3 years since catching the cooties

[Cliff]

circle, circle/dot, dot/now I've got my cootie shot.  If only.

I was browsing through my email archive at work and ran across an old email from Phe, a coworker who worked on a client with me during the Summer of 2003.  In the email, (Dated: Monday, June 30, 2003 at 3:11 AM), Phe tells me she's not stepping foot inside my office anymore, cause I have the cooties.

A week earlier I was suffering from a mixture of constipation and sharp stomach pains and so I went to the doctor, who told me it could be an ulcer.  He wrote a script for Dulcolax and sent me on my way.  Three days earlier, I noticed that my lymph nodes on the back of my neck were swollen.

Sunday, June 29, 2003, Phe and I went into the office to finish a report that was due on Monday.  The plan was that we would stay at the office until the report was done and dusted, no matter what.  Very late that Sunday evening I started getting hives on both arms and on my chest.  Phe walks into my office and notices me scratching my hives and the Dulcolax sitting on my desk.  She laughs and returns to her desk and sends me the cooties email.

We finished the report that Monday afternoon and I head home for some much needed sleep (and a shower).  Realizing the decision to stop using condoms with Will put me at risk for a STD, the next day I go to the Montrose clinic in Houston and get a full STD check up.  Too nervous to wait a week for the results, I went to a Planned Parenthood, one of the few places that offerred a "while you wait" HIV test at that time.  Test result: Positive.

I went back to the Montrose clinic to collect my, already known, test results.  Indeterminate.  It was clear that I was not suffering from the cooties, Phe, but from HIV ARS. 

Over the coming weeks, I did as much research as I could on HIV treatment, even filling two 3-Inch black binder with research materials that I read, and reread, every night (my security blanket).  And I even managed to stumble onto Aidsmeds forums, which has been that security blanket no binder could ever provide.

So to all those who have helped this opinionated, big mouth, know-it-all, insensitive, stuck-up, arrogant, spoilt HIV POSITIVE guy from Texas, thank you!  I have been blessed to have you in my life.  You have all helped me find doctors, get through two big moves, deal with a very painful treatment for anal dysplasia, deal with night sweats, starting meds, stopping meds, demanding meds, breaking up with Will, getting back together with Will, getting my hep. vaccinations, getting re-vaccinated for hepatitis, getting treated in foreign lands, one nose job, a couple of herpes outbreaks, disclosing my status, insurance matters, NHS matters, (gosh I know I'm missing something here).  But most of all you've made me smile and laugh, something I didn't think would ever be possible that Tuesday, sitting in the Planned Parenthood counselor's office.

So should your travels ever bring you to London, look me up.  Cause as one forum member said to me this weekend, (our first time meeting in fact), you're a lot nicer in person.  I am.  I promise, just watch out for them cooties!

- Cliff

[newt]

Bless, you big sky country boy

- matt "normal, honest" the newt

Now playing - Hawkwind: Hurry on Sundown

[The Canuck]

Cause as one forum member said to me this weekend, (our first time meeting in fact), you're a lot nicer in person.  I am.  I promise, just watch out for them cooties!

I'll be the judge of that in Montreal. 

Great you'll be watching out for the '' cooties ''...sounds like fun...but don't have a darn clue to the meaning of '' cootie ''. 

Regards,

The Canuck

[david25luvit]

Oh Cliff....You are such a cad.   Interesting story though!
Referring to cooties...reminds me of when I was a kid.  Yuc-kee-poo!

So you've been accused of being a nice guy huh? 
Was sex involved? ........just kiddin!

[Cliff]

So you've been accused of being a nice guy huh? 
Was sex involved? ........just kiddin!

I said nice David...not easy.  LOL 

Oh for the non-Americans (citizens of America-lite/Canada)...cooties is a childhood disease you get simply by touching the opposite sex (or is it by picking your nose).  oh, something along those lines.

[The Canuck]

Oh for the non-Americans...cooties is a childhood disease you get simply by touching the opposite sex (or is it by picking your nose). 

Still unsure if I had the cooties then..depending of the above..
 

The Canuck
(Cooties or not cooties...that is the question )

[Terry]

Oh for the non-Americans (citizens of America-lite/Canada)...cooties is a childhood disease you get simply by touching the opposite sex (or is it by picking your nose).  oh, something along those lines.

Cliff,
I always believed that cooties were the crabs, body lice. and a bottle of A200 kills them dead.

Terry(Who made the awful mistake of using Ben-gay to treat lice when he was much, much younger)

[The Canuck]

Who made the awful mistake of using Ben-gay to treat lice when he was much, much younger

 


The Canuck
(Who's having a good laugh with this one )

[trai]

Damn....man...and to think...I did not think of a single thing that you shared when we met just a couple of days...you were so nice and polite.  I would never have seen any of those things from looking at you.

T Rai

[Robert]

Well, Cliff, I think we've all made some really good friendships here. You know I've always felt you treated everyone here with honor and respect and always kept your head above the fray even when you were knee deep in it.  And you make me feel really good.  I like it when people do that.  It seems so easy.

By the way I know exactly what cooties are.  Little boys get them when they touch their best friends (or strange little girls).  When I was growing up we made "cootie catchers", folding and folding again pieces of paper into triangles and  squares.  We would number the squares then put our fingers and thumbs under the flaps and move them around. 

your friend, robt

[RAB]

Cliff

So to all those who have helped this opinionated, big mouth, know-it-all, insensitive, stuck-up, arrogant, spoilt HIV POSITIVE guy from Texas, thank you!  I have been blessed to have you in my life.

Not sure I accept the characterizations as being the accurate picture, (who here hasn't been all those?) but I know you've given much to these forums with your intelligent insight, thoughtful analysis, and kind heart.

Yes, you really are nice!   

RAB

[Trish]

EEEWWWW!!! Cliff has the cooties...eeeewww

Cliff, whenever a kid in my neighborhood had the cooties we would all cross our fingers and then cross our arms and give ourselves injections on the upper arms saying, "JECTIONS, JECTIONS ALL MY LIFE."  This is how we protected ourselves from catching the "cooties."  Childish games we all played...  but I guess I didn't inject myself enough 'cause I got the cooties anyways.  Awa...bummer.

And, I can't wait to meet you in Montreal.  I have a strong inkling that you're really not the rough & tough guy you put yourself out to be behind your words here.  I'd be willing to bet that you're a real pussycat.

Be well,

Trish

[Cliff]

hehe.  I'm glad some folks know what cooties are!!!  And yes Trish, apparently our immunity wasn't life-long.  I think the kiddies should bone up on their efficacy studies, cause like the major drug companies, they clearly pushed the cooties immunity shot/jection too quickly.

Anyways, thanks everyone.  Here's to three years and hoping for three times 10 more (and then some)!

[Andy Velez]

Yes Cliff, anyone who's ever been to camp or had kids who went to camp (or public school for that matter) knows what cooties are.

Thanks for that affecting and impactful step-by-step about how you got your news three years ago. The wham of it came through very clearly.

Cheers and rock on, Cliff,