Thursday, July 24, 2008

Summer 2008 Update

Seasons have come and gone since I last posted. I am happy to report, though, that six months after starting a more traditional anti-retroviral treatment, I am now "non-detectable." In addition, my CD-4 count has climbed above 350 (and is probably even higher, by now). Just goes to show that, sometimes, you should actually listen to your doctor. Here are a few highlights:

  • After dropping down to roughly 170 lbs., I am back up to 215 lbs., which means I'm actually a bit overweight, now. Better than looking like an emaciated holocaust victim, though!
  • The chronic diarrhea is all but gone. Diarrhea is, of course, a side-effect of anti-retroviral treatments, but it's nothing like the diarrhea hell I experienced, last fall and winter.
  • My mental state is much improved. Although I still have "brain farts," I feel like I've regained most of my mental faculties. Additionally, the associated depression and anxiety have greatly subsided.
In closing, I wish you all well, and I hope that my story has helped to underscore the importance of aggressively treating HIV with proven therapies. Until a valid cure has been found, the moral of the story is that the risk of deferring anti-retroviral treatment in favor of experimental naturopathic treatments is much too great.