And I'm delighted to see you back! How have you been?
You set me to thinking: okay I was happily married (to a man: it was very romantic - we exchanged wedding rings outside HS Samuels in Peckham Rye. No reception, just shopping in Safeways) for most of the past ten years. Soon after that the kids started coming along, and people get edgy when you take rottweilers into a bar, so I haven't actually been inside a gay bar in over ten years. In fact the only gay people I know I know are friends from the old days who I keep in touch with. I was on high dose ritonavir and it's true: it's chemical castration, and also is a leading cause amongst HIV drugs of hyperglycaemia. I'm not taking it any more, but I just got out of the habit... Besides, you can almost as much fun window-shopping! And without having to make small talk over breakfast in the morning.
I'm sure someone's already said it to you, but if you need to inject with people around, explain what it is, show them the whatsit - people get paranoid and it's not their fault that that they're stupid. They're better of than the people the kid saw in The Sixth Sense. Maybe... ;-)
Twenty years ago I was expressing the hope that eventually HIV would eventually become manageable, like diabetes. Joke's on me: if I could get rid of only one from my life I'd choose diabetes, despite going through a spell of low-immune-system nasties right now. I think the reason for feeling like that is that I long ago made peace with HIV (or at least established a truce) which is something I haven't yet done with diabetes.
I know it sounds horrible political correctness having mental health difficulties, but I never think of myself as diabetic. I have diabetes or live with diabetes. Same thing with aids. My illnesses do not define who I am. I'm Steve the rottweiler (as opposed to Steve the smokes or Steve the smithy - lotta Steves in our valley!), who'll you see twice a day out with the dog, or wandering up to the old shop with a meal in a pot, or a bottle of wine, or on the bus into Welshpool and so on... Who just happens... get my drift?
Hwyl
Steve