2011: A Year of Highs and Lows
This year’s activities worthy of comment begins in February with my Mother’s ceremony in Avila Beach, where most of my closest friends came together to say some words and spread her ashes, as she wished. It was a ceremony caught on film and you can download it at her page on my web site. It was great to honor my Mom, who in 1959, fled with her children from an abusive drunk, to a place where no one knew us and as she had hoped wouldn’t find us. Unfortunately her brother wouldn’t put the rented U-Haul trailer in his name thus my grandfather found and forced me to return to Kentucky until I was 13 years old, when I stayed in California to become the first latch-key kid in the modern era.
Early spring found me back in SLO where I house sat for my dear friends Diane and Keith Kerner for a week and was able to visit with her brother Joe, his wife Marlene and their children. We all went to high school in SLO together and I was a part of their latch-key family.
Towards the beginning of summer brings a small side trip to Yosemite, since I’m already in Placerville at John’s, to view the awesome Yosemite Falls as it spills out of the mighty Sierra’s over the granite cliffs and into the flooded Merced River. We also stopped by Hetch Hetchy Dam, a place I’ve not seen before, that creates the main water supply for SF. While a brief visit, it is one that John and I will surely remember for long time. Pics of our trip, taken mostly by John, can be seen on my web site.
Around that time I joined a gay HIV support group at Kaiser and found it helpful. Since 2000, when neuropathy made normal life impossible, it has been increasingly difficult to meet new people especially as friends have died and my social circle collapsed. Also having gone through the HEP C, sleep apnea and continuing HIV treatment, it was nice to have a place where the main topics of those in attendance are those associated with the myriad drugs, their side effects, and of the illness and drug regimens that are endured. Even though one knows there are many long term survivors, sharing stories with others as well as listening helps lighten the burden and reduce the isolation.
Although it won’t be the first, it may be the first major gene therapy to be useful for a pandemic. The basic procedure requires blood from an infected person, removing the CD4s, returning the blood and then a modified gene (the zinc finger) is used to change the CD4s so that HIV could not bind and take over the cell, which is how HIV replicates (simply put) and destroys CD4s which in turn are not there to fight HIV or any other infections. The modified CD4s are returned to the person and so far, it seems to be a winner in nearly wiping out one’s viral load and increasing CD4 counts to more normal ranges for at least 90% of those who have been through the process. For now it is being called a functional cure since it is not known if the can actually clear the virus from the body. Anyway that’s the simple explanation that I can remember off the top of my head so don’t quote me.
It was during the first few weeks of attending the group that I finally saw my Doctor for what I thought was a hemorrhoid; she took a quick look and said those dreaded words “I think you have cancer.” The upside was it had not spread. For those who are interested I kept a journal of the whole experience, which you can read on my web site if you want to know the specifics of my experience, and treatment for this in general. Although every one including my doctors expected that I might have difficulty with the side effects, compared to many things I have been through it was a cake walk. I am waiting for the PET scan on December 29th to know if they were able to radiate the tumor, although my oncologist is certain it was destroyed. I have the HIV group to thank for their unwavering support and the help they offered me.
My close circle of friends who all came through to help me through this treatment, through the many walks in various parts of the City with my good friend Frank as well as numerous SF Gay Men’s Chorus to went see where his partner Steve sings.
During the summer I saw the English Beat at a free concert in the park with my friends Sarah, Pete and Tom, and at the very end of my radiation treatment had the opportunity to see BB King with my very dear friends Jim and Jeannie. However, I was unable to attend the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass event in Golden Gate Park. I went to Angel Island for the first time and attended Rip Curls Pro Search at Ocean Beach the day that Kelly Slater won his 11th world title, while this was a first for this kind of event in the City. And to that I have the wonderful City of San Francisco to thank. To all of you I hope your year was less of a seesaw and you have a wonderful holiday season.
Love,
VJ
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