by sending a (PM) private message to @numbersguy82

You will be sent an email invite once you have signed up, a few days before the support call starts. Video conferencing is through Google Meets; sharing your video feed is optional. 

Questions?
Please send a PM

There is also a social Monthly Virtual Gathering https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=77368

[Jim Allen]

I am posting this and setting it as a "sticky" topic on behalf of @numbersguy82, who is going to be facilitating a peer support call.

I believe the first peer support call will be on Friday the 1st of Sept?

[Tonny2]

            ojo.            Hello there!… I wander what might be the main concern that people need support for. In my case, when I was diagnosed instead of worrying, I kept myself busy, and I think that being a busy I didn’t have a chance to any support. I know that everybody’s different, I wish you luck and I’m here if I can support someone.

[Jim Allen]

I wander what might be the main concern that people need support for. In my case, when I was diagnosed instead of worrying, I kept myself busy, and I think that being a busy I didn’t have a chance to any support. I know that everybody’s different, I wish you luck and I’m here if I can support someone.

 

Tonny, I love you, excellent question, although, you know that things were different for us.

Things people could have issues with sharing their HIV status with their families, getting insurance, navigating the healthcare system, digesting just being diagnosed, taking their meds, facing stigma, internalized stigma, accessing healthcare or dental care, the challenges when dating, or just getting laid, getting jobs, travel, and living their lives etc.

I will not even start about the emotional and mental aspects.

Hope to hear soon that the eye surgery went well

[Tonny2]

                 ojo.            Hello Jim, thanks for replying. I love you too, and I admire you. Well, now we have the basis to start with that by Weeekly support group. I wish you guys the best and I might sign up. to see if I can help someone and maybe I would be help too.

[numbersguy82]

Tonny you are doing so great, I bet you’d be a huge benefit to many others on these calls. I look forward to “meeting you” if only virtually.

Just a reminder to you, and anyone else who is interested, to please send me a PM with your email address. I will then make sure you have the instructions and video link (we use Google Meet- but not extra download is required)

Looking forward to the first one in only a few short days!

[numbersguy82]

The link for tomm's Support Call went out. If you didn't receive an email, or you would like to sign up, please send me a PM with your email address.

[Jim Allen]

👍

[numbersguy82]

It was a great inaugural support call this evening. Topics discussed were:

- Neuropathy
- Primary Care providers
- STIs

Next meeting will be in two weeks, Sept 15th at 7pm. The facilitator for that meeting will be Leatherman, and the headlining topic will be: Switching regiments: Why or why not? Additional topics can be volunteered during the call.

[numbersguy82]

It was a great inaugural support call this evening. Topics discussed were:

- Neuropathy
- Primary Care providers
- STIs

Next meeting will be in two weeks, Sept 15th at 7pm. The facilitator for that meeting will be Leatherman, and the headlining topic will be: Switching regiments: Why or why not? Additional topics can be volunteered during the call.

Correction: Next meeting will be in two weeks, Sept 15th at 7pm. The facilitator for that meeting will be Leatherman, and the headlining topic will be: Switching REGIMEN: Why or why not? Additional topics can be volunteered during the call.

Sigh… I wish I could blame autocorrect but I think I was just absent minded when I posted this 😅

[kentfrat1783]

...Sept 15th at 7pm. The facilitator for that meeting will be Leatherman, and the headlining topic will be: Switching REGIMEN: Why or why not?...

I wanted to remind you that we will be having our bi-weekly virtual Support Call Friday. 

Will we see you Friday?

Even if you want to keep your camera off you can, as you can be supportive to others through just your voice.  In turn we can support you. 

Don't forget to message @Leatherman to get the invite. 

[numbersguy82]

Cannot wait for the next one! It’s always a nice time getting together

[leatherman]

Biweekly Peer Support Call

Purpose/Scope:
The Peer support call aims to create a safe virtual meeting place for anyone living with HIV, regardless of how long they have been living with HIV, who wants to either offer support or gain support from peers with any aspect of living with HIV, including personal issues, stigma, practical problems, experiences, struggles, thoughts, etc.

Facilitators: @numbersguy82, @leatherman

Meeting Schedule:
The Peer support calls will be held biweekly on Fridays, and one of the facilitators will announce the next peer support call date in the thread. (https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=77329.0)

Meeting time:
4 PM PDT Friday
5 PM MDT Friday
6 PM CDT Friday
7 PM EDT Friday
1 AM CEST Saturday (Central European Summer Time)
1 AM CAT Saturday (Central Africa Time)

How to join?
Sign up by sending a (PM) private message to @numbersguy82 or @leatherman

You will be sent an email invite once you have signed up, a few days before the support call starts. Video conferencing is through Google Meets; sharing your video feed is optional.

Questions?
Please send a PM

There is also a social Monthly Virtual Gathering
https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=76748.0

[leatherman]

Our main topic for Sept 15th will be "Considering a change in your med regimen"

[numbersguy82]

Fantastic! Looking forward to the call. I hope to send out the meeting link first thing in the morning, but I will add anyone extra up until meeting time.

[leatherman]

Had a good call tonight talking about changing drug regimens.

Good reasons to change are to get your VL to UD or to get away from a negative side effect. Sometimes you might have to change because of costs or changes to your insurance. Another good reason to change is to reduce how many pills you have to take. Of course the new injection med only needs to be taken every 2 months!

We also talked about how we love Arbys and Cedar Point

[numbersguy82]

Had a good call tonight talking about changing drug regimens.

Good reasons to change are to get your VL to UD or to get away from a negative side effect. Sometimes you might have to change because of costs or changes to your insurance. Another good reason to change is to reduce how many pills you have to take. Of course the new injection med only needs to be taken every 2 months!

We also talked about how we love Arbys and Cedar Point

Hey now!!!! Were you posting this while we were still talking LOL

Great to see you and Kent tonight! I am looking forward to meeting (in person) with K this coming weekend in Salem, and hoping that we all can organize a trip to Cedar Point next spring/summer!

[kentfrat1783]

we all can organize a trip to Cedar Point next spring/summer!

Well I have been looking at costs but I think we first need to decide on a time to go. Then again I'd want to go for at least two days at the park.   

On another note, I'll be posting by the end of the week on what next Friday's (9/29) topic will be for the BiWeekly Peer Support Call.  We have a great conversation, do go off topic at time, but most of all help each other. 

I look forward to seeing you their next week.

Kent

[leatherman]

Hey now!!!! Were you posting this while we were still talking ?

LOL I didn't spend 10 years of Ryan White Quality Management meetings in two states taking minutes to not have that committee job down pat.   LOL I just copied over the main points of my outline because we... eventually... talked about all that.  I've got mad office skillz. LOL

[numbersguy82]

Well I have been looking at costs but I think we first need to decide on a time to go. Then again I'd want to go for at least two days at the park.   

On another note, I'll be posting by the end of the week on what next Friday's (9/29) topic will be for the BiWeekly Peer Support Call.  We have a great conversation, do go off topic at time, but most of all help each other. 

I look forward to seeing you their next week.

Kent

Is it the end of the week yet 

[leatherman]

Is it the end of the week yet 

no. it's the end of the world as we I know it. ROFLMAO and apologies to REM

Summer is the BEST; but it's over and I had to close the pool down for the winter.  With the temps at night dipping, the pool lost a lot of much heat. I last got in it Saturday and while the day was nice, sunny and 84F, the water was a ball-numbing very chilly 60F.  I would have safe-worded to get out of that chore if there had been anyone to safe-word to.

To bring this back around to Peer Support, life's not all about HIV; but sometimes it is. If you have issues (and who doesn't?) and would like to chat with us, send a PM to @numbersguy82 or @leatherman and join us Friday(check the opening post in this thread for your timezone).

[kentfrat1783]

no. it's the end of the world as we I know it. ROFLMAO and apologies to REM

Oh, that takes me back to the summers I worked for Upward Bound and the Director loved REM.  Never a day went by without something related to REM. 

Is it the end of the week yet 

Well technically not the end of the week yet, as that isn't until two more days but I'm bad as I got busy and didn't get on the computer last week after I hit PTown then Salem, MA. Time just got away from me. 

But as @Leatherman stated, "life's not all about HIV; but sometimes it is".  Nor does HIV define who we are. 

We hope to see you Friday at 7 PM EST.   

[numbersguy82]

Excited to see everyone tonight. I know Kent will do a great job facilitating this evening. The email invites with the video link have already gone out, but there’s still time to be added- Simply PM me with your email address. TGIF!

[Jim Allen]

Very interesting session. Thanks for facilitating Ken, sorry I had to leave early.

[kentfrat1783]

It was great seeing everyone on tonight and we had an amazing chat about all aspects of life from:
 
-Issues with Triumeq
-Talking to your doctors about your Dx
-How being UD is more important then your CD4 count
-How different time periods of when you were Dx affected when you started treatement
-Differences of having HIV from if your are straight or LGBT
-How we found out about our status

In the end we are better aware of each other, our experience and how HIV has changed us. We just need to remember that HIV doesn't define us but is only a part of us.  We are survivors. 

Next meeting: Friday, October 13th
Topic:  Mental Health and Staying Positive
Facilitaor: @numbersguy82

[numbersguy82]

Next meeting: Friday, October 13th
Topic:  Mental Health and Staying Positive
Facilitaor: @numbersguy82

Ahem I believe we decided on “Mental Health and remaining Positive while being Positive” 🤣

Great call everyone and good job Kent! See you next time!

[kentfrat1783]

Well I also got it right.  I do like how you write it much better.

What I hear and write down doesn't always work.  My bad, but at least I got you to laugh. 

[numbersguy82]

Well I also got it right.  I do like how you write it much better.

What I hear and write down doesn't always work.  My bad, but at least I got you to laugh.

I just fluff it up more (BS artist here) your writing works just fine!

[leatherman]

I just fluff it up more

Been kidding my husband about being a "fluffer"    .....
he's been setting up and "fluffing" Christmas trees. LOL

[numbersguy82]

Been kidding my husband about being a "fluffer"    .....
he's been setting up and "fluffing" Christmas trees. LOL

Honestly I was scared to see how you’d finish the sentence after declaring him a fluffer - could have gone so many different ways 

[kentfrat1783]

Why did that make me think of the movie The Fluffer? 

he's been setting up and "fluffing" Christmas trees. LOL

Did you mean Halloween Trees?  We don't need to be like Lowe's where the left side is Halloween and then look a slight right and it's Christmas.  Ugh

[leatherman]

We don't need to be like Lowe's where the left side is Halloween and then look a slight right and it's Christmas.  Ugh

why, yes! Yes Larry does work for Lowe's

[kentfrat1783]

Well I did hear they were hiring and with as many trips I've been doing lately a second job would be helpful but not sure if I'd actually save money if I worked at Lowe's.  Half of my check went back to Kohl's when I worked their. 

[leatherman]

the lowes employee discount has certainly helped since buying our (75yr old) house five years ago. New giant kitchen window; all the wood for the deck by the pool, 5 dvd/bookcases, and bridge/walkway to front door all built by yours truly; misc plants, shrubs; new dishwasher, bathroom vanity, pavilion canopy on deck; misc light switches, outlets, ceiling fans, google lights, etc.; enough paint to repaint entire inside and outside of the house.

Larry's very lucky to have such a skilled butch handyman husband and I'm very glad for his employee discount. LOL

[kentfrat1783]

Larry's very lucky to have such a skilled butch handyman husband

Too bad you were not up here in Ohio as I could use some help on my place.  Not that I can't do it but I've learned I can't do what I once did and hate the reduced grip.  Ugh. 

[numbersguy82]

Greetings all. Just a reminder that our next Peer Support meeting is this upcoming Friday October the 13th. As usual, this will be a video optional virtual meeting and this time’s topic will be HIV and our Mental Health, staying positive while being positive.

If you’re interested please send myself or @Leatherman a PM (with your email address) and we will make sure you get the Google meet link via that email.

I am having surgery this week, so the link will be going out early, but I will add any late requests on the day of. If you’ve given us your email and dont receive the link by 5pm EST on Friday October 13th, please reach back out. 

See everyone then!

[leatherman]

Too bad you were not up here in Ohio

I was up there for 24 years and sorry but you missed out. LOL Let's see; reasons to not return. The western side is too close to those dreaded "Midwesterners" and all those red fly-over states. The southern part is too mountain-y. The north is too cold! I left because I'm a Southern boy and I shouldn't have to put up with any more blizzards. LOL If we get the chance though to visit my previous in-laws and my OhioFamily, I'll let you know we're coming that way.

I can't do what I once did

why do you think I've done so many projects around here after we bought the house 5 yrs ago in Dec? I'm getting too old for this stuff.....well not right now; but I heard tell that it's coming. I've got one more major project (digging up a portion of yard to rebuild a badly destroyed retaining wall and install a pre-fab pool and fountain) before Dec so I can cross the last major yard project off our 5-Year House Plan. (Mmmm, I love making the lists and crossing things off the lists. All that control and order. shiver)

[kentfrat1783]

This weeks topic: “Mental Health and remaining Positive while being Positive”

Our bi-weekly support call is less then 21 hours away at 7 PM EST on Friday, October 13th.  We hope to see.

If you want to get the link please send a message @numbersguy82 @Leatherman a PM (with your email address).

[numbersguy82]

I love this so much Kent!!!! You did a stellar job my friend. I hope you’re feeling better 😘

[numbersguy82]

Great session this evening. We had our largest turnout yet and the discussion on mental health and hiv care in general went for over an hour. Ofcourse we remained on the call chatting about off topic items for another half an hour or so. Wonderful to see everyone this evening.

Next session is in two weeks and I believe it will be @Leatherman’s turn to lead the discussion with his topic of choice.

[numbersguy82]

Hello everyone. Let me know if you’re interested in joining this week’s call. You can PM myself or @Leatherman your email address to be added to the invite.

I believe this week’s topics will touch on both navigating Ryan White and also cd4s and their role in our own HIV metrics.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday!

- Alan

[kentfrat1783]

Anyone have a few extra CD4's they want to toss my way?  LOL  Sorry, bad joke.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow (10/27), learning more about the  Ryan White Foundation and the role of CD4's.  Then again I'm sure we will talk about many other topics and great conversation with friends.

[numbersguy82]

Good morning and TGIF, I am sending out the meeting invite now. If by chance you don’t receive the email just let me know.

For Gmail recipients, there may be no actual email but instead the event will appear in your Google calendar. Clicking on the event will open up the details and provide the meeting video link.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again (especially you @kentfrat1784 since you missed last time)

[leatherman]

Tonight's call was mostly about the Ryan White Care Act. It's history extends from only purchasing AZT in 1987 to the Ryan White Care Act in 1990 to being influential in the design of what would have been universal health care under the Affordable Care Act to what we have today that covers all meds, health care and even paying for insurance premiums. The program has been so effective in part because of it's extensive quality management program that is constantly seeking to improve the quality of health care received by people living with HIV at local, state and federal levels - with all levels trying to incorporate the input of people living with HIV.

[kentfrat1783]

This weeks topic: “The Holidays are approaching and can cause family turmoil.  Remember that you have resources.”

Our bi-weekly support call is at 7 PM EST on Friday, November 10th.  We hope to see.

If you want to get the link please send a message @numbersguy82 via a PM (with your email address).

[numbersguy82]

This weeks topic: “The Holidays are approaching and can cause family turmoil.  Remember that you have resources.”

Our bi-weekly support call is at 7 PM EST on Friday, November 10th.  We hope to see.

If you want to get the link please send a message @numbersguy82 via a PM (with your email address).

I cannot wait- Ive been down in the dumps, so seeing all you guys and discussing the Holidays will absolutely put me in a better place mentally! Remember to send me a PM if you’d like to join up

[leatherman]

I cannot wait

it does feel like it's been quite a while since the last call, so I'm glad another call is coming up

the holidays? Hmmm. The trick is putting together the right amount of what you want to do with the right amount of what you don't want to do. I do want to spend a lot of time with my friends; but I don't want to spend too much time with my family. 50/50? Nope. 60/40? Better. 80/20? Even Better. LOL

[numbersguy82]

it does feel like it's been quite a while since the last call, so I'm glad another call is coming up

the holidays? Hmmm. The trick is putting together the right amount of what you want to do with the right amount of what you don't want to do. I do want to spend a lot of time with my friends; but I don't want to spend too much time with my family. 50/50? Nope. 60/40? Better. 80/20? Even Better. LOL

You have the right idea! If allowed, I’d never be social with other people or my family. However I compromise. I spend Thanksgiving doing the family thing and then I have permission to be a hermit well into the new year. It’s the perfect setup. I should say that I actually love my family that I spend holidays with, so that helps a lot. I just prefer to be alone - also Charley hates traveling so our visits are always stressful on her.

[numbersguy82]

Good morning Everyone. The invites have gone out this morning for our first Peer Support call of the holiday season. Join us tonight for a discussion around navigating the holidays, and identifying that we all have many forms of support during this hectic time of year.

[numbersguy82]

What an eye opening call we had this week. It was nice to hear all about the ways we each navigate the Holidays and approach dealing with our families. Next time we are going to tackle Talk Therapy. Have you used a therapist in the past? What were your thoughts or overall experiences? Conversely, are you thinking about giving a therapist a try??? Come together and let’s share our experiences. See everyone on 11/24, PM me your email to have access to the meeting link.

~ Alan