Week 1 - Oh My GAWD!

Liquid metal.



My head was full of it the first three days as it moved into my back and to my mouth.



I swear I lost 10 IQ points the first 3 days of the week and (of course) needed every bit of brain power I cound muster at work. Of course, the project my team had been working to deploy shit the bed and my days turned into 12-14 hour stress fest!

Thank God for my staff, two of whom are well aware of my issue and are supporting me like champs. They have my back.

Friday Night - The Event

Friday night, 10:00 PM. I sit on the edge of my bed holding the pill staring at it like it was a Soviet cyanide suicide pill.
Realizing I was having a drama queen moment, I swallowed it and watched Ghost Whisperer and Moonlight on my Tivo.

The Medication - Drop off the script

I handed the Atripla script to the pharmacist through the walk-up window. Before looking down, she glanced up at me; she's seen me before for the Omeprazole and Propecia, and asked me if I wanted to wait. "No, I will pick it up tomorrow" as the doctor told me the first couple of days might be rough and I should start on Friday. OK, and she looked down.

I saw the flash of recognition and the immediate professional demeanor returned. Did I see the flash or did I imagine it? Hard to tell. My head is all over the place.

12 years. 12 years of no requirements for medication. HIV had finally won the battle in my bloodstream and knocked by T-cells under that line in the sand. Time to start the medications that will be with me until the day I die.

Tomorrow is the day. November the ninth, two thousand and seven.
I wonder if this day will mean anything to me in a year or two from now. Seems like it should.

Get home, get on-line and start reading about what to expect. My doctor was confident, maybe a rash and probably vivid dreams. Vivid dreams sounds kinda cool! Nothing like a wild dream. Interesting that lots of others talk about the dreams and , by the way, YIKES!; some people have serious trouble with side-affects. Personality changes; may not be a bad thing. Shit, I have been single for 5 years now. Maybe there is something wrong with my personality and a little change will do me good! I aggression might even be fun unless I slap the idiot at work that annoys the hell out of me. I wonder if they can fire me if I blame it one the meds? Hmmm...note to self, you might not have to take as much shit as you do.

Note to reader, you will get that I have a sense of humor and I will come out of this stronger and healthier and... never mind... no promises yet.