HIV Longevity Still Fighting…

24Feb/12Off

Give an Inch

Posted by Guest Blogger


I’ve struggled for a few weeks with whether to write this. I’m not sure whether this about Christianity, my personal faith, charity, or Al Pacino. I still don’t know, but I’ve started writing, so here we go. The Thursday before Valentine’s Day, sometime during the mid-morning I decided that I was going to buy my wife something. This was kind of unusual because, although I’ve got a great marriage, we don’t usually [...]

23Feb/12Off

Shoes of a Hemophiliac

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

We often hear statements like, "Oh yeah ... Well you should try walking in my shoes..." Today, I'd like to offer my shoes and allow you to see through the eyes of a hemophiliac. Let's start off by explaining what the heck hemophilia is. Hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder in which your blood does not clot normally or properly. It is carried in the X chromosome, and is called an X-linked genetic disorder. Cutting through all of the obfuscation, it essentially means that I inherited a factor VIII (factor-8) deficiency from my mother, who was a carrier. Dumbing (is that even a word?) it down even further, it means that unlike average boys and girls, if I get bruised or cut, I will not stop bleeding without medical assistance.

[...]
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 [...]


20Feb/12Off

Sunrises and Sunsets

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Do you take the time to stop and smell the sunrise? I know most folks say "roses," but I'm more of a sunrise kind of fella. My ride to work takes 61 or more minutes, yet I don't complain and it flies by. One of the main reasons for this is because I have [...]


19Feb/12Off

Longevity, Life, and Joy

Posted by Guest Blogger


For as long as I can remember I have heard people talk about getting to a ripe old age or wanting to live forever. We as a humanity have for the most part, believed that is what we should do, as if we should do anything to postpone death.

It has come to my attention that the fear of [...]


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 [...]


10Feb/12Off

On the Art of Living: Time to Cook

Posted by Guest Blogger


I walked through the grocery store last week, taking my time to select the ingredients for the Hamburger Rolls (recipe on BayvsKitchen) I had planned. I had taken a day off of work and was expecting company for lunch. This particular lunch was going to be comprised of some items that required cooking, chopping, coating, seasoning, and blending in careful quantities. Such a great perk of cooking is that if you can pull it off, you can dine on whatever you want.

They say that the family that prays together stays together. I say that [...]


9Feb/12Off

Creating Life with In Vitro Fertilization

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Let's talk babies! More specifically, let's talk about engineered babies who are created through in vitro fertilization (IVF). My wife, Kristine, and I went through a scientific process called IVF to have our two beautiful children. We actually did ICSI (pronounced: ick-see); which stands for [...]


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 [...]


5Feb/12Off

Kotowaza – Japanese Proverbs

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


As you all know, I refer to kaizen on a regular basis. Kaizen is a Japanese word that means daily improvement. I strive on a daily basis to improve myself. Today, I'd like to introduce you to another Japanese word ... Kotowaza. Essentially, kotowaza translates to "proverb." I am fascinated with Japanese philosophy and one of the main things I gain from the Japanese is [...]