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.