Today our family lost a dear loved one and the loss will be felt by all of us for a very long time. He finally lost his battle with active aids after fighting it for an incredible eighteen years.
It was just over eighteen years ago that he was told his status had changed from positive to actual active aids. Bob (not his real name) was far more fortunate than most others during his struggle to live a meaningful life after being diagnosed with acute aids. I will try to explain a bit below.
Bob was fortunate in the fact that he not only had a great insurance policy which has provided him with a very decent living income since his HIV evolved into active aids, but he also had a really terrific medical insurance policy. He was lucky enough to have acquired the insurance many years ago while still operating his business.
We are all aware of the fact that we would have lost Bob a long time ago if it had not been for the terrific medical insurance which he had. As each new drug would lose it's effectiveness and stop doing him any good, there was no problem in going to the next experimental drug because his insurance covered it without any hassle. We all know that if not for that he would have lost the fight a long time ago.
Over the course of the last few years we have seen him get deathly ill and yet between his will to live and the medications that were made available to him, he would always seem to snap back and before we knew it was going strong again and enjoying life and his family, especially his grandchildren.
However earlier this year each sick spell got progressively worse and it became harder for him to come back out of it, and then only to have another even worse time of it coming closer and closer together. We knew then that the end would not be log away. This summer the wife and I went and stayed with him during one of his real sick times and after he returned to his home from the hospital, I returned home and my wife stayed with him for another two weeks until he was up and around almost as if nothing had happened.
However that reprieve was not to last too long and while he did manage to last a few more months this last time he never really got better, just a bit worse as each day or week went by. Last night his son told him that it was OK for him to go and that all of us would be OK. This morning he did let go and he is no longer suffering.
Part of the reason I wanted to write this tonight is in honor of Bob because he was a wonderful person who did a lot of good for others during his time here. He was also one of the more caring and thoughtful people anyone would ever want to meet.
He loved Obama and I am thankfull that he managed to hold on and with enough recognition that Obama had actually won the election.
The other reason I wanted to write this is because it is just another example of why good medical care is a must for everyone. There is no doubt that Bob managed to live at least eight to ten years longer than he would have had he not had that insurance policy. It does not matter what they want to claim, the fact is that when funds are not in question there are medications and services available which the less fortunate will never get.
We know that Obama wants to fix the health care system and give all the opportunity and ability to be insured, but we should all remember that if we do not continue to demand not just health care, but the best health care we will most likely still get short changed in many ways.
I fully understand that everyone is so caught up in all things post election and this may not be of interest to most, but it is just a reminder of how people's lives are effected by having or not having.
For those who have a loved one either HIV positive or living with AIDS my heart goes out to you and I simple say show them your love every day that you can because time is never as long as we would like.
Peace
:)