Update to 10 month old post - Atripla - TheBody.com's Bulletin Boards

After strong-arming one doctor with a quick switch to the one who provided a very good examination for my partner back in November, he started Atripla about a week prior to Thanksgiving '06. It was a little rough there for a couple of weeks, but things got a lot better. Even though he has asthma and has had several problems with that in past winters, the winter months passed with much better health. By the end of this past April, his viral load was very low (can't remember the number) and his CD4 count was in the upper 500's. Depression however, became a serious problem that I was not as aware of as I wish I had been. My partner attempted suicide in May, which quickly put an end to the secrecy of his condition with my parents as I told them. Luckily, he survived and we have been working on all the sources of depression. He went without his Atripla for 5 consecutive days while he was in the hospital and counseling. We immediately began Atripla as soon as he was released from counseling, and at the end of June, his viral load was considered "undetectable" and his CD4 count was over 600. We continue to monitor this situation for fear that he will develop a resistance to the treatment. He has been battling flu, walking pneumonia, and allergies since the end of July. This is still a problem here near the end of September and we just had a trip to the ER last night for severe chest pain. He has had mild fevers off and on for the last several weeks, fatigue, and swelling in his feet a few times. All tests in the ER last night showed no problems like I expected (pneumonia), all was clear, with the exception of a "little extra fluid around the heart." The ER doc said it was very little extra, but was most likely the cause of the chest pain. I'll be helping to set up a follow-up visit with my partner's regular doctor on Monday for this week. I've done some internet searches and I'm trying not to get bent out of shape over the possibility of "Pericardial Effusion". Hopefully, his viral load is still low and his t-cells high. On the stress and depression side, my partner still isn't even able to get in to see a psychiatrist until this November, which is getting closer and closer, it's just pathetic how few doctors accept Medicaid (hence the long wait). I've been trying to help him, and we've made great progress. I just want him to be able to speak with someone else in private because I know there are things he won't tell me. Luckily with my line of work, I was able to take the summer off to be with him, which helped a lot. I'm back to work now though (for about a month) and I can tell his depression has grown a little bit. I can also tell that my stress and depression levels have grown without being able to be with him all the time (I know, real world, deal with it)! Having been suicidal around 10 years ago, I've got the good sense to have gotten myself back into the gym to relieve stress and work on my own health to combat my own depression from all of this. I had not felt depressed for about 10 years, but this last year has really been difficult at times. I wanted to find a support group we could do together, but I'm hitting some resistance from my partner. Hopefully I can find something nearby to help with this. If we can get his health improved again, I think I can help us move forward again. So, that's my update almost a year later.

Post Extras: Remind Me!