Back in 1984, anyone who contracted HIV was basically being given a death sentence. You never heard of anyone surviving more than a few years. AZT was in the laboratory and didn't become FDA approved until 1987. In May 1984, was the first time everyone finally agreed that HIV was the cause of AIDS. I know of one man who says he was diagnosed back in 1981. It is so rare to find anyone who was diagnosed as early as Ryan's mother still alive and I think it is amazing and I wish she would have shared her story long before now. I have always wondered how some people can seem to survive something that is killing everyone else. What is it about their bodies or immune systems or will to live that lets them beat the odds.
I read this article last night in dm. So sad.
ReplyDeleteOH lord. This got my waterworks going. I have a friend who contracted HIV two years ago. Thankfully he was able to get into a program testing a new drug cocktail within a few months of being diagnosed and now his viral load is so low it's almost non-existent. I'ts truly amazing.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to Ryan Lewis on this project.
I have a friend who was diagnosed in 1985 and never needed meds…the virus never grew, he's one of the lucky ones…
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing thing to do. To actually use your fame and fortune to do really good things for an enormous amount of people. There are a fair few people in Hollywood who should look at this and be ashamed of themselves.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to see Ryan Lewis getting some attention. It feels like Macklemore has gotten the majority of the fame, but they're collaborators. I don't begrudge either of them, though -- they are truly two awesome, standup guys who deserve every bit of attention and success. Here in Seattle, they are huge -- they are even doing a Macklemore bobblehead promotion at a Mariners game.
ReplyDeleteYeah - I have a friend ... acquaintance ... that died. Not all HIV stories are great.
ReplyDeleteNot that he was that great a friend. Don't want to death troll. In all honesty, he was mostly a dick. But HIV's no fun and people are to flippant about it now.
Also I'm up to the Christina Hendricks talking about her breasts part of firefly. Busy soon.
I was just reminded about Paul Michael Glaser's son - wasn't he born with HIV back in the 80s? As far as my memory serves he's still alive.
ReplyDeleteThat is mind-boggling! And I thought it was amazing that Magic Johnson is still alive.
ReplyDeleteThis is one tricky virus, my friend always says none of the doctors were interested in why he never got sick.
ReplyDeleteNYC is full of folks who have been positive since the beginning of the onslaught. I believe activist and playwright Larry Kramer is one such person.
ReplyDeleteStudies have shown that the over active immune system in people w/ psoriasis naturally keeps HIV from progressing to AIDS.
ReplyDeleteHe seems like good people.
ReplyDeleteAbout 10% of folks diagnosed in the 80s with HIV are still alive. In developed countries w access to treatment, 70% of folks diagnosed w HIV won't die from an AIDS related condition. They are more likely to die if heart disease, non AIDS related cancers and liver disease.
ReplyDeleteSeems I've heard that people of Swedish descent are especially likely to have some kind of HIV immunity...something to do with a mutation from being exposed to the Plague, I think. Fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI know someone who contracted HIV in 1989. They're still living and he appear to be very healthy, except for having HIV. He lives an organic lifestyle and tries to have as little stress in his life as possible. Magic Johnson is another one who has been living years and years with HIV.
ReplyDeleteBack in the early 90s when I was in med school, it was common to have PTs with opportunistic infections on your service. I haven't had an inpatient with AIDS in forever. It's considered a chronic disease now.
ReplyDelete"The Normal Heart" is on HBO on Memorial Day weekend.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone here read "And The Band Played On", you know who Larry Kramer is, and about the play.
For those who don't know of it, it is about the AIDS crisis in the gay community in the early 80's.
I don't normally listen to rap, but "Same Love" was done very well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the anti-Lilo PSA about a good human being.
Very interesting Figgy about the Swedes and the Plague and those Vikings had to be a tough lot, they were sailing to North American whilst other people were still debating whether the earth was flat or round.
ReplyDeleteThere are apparently two strains of AIDS in the beginning, HIV-1 and HIV-2, the latter being less transmittable and less fatal and mostly affected West Africans.
ReplyDeleteHowever in my googling they are now saying that strains are now mixing, creating a more aggressive strain of HIV even in West Africa.
Aggressive new HIV strain leads to AIDS more quickly
The article says
"There are over 60 different epidemic strains of HIV-1 in the world. But usually different regions are dominated by only one or two of them.
However, if two strains infect the same person, they can combine to form a cross between the two - known as a recombinant."
She looks like that actress that's been in a bunch of things. I think she played Dharma's mom on Dharma and Greg.
ReplyDeleteWas her name Mimi Kennedy?
DeleteI know of someone in Texas from 1985...did the Dallas Buyer's Club thing.
ReplyDeleteI know who you mean M. Brown, I think she passed away from cancer a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteTina - I'm sorry but I can't not correct you. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus, so there are many strains of HIV. AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is not a virus, it is the syndrome cause by the HIV virus killing the immune system.
ReplyDeleteMy uncle was diagnosed HIV+ in 1988, and lived until 2009. Managing his meds and drug trials, etc., was a full-time job for him, but he was strong and super-active and healthier than most of us for most of those years. The last year…was horrible.
ReplyDeleteTina, viruses that jump species, such as HIV, are more aggressive & more prone to mutation. They are incredibly adaptable to have jumped species in the first place. Mutations make it more difficult, if not impossible, to find cures, i.e. the common cold.
ReplyDeleteI'm no fan of his music but I think it's commendable and heart warming that he and his family have opened up about this raise awareness and $$. As we can see from the comments in this post, many of have been touched by this tricky, dangerous virus.
ReplyDeleteBTW I think that Enty is a bit OTT saying she is a 'medical miracle'.....many, many people live with HIV these days in Western countries.....The third works sufferers are another story....
ReplyDeleteMagic Johnson has had HIV since 1991, about the same time.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm gonna sound nuts, but HIV is why I think the idea of zombies is possible. Not to the Walking Dead degree, but some version of it.
ReplyDelete