January 14, 2015 Wednesday Afternoon

Had my six month appointment with my HIV doctor this afternoon to get my latest blood results and talk about any problems and med changes going forward.  My CD4 count increased to 630 from 581.  It is also an all time high for my CD4 count.   My percentage was 27 which is down from last blood test, but in the scheme of things, didn't change much and just good that my CD4 count is still increasing.  I am also still undetectable.  Also mentioned the minor problems I have been having lately:  My left underarm feels like something is swollen or not right, my right rotary cuff on my arm hurts when I do extreme things, and the tingling in my feet and hands a couple times a day.  At times I have to shake my wrists and move my fingers to get the tingling to stop.  Doctor asked if it is constant, I told him maybe just a couple times a day, the feet tingling being worse.  Will monitor this.  Also told him I am getting a little scared about my memory.  I last weekend tried to tell Tony the address book was under the candle and kept saying calendar instead of candle.  I was looking right at the candle, but calendar kept coming out of my mouth.  It was notable at this point and worth telling the doctor about.  Got my next blood test scheduled for end of June and see my HIV doctor again in July.  I did mention to him that I have a new regular practice doctor and that I did not feel totally comfortable with her.  My HIV doctor said he did not know much about her and if we need to find someone different we can do that in the future.  Hopefully I won't have to see a doctor for anything and it won't be an issue?  I did not like the way my new doctor questioned, judged, and then cut my usual prescription of pain pills down to nothing.   I have enough for now but I will not beg for pain pills when I have pain that regular over the counter meds do not take care of.  I could ruin my liver.  I take the pain meds as needed.  Time will tell.

Got the final paperwork yesterday that Rose and Casper are officially Tony and mine.  The rescue we got them from sent us the signed paperwork.  I was so happy I was in tears for a while of the day.  I guess I just am so proud of what I did and how far these dogs have come.  They would not be here today, not together, if we had not stepped up to foster them both.  I just am so glad it all worked out so well.  I look at the both of them and still smile and tear up at the same time.  I know there are so many more just like them that die each day because no one takes them in and people treat animals like garbage.  I get Facebook feeds from the rescues daily and every morning catching up on the feeds I am in tears.  Always a heartbreaking story or two.  Today's was about a Pit Bull tossed out of a car in NY and then the driver backed over the dog to kill it and drove away.  WTF?  The dog had serious bite wounds and was a bait dog and died.  That is not fair.  How can a God let this kind of suffering of pets and humans happen? 

Making a couple TV dinners for supper tonight.  Tony was home for lunch and we had chicken dumpling soup and a sandwich I bought at the deli this morning.  I still have been walking my two miles on the treadmill every day.  Today I picked up the speed a bit.  I feel so good after I do the treadmill.  I have not lost any weight but I feel better so that is good.  Since I have not really changed my diet yet I can't complain about no weight loss.  I will in time.  The working out has helped the uncomfortable thing under my left arm.  It feels about half as uncomfortable now.  I had my HIV doctor check today and he also could not feel anything inflamed or out of place.  I honestly think it is a fat tumor and I just need to loose some weight because it is pressing against my nerves.  Hoping the tingling is also from this. 

Still cold in Milwaukee.  We are suppose to get above freezing for a day this weekend.  Will feel like a heat wave since it has been close to zero a lot of days this month.

Happy my blood tests for my HIV came back still improving.  Hopefully that means I have a lot of years left in me.