What's Up

Issue #31
June 6th  1997

Life
     I thought it was worth mentioning that I have a few friends
that were suffering great illness due to HIV / AIDS. All of them
have been put on protease inhibitors and are now doing
remarkably well. One of them was even told by his doctor that
if he was going to die in the next 15 years it would not be from
AIDS!

     One thing I've notice that they all have in common is that
they seem to have spent a great deal of time and thought
preparing to die. So much so that it may have become an
ingrained part of their psyches.

     Now that their physical bodies are recovering and
rebuilding, their mortality is no longer eminent. I think it might
take just as much time and anxiety for them to reorder their
thought processes to accept that they might live a lot longer
than they expected. That's a wonderful thing, but it's scary
too. It's a whole new set of possibilities that has just been
presented to these people.

     Whenever possible, we all need to reinforce the idea that
HIV is a manageable disease. Lingering thoughts of death
being right around the corner can't be good for anyone!

     If you know someone with AIDS please tell them not to
give up to it. Medical science is gaining serious ground on
this disease. A positive mental attitude and good information
about the latest treatments is the winning combination.
There is living proof!                                             JL :o)

Of Possible Interest
by Terry Zimmerman

     A benefit is being held at Club 358 on Saturday June 14 for
Community AIDS Network. Show time is 11:00 p.m.

     Do you remember the Astor Theater? It was the very first
Gay place that I ever went to. It was about 1958, and I was
scared as hell. I looked both ways up and down Main St., to
make sure no one was watching before I bought my ticket. My
experience inside was to watch everyone changing seats about
every 5 minutes, moving closer and closer to their target. I
finally got up and abruptly left after someone got too close to
me (even though that was why I went there) thus ending my
first Gay experience without speaking a word to anybody.
Oh well, live and learn. Do you have any stories to share?
Please let me hear from you, the Gay Akron history quiz is
coming soon and I need your help.

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