The battle has begun...

The battle has begun. I am a Mother who is not in favor of taking HIV/AIDS drugs. I’ve tried them and yes they helped my T-cells go up and viral load go down, but I didn’t like the way they made my body feel. On the other hand I have a child who has taken HIV meds since the age of two. Now, we are faced with the fact that her numbers/labs leave much to be desired and she gets ill with lingering colds consecutively. We’ve discussed protease inhibitors for the past year and a half and she finally came to the decision last week to give them a try for three months. The mind games we go through are horrendous. It’s taking most of my energy to keep her spirits up during this initiation process as she takes big, fat pills in the morning and at night. To see her become so nauseated and not be able to throw up is crushing me. I wish my touch and hugs could give her instant remedy for her ills but it is not enough

I know the look too well as “med time” comes around. My goodness, she looks as if she just lost her best friend and then some. I’m constantly giving her pep talks about how courageous she is and tonight I really went off on her. After a week of getting her this and that, wiping up her throw-up, cooking for her, taking her shopping, cheering her on despite the look on her face (as if she thought anything I said didn’t really matter), sitting by her side as she took large torpedo pills (all the while reminding her of her three month contract to give the meds a try) and then hearing her complain day after day about nausea, stomach pain and headaches, I just lost it. Tonight as we were going through her routine, I looked at my house and realized what a mess it was (and still is at this writing). I’m holding my daughter’s hand because she’s dreading the inevitable taking of her pills and boom! I mistakenly knock over a glass of seven- up on the table and then I begin to curse and whine about how I’m tired of this #$%%% and telling my daughter “I need you to help yourself, I can’t always be “on” for you just so you can take your meds; I can’t give you courage or faith, you’ve got to find it for yourself and so on. I ended with “Quit feeling sorry for yourself, and if you give up on your life and living it, I’ll give up too!” Well, when I told her this, she began to cry and so did I. I felt like we were in a soap opera or something. We both hugged and talked quietly and calmly and when she sat down to finally take her meds I snuck over to the computer. But, before I left my daughter’s side and as she lay in my arms, as I wiped her tears on my shirt she looked up at me and said: Mom, I guess we needed that huh? I said yeah, sorta... for the same reason you need to throw up your meds every once in a while. It’s a way of cleansing so we can start all over again. And that was that and here I am and it took her thirty minutes to take her torpedo pills tonight. Good job baby, good job! Love from a Mom of a courageous, bright, histrionic, witty, and wonderful teen who by the way recently earned a B average for her first three quarters in her ninth grade year. You go girl!

Looking for a Job?

Aren’t sure what you’d like to do or what you’re good at? Let WORK OPTIONS and IAM CARES help...

As an extension of the Projects With Industry grant targeting adults with disabilities, IAM CARES formed an innovative partnership with the Northwest AIDS Foundation to meet the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS who are contemplating re-entry into the workforce or desire assistance in maintaining current employment. Services include skills assessment, career and benefits counseling, training and retraining information, resume and interview assistance, job leads and referrals, and job retention services.

Work Options exists for adults with disabilities, including HIV/AIDS, who are contemplating re- entry into the workforce or desiring assistance in maintaining current employment. The program is designed to make the choice to re-enter the workforce an informed one. IAM CARES is an international non-profit organization with proven success in matching potential employees with appropriate employment, based on the participant’s skills and interests. Because of this experience, Work Options is uniquely qualified to assist those living with HIV/AIDS in securing employment, skill assessment, interest inventories/WOIS, vocational counseling, training, labor market information and job retention services. Work Options also brings the knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act to the participant and employer and can act as an informed resource in making both parties aware of reasonable accommodations and fair practices in hiring. Anyone interested in discussing work readiness or issues related to work is invited to contact Aaron, the Work Options employment specialist. He can be reached at (206) 860-6215. Work Options is located at the Northwest AIDS Foundation at 127 Broadway East, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98102-5786.

More Employment Resources… with the Seattle Indian Health Board

SIHB is a Multi-Service Community Health Center for Medical, Dental, Mental Heath, Substance Abuse, and Community Education. We have applications at the BABES office for employment at SIHB, or call them directly for more information and job listings at (206) 324-9360.

Project Wish

would like to announce upcoming Guest Speaker, Germaine D’Anniballe. - Germaine is a Psychiatric ARNP at the Northwest Family Center. She will talk with us about issues surrounding stress and depression.

WHERE: Harborview East Clinic, at the Northwest Family Center

WHAT TIME: 12:30-2 on Monday, June 7. Childcare is provided, give us a call at BABES, 720-5566 with any questions or for a ride. Come have lunch with us!

Reminder...

Don’t forget to come to the NEW RESEARCH on WOMEN & SELF ADVOCACY TRAINING. It will be held on Saturday, June 12, at the Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave East. Call the BABES office if you need directions or a ride. It will be from 11AM until 3PM, with a break for lunch. - Brian Coppedge (Director of Seattle Treatment Education Project) will present information specific to HIV+ women’s health from the recent Retrovirus Conference. - Jesse Chipps (Director of BABES, and long-term survivor) will facilitate an interactive workshop that will give you the opportunity to learn more about the tools you can use in communicating with doctors, case managers and other service providers.

The Sugar - Candida Connection

Simple sugar, or glucose, is what our bodies, our cells, and brains use as fuel for energy. Some glucose is stored in our liver and muscle tissue as glycogen for future use, while excess sugar is stored as fat for use during periods of low-calorie intake or starvation. Over consumption and daily use of sugar is the first compulsive habit for most everyone with addictions later in life. Many nutritional authorities feel that the high use of sugar is a significant underlying cause of disease. Too much sugar in any form can have a negative effect on our health; this includes not only refined sugar, but also corn syrup, honey and fruit juices. Because sugary foods satisfy our hunger, they often replace more nutritious foods and weaken our tissue’s health and disease resistance.

Sugar can also compromise our body’s ability to fight illness. Studies have shown that a single intake of sugar can lower the bacteria-fighting capabilities of white blood cells (phagocytic activity) in the blood for up to five hours. Digestive problems and chronic indigestion can result from excessive intake of sugar. Candida albicans and other microorganisms love simple carbohydrates and sugary foods. Candida albicans is a yeast that exists in everybody’s body from birth. In most cases, candida yeast operates in harmony with acidophilus, the so-called good bacteria that aids digestion and elimination. But sometimes the yeast goes haywire and reproduces unchecked and moves throughout the body. A sweet diet encourages greater infestation of bacteria, yeasts, and parasites, and will support their growth. Microbe infestation can also weaken our immunity. A diet that includes sugars and refined carbohydrates, which are simply more complex sugars, is practically guaranteed to trigger a yeast takeover. Once it has settled into the body, yeast can be difficult to destroy - particularly if it’s continually fed the diet on which it thrives.

As the yeast overpopulates the body, the immune system gears up to fight it by producing antibodies. This immune system response can trigger all sorts of symptoms, from skin rashes to stiff and achy joints, vaginal infections, and intestinal distress. HIV infection can predispose a woman to chronic yeast infections. Prolonged antibiotic use is also a strong factor in the development of chronic candiosis. Reducing sweeteners in our diet is a very real, positive step each of us can take. It requires an effort, but reducing our dietary load of sugar and sweeteners is of key importance for our health. Try to eliminate refined and simple sugars, milk and other dairy products, and foods with a high content of yeast or mold, including alcoholic beverages, cheeses, dried fruits, melons, and peanuts.Although sugar addiction is common, sugar withdrawal is usually physically mild, with periodic strong cravings. For those who are more sensitive to refined sugar or sweeteners, or consume it in large amounts, genuine symptoms of abuse and withdrawal may occur. Some of these symptoms include fatigue, anxiety and irritability, depression and detachment, rapid heart palpitations, and poor sleep. Most symptoms, if they do occur, last only a few days. As they die, the yeast organisms themselves can cause more problems, including psychological disturbances, because of the toxins their bodies produce. We can try to cut down or eliminate sugar quite easily by simply avoiding sweet foods. Once sugar has been removed from the diet, it is still possible to use it once in a while, as it is not as re- addicting as stronger drugs. Most people who have kicked the sugar habit find that they no longer tolerate sugar very well. A diet that is rich in whole grains and other complex carbohydrates, vegetables, and protein foods can also help stabilize blood sugar and minimize the desire for sugar. Many people who are protein-deficient seem to crave sugars and carbohydrate foods. Conversely, eating a diet that focuses on protein and vegetables is a good way to minimize sugar cravings. Another step to take is to take supplements that can help with a damaged immune system. Along with vitamins and minerals (check with your doctor about which might be right for you), you can take odorless garlic supplements (a natural antifungal), acidophilus, and tea-tree oil ointment (to help with rashes).