Day 53: Coffee and the 80's

I have chatted with a few people online who have HIV.  I have met a couple of them.  I went for coffee for one today out of curiosity.  He was diagnosed in 1991 and I wanted to know what it was like to be diagnosed then and to be still here now.

I can pretty much describe the experience as pretty much being like every movie involving HIV except for when on departure he really paused and said things are going to be alright for me.  He started to tear up as he passed on advise about living with HIV.  I could see in those short moments of tears all the fear, burden, trauma and solitude for the last 18 years of living with this.  I could see a little guilt having never been sick or close to death.  I could hear the quivers in his voice as he wanted to reassure me that I was going to be fine.

He said "I wish my diagnosis was now instead of back then, but I can't go back.  You are very lucky because you don't have to worry.  You don't have the anxiety built up surrounding the illness, deterioration, medications and death."

He noted that all I have to do is make sure I am checked every 3 months, stay healthy and take my medications.  I corrected him and said medication singular.  He confirmed now taking one pill a day.

I can only imagine how isolated people get and how much more lonely they are when diagnosed years ago.

With any disease, with any movement, there are people who have sacrificed a huge ordeal so that many people can now live our lives without the circus.  Are we shocked with jungle fevuh couples?  Do we laud women for getting out of the kitchen and wearing shoes?  Homosexuals have parades and festivals that heterosexual children, couples and friends support - do we question their safety?  Oprah can say breast, cancer and vibrator on national television but who discourages people from watching Oprah holding up a vibrator or talking about Christina Applegate's breasts? Hell no!