| Author |
Message |
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Friday, September 26, 2014 - 7:04 pm 
Prettily perfect little baby. Yes, Janelle makes good babies.
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Iheartkaysar
Member
08-16-2005
| Friday, September 26, 2014 - 8:50 pm
I took one of those "which big brother HG are you?" Quizzes and I got Kaysar!
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Missyb
Member
07-28-2004
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 7:46 am
Never cared for the guy but this just made my stomach drop.
http://www.people.com/article/big-brother-winner-dick-donato-hiv-positive
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Missyb
Member
07-28-2004
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 7:59 am
Also, about Dick, he will discuss this on Couples Therapy. I am not invading his privacy by posting this. Obviously, he is ready to talk about it.
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Roteach
Member
06-01-2003
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 8:05 am
I was just coming to post this. Hope he does well on his medication. His notoriety from his time on BB will give him a platform to educate people about living with HIV. God bless him.
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Bonbonlover
Member
07-13-2000
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 8:08 am
yes.. so sad.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 8:40 am
Sad. But I am so proud of the way he has chosen to handle this. He can be such a vile piece of work. By shedding his villain person (at least about this) and offering himself up as a positive influence and eloquent educator on the subject, I really applaud the guy!
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Missyb
Member
07-28-2004
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 8:52 am
Mame, I agree.
All the speculation and need once did this cross my mind.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 9:18 am
Speaking from experience, I'm fairly certain he'll be fine (as long as he adheres to his drug regimen). I've been positive for 28 years and my husband for 23 and, yes, we're both doing fine.
With all the advances in treatment (and they've been significant, believe me), HIV has become a very manageable condition -- something that looked virtually impossible 33 years ago when it began destroying lives.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 9:50 am
Thanks for sharing that, UncleRicky... it will help many grow beyond old understandings of HIV.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 9:57 am
Exactly, Uncle Ricky! I'm so happy you are both doing so well, and I'm sure you have worked to maintain your overall health (like the amazing running you do!).
And things are different now, but only after such a struggle spearheaded by the gay community back then.
And that was a time when safe sex meant, for the most part, contraception but not necessarily by condom and all the secrecy and denial by the government and health system just helped to affect all people. They were willing to marginalize the gay community and thus the straight community was not educated sooner and of course greed allowed it into the blood supply.
I lost good friends and co-workers and was involved in some support for a family with a daughter who had heart surgery in San Francisco when the blood banks were still not testing because it was so expensive, so this child was given blood and lived with HIV and then AIDS her entire life.
Sorry.. wow.. that soapbox just jumped in front of me!
But good for Evel Dick for taking this public and it certainly does explain why he left Big Brother so abruptly. Pretty amazing that being on a reality show actually made him aware of this so he could be treated.
I've asked my doctors and was pretty amazed to find that even though I had surgery, I wouldn't have been tested for HIV beforehand.
I did check years ago and because I was a blood donor and platelet donor, my blood had been tested and I would have been notified.
And what a blessing that today there are so much more effective ways of dealing with HIV/AIDS.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 9:58 am
Oh and indeed, Janelle does have gorgeous babies!!
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Mamabatsy
Member
08-05-2005
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 9:59 am
Very happy for you and your husband Uncle-ricky. A friend of mine has also been taking a big load of drugs for 28 years and is healthier than I am.
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Brenda1966
Member
07-02-2002
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 10:18 am
Shocked and saddened by the news, but glad that Evel is being a voice for this. I think the youth of today are not careful enough. Those of us that came of age during the Aids crisis have a different view. There's still a need for protection and safe habits.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 10:40 am
Thank you Karuuna, MamaB, and Sea for the kind feedback, especially you, Sea, for the up-close experiences you've had over the years (glad your surgery went okay, too!).
In case you're interested, on World AIDS Day 2011, a popular running blog asked to interview me about living with HIV -- it's a really long profile, but it captured well all the ups and downs experienced by an average schmoe like me:
Part 1:
http://www.runningandrambling.com/2011/12/running-for-life-ric-munoz-story.html
Part 2:
http://www.runningandrambling.com/2011/12/good-times-bad-times-ric-munoz-story.html
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Hwest
Member
07-01-2011
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 11:18 am
I have a dear friend who was part of a Hepatitis C study in 1978.
Later, in 1986 remaining samples from that study were retested for HIV and my friend learned that he was HIV positive! He is still alive today. The retest showed that the virus was present even before people began to die in the early 80's.
Sadly, we lost many, many dear friends and relatives who did not benefit from the treatments we have today. Some were lucky like my friend who recovered from many opportunistic illnesses before satisfactory treatment protocols became available. After all I have seen I would say that the disease is much more manageable today but the threat of premature loss of life is still very real. Prevention and safe practices are still critical.
In Dick's case he surmises as to how he may have contracted HIV stating he is straight and not an IV drug user. I would add that I personally would avoid getting tattooed. Maybe this is over cautious but all tattoo artists probably don't adhere to the same medical standards as doctors and hospitals and I personally would be wary of needles that are not used by medical professionals in a medical setting.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 11:24 am
So glad your friend is still alive and okay, Hwest. A friend of mine found out the same way, via blood samples he'd had frozen as part of a study that was done in the mid-'70s. And, though my friend was given the last rites on at least three occasions, he, too, is still alive today. 
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 11:35 am
I guess it's good that Dick came forward about his diagnosis as it may promote a better understanding of living with HIV. It's just unfortunate that he can be so obnoxious at times.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed reading those articles, Uncle Ricky. A tremendous story and a great achievement (and a fun read!). Very inspirational.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 11:45 am
Thank you, Jimmer - very kind of you to say! I agree about Evel D's obnoxiousness (he was never a favorite of mine), but he has a ton of followers, so that alone will go a long way to help educate and remind people what a real threat to good health that HIV continues to be.
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Hwest
Member
07-01-2011
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 11:46 am
Thanks Uncle Ricky your blog is a great read. My dear friend has had so many close calls but has managed to pull through all of them inspiring me every day.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 11:56 am
Glad you liked it, Hwest. Please pass along my deep admiration to your friend for surviving against all those odds (and I've no doubt there had to be quite a few) -- the human body can be (and is) quite an amazing machine!
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Hwest
Member
07-01-2011
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 2:27 pm
I salute all of the brave men and women that have lived with this illness and I still pray every day for a cure.
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Snoopsmom
Member
02-19-2003
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 3:57 pm
I also have a dear friend who has been living with HIV for 28 years now and he is the image of good health, and keeps a great attitude and sense of humor about him. He was diagnosed in 1986 on the same day as Magic Johnson.
On the down side, I also lost my beloved Godson to HIV complications that led to PCP pneumonia. He had been an avid runner, and on the outside took great care of himself. He was "out", but did not disclose his HIV status to any of his family because of his perception of the stigma attached. He had a bad case of bronchitis, combined with a cross country flight, some questionable medical care and entered a hospital in Florida over Thanksgiving weekend in 2010. He died the morning of Christmas Eve day. It will be 4 years this Christmas since we lost Jason at the age of 32 and not a day goes by that I don't think about him and miss him. He was also my BB buddy and since we were on opposite coasts we had a great time sharing spoils and missed feeds each BB season. This year myself and his 2 sisters did the AIDS walk in Jason's honor and memory.
I applaud Dick for coming forward regarding his diagnosis and hope he can become a positive advocate for the disease. Some of the comments under the People magazine article were appalling and show that although many strides have been made towards understanding and acceptance, there is still a long way to go.
Bless anyone living with disease, and I too, pray for a cure.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 4:00 pm
Thanks so much for sharing that blog, both parts, Ric. I'm in OC, but wonder if we were ever at the same place at the same time. I'm fuzzy on years but when the Quilt was still displayed in parts I got to see some of it at UCI and elsewhere and a bigger display at the Rose Bowl. I know I drove up there on my own so I could see the panel for my friend Chuck's partner (who would have been his husband were they around in this day and age) Jim.. which was adorned with many of his colorful Speedos. Later saw Chuck's which he designed and his mother created which definitely was glittery. They had the best possible care, at the time and Chuck was active in Long Beach as long as he was able in supporting so many other guys. I think his organization was Being Alive, but not sure. I know there were guys who credited him with grounding them in support groups and such.
The Nike commercial is really cool.. too bad there isn't a better quality version out there but the one I viewed from the article certainly hit the mark anyway.
You certainly aren't a person who does things half way I've seen that in the Library threads .. and running too.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, October 01, 2014 - 4:48 pm
I'm so sorry, Snoops, for the loss of your beloved Jason. That he was a runner saddens me even more. Your memories of him will always be rich and precious, I'm sure.
I agree, Sea, about our paths crossing during those tough early years when the loss of life was such a constant. Being Alive's office was near my apartment when I lived in WeHo, so I volunteered a lot there. And the only time I saw the Quilt was during the March on Washington in '87.
One of these days I'm going to ask Nike for a better copy of the ad since that YouTube version is so inferior. That ad will be 20 years old next February! And I only wish I could read half as many of the books you do!
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