Cocktails Anyone?

[Guest guest]

I need to start by apologizing to all for my untimely response, as I have been quite busy and neglectful of my email.

This last week I saw both the HIV Specialist and the Oncologist. Oddly enough it is the Oncologist that is pushing for the ARV’s. The HIV Doc disagrees but respects my viewpoint, also agreeing that we would wait until I finish with chemotherapy before starting any new drugs. The Anemia is stable and I am responding well to the chemotherapy.

Below are the many replies I got from my original posting, followed by my replies, and finally by my original posting.

Thanks to all for your compassion and input!

Neal

 

Re: Cocktails anyone? John I was just reading recently the benefits of B-12 injections. It would be good if you could have a B-12 shot once a week. Also a good Multi B complex vit 1- 2 times a day. You need some good supplements, Good oils, like www.NordicNaturals.com And order the EFA's and take anywhere from 3- 6, 000 mgs a day in divided doses. probiotics' really strong ones, either Primal Defense, or Metagenic brand sells a really good one. High enzymes foods, like paypa, melons, Mango's, pineapple. You may even want to use a good digestive enzymes to ensure your digesting foods well. Have you been tested for yeast? You may need to be on some antifungal. Sorry to cut this short, too tired to write now. But this is a good start. Along with a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegs, lean meats. Get some sunshine in each day too. Blessings, Allie

Allie, yes I am taking B-12 injections, a good multi-vitamin and Fluconazole (antifungal). Don’t know much about probiotics. Have an appointment with a nutrionist tomorrow arranged by my Case Manager.

 

Cocktails anyone? Neal, You're on the right track. Of course, neither I nor anyone else here can point the way for you -- it's a path you'll have to find based on your own observations from your own perspective -- the most any of us can do is to relate to you our own limited perception of the elephant. I can tell you that from my perspective, it appears that 100% of all AIDS deaths in the Western world are ultimately caused by misdiagnosis and highly inappropriate medical treatment. Typically speaking, those with a history of illness, such as myself, are more prone to test "positive" on an HIV test, regardless of whether any such thing as "HIV" actually exists (and even though Duesberg insists that it does, he does point out the fact that a "positive" result on an HIV test in no way demonstrates the actual presence of "HIV".) Kelly is right when he says that an "HIV-positive" diagnosis does not necessarily indicate ill health, nor is it necessarily a "wake-up call".

However, in many cases (myself included) it is exactly that, simply because it may be an indicator of some health issues that need to be addressed. Judging by the family and health history that you relate, I suspect that you may be such a case. Particularly interesting to me is the fact that you have KS. This is an extremely rare cancer, particularly in the West. Western KS (as associated with AIDS) has been linked to the use of nitrite inhalants among gay men here. It is my understanding that in Africa and around the Mediterranean, KS typically strikes below the waistline, and there are those in this forum who've suggested that this might be because they're working bare-footed in farmland that has been fertilized with nitrite-based fertilizers. I cannot comment as to the veracity of this suggestion, but it does seem plausible. At any rate, nitrites in general are widely suspected among dissidents of causing or contributing to KS. If they are correct (and I believe that they

probably are), then KS tends to break out at the site of exposure to whatever toxin (nitrite?) caused it. In the US, back when the first GRIDS/AIDS cases were diagnosed, one thing that drew quite a bit of attention was the fact that these men had KS around their mouths, noses, in their sinuses and windpipes, and in their lungs. (In fact, before this, not a single case of pulmonary KS had been diagnosed in the entire history of modern medicine, according to Duesberg.) Prior to this, KS was believed to be a cancer that primarily or perhaps even exclusively appeared below the waist, yet the original five GRIDS/AIDS patients in the US all had KS on their faces and in their respiratory tracts. This being the case, it seems possible that the placement of your KS might yield some clue as to its cause (at least if the cause is a chemical toxin, such as a nitrite.) It need not necessarily even be a nitrite -- if one toxin can cause a particular condition, then there may be other toxins that

cause the same or similar condition. An examination of any and all products that you've used on or around your face, or perhaps a past accidental exposure to chemicals, might help you to find the real cause of your KS. In any case, you and I both know that it's not caused by "HIV". --- Gos

Gos, It looks as if I have found a good Doctor in the sense that he listens to, and respects my point of view- even if he does disagree. He is not pushing ARV’s and has agreed that it is best to wait until I finish Chemo before considering any such treatment. The Oncologist is the one pushing ARV’s. I was refereed to a study by my case manager and it seems that the researchers are actually interested in tracking people NOT taking the drugs. As for the KS, I have used poppers in the past, but not recently. The Doctor’s are just as confused by my KS and I saw lots of them when I was hospitalized - no answers here, but it is clearing up with the Doxil! Neal

Gos, Very good reply. I would only add that in a situation such as this one must also use one's intuition, i.e. listen to your inner voice as to what medicines to take and what advice to listen to. There is a very interesting book Neal might want to look into. It is "Occult medicine can save your life; a modern doctor looks at unconventional healing," by C. Norman Shealy, M.D. From the dust jacket: "The Age of Aquarius creeps into the tent of modern medicine and its prophet is a young Wisconsin neurosurgeon. A specialist in new techniques to prevent or alleviate pain, Dr. Shealy is the foremost champion in this country of 'holistic medicine'--a concept which embraces the complementary skills such as clairvoyance, faith healing and even astrology, biorhythm, biofeedback and Kirlian photography when conventional medicine fails." (Publishers Weekly) Fred

Fred. I am learning to trust the "Inner Voice", and at the same time I am also finding a few inside the establishment that listen to my perspective. I find it interesting that they are finally looking at the benefits of NOT using the drugs - UCSD/AVRC (AntiViral Research Study). I did an intake with them earlier this week and I look like a good candidate - time will tell. Neal

RE: Cocktails anyone? John It appears you have actually made your decision and are looking for moral support. My advice... Trust your gut feelings as to what to do. Look at alternative measures to address your medical issues as well as what is offered by western medicine. Choose what makes sense. Ask millions of questions. Think positively about your success at regaining health. Appreciate what you have already learned and respect your ability to learn more. Treat yourself to good things. And maybe work on quitting the cigarettes. They do alter iron metabolism. Best feet forward, John. mdp

MDP, Support is crucial. Strong arguments are also helpful. My new Doctor is respectful, but the Oncologist is like talking to a brick wall, but he is just filling in for the regular one that is on maternity leave. Too bad she is not around, as she was very through and I liked her - she will be back soon enough. Neal

John, How old are you? Fred

Fred, I will be forty-four later this month. Neal

Re: Cocktails anyone? Well then, isn't it amazing how we are "forced" in these times to educate ourselves and take an aggressive role in our own healthcare? Yet, when we do, we are labeled as non-compliant? I certainly feel your frustration. While I have no point of reference regarding many of your conditions, the anemia and cancer treatment is what caught my attention in your post. My Dad had terminal pancreatic cancer 3 years ago - and I bore witness to the methods and drastic treatments that our medical community seems to find satisfactory as the protocol of choice. You sound "on top of it all" so apologies in advance if this is redundant or you are already aware of this, but during chemotherapy, it seems they will allow your blood levels to drop below certain levels to be able to administer Procrit. I'm sure you've seen it advertised on TV - it's $2,500.00 per shot. My Dad had never had problems with anemia until he underwent chemo after which he had several

transfusions and several Procrit shots. Also, take care not to eat/drink certain foods as they exacerbate anemia. It's easily searched on the Internet - tea, for example, blocks the cells ability to absorb iron. I think you already know what to do (you already answered your own question, IMO); because if you are labeled as non-compliant, you may as well fly to the beach somewhere and just enjoy your life as long as you can. The current healthcare community will continue to try to force square pegs into round holes because anything otherwise will require some thought, and worse, individuals risking their careers to prove points...and unfortunately all they do right now is whisper about it over cocktails. Again, while your anemia may be stabilized right now, it won't be for long while you are being treated for the cancer. AND, they will likely allow it to bottom out so they can give you Procrit and have the government pay for it. They must earn "brownie points" for using Procrit as

treatment - or get really good kick backs. I truly believe that diet can greatly aid both the healing of the cancer AND keep the anemia in "check" while you are being treated. No one ever recommended any dietary changes or nutritional supplements to my Dad and I'm relatively certain they won't for you either. Bright blessings to you and thank you for sharing your circumstances in such an open, honest way. Peace - Anna "And I dreamed I saw the bomber jet planes riding shotgun in the sky, turning into butterflies above our nation." ~Joni Mitchell - Woodstock

Anna, When I left the hospital they had me on 40,000 units of Procrit per week, for the first month and then monthly injections. They also had me on massive amounts of steroids (prednisone), they also told me that they used steroids during the blood transfusions to shut down my {"dis-functional"} Immune System and I would have to continue this drug for a month in tapering doses. I took this drug back in the late 90's for ITP and it did not work and the side effects are hell. My first Oncologist had suggested this as a possible treatment and I had refused. I suspect they may have lied and duped me into taking these drugs. The second Oncologist is pretty much going through the motions as the first had established treatment and done all the real work before she left on maternity leave. I do not like or trust the new Oncologist. He has taken me off the Procrit and extended the use of steroids. He also told me that I was mistaken about the isolation of HIV. I have continued to taper

off the steroids and will be completely off of them in a couple of days. I am still taking the monthly dose of Procrit. The Procrit works well and is much preferred to the steroids. I can read my own labs and we will see where we are at on Monday when I have my next blood draw. By the way, the Procrit is ONLY $600 per vial - the price must have gone down! Neal. PS love the Joni quote.

Re: Cocktails anyone? John I feel for you. I am by far not an expert in your ailness. I am a gay mle HIV negative and have lossed a lot of friends what was deemed diagnosed with aids. My first reccomendation is prayer and having confidence in your body. Eat right as possible and drink plenty of water and juices, Whole foods, nuts, berries. Believe in your body. Laugh, think positive thoughts and yes obtain the drugs, just don't take them. that is my advice and I will pray for you even though I do not know you. Pat Patelos in North Carolina

Pat, I am doing my best to take care and keep my spirits high. As to friends lost along the way, there are too many to count - I can’t recall all the names and faces.. Back in the late 80's there was a period where somebody I knew of died EVERYDAY! I know now the cause was massive doses of AZT - how could I have been so stupid as to not make the connection for another twelve years! Neal

Re: Cocktails anyone? John, have you considered juicing? There are those in this group and elsewhere who have restored their health, beaten cancer and other "incurable" diseases with a raw food ( live food ) diet, and a good compromise is juicing. The main staples of juicing are carrots, beets with the greens. Add an apple for a sweeter taste. Please google a few sites. Recommended author is Lorraine Day, MD... perhaps your local library has her tapes. You can't cure disease with drugs... only natural substances... you'd be amazed at the difference in your feeling of well-being after only three days ( or less! ) of juicing. -Allen

Allen, I have juiced before at a friends house, but it is time consuming and expensive. There is a juice bar/deli here at the Ocean Beach People’s Food Co-op that is really good - they also have many fruit and vegetable juices in the cooler to go. I also made it a habit of going Jamba Juice for a ‘quick meal’ - more fruit than vegetables, but good wholesome stuff with choices of vitamins, protein, herbal supplements, etc.. They also have fresh wheat grass juice. Beats the hell out of a "Big-Mac" and fries! The truth be told - I am doing some of the things I should and a lot of things I shouldn’t! Neal

Re: Cocktails anyone? I just read your horror story and I'm sorry I can't be more help to you. You seem to know more about what's wrong with you than any of the doctors who've seen you —— including the 70 who platooned in and out of your room at UCSD. I'm addressing this to the full list in hopes someone can recommend a health professional to you who might actually treat you for what's wrong with you instead of jamming you full of "anti-HIV" drugs. I'm also taking the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to Christine Maggiore, who heads Alive and Well —— a Los Angeles-based organization similar to ours —— in hopes she might be able to help. Mark Gabrish Conlan Board chair, H.E.A.L.-San Diego

Mark, We have met and I have been to HEAL meetings in the past. Luckily it seems as if I have tripped across the right HIV Doc over at Owen. Still a lot of resistance by some, but he is my primary care provider and he is helping to insulate me from others. As to "Non-Compliance", he is of the opinion that if I am doing most of what he recommends that I am compliant and refusing ARV’s is "Acting Against Medical Advice" - he respects my position and does not push the issue, even though he disagrees. Neal

Re: Cocktails anyone? John, That is an amazing story and says to me that you are much more stronger than you give yourself credit for. All illness is being in a state of illusion and so we all have the power to be well at all times. Try not to fall into the victim/poor me role. Keep reading life affirming info too!! terry

Terry, That witch does not kill me only makes me stronger! Neal

Re: Cocktails anyone? Wow John!....and I thought my issues were mind-boggling! I've felt the pressure too...and since I am on state-funded insurance...I've chosen to be 'compliant' to keep my medical coverage. I haven’t heard of any agency refusing to cover anyone who was 'non-compliant' - wow....that taking things up another notch as far as control goes. Did you notice any change in your t-cell/v-load counts with the meds? and what was your base-line original counts before HAART? I am open to the multi-factorial causal theory of aids....and just concerned about the meds effects on the body/organs. I would just weigh all my options and take the best route that would benefit you temporally...and then when your circumstances are more fortunate...you can choose options what wont put your welfare at risk. Paul

Paul, My CD4 was running in the 600-700 range when I was on ARV’s in the late 1990's. I hit an all time low of 288 in 1997, but I also had undiagnosed syphilis in the third stage at the same time. This was the first time I "Fired" a Doctor - I have done it many times since and will do it again! I checked in 2002 and I was at 525. In March of this year I was at 330, that went up to 356 in May (Viral Load 480,000/329,000 respectively) without any treatment and they took more blood last week. I think the meds triggered the ITP, caused muscle wasting, lipid re-distribution and caused fatigue, not to mention constant diareha. The meds wipe out your liver - the #1 killer of HIVer’s is LIVER FAILURE - but they don’t like to talk about this issue! Neal

Re: Cocktails anyone? Dear John, thanks for sharing your story, it helps us all to hear real testimonies. Since 2000, have you been taking supplement or tried an alternative therapy such as the Beck Protocol or Dr. Hulda Clark's? Have you heard of ozone therapy? The Beck protocol can be very cheap to do as there are some plans to make the devices yourself for about 75$ and then, it is free for you to use for as long as you want. I have been on the Beck protocol since last fall and for the first time in my life, I did not get a cold or any symptoms whatsoever. Or you could put your resources with a few other patients and get a proper ozone therapy, splitting the costs. For myself, I will use alternative therapy until I have no other choice... Your doctors seem to think that you have no choice so, you could use any of those alternative therapy to remain compliant at the same time and quickly diminish the drugs as you make progress with the alternative therapy(ies). Just a

suggestion but I am making no claims nor taking responsibility here. Sylvain

Sylvain, I am familiar with Dr. Clark. Rumor has it she is still here in Chula Vista (a southern suburb of San Diego down by the border) and I know she has a clinic on the TJ side of the border, but she keeps a low profile as to avoid attack from the FDA. I have read much of here stuff and have done a lot "Dental Clean-up" as a result. In fact, I am fighting with the Dentist now over metal crowns and amalgam fillings. The Ryan White Care Act has been cutback and they won’t allow porcelain or non visible composite fillings. Hopefully this will be a dead issue when I get approved for Medi-Cal! Neal

Re: Cocktails anyone? The answer you seek is in your own story. If you had trusted MDs you would already be dead. You trusted yourself. I suggest you treat any disease that is symptomatic. If MDs want to prescribe toxic chemicals to treat a "disease" that is not symptomatic, ask them to take the drugs for a couple of months to show their good faith. Doctors kill at least 100,000 people a year. The 100,000 figure is agreed upon but there is little doubt that MDs kill far more than 100,000 each year. The number of AIDS deaths in the US for the last 20 years is less than 500,000, and that figure is probably highly inflated. During that same period of time MDs killed over 2,000,000 people. In short, your odds of being killed by a doctor are at least 4 times greater than your odds of being killed by AIDS. Sara

Sara, I am not familiar with the stats you quote, but I do know of one Doctor that almost killed one person six weeks ago! Neal.

Re: Cocktails anyone? If it were me, I would never take the medications. I would rather die honestly. Besides, what it does to your T-Cells is merely a mask. You will feel better, all the while, killing your own bone marrow to the point that you are not able to produce any more. I do understand it's hard when you're poor and you need treatment. Sylvain may have a point in "complying" but not. Or taking the drugs they give you for your particular ailments, but flushing your ARVs down the toilet. If I were you, I would go to www.waronaids.org and try the lemonade cleanse for starters. Maybe if you clear up your blood a bit, your immune system will have an easier time of fighting other things. I'd also eat better and stop smoking if I were you. Caer

Caer, Fortunately my new Doctor is open minded enough to let this issue slide. I have also done an intake for a study at UCSD that is looking at medication naive, interrupted, and active patients. I had confirmation of my position by one of the Hematologists while I was in the hospital, all though very casual. It seems as if a small minority within the ‘Establishment’ are finally waking up and thinking for themselves! Neal

Re: Cocktails anyone? You can also visit www.aidsrc.org . They have a list of dissident doctors who may help you. I'd say, use the money you use for cigarettes and save up to see one of them if you can. I'm not that well off either. But I can afford a visit or two to the right kind of doctor. By the way guys, I'm doing the Lemonade Cleanse right now! It's pretty nifty. I think I'm turning into a lemon though. It had better work! I'm pretty healthy, but I'm sure I still have 29 years of toxins somewhere in there.

I have been referred to a local Holistic Practitioner/Acupuncturist/ Herbalist whom my regular Doctor is familiar with and respects. She studied in China and knows her stuff. Ironically, my "Western " Doctor is Chinese and my "Eastern" Doctor is a white girl from California! As for the cleanse I need to check it out as we have a big tree full of fresh lemons. Neal

)======== And what might those particular meds be that do this(I've only heard of AZT doing that)? OH,.....so low cd'4s or what ever count you have has absolutely no correlative or indication of anything going on in your body relative to immunity - is that the claim? Dissidents have yet to prove that cd-4's are irrelevant and the general data points consisently to OI's being more 'opportunist' at lower cd-4 counts. While these lower counts may or may not have anything to do with the hiv...they still are usually a fairly good indicator on ones immune-response status. (ave. cd-4's range from 500 - 1500) This is the general concensus...and until it is disproven...it remains to be reckoned with. A good cleanse sounds good! Paul

Paul, I know the ill effects and discomfort ARV’s caused me in the past and it is up to THEM to PROVE that the benefits outweigh the risks. I have an Australian friend that is HIV+ and he has told me they do not recommend ARV’s for anybody with more than 200 T-cells and they pay little or no attention to viral load - his Doctor does not even run the test most of the time. The general wisdom is to watch, wait, and see; to let the body do it’s own thing for as long as possible and only intervene when it is absolutely necessary! Neal

 

Below is my original posting:

I am HIV positive and currently afflicted with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia and Kaposi’s Sarcoma, the KS is also involving my left eye with a possibility of CMV. This has been a worsening situation for eight months and I first sought medical advice only two and a half months ago. This has resulted in a recent diagnosis of AIDS.

First diagnosed with HIV in 1993, I completely trusted the medical establishment and followed advice/treatment without question. I was taking antiretroviral drugs from 1996-2000; however, for the past five years I have refused any such treatment after concluding the "Cure was worse than the Disease". After I decided for myself to discontinue HIV treatment I discovered the dissident point of view.

By March my condition had progressed to the point where I could no longer continue without medical intervention. As I am uninsured/uninsurable, I had to see a Doctor at one of the local HIV clinics under the Ryan White Care Act.

The Doctor stated that I had Kaposi’s Sarcoma and assumed that for this condition to exist I had to have less that 50 T-cells. He prescribed Seprta (a broad spectrum anti-biotic) on an ongoing basis as a prophylactic treatment for pneumocystis pneumonia; a treatment I refused as I had no indication of any respitory ailment and deemed this to be an incredible misuse of this drug. He also insisted I begin antiretroviral therapy immediately. All of this before he had seen any lab results whatsoever! For treatment of the Kaposi’s Sarcoma I was referred to UCSD (University of California at San Diego Medical Center).

Lab results revealed that my CD4 count was 330 with a viral load of 480,000 and that I was Anemic. My primary Doctor had determined that I was Iron Deficient. The last time I saw this Doctor I told him my Anemia was worsening; a plea he ignored, instead he persisted prescribing antiretroviral drugs. Dissatisfied with his attitude, inaction, and lack of communication between his clinic and the Oncologist over at UCSD, I decided to find a different Doctor.

I choose a new Doctor at UCSD based upon recommendation from a trusted friend. I saw him at the beginning of May and he suggested a fresh start - physical, labs, and medical history. He said he would see me again in a few weeks time. Later that evening he called me at home to tell me I had severe Anemia and return to the hospital the next morning for a blood transfusion.

The next day I went for this transfusion and was told that they could not "Cross Type" by blood, as I had "Abnormal Antibodies". It was then decided that I would return on Sunday for a blood transfusion - at this point my hematocritic count was 14.8 (45-50 is normal, 15 is critical, below 5 normally results in cardiac arrest, stroke, coma, or death).

On Sunday they still had not been able to find me the right blood and this would be a high risk transfusion, therefore I needed to be admitted as an inpatient. After ten more hours they could still not find blood - pissed off I went home! On Monday still no blood - I told them to call me if and when they found some.

On Tuesday they decided to go with the "Least Incompatible Match" and admitted me to the hospital. Upon admission to UCSD my hematocritic count was 3.8 - clinically dead! I spent the next three days in the hospital (two in ICU) and received five blood transfusions. They also performed a surgery to biopsy a lymph node to rule out lymphatic cancer - remember we still have the Oncologist and Kaposi’s Sarcoma in the picture!

The hospital stay was quite an adventure! One expects to see a lot of Doctors at UCSD as it is a training facility; however in my case I was seen by well over 70 Doctors the first two days. In fact there were five "Teams" working my case - General Medicine, HIV, Hematology, Oncology and Surgery. They were coming down from the La Jolla facility, the Medical School, and the VA Regional Medical Center- it seems as if everybody had to see, ask, poke, prod, and then scratch their head.

They were all amazed by the fact that I walked into the hospital (still smoking cigarettes) with a Hematocrit of 3.8 and wondering how I could have KS with CD4 of 356 - actually up from the previous month’s 330 with a decrease in viral load to 329,000, without any treatment at all.

Meanwhile, I’m taking this all in stride and they are all saying I should have been dead!

I have my own theory - that I voiced loudly to anyone that was actually listening - of what was really happening, and that is maybe my illness has NOTHING TO DO WIT HIV AT ALL! I am genetically predisposed Spherocytosis - both my father and sister have it and my sister has suffered from Anemia. The genetic origins of Spherocytosis are the same as Kaposi’s Sarcoma, the Eastern Mediterranean - odd as we are of French and Scot decent but the gene got there somehow. Older men in this region live for years with KS without incident.

As to the "Abnormal Antibodies" that prevented "Cross Typing" of my blood, I suffered from ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura) back in 1997 - another autoimmune disorder that attacks the platelets instead of the red blood cells. This was eventually treated successfully by infusion of IVIG (immunoglobulin). IVIG is a blood product containing antibodies from thousands of donors and I received twelve infusions of this stuff. No real mystery as to the origin of the "Abnormal Antibodies"- THEY PUT THEM THERE!

I concluded that none of this HIV related; therefore I DON’T HAVE AIDS! Of course none of the HIV people wanted to hear this and most others ignored it. However, I did turn a few heads and got some puzzled looks. Then one of the Hematologists gave me a slight smile through pursed lips and said with a wink and a smile, "You walk into my hospital with a Hematocritic of 3.8, you can do whatever you want, you’re bullet proof". One of the other Doctors confirmed I was right to refuse to take the Seprta the first Doctor prescribed. Alas, somebody was listening!

Meanwhile, with my Anemia stabilized and my Hematocrit at 28 - above the critical 15 and below 30 that the CDC uses to define AIDS - I am back across the street at the Ambulatory Care Center in the clutches of the Oncologist and HIV Specialists. This last week we began treating the KS - and killing red blood cells - with chemotherapy by infusion of Doxil. Now it is time to confront the issue of antiretroviral therapy. Is it time once again to endlessly consume protease inhibitors, nukes, and non-nukes until my liver bursts?

Now I am faced with the dilemma of caving into the established thinking and conforming to their protocol or being labeled as "Non- compliant ". The CDC instructions are not to treat "Non-Conforming" patients for non-life threatening ailments - this instruction was downloaded directly from the CDC’s own web site and shown to me by a dissident friend of mine.

I am seriously ill and do need medical treatment. I also know that the HIV people truly believe in what they are doing and that they are right. This last hospitalization has bankrupted me - I have had to spend down all by assets to less that $2,000.00 to qualify for Medi-Cal. I am not able to work and have applied for Social Security - thank God I have paid off all my credit cards and have plenty of credit available or I would wind up homeless! I risk losing these benefits also if I am labeled as "Non-Compliant".

I do not consider myself a dissident per se, but I do see many valid observations and a rational and logical thought process on their part. I tend to agree with Peter Duesberg’s perspective in that if HIV exists at all it is another harmless retrovirus that plays little or no role in developing AIDS and that this is a "multi-factorial"syndrome. Kary Mullis stated that using PCR to detect viral load is a misapplication of his technology - in fact he called it a viral load of crap - and all along he has been asking only one simple and valid question: "Where is the reference?" We are now in our third decade of AIDS and the virus is still missing!

I am not convinced the benefits of antiretoviral therapy are worth the damage and discomfort that it causes, just to achieve some magic lab numbers. Do I risk being labeled "Non-Compliant" or do I take the drugs? Maybe I should just take the drugs from the pharmacy to the nearest garbage can! I have a real major decision to make here and any and all feedback will be very helpful.

What do you think?

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