HIV Longevity Still Fighting…

24Jul/13Off

Get Your Hopes Up

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Funny how article titles happen... I started to call this one, "Don't Get Your Hopes Up" because it discusses a very serious subject and the possibility that HIV and AIDS will never be cured. The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't stand the name. I mean come on... I'm supposed to be Mr. Positive (no pun intended) here. It is my duty to inspire and exude positive energy. How on earth can I do that with a stinky disappointing title? So, I turned my frown upside-down and came up with a better, enlightened title, Get Your Hopes Up!

That said, this topic might dishearten some of you. I however, choose to [...]

6Jun/13Off

What is the Magic with Magic

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959) announced that he was HIV+ back in November of 1991. That is nearly twenty-two years ago!! So I ask again, What's the magic with Magic?

There is much speculation surrounding the question of why Magic Johnson (and many like him) have successfully stayed alive despite this death sentence. And, I believe that you can find a direct connection in [...]

15May/13Off

Urban Legends and Myths Demystified

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Throughout "the Secret" section of my blog I have tackled a bunch of subjects from staying healthy to preventing the spread through safe sex. Many of these topics have been fairly taboo. This topic might just prove to be the most taboo of all. However, I would be remiss if I didn't [...]

8Feb/13Off

Giveaway for Hemophilia Awareness Month

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Do you want to win a COo.oOL prize?

I'm giving away a $67 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of my book, Survivor: One Man's Battle with HIV, Hemophilia, and Hepatitis C at the end of March. March is Hemophilia Awareness Month, and I decided to run a contest/giveaway to support Hemophilia Awareness, give back to my friends, and gain followers at the same time!

It's easy to enter and I will draw one lucky winner from the contestants on March 31, 2013. In order to qualify you need to [...]

1Dec/12Off

World AIDS Day 2012

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Today is World AIDS Day. Please take 60 seconds out of your day to reflect and remember the millions and millions of people affected and infected by this horrible HIV virus

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No one knows the exact count, and we probably never will. But statistics and scientific estimates put the numbers [...]

8Nov/12Off

How to Boil a Frog

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


I thought about titling this article, ”A Look at Why Some People Thrive, and Others Do Not.” However, that seemed a bit wordy, unclassy, and simply pompous … Talking about frogs on the other hand is fun, goofy, and downright cool. So … The title is what it is. I’m sure everyone knows how to boil a frog, but I will waste one minute and explain it … You boil a frog by slowly [...]

27Aug/12Off

How I Self Published

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Since my book, Survivor, has come out, I have been asked a plethora of times what the process was, how long it took, and how I did it. So, I decided to create a blog article to detail what made me decide to self publish, the steps I went through, the pitfalls, my struggles, cost, and of course, how long the entire publishing thing took.

Let's go back to the beginning to really get this post kicked off properly ... In 1986 I was diagnosed with [...]

14Aug/12Off

Sheepdog in Sheep’s Clothing

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


I am a warrior. And, I have warrior's blood flowing in my veins. My father fought in the Vietnam War and was awarded the Bronze Star for acts of bravery. That said, the joke is on me … I was born in the body of a hemophiliac. And, on top of that, I contracted HIV back in the 80’s from a bad blood transfusion. That is why I call myself a sheepdog in sheep’s clothing. You see, I am constantly on the lookout for the wolf, but if I find him, we may both [...]

22Feb/12Off

Learning How to Live After Cancer

Posted by Guest Blogger


About five years ago, I was preparing to celebrate my son's first birthday in July of 2007. Two days prior to his birthday, I received news that rocked my world and flipped it upside down. I was positive for breast cancer at age 30. It was invasive and aggressive. I was also told that it was a gene that had caused it. I am BRCA 1 positive. After picking myself up off of the floor, we got to work on starting to formulate a plan of action. First was a bi-lateral mastectomy. After the surgery, I went to Shady Grove Fertility in order to harvest eggs just in case I was not able to conceive after chemo, which was about a 50/50 chance. I had to give myself shots in the stomach twice a day, while trying to heal from my mastectomy. I was then told [...]

16Feb/12Off

A Quarter Century and Counting

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


A quarter of a century is exactly how long ago that I found out that I was HIV positive. I'm really not sure when I contracted the virus, but I do know that I was told in our den by my mom and dad on Saturday [...]

14Feb/12Off

Giving Back

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Heart Shape

It is sort of fitting to have an article about [...]

6Feb/12Off

The War of the Body

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


In many of my previous posts I have talked about the war of the body. I've even posted some information about it. Today's Secret article is going to breakdown my idea and how it has helped me.

After all of these peaceful and loving blog entries, let me step out on a limb and discuss [...]

29Jan/12Off

Hobbies and Extracurricular Activities

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Let's kick this bad boy off with one of my favorite quotes:

“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.”
—Amelia Earhart

Most of my blog articles about living longer have been about fitness, healthier living, mental toughness, medication, and other related subjects. One longevity subject that is often overlooked is [...]

21Jan/12Off

Stress (fancy word for life)

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


After all of the posts in the secret article thread, I figured it was time to tackle stress. It’s also a very good time to bring it up, considering our last post was about living longer. One thing we didn’t discuss during that article was managing your stress levels. The main reason for this [...]

16Jan/12Off

How to Live Longer

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Don’t laugh; the fountain of youth does exist. Living longer does not only apply to HIV+ folks, this information will work for everyone. Following some simple guidelines and principals can have you on the path to increasing your life expectancy.

Many people from different walks of life told me precisely what I needed to do to prolong my life [...]

30Dec/11Off

Family and Friends (support system)

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Most of us are looking for support systems in our daily lives. And, the funny thing is that our family and friends surround us and we often fail to recognize that they are [...]

27Jul/11Off

Suicidal Tendencies

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Let me start this post by stating that I honestly believe that everyone has thought about, and/or considered suicide at some point in their lives. That said, I was told directly by a psychologist many moons ago, that I was wrong about that … I guess we must agree to disagree on this one, because I'm sticking to my guns. However, it’s probable that I am [...]

18Mar/11Off

Positive Attitude

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Let me start by saying that I do not condone, nor believe in positive thinking/attitude without something to back it up. E.g. I don’t think you can look at a weed-filled garden and chant there are no weeds 1,000 times and then they mysteriously and suddenly disappear. That said, I do sincerely believe in [...]

19Feb/11Off

My First Book Signing was a Success

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


I had a great day in Boonsboro, Maryland. I was at Turn the Page Bookstore at my first ever book signing. That's right ... I popped my cherry today! And, it was thrilling to say the least!!!

The weather was mild for a mid-February day. But, the wind made up for the warm temperatures. Gusty blasts of cool air threatened to [...]

27Aug/10Off

Colds, the Flu, and Other Painful Maladies

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


DISCLAIMER I really hate putting these things in here, but I feel that in today's letigious society it is absolutely necessary. That said, I am not a doctor! I don't even pretend to be one. These posts are merely my opinion and based on life experiences. If I made a mistake in this (or any) of my Blog entries, then I apologize. I also encourage you to post a comment and correct me. If you follow any advice or ideas in this Blog, you do so at your own risk! Enjoy!

I used to think that the word disease was simply [...]

25Aug/10Off

Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!!

This post is rated PG-13 ... It contains sexual inuendos, devious acts, and [...]

6Aug/09Off

Personal Hygiene

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


The term "hygiene" is derived from Hygeia, the Greek goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation. It does not come from the other Greek word, Hydra, which is a 9-headed serpent whose breath was poisonous!

Personal hygiene is often overlooked as a simple way to stay healthy. When you ask most people to list some easy ways to maintain health, they immediately shoot back with [...]