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Show 02.23.2011 03.0S.2011 -- t 'o;0PBN rarwm Knowing your status, preserving life ASSISTANT EDITOR I JUSTINA MCCANDLESS j Kevin Packer j Contributing Writer KENDRA BLACK forumproductionwestminstercollege.edu j BUSINESS MANAGER j ERIC NIELSEN j ADVISER i s KIMZARKIN I NORMAN. NICOLAS ERIC STEPHEN CHRISTENSON. COOK. KIMBERLY JENSON. BRITTANY JOHNS. NICOLE KARFAKIS. JEFFREY KIESEL. BRADY PERRON. BEVERLY SPERE.I SMITH. MADISON GRACE TYLER. CORIE WALCH KATHERINE CRAWFORD j j CONTRIBUTING WRITERS KEVIN PACKER GARY GONZALEZ CONTACT 1 840 S. 1300 deal with aging quicker than the rest of the population. Doctor appointments happen every two months as well as more appointments with eye doctors, neurologists and psychologists. It sucks to be me sometimes. But knowing my status is very important to my health. If I had chosen to live with my head in the sand and not get tested where would I be today? Its tough to be on strict medication regimen taking care of yourself. Most people drift through life without caring about future consequences. When you have a compromised immune system you suddenly become hyper aware of the dangerous surroundings of your existence, your own body and the stuff you consume. Cigarettes? No. Party drugs? No. Sushi? Maybe you shouldnt. It changes everything. Other things change, also. Early on I adopted a new mindset. Instead of being timid and shy I shot out and started to explore the globe and put check marks on my bucket list. I havent stopped mountain biking. In fact Ive increased it. I still go out by myself and even go camping by myself. I take every chance to ride roller coasters in cities I visit. I take more vacations than ever. I stop, literally, and smell the flowers. I watch sunsets. Like seriously sit down and watch the sun go down. I tell people close to me I love them. Often. If I hadnt known my status perhaps the disease would have taken me out before the meds could have helped me. Knowing my body has kept me more aware and on top of things that might have come up to blindside me. Keeping my doctors appointment and inoculations current has helped me stay well so I can continue to do those things I love. Yes, knowing I have this and living with this is not easy. But at least Im living, right? And Im not killing or infecting others because I know my status and I tell everyone in intimate situations I have it. I have faced death in several different forms. In one instance, while walking across a crosswalk, an intoxicated person struck me with her full size pick up. Luckily, at the last second, I saw the truck and jumped onto the hood. The paramedics were shocked I didnt break my hips. In another instance I was sideswiped on the freeway going over 60 miles per hour, which sent me out of control and spinning towards the overpass guard rail of which I was certain I was going over. The car tilted towards the street below and then righted itself. Another day I took off on a bike trail in Moab with one botde of water and a couple of energy bars. The two year old map I had showed an easy 14 mile round trip loop. After about six hours I realized I was lost and the map was no longer valid (I learned later they change routes often in Moab to preserve the terrain). As darkness fell I realized the worst that would happen would be I would be spending the night out there in the middle of nowhere. In my initial panic, however, the thought of death occurring out there was my main fear. The most startling episode, however, was when I tested positive for HIV. When that moment came, burned into my mind for all time, I was sitting safely at home at my kitchen counter. I was in a new relationship, a new job I loved and the world seemed like it was getting me started on a direction of complete happiness. In the early days of AIDS it was considered a death sentence. No one survived this disease. My whole world came crashing down around me. I often bitch about the cost of my meds and the stigma I am subjected to in Utah. Its so much easier in bigger metropolises to live with HIV. But I chose to live here so I shouldnt bitch about that. The costs of my meds isnt just financial. There is a toll on my body as well. New symptoms are cropping up the older I get. Studies show people with HIV have to 1 STAFF WRITERS V Living with, not dying of AIDS WALTER DENISON forumeditorwestminstercollege.edu forumbusinesswestminstercollege.edu VOLUME XLIV Issue 12 . Column: EDITOR-IN-CHIE- F PRODUCTION MANAGER W E. SHAW L3 SLC, UTAH EDITORIAL PHONE: 801.832.2320 EMAIL: forumeditorwestminstercollege.edu BUSINESS & ADVERTISING PHONE: 801.832.2319 EMAIL: LETTERS ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 6 s Submit letters to the editor and opinion pieces to forumedi- torwestminstercollege.edu with "Opinion" as the subject line. Only letters received from a valid email address signed with a first and last name will be accepted. 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