Last Day to Guess in Labtest Contest
January 12, 2012
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Video Tip of the Day: Check Your Meds
January 8, 2012
When Gwenn and I went to pick up my HIV medications, I made a video update in the car that was intended to be a joke of sorts about how long it can take to pick up meds. Then when we got home, and I made another video about what we discovered about my medication that wasn’t so funny. Check out the videos, particularly the second one below. If you don’t like Vlogs- then here’s a spoiler: one of my drugs was in the wrong pill bottle. That’s why it’s very important for anyone who takes medication to know what their pills look like, and what they are called.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Labtest Contest VI: Labby New Year!
January 5, 2012
Happy New Year!
What better way to splash back into blogging in the new year than with a Labtest Contest? If you’re new here, the rules are below. The concept is simple, every 4-6 months I have to get blood drawn to see how my immune system is doing. Instead of keeping that fun to myself, I open it up to the public and offer a prize to whoever guesses the closest. The price this time?
Let me tell ya via video!
Here’s the Roll Call of Champions and last 5 t-cell counts:
CURRENT CHAMPION: Justin Starkenburg (guess: 570 actual count: 579)
Previous Champions…
March-July 2010: Charles Oliff (guess: 567 actual count: 565)
July-December 2010: Aimee Lee (guess: 516 actual: 511)
December 2010- March 2011: “Satan” (guess: 666 actual: 662)
March-July 2011: Sharon Paul (guess:
520 actual: 508)
Official Rules
1. IMPORTANT: You have to post your guess (between 400 and 700 t-cells) on my Poz blog Comments section
2. Relatives are disqualified (only because that makes this seem official)
3. Closest guess wins- no Price is Right logic applies.
4. One vote/guess per person.
5. Deadline is Tuesday, January 10, THURSDAY, JANUARY 12 2012 at 11:59 EST.
Happy Holidays and New Year (Last Post of 2011!)
December 21, 2011
A very happy holiday to you, and a happy December if you’re an atheist. Whatever you dig, I’m just too tickled that you check in on me from time to time here on this blog. Lately I haven’t been the updating machine that I was in January when I did the “Blog Post a Day” New Year’s resolution but…
Wait- has it been a year already?
If you’re wondering what I’ve been up to, well, not too much. Chilling out. Enjoying life. I guess that isn’t isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. I believe in guardian angels, and that mine have worked over time since the day I was born. And a day doesn’t go by in which I do not silently, or vocally, give thanks to this.
I hope you are enjoying your life; if not, then hang in there and begin the small, medium and large steps to making that happen. Whether you’ve ever been given a life-threatening diagnosis or not, life is ultimately too short not to find peace while we are tooling around here.
Happy holidays,
Shawn
Ryan White Would Have Turned 40 Today
December 6, 2011
Ryan White, the AIDS educator who rose to prominence after his public battle to attend public school in the 1980′s, passed to spirit at age 18 in 1990, years before treatments were successful. Had he lived, he would have turned 40 years old today.
We all owe this ageless icon a big thanks for all the awareness he raised in his short time with us. Ryan, you are not forgotten. (Here’s my Poz article, “Remember Ryan White”, from Sept 2010.)
Positively Yours,
Shawn
HIV Positive Student Denied by Private Boarding School
December 5, 2011
The Milton Hershey School, a private boarding school that provides an educational opportunity for disadvantaged teenagers, has denied a potential student based solely on his HIV status. A lawsuit has been filed, and the story was given legs due to the lawsuit’s timing- which was filed last week the day before World AIDS Day.
CNN picked up the story and interviewed the boy’s lawyer.
The school released a statement explaining that they have to be concerned with the health of the rest of their students, explaining that sexual activity does occur on their premises and that 1,800 students would be put at risk. On Twitter and on Facebook, former students of Milton Hershey are coming to the school’s defense. It’s much like home team sports fans, who’s only loyalty to a team is the fact they were born in the city the team plays out of. Some of the former students responses are so short-sighted: that the school can’t be wrong because they learned there. The most laughable thing I saw on Twitter was someone posting that everyone is stupid to be up in arms about the school’s decision, to the effect of, “It’s not just a school- students have to LIVE there!”
It’s not risky. This student is not a threat. The school’s concern speaks volumes about their lack of sexual education on the premises. There is a fear of teenage behavior that is quite revealing, it’s almost as if they are saying that teens are out of control and it’s just too risky to have someone with HIV around. It’s very sad. Of course I can relate to the boy because of my own experience of being denied schooling because of my HIV status. Even though his identity is anonymous at this point, the story is out there and I hope it’s not too traumatizing for him.
My hope is that the Milton Hershey School accepts the science of the situation and changes their position. It would be a great learning experience for an institution that has provided such for so many. It’s not too late- they could not only educate their current students about sexual health in the process, but also educate their former students on the virtues of compassion and the reality that we are all capable of making errors in judgement.
And correcting them.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Home for the… Holiday?
November 30, 2011
Tomorrow is World AIDS Day. Aside from two years ago- when I got sick while out on the road during World AIDS Week and had fly home instead of across the country- I haven’t really been home on World AIDS Day in any shape or form to enjoy it in about a decade. Today I’m about to get a plane and head off with Gwenn, and do my best to share my insights on living with HIV in the hopes of raising awareness and compassion, but tomorrow?
I’ll be home by 1 pm. And I plan to chillax. Going to go see the Muppets movie. Definitely going to have an iced mocha beforehand. I know World AIDS Day isn’t a holiday- just like living with HIV isn’t a holiday. But since I started talking about my HIV status openly, it’s become a work day for me, because it’s a small window from which many will gaze through for one day. So much information, which is always circulating, will be taken in.
But this year? I’m kicking back.
Have a safe, healthy and happy World AIDS Day!
Positively Yours,
Shawn
An Unforgettable Thanksgiving Eve
November 24, 2011
Sitting on my couch, watching Jake manage the after effects of a house party gone wrong thanks to some channel’s shared love of my favorite movie, Sixteen Candles. Today is Thanksgiving Day, and I’m thankful that my own “house party” couldn’t have gone off better last night.
Did I plan a pre-turkey-tofu-whatever-you-eat Day blow out? Not hardly. But Gwenn and I did invite my family (my bro, sister-in-law, two nieces, mom, dad, best friend and goddaughter) over for a Thanksgiving Eve dinner. Well, my brother suggested we host- I didn’t offer because our place is so small, and his is so big. And also, over the years, I’ve gotten lazy with the hosting side of things in general. I know my brother works hard, has a family, and his time gets a bit more crunched up than mine. So the hour drive to his place and back to mine isn’t a problem for Gwenn and I, since we’re not wrangling two kids and suffering the after effects of a graveyard shift.
So when my brother asked if we’d want to host a Thanksgiving Eve dinner, I stuttered, “Uh… sure!”
Our kitchen table wasn’t big enough for 10, though the make-shift flip top is perfect for an 8-person game of cards. A folding table in the shed out back helped, and a table cloth made it fit right in. Everyone brought an item of food, so really, Gwenn and I got off very easy on the preparation side of things. With two 3-year olds coming, I made a little Thanksgiving Day table out of two pillows, several stuffed animals and paper plates and cups, figuring that if they finished up dinner early or it just took a long time to eat after arrival that they’d have something to do.
Aside from the youngins- both of whom I adore- I was also excited to see my parents. I haven’t written about any of this since it’s their lives, but last year they got divorced. I joked with Gwenn many times since then about writing a book about how to survive a divorce in your mid-thirties… as the child of divorced parents. Anyway, I love them both, and never told either that I think they just work better together: Dad’s less of a sad sack and Mom is less aggressive. I can write that because my parents are hanging out again. I respect and love them both, and whatever decision they make from here is theirs. But, I won’t lie, I love seeing them together, most importantly because I love seeing them happy.
The night? Well, it went perfectly. It’s a Thanksgiving experience I’ll never forget- the kids bonded instantly, I joked around with my older niece, who is about to turn 13 and is just a witty, fun person to be around… we all sat at the two tables, crunched up in our small kitchen, of which I was thankful. I ended up sitting in the best seat by chance, with the ability to swivel between both tables. Everyone just had a wonderful night, and it was enhanced because of the change in scenery… I was so happy, I didn’t even mind when I busted out during the card game later in the evening.
Probably because in life, I’ve definitely hit the jackpot.
Thanks for reading,
Shawn
LIFE IN PHOTOS
Face Time fun with my Goddaughter. She was digging our phone chat- even though we were about three feet away from one another.
Making the enemy quit out with @squirrel_munky and @vaineos :)
Closing out the Joe with @gwennbarringer this afternoon.
Caught in full Mocha Mode...
Speaking About Sexual Health
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