May/091
Bad Weather Didn’t Hinder
Pete and I rode 40 miles roundtrip today. It was horrendous weather... The rain was coming down pretty hard and the canal towpath was a solid trail of puddles, washouts and mud. 3/4 of the way through my trek and I started getting a chill that burned to the bone. My teeth chattered. What was I thinking??
40 miles was about as tough as I could imagine. Prior to this ride, the longest I'd ever done was 32 miles. My entire body is wrecked and I love it!!!
My wife almost didn't recognize me. I was covered head-to-toe with a layer of mud. I'm glad that we banged this out, but I don't think I will do a muddy rain day again... It's bad enough having my body destroyed, adding the cold and mud to it just made it relentless.
Pete was a trooper and he is in fantastic aerobic shape! I have some work to catch him by the time our real ride rolls around.
To see my GPS tracked ride information check here:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/4580912
May/092
Starting Out and Getting In Shape
We will be riding the C&O Canal from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, MD in the Fall of 2009. We'll be doing this over the course of three days on our bicycles.
I've started my training and I realized that even though I'm in excellent health and fit, I am not in bike shape! My aerobic capacity leave much to be desired, and my butt takes a brutal beating from long rides in the saddle!
I've only been riding for a week. One of those days was on the canal. I see a huge difference now between asphalt and canal towpath gravel and dirt... Ouch!!!
Today is going to be about a 40 mile day for me. And, my plan is to ride two short days (on the street, or on a recumbant bike) per week and one long day (on the canal) on the weekends.
The entire 3-day ride will cover about 160 miles, so we plan to do about 50-55 miles per day with two nights on the trail. Don;t get me wrong, we won;t be roughing it out there in the wilderness... The first night will be at my house, because I live in Brunswick, which is ~mile 57 on the canal. The second night will be in a B&B, motel or hotel.
Why am I doing this?, you ask... I like to have at least one fitness goal per year, that keeps me struggling to keep up throughout the year.
I'll try to keep you posted on my progress.
Wish me luck!
Apr/090
First Journal Entry
Figure that my first Journal entry would be about a funeral... What're you gonna do?
Anyway, I saw my friend Rob for the first time in years last night. It was at the wake for his wife, Debbie. Painful. It was great to see Rob, but the circumstances were less than desirable. Along with Rob, I saw many old faces from the past... Toe, John, Ryan, Francis, Willie, Jeremy to name a few...
Why is it that we rarely see each other these days? And... It always seems to be at a doom-and-gloom event. It is extremely tough to juggle old friendships into these busy days. Even if they are old best friends...
I'm not sure what the solution is, but I know that Rob needs support at this time. Kristine and I plan on giving what we can. Hopefully, I can maintain the relationship beyond simply working through mourning.
In other news... My lower back is still a tad sore from whatever damage I did doing heavy squats and/or deadlifts. I think I've compressed a disc, so I am using inversion boots to hang upside down and hopefully help to remedy this latest issue. I feel a tingling down my right leg and into my foot. I'm thinking that it is sciatica. I'll keep stretching myself upside down and see how that fares... In the meantime, I am taking a week off from my workouts to allow my body to recover some. I've been doing the H.I.T. (high intensity training) for a little over a year now and have made some nice gains in strength, size and muscularity. I am very satisfied thus far.
HIV front... Things are well. I worried that I might be experiencing peripheral neuropathy again, but I think it is the sciatica.
I hope to keep this journal going on a regular basis...
Talk to ya (I know you're out there) soon,
Vaughn
Mar/090
Nutrition
…from soup to nuts…
Let’s talk about food! after I go over the rules of engagement: DISCLAIMER - the ideas presented here are merely guidelines to help you on your path to enlightenment. I strongly urge (and insist) you to seek the help of a professional nutritionalist and doctor before attempting to make changes in your diet. If you follow any of my hair-brained schemes and ideas, you do so at your own risk!
Oxygen
Oxygen is a chemical element. By mass, it is the most plentiful element on earth. It is also the third most abundant chemical element in the universe. Often overlooked by healthy people, Oxygen is the most important thing that our body takes in.
Among other bodily functions that are affected by oxygen, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is one of the biggies. 40% of ATP, or the high energy molecule, is made up of oxygen. Cutting through the obfuscation, ATP is a key part of our metabolism and muscular restoration.
What does all of this mumbo-jumbo mean? You ask. I bring it up, because for the most part we spend our day worrying about how much water we drink and the quality and quantity of food that we eat. But, we often overlook the most important element that our body needs… Oxygen.
Breathing Exercises are a great way to increase oxygen levels in our body. There are manifold ways to increase your oxygen levels two of my favorites are:
I also regularly use a tool, called the PowerLung. It is a very powerful exercise tool that works the lungs like nobody’s business!
Water
There are so many different opinions on how much water that we should ingest on a daily basis, that I don’t even wanna touch that. Let me just tell you that water is a vital component that our bodies need. The human body is made up of approximately 65% water. We need it on a regular basis, or we will dehydrate and eventually die.
I am a firm believer in superhydration. I drink approximately 204 ounces of water each and every day. This may seem a bit excessive to many, but I can tell you that I feel better and stronger when I do. Also, I feel that my metabolism is working more efficiently.
Many people ask me about trips to the men’s room… Well, I think that my bladder adjusted. Shortly after I started drinking this much, I adapted. One thing that I should mention is, I try to limit my water intake after 5 p.m. to avoid nighttime runs to the porcelain convenience.
Food (protein, carbs and fats)
I’m not a big fan of the fad diets. Especially ones like the low carb Dr. Atkins ones. Carbohydrates are an extremely important part of your diet and they provide energy stores. On top of that, many of these diets have proven to mess with your body’s natural acid levels.
I feel that a balanced and healthy diet of 60% carbs, 20% protein and 20% fat is the single best way to go. I also think that it is far better to eat smaller, more frequent and healthy meals. I am a firm believer in 5 to 7 small meals per day. It feels better to keep food coming in every two or three hours, instead of going 6+ hours between meals. I also find that it’s easier to control my intake when I eat throughout the day.
I’m sure you’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day… I’ll take that one step further and (dare I say it), two breakfasts are better than one! I know many folks who only eat lunch and dinner. They complain of low energy levels and usually have excess body fat. Spread your meals out and eat healthier and I guarantee you will find more energy and even start knocking some pounds off!
Trans and saturated fats
Over the last couple of years we have heard more and more about TRANS FATS. They are horrible!! Remember that foods only have to list them if there is more than .5 grams in there… Instead of reading the label for TRANS FAT percentages, try looking at the ingredient list and seek out things like POLY UNSATURATED YADA (minus the yada).
Here is a neat site that lists many fast food restaurants who server the TRANS FATS.
TRANS FATS are not the only bad fat out there. They have an ugly step-sister called SATURATED FATS as well. After TRANS FATS, SATURATED FATS are the next worst thingy. Avoid them wherever possible.
Remember that a certain level of fat intake is vital to your wellbeing. However, you can pick and choose which fats to ingest and which ones to skip right over. And, for goodness sakes, skip that crazy diet that says eliminate most of your carbs and replace them with fat. That is malarkey (IMHO)!
Diets
I already stabbed the Atkins diet in the back… Need I say more? I am against diets (per se). When I hear “diet,” I hear, “DIE… et.” This just doesn’t ring true to my uber-sensitive ears. Instead of a diet (which comes and goes like the wind), why not create a nutritional plan that you can live the rest of your life with?
Vitamins
Do you need them? How much is too much? When should you take them? Is Santa Claus real? I can answer some of these questions…
Vitamins are an obvious necessity in your life. However, there is a craze and hype out there stating that you must take loads of them. Most people eat a nutritious enough diet to receive most of the daily vitamin needs that their body craves.
I take a multi-vitamin (half of the bottle’s recommended dosage) each night. I determined (by the deep yellow urine I was excreting) that I only needed half of the manufacturer’s recommended dosage.
Supplements
I really dig some of the benefits of Creatine. I usually take Creatine Monohydrate (5 grams per day). I haven’t found any other supplements that do anything for me. I should mention that since starting the H.I.T. style of working out, Creatine does less for me than before.
I will drink a weight gain shake and things along those lines, but I stay away from the majority of supplements that are available. There is a HUGE market out there. And, people spend gazillions on supplements that don't really do anything for you. The best advice I can give you is to baseline yourself before and after taking anything and see if/where it gave you improvements.
Alcohol, Caffeine and Nicotine
This is a tough subject for me. I indulge in all of these. However, I should mention that moderation has been my key to success. I may smoke one or two cigarettes per year (at least one on Thanksgiving after turkey and stuffing), several cigars throughout the year and an occasional pipe (tobacco only, folks). I also have been known to dabble in a little drinking from time-to-time. Probably my biggest crutch is the caffeine... I go through stages of not drinking any to five cups of coffee per day.
"Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess!"
-Oscar Wilde
While this quote stirs feelings and sounds really COo.oOL, I must admit that I am a fan of moderation. This is true of more than alcohol and nicotine... I find that it works for everything in life. Try it on for size and let me know what you think.
Until next time, gambatte kudasai!
Mar/092
Fitness
There is a fad that is sweeping across America (and the world for that matter). It is categorized as healthier living. With more than 30% of Americans being classified as obese, it is time for this fad to kick into action!
Gratuitous Disclaimer: I’m afraid that before I talk about this fantastic subject, I must first warn you of the inherent danger associated with it… Working out and exercise can be dangerous. You can be seriously injured, crippled or killed. The opinions, stories and ideas presented here are my own and do not constitute a recommendation of or endorsement for any particular or general use. You should seek a professional medical evaluation before starting an exercise program. If you choose to workout, you do so at your own risk.
With that painful dissertation out of the way...
Exercise is an essential part of life. Without it, our immune system falters, our muscles atrophy and fat reigns in our bodies. On top of all that hype, I am in really good shape. As I type this Blog entry, my weight is 191 pounds and I have ~10% body fat. I am stronger than I’ve ever been in my life and I am 42 years old. Don’t let my young age scare you away… There are people in their 70’s who are still weight lifting and having excellent results and gains! Join the mayhem!
There are literally hundreds of reasons to exercise... My top picks are these:
Those are just some of my reasons for staying in shape, but you get the point… Now, I want to address some of the more popular ways to achieve this so called strength and physical fitness level.
Anaerobic
In it’s simplest description, anaerobic training is bursts of high activity that trigger anaerobic metabolism and result in lactic acid creation. One of the most famous forms of anaerobic exercise is weight lifting. Athletes and fitness buffs use anaerobic exercise to strengthen and/or increase muscle. Basically, you work yourself until ample lactic acid builds up in your targeted muscle group and they fail.
For strength training, most people will try to do between four and eight repetitions of exercise in each set. By doing eight or fewer repetitions, you are primarily targeting the fast twitch (power) muscles. It is essential that you bring the muscle group to complete failure (sometime beyond failure with advanced techniques like negatives, stripping, etc.)
For mass training (think bodybuilding), most weight lifters will shoot for muscular failure between eight and twelve reps. This allows the fast and slow twitch muscles to be a part of the exercise and gives the most overall growth potential.
Endurance training (and/or trimming) usually entails doing more than 12 repetitions, as this will primarily use slow twitch (or endurance) muscles. And, fat is burned as you keep your heart rate high for an extended period of time.
Aerobic
The jury is still out on what type of aerobic activity is better than another. I use aerobic exercise like running to burn fat. I shoot for three days per week (with rest days between each session). During each daily activity, I try to workout for 45 minutes and get my heart rate into a target area of 75-90% of my maximum predicted heart rate (MPHR = 220-your age). I should mention that I do not believe in this formula, because I am 42 years old and have had my heart rate up to 192! Your true MHR can be determined by a physician using a standard Stress Test.
Walking
Except to get from point A to point B, I don’t walk much. I find it boring and it takes forever to get what I want from it. Instead, I will run or use the elliptical. I should mention that I do walk before and after my runs as a warm-up and cool down.
I know that many people swear by walking, so I didn’t want to leave it out… However, it ain’t my cup of tea. To reiterate, I do walk a good distance each day, but not for exercise, I use it to get from point A to point B.
Swimming
I swim a couple of times per year. If I had a heated pool (or indoor) I’m sure I would do this on a regular basis. I think that swimming may be the best way to get a serious aerobic workout. If you do this, good on you!
Stretching
Stretching is great to help relieve muscle aches after workouts and runs. It’s also keeps you flexible, renews energy and helps to avoid injuries. For this reason, I believe that stretching should be a part of everyone’s workout plan. I stretch on my aerobic days. I stretch large muscle groups by slowly (never go fast, bounce or jerk) moving into the stretch and holding it for 22 seconds. Near the end of my 22 seconds, I strive to stretch just a little bit deeper. Also, I only stretch after my workouts, as I have found that cold muscles do not stretch nearly as well and you might even invite injury or pain while stretching cold.
HIT and HIV!
Have you heard of HIT (high intensity training)? It is incredible! Essentially, it consists of lifting weights two (or fewer) days per week. Each workout is a full body workout and it only takes 27 minutes to complete.
I know what you’re thinking, How can you get a full body workout in fewer than 60 minutes per week? I’m here to tell you that it works. I have been doing HIT for more than a year now and I have made steady strength and mass gains since starting. For the first time in my life, I am relatively injury and pain free. If you wanna give HIT a try, start by checking out Dr. Ellington Darden’s HIT forum:
http://www.drdarden.com
Also, I would suggest picking up his book: The New High Intensity Training.
That’s it for exercise… If you would like to learn more, simply drop by my forum and checkout the Fitness board here:
http://www.vaughnripley.com/forum/index.php?board=14.0
Cheers,
Rip
WARNING (in case you missed the first one): Working out and exercise can be dangerous. You can be seriously injured, crippled or killed. The opinions, stories and ideas presented here are my own and do not constitute a recommendation of or endorsement for any particular or general use. You should seek a professional medical evaluation before starting an exercise program. If you choose to workout, you do so at your own risk.
Feb/090
Side Effects
Let's take a moment and talk about the confounded side effects of HIV and its associated medication. Sometimes side effects are unavoidable. And, we usually weigh the pros and cons... For instance, my current triple drug cocktail gives me diarrhea on a daily basis. This is a pain in the ass (no pun intended)! However, it is acceptable when you consider the fact that my other option is to die a slow and painful death... On the other hand, when I was getting Peripheral Neuropathy from DDI, I considered this a bad and dangerous side effect that I eliminated by switching medications. The picking and choosing of the lesser of two evils is obviously a personal choice...
Here are many of the side effects that I am currently experiencing, or have experienced in the past:
Diarrhea
This is a battle that I deal with on a daily basis. My gastro-Dr. prescribed Pamine Forte, which I took for a while. This appeared to subside my … ahem … issues. However, it was a pain to get the pills refilled, because my doc wanted me to keep visiting him. Juggling life is painful and throwing in frequent visits to a gastroenterologist wasn’t at the top of my list. So, I take Immodium AD (over the counter) and it seems to work just as well.
My daily regiment includes drinking a fiber supplement (Konsyl) every morning and every night. I know that most of you are like, doesn’t fiber loosen your stool? Well… Yes… But, it also helps to regulate and control your bowels. For whatever reason, I have found that it is better to have regularity… At least than I can predict my outcomes.
Also, I carry two Immodium pills in my pockets at all times. I have found that you can easily find yourself in remote places without a proverbial pot to piss in, and this helps curb things. In addition to the ones in my pocket, I keep a bottle of the little green gems (Immodium) in: my backpack, desk drawer at work and glovebox of all of my vehicles. Call me a Boy Scout, but I feel the need to be prepared
I think that’s enough talk about the runs.
Peripheral Neuropathy
In case you don’t know what it is, peripheral neuropathy is extremely painful and disturbing. My experience was tingling in my feet that feels similar to your foot falling asleep. Along with this, my toes became so sensitive that a simple stub against a shoe or something else on the floor would drop me to my knees in pain and anguish.
One of the worst experiences of my life was when I was sent to a neurologist to figure out my foot problem. He inserted long thick needles into my foot, ankle, calf and shin and then sent electrical shocks through my muscles to determine if nerve damage had occurred, and/or what my problem was.
Unfortunately, all of this severe probing didn’t uncover anything, but it did teach me to fear neurologists!
Dry Eyes
Over time, my eyes have become dryer. I’m not sure if this is purely allergy related, or if it stems from some of the medicine that I take. That is one of the many problems associated with HIV related side effects… Some of them could be happening for reasons other than medicines, etc.
I have found that eye drops help a lot with this problem, if I use them on a regular basis. Better than the old school Visine dropper, the newer single-serving droppers seem to be better for me. They don’t have any preservatives that you will find in a typical bottle. I use drops morning and night. During the day, if my eyes are bothering me I will dose them. For this reason, I keep eye drop packs in my desk drawer at work.
Sensitivity to Sunlight
This one comes and goes. When it comes, it comes with a vengeance… I am talking to the point of not being able to keep my eyes open while outdoors. I usually attack this problem by having extra dark sunglasses that cover a big area. Wrap-around style are very nice and eliminate some of the Sun creep that you get in the sides.
I would like to darken the tint on my vehicles, but Maryland has strict laws about this… I am currently looking into having an eye doctor write me a waiver so I can tint the truck and minivan…
Rashes, Hives and Other Skin Problems
Itchy skin comes and goes for me. I think that I have naturally sensitive skin, so it is tough to say what comes from what. I sometimes get little sections of hives that are itchy and bothersome. I also get dry skin, mostly during the winter.
Depression
This one may or may not be related to medicine… I mean, life is tough enough as it is… Throw hemophilia into the mix with HIV, medication and everything else associated with my health and you get a depressing combination. In the past I have occasionally been so depressed that I considered suicide. I always fought through it and looked toward a brighter day. For the most part, I consider suicide a weak solution. I love a challenge and when life is getting me down, it is no exception.
I’ve never taken anti-depressant, and I can’t imagine doing so. I’m not a proponent of all of these drugs that have been introduced to help depressed folks… I’m sure that there are many of you who would disagree with me on this point. I’m not knocking people who take them, I’m simply saying that I choose not to.
Vomiting and Nausea
This is a tough one. I think that everyone experiences this one from some degree or another… With DDI I was vomiting out of control. Sometimes, to this day, I vomit when I am taking medicine. Mostly I am able to hold it back. I will occasionally be coughing and it turns into a violent cough that ends with a vomit reaction.
Dunno how to cure this one, but I find that willpower and concentration can help.
Random Aches and Pains
Muscle soreness… Arthritic feelings… Joint aches…
More than likely, these come more from my active lifestyle and past mistakes.
Sleep Problems
I rarely experience this, but I have had some rough nights. Sometimes you simply can’t sleep. This is probably related to something other than medicines, but I included it none-the-less.
I like chamomile tea at bed time and this helps me to go down nice and easy.
Nightmares
I love nightmares. Seriously! Some of my medicines have given me some extremely realistic and vivid nightmares. I dig it. Even though I love them, I thought I would include this as a potential side effect… Especially because not everyone enjoys them as much as me.
Night Sweats
One of my old medicines (I can’t remember which) really gave me horrible night sweats. These days, I get them once-in-a-while, but they are far and few between. Plus, they aren’t nearly as bad as they were in the past.
Night sweats can be so terrible that you can’t sleep. Plus, the bed gets all stinky and impossible to sleep in. Horrible!
Trouble Waking in the Morning
Who doesn’t have this problem? I mean… Some mornings are simply tougher than others to get out of bed! Is it a side effect of medicine or life? Who knows…
Loss of Fat in the Butt and Cheeks
This one has bothered me in the past… I mean, every guy wants a little meat in his behind. Chicks look at your butt… That’s a fact. I want something there to see.
As far as my other cheeks, it is similarly painful to see the gaunt fatless features of my face. I think that most of this problem came from my hepatitis medicine that I was on years ago. It rid my body of Hep-C, so it can’t be all bad… However, it also stripped the fat, which gave my face definition, etc. Now I look like a wasting-away human being and this bugs me, because I am more healthy now than I have ever been in my life!
Excess Fat in the Belly and Upper Back
As if it wasn’t bad enough to take the fat from my butt, the medicines seem to have put it in my belly! WTF?? Just like butts, chicks dig abs. I pride myself in a fit and strong body, yet my distended abdominal region is a rascally sucker that pisses me off! I do a lot of hard work on my abs (1,200+ crunches per workout) and they still poke out some.
One thing that I have found useful, is working the transverse abdominis muscle. This is a muscle that wraps around your core underneath your abs and obliques. You can work it out by doing stomach vacuums and 2-point bridges among other things. I have found that the more effort that I put into this muscle region, the better my abs look and the more pulled in they become. Give it a go!
Gas and Bloated Belly
Gas might simply be a side effect of the Immodium. I dunno about you, but I get the farts a couple of hours after I take Immodium.
Sore Throat
Many mornings I wake with a sore throat. Usually it is minor and goes away after breakfast. Sometimes it is more serious and I take a couple of sprays of Chloraseptic to help soothe it. That’s about all there is to say about that…
Excess Phlegm
Who knows why I included this… I would swear that I have copious amounts of snot that shouldn’t be there. Does that mean it’s from HIV or medicine?? No… But, I just thought I would mention it.
See ya next time!
Feb/090
HIV Medication
When I was first diagnosed with HIV, there were no medicines available to combat this deadly disease. At the end of the 80's AZT became available. Early on I didn't take any of the medicines that were becoming available, but it was apparent that I would need them. Since I started on meds, I have ingested a ton of HIV and AIDS related medicines and homeopathic remedies.
I started out on AZT (Zidovudine) like most of the HIV+ folks. I also dabbled in DDI (Didanosine or Videx); which gave me projectile vomit fits and peripheral neuropathy among other things. Since then I have tried most of the medicines available today... My latest drug cocktail consists of:
- Sustiva (efavirenz) is in the category of HIV medicines called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Sustiva prevents the cells from creating new virus and reduces the amount of virus in your body. Sustiva is used in combination with other drugs to treat HIV (hence drug cocktail). Normally, it is combined with two nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (called NRTIs or "Nukes").
- Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) is a NRTI (nucleotide as opposed to a nucleoside) type of medicine used in combination with other medicines. VIREAD blocks HIV reverse transcriptase (enzyme) that is needed for HIV to multiply. VIREAD lowers the viral load.
- Epivir (amivudine) is also an NRTI (nucleoside) prevents HIV from altering the genetics of T-cells. This prevents the cells from producing virus and lowers the viral load.
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About AIDS Medication
Instead of writing a long dissertation on medicines that are available, I decided to point you in the right direction... This web site covers more than you ever imagined about HIV medicines:
http://www.aidsmeds.com/
Importance of Daily Medication Ingestion
I'm sure you've heard it all before... "You MUST take your medicine on a regular basis!" But, most of us lead lives where this is hard to do sometimes. As you know, your body can build up a tolerance to some of the HIV medicines available today. Most of the tolerances are enhanced by taking time off from the drug. Even worse, some drugs (like Sustiva) stay in your body longer than other ones and can be dangerous without the additional drugs from your triple drug therapy.
In order to enhance your drug experience and to make sure that you are making the most of medicines you ingest, make sure that you take them on a regular basis that is laid out by your prescribing doctor.
The easiest way that I have found to make sure that I always take my medicines is to keep a pill fob (small metal or plastic cylinder) filled with one days dosage. Gone are the days of 22 pills and or horse-sized pills. With today's small dosages, you can easily fit them into a single fob. I also keep a weekly vitamin container (that you can pickup at GNC or pharmacy store) for times when I go on "overnighters" or vacations. If you don't dog on fobs or medicine containers, Zip-Lock makes a snack-sized bag, which is a half-height sandwich bag. Get a box of those and use one for your medicines.
The key to taking your pills day-in-day out is to always be prepared. If you sometimes stay out all night without warning, then you should carry a dose with you at all times! Easy-peasy!
Vomiting and How to Control It
Many of the medicines that we have to take taste terrible and/or make us feel like vomiting. Over time, I found that you can control your vomit reflex by remaining calm and focusing on avoiding it. The main key is to stop telling yourself, Oh God, I'm gonna throw up! Try to avert your thoughts and think about something different. You may find this hard to do in the early stages, but just like anything else in your body, your brain can improve and strengthen with practice.
Remember that vomiting is simply the bodies reaction to a message from the brain. Calm yourself before taking your medicine by breathing deeply and meditating. Once you have reached a calm state, take your medicine with a focus on good things. By controlling your body and staying calm you can avoid vomiting.
Think! While Taking Your Medicine
I can't reiterate enough how important positive thinking is while enduring HIV. I have found that a good mental attitude is just as powerful (if not more so) as a top-notched doctor and good drugs. In the past I would take my pills thinking, this is prolonging my inevitable death. Then I would question why my CD-4 counts weren't improving. Looking back, I realize that I was taking 22 pills approximately every four hours of the day. So, five or six time each and every day I would chant the death mantra. Finally, I realized that this was part of my problem. I decided to do a test and start thinking more positive about my drug ingestion. I turned my death mantra into a life mantra.Every time that I took pills, I followed this procedure:
1. Calm myself with breathing and meditation;
2. Focus on the good side of the drugs;
3. While taking each pill, I would chant things like, "This pill is making me stronger and healthier."
After a while of doing this, I noticed that I was feeling better and healthier. My levels went up and I reduced my vomiting. All-in-all, I had created a better me and the medicines were working! Try it out for yourself.
I should mention that in later years, I adapted this process and created what I consider to be an even more robust life mantra. You can read more about this in one of my upcoming Blogs titled, "The War of the Body."
Feb/090
Who Am I
Who am I and Why am I Qualified to Write This Here Blog?
I’m Vaughn Ripley. I was born with a blood disorder called, hemophilia. I get injections of Factor VIII (pronounced factor eight) to stop severe bleeding that comes from my hemophilia. The blood products that I get to save my life bring lots of baggage with them... Along with a plethora of viruses and sicknesses, I have gotten Hepatitis C and HIV from tainted blood.
I was diagnosed as HIV+ back in December of 1986. For this reason, I’m one of the longest living HIV+ people on the planet.
I have dealt with many sicknesses through the years and tons of side effects of HIV medication.
My recent blood work revealed that my T-cell count is greater than 550 and my viral load is undetectable. I attribute much of this to my talented doctors and medicine intake. However, I also feel that much of my wellness comes from a powerful mental attitude and stringent focus on a health-filled fitness program.
My experiences and challenges have amalgamated to make me the right person to write this Blog... Read on and hopefully you will agree!
If you would like to find out more information about me, visit my personal web site at: http://www.vaughnripley.com
Feb/090
Introduction to the Secret
I am an HIV+ hemophiliac. I was infected through a bad blood transfusion of Factor VIII sometime in mid-1980.
More than 22,000,000 people have died from AIDS.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) web site an estimated 40,000,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS as of the end of 2003. And, approximately 1 of every 100 adults aged 15 to 49 are HIV-infected. An estimated 5,000,000 new HIV infections occurred worldwide during 2003 (that is approximately 14,000 new infections every day).
In 2003 alone, HIV/AIDS-associated illnesses caused the deaths of approximately 3,000,000 people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as of 2003 nearly 950,000 United States residents are living with the HIV infection.
According to the National Hemophilia Foundation, the estimate for the number of people in the United States with hemophilia is approximately 20,000. They approximate that 50 percent of the hemophilia population in the United States contracted HIV in the 1980’s! They also estimate a total number of HIV+ hemophiliacs at somewhere around 10,000. It is estimated that over 4,200 members of the HIV/hemophilia community have died since the onset of the crisis; this leaves approximately 5,800 of us still “alive and kicking” and hoping to stay that way until a cure comes along.
Quite a while ago I decided to write a book about how I have managed to live so long with this deadly disease. My book was going to be titled, Longevity Despite HIV - The Secret to Living a Long, Healthy and Happy Life In the Face of HIV or AIDS. It didn't take me long to change my mind about a published book. My next idea was to make it an e-book and make it available for free to the world. This idea lasted a little while and I completed my outline and compiled some ideas and information... Until recently, that was the direction I was going with this project. The more that I thought about it, the more I realized that I had to do this in a Blog environment.
Blogging is new to me, even though I have been writing all of my life. In addition to my writing, I contribute a good amount of posts to many online discussion forums. I figured it was time to start a Blog.
My decision to Blog comes from the fact that I have more to talk about than simply my book idea. So, I decided to create the Blog and make a category called, "The Secret." Under this category I will fulfill my dream of writing my book about longevity. While I am working on this project, I will continue to put my other ideas relating to HIV into written word on my Blog.
That's it in a nutshell... I hope you dig it!
Feb/090
Hello World!
HIV Longevity is finally open to the world! It is ironic that my Blog would be created and started on Friday the 13th. Luck has always been on my side...
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