quote:
Originally posted by DeepFat:
I'm watching the Lakers-Orlando game. Magic Johnson is a commentator.
Magic has claimed to have had AIDS for many years. He seems healthy and plump.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love Magic. All good things to him. But what secret does he have to thrive with a disease that kills people every day?
DF
Deep,
I am a bit surprised by that question.
I have worked with AIDS patients on and off for 20 years. The treatments have progressed significantly over the years and most people who take care of themselves and follow the prescribed drug regimen lead relatively normal lives. In many cases people carry HIV without ever showing any signs of the illness it causes. No one yet knows why this occurs in some individuals and not others. Many of these individuals participate in studies to determine why they have never developed symptoms. I go to church with a young man who was diagnosed over 10 years ago and has never developed symptoms. I have read of others who have been symptom free for 25 years or longer. It is no longer the death sentence it once was.
LinkI work with the AAC (AIDs Action Coalition) based in Huntsville and their local office. Currently there are over 70 known individuals living in Lauderdale Co. being actively treated for AIDS.