Pursue alternative AIDS therapies

As a person who is Affected with both a positive HIV-antibody test result, and serious health issues, I have spent more than five years exploring less toxic and less invasive ways to be healthy, and to reduce my dependency on our Pharmaceutical-driven medical system. These alternative tests and protocols are not covered by any insurance, and even though they are typically less expensive than traditional medicine, the simple fact is: I cannot afford them on my fixed income.

We spend thousands of dollars every year for insurance premiums to cover the costs of traditional medical care and hospitalizations for me. Some have referred to this American system as "disease management", but I am seeking "health care", and that usually means I have to go outside of the mainstream medical system.

My partner, Michael, who is 63-years-old, continues to work, so that we can make ends meet. We are not destitute and we do not starve, but we do not live lavishly, either, and we have been drawing heavily on retirement reserves the last several years. At the rate we are going, we will be broke before either of us reaches old age.

Please consider helping me as I embark on yet another phase of my journey:   successfully quitting the pharmaceutical AIDS drugs for the third time since 1998. Is it possible that this could be the last time?

There is new research and options that make me hopeful. There are nutritional, oxidative and other non-traditional markers that need to be monitored. I would also like to be able to resume some of the interventional care and specialized supplementation that have proven helpful in the past. Very few of these expenses are covered by my medical insurance.

I do not know how much all of this will actually cost, and the goal I have listed above is admittedly a conservative one, based on past experience. In addition to actual medical expenses, I must also pay for travel expenses. The orthomolecular clinic I attend is a four hour drive from home, and sometimes it makes more sense to pay for overnight lodging, than to make multiple trips.

This is not the first time that I have asked for financial assistance, and it will probably not be the last. The past generosity of friends, and even strangers, encourages me to put my need in the public domain.

Whether you can contribute financially or not, I encourage you to follow my journey at my blog, where I will continue to document the results of these experiments and experiences so others might also benefit from them.