image credit: kris pito
A nocturne (from the French for "nocturnal") is usually a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. Historically, Nocturn is a very old term applied to night Offices and, since the Middle Ages, to divisions in the canonical hour of Matins.for the rest of wikipedia definition, click here
i serve on a committee for persons living with hiv. one of the things that has bothered me since i really began this gig is finding out that 1/2 of the persons diagnosed with hiv are currently not in medical care. they haven't been to a doctor in more than a year.
i know this is not something i can control. and i know that when i tested positive in 1986 i did the very same thing. i pretty much stayed away from doctors for about 10 years. but, i also know those days were different. politically, it was not a sure bet that i would be safe in "reagan years" and there wasn't much docs would be able to tell me anyway (except to take azt-which was killing the people around me faster than the virus).
but today, things seem different. medical advances have been made in treatment, in understanding, and in acceptance. knowing that there is a some treatment available is a long way from knowing there is nothing to be done.
i am still trying to discern a way to reduce the percentage of persons not in care. or at least put a dent in it. i am not interested in making the pharma companies more money, i am interested in reducing the amount of stress, worry, and anxiety that come with denial. and i am interested in reducing the overall stigma of hiv, too.
today is just a little rant. i am sure i'll get on this soapbox again. i just feel i kind of owe it to the people who have gone before me with hiv, as well as the people who will come after me with hiv, to ask questions and put love and work towards their answers.
