SCAP is represented here at World AIDS Day.

Here is the Southern Colorado AIDS Project table, although in all honesty it is now known as Southern Colorado Health Network operating as SCAP or vice versa.  I forget.  When I started my volunteer work there more years ago than I like to admit it was SCAP and so that is how I will remember it and that is the name I will use because it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.  Arf! Arf!

Starting with the back row we have John Mark Hild, minister at the Metropolitan Community Church here in our fair city.  Next is me and then my com padre, Aaron. Aaron is my buddy and makes me laugh like a loon!  Not often I find someone with a mind that works like mine!  See the back row all has on the Focus shirt.  We do that so we remember who we are.

On the front row on the left is the lovely Linda Lorraine, SCAP case manager and other things.  She is our stabilizing force and we love her.  She is always there when we need her, and she is there when we do not need her, and when we need her, but don't know we need her.  The woman is what you call "devoted".  That happens in this business.  Show up a few times and pretty soon you feel like you are needed!

And last but certainly not least is Bill Sharpton.  He works in the Colorado Springs office which is our boss.  I do not know exactly what his title is, but  do know he is single!  His sister was a very good friend of mine and I miss her so much.  Somewhere I have pictures of Marty and the big red turkey that liked to come visit at my house, especially when Marty was there.  That turkey loved that girl and tried to set on her lap and I have pictures of that little endeavour. 

OK, there you have us in all our glory.  Motley looking crew that we are!  Hey, we try!  If we could clone these four people here we could set this world on fire because these are some of the best Colorado has to offer and I am damn glad to be standing in the middle of the finest Colorado has to offer! 

It seems as I wind this down that I have been given a most rare opportunity to work side by side with some of the greatest people on this earth.  In all my years of bopping around with the SCAP crowd, the Pueblo Community Health Center, Pueblo Health Department, the Gay Community..........I am sorry!  The whole of Southern Colorado is tied together and I can not name names without missing some one or some place.  Just know if you are reading this, Lou Mercer loves everyone of you and I thank God every day that he put everyone of you in my path!

Together we are going to fight the good fight and since we are all winners, you know what that means!

Johnson and Johnson isn't just baby products anymore!

You always thought Johnson and Johnson made baby products, didn't you?  Well just guess again!  These are two of the most prestigious people to walk through my life and I want to tell you about them.  Now you see there are three people there, so I will introduce you to them, starting on the left, because that is how it is always done and you know me, a stickler for protocol!

On the left is Merilou Johnson, MSW, MPA who I barely know. Her official title is Program Director Colorado AIDS Education Training Center.   I just met her Wednesday, so like a good little girl I thought I better figure this out quick!  I knew by the very virtue of her being here she was important, and right I was.  Those letter behind her name mean she is very educated in public service both on the social level and public administration.  See when you see an M like that it means Master and that is top of the line. Since I only met her briefly, I do not know her well, but I would dearly love to set and visit with her after researching her with my able Google toolbar.  This woman can tell us some tales I am sure and is a vital part of this continuing fight against this disease that I seem to have landed in the middle of for some reason.  To Merilou I say, "I would love to visit with you , but I was stuck at the tables.  Please forgive me for not being there."

The next lovely little creature in this little threesome is Annalee Beck, EIS Program Director at Pueblo Community Health Center.  EIS means Early Intervention Services.  Many years ago and I mean like maybe eight (?) this service was set up specifically for the HIV/AIDS community.  As I recall I was there for the first few initial meetings but that was just to whine about not having something for the clients. This town will do anything to shut me up when I start that.  I am so happy that bigger and brighter minds then mine prevailed and a program with Annalee at the helm and PCHC at her back and Dr. Johnson and Dr. Swartz beside her has brought first class health care to my friends.  There is also a most able staff there and I would be remiss to start naming names without a full list in front of me.  I only know JoAnne and Diane personally.  I will get that full slate and thank them properly in this tiny blog. Hats off to PCHC and all the little people!

And now we come to the love of my life, Dr. Steve Johnson, MD.  Isn't he the most handsome thing you ever laid eyes on in your whole life?  That little MD on the end of is name is so inadequate to describe this larger than life icon in the field of HIV/AIDS.  His official title is Professor & Director of Infectious Disease, University of Colorado.  This man is world reknowned for his work in this field and he was most instrumental in setting up and staffing our EIS Program. I know he comes down from Denver on a regular basis to meet with clients and he and Dr. Swartz confer on every aspect of client care. While I could go on all day about this man's accomplishments I know I would miss some and I do not want to do that!  What I want to do is tell you that this is one of the kindest, most caring men that God ever put on this earth and I thank him every day for sending Dr. Steve Johnson into my life, Mark's life and everyone in Pueblo, Colorado that is touched by this man's hand.  If there is ever a cure for this scourge on human life this man will be the first to know and it will be delivered to his people that same day.  Kinda like Moses bringing down the tablets!  I love you, man!

There you have it.  I know Pueblo is a backward little town, and we operate under the auspices of Colorado Springs offices and we get our funding through them.  Colorado Springs is big and we are little, but let me tell you this......We have had or EIS program eight years; Colorado Springs got theirs one and a half years ago.  Maybe they just didn't need one as bad as we did. 

These three angels are standing in front of the Pueblo AIDS Memorial Quilt.  I don't know if Colorado Springs has anything like this, but if Bill or Richard would get in touch with me I would be most happy to help them start one.  We have had ours since 1996 and it is a wonderful way for people to connect and express feelings.

Alrighty then!  Better get out of here before I fill up cyber space!  See you tomorrow for another little lesson in World AIDS Day 2010!

The testing part of World AIDS Day and a girl named Melissa.

As you know, December 1 was World AIDS Day, and we were off to do our thing at the Community College.  I promised a report, but this is one that is going to be made in about 4 entries as I want to try to do justice to each part.  Our focus this year was on testing.  Pueblo Community Health Center, Southern Colorado AIDS Project, and MPACT all had testing on site and it was free!  Now, you are going to be amazed at the changes in the world today.  Well, maybe you aren't, but I sure was.

First off, piercing through the eyebrows, lips, nose, eyelids and through the ears are all considered normal.  My thoughts on this is "If God wanted holes in my body he would have got out his drill!"   Now as to the dress code.  Remember how the boys used to wear their jeans baggy and way down their hips?  Now they wear what is called "Skinnies".  I know this because John told me. I digress!  Back to my purpose here on this blog.

So there were 8 long tables here in the foyer and we all advertised free HIV testing and our job was to reel in the students, talk to them about safe sex and the end goal was to get them tested!  I was absolutely amazed at our reception.  Here we have mere babes in arms being counseled on how to have safe sex by an old woman who would not have even said the word out loud 20 years ago.
They all left with a handful of condoms and a goodly portion of them headed upstairs to learn their fate.  That trip usually lasted about 20 minutes if they waited for results.  Then they would come by the table and poke out their finger with the band aid and I would give them a high five. If they did not want to go upstairs they were given a card for free testing at the Health Center.  Walk in.  Anytime.

I noticed one young girl visiting the tables and you know how you can just tell sometimes?  She finally came to my table.  I told her my spiel.  Free HIV testing and then I went a step further with her and engaged her in conversation.  I told her if she had sex she needed to be tested.  She told me she was pretty sure her boyfriend was faithful and I told her he probably was, but this is her body to take care of and protect.  "Take the test and if it comes back negative you can breathe a sigh of relief.  If it comes back positive then you got an early start and we will cross that bridge, but the unknown will do you in."  Only with this girl did I leave my table and walk her up the stairs and personally deliver her to "the room".  Of course I could not stay with her due to privacy issues.  So I went down to my table to wait.

The goal in testing is it is part of education.  There are people out there who think AIDS has been cured.  They think it is not the problem it used to be.  And it is definitely different.  People used to die of AIDS Related Complications or ARC.  But now we have high powered drugs that make the body toxic and in so doing suppress the viral load and build the immune system.  Now the cause of death is Heart Failure, Liver Failure, Cancer, Lymphoma, and any disease that can come in under the radar.  AIDS always wins in the end.  Always.

Along with the AIDS test comes counseling. Now this whole process takes about 30 minutes from the needle stick till you get your results.  Do you think anyone is going to leave that room and go have unprotected sex again without thinking about it? That would be just like setting there looking at a ticking time bomb and trying to figure out just when it is going to blow. Your whole life is now hanging on the word "if", the longest word in the English language.  I am pretty sure I would change a few habits I carried for years if I had thought about them a little more!

It seemed that waiting for Melissa to reappear was one of the longest waits of my life.  I had formed an instant bond with this little waif and I must confess I may have said a prayer or two inside my head that not our will but thine  be done.  I felt a personal connection to all the kids I sent upstairs, but it was just special with Melissa. I wanted them all to be alright, but especially this little girl with the sad eyes.

And my patience was rewarded after due time.  I knew when Melissa started down the stairs what the news was!  She was negative!  So I gave her a card for the Health Center testing with instructions to get that boyfriend in and get him tested or I would be paying him a visit.  Then I told her,  "I am going to write about you on my blog, but look, no pictures.  And I will change your name."  Then I gave her a card and I just want her to say this to her.....

"Melissa, it was wonderful to meet you yesterday.  You reflect the innocence of youth and the hope for the future.  It is women like you who hold the key to ending this epidemic that grows every year.  You can talk to your friends about safe sex and convince them that their bodies are theirs to protect and as women it is our duty.  AIDS is not gender specific, it is not a GAY disease and it respects no boundaries.  If your boyfriend thinks a condom is uncomfortable, what does he think full blown AIDS would be?  You can help me do this.  And you can have your friends talk to their friends and soon we will be an army of women marching shoulder to shoulder ...."

My God!  I am woman hear me roar!  I feel sooooo Helen Reddy!

In an ironical twist of fate there were in the neighborhood of 70 tests given yesterday and not one positive in the whole college!  To me that was absolutely amazing. This group of people that I thought was the party crowd, clothing optional, pass the bong turns out to be responsible citizens of society.  Well, I for one feel a little better about my future.

And I want to send a plea out to my Melissa and all the other Melissa's out there and the little gay guy and the macho football player and anyone else who will listen to me....I need you!  Southern Colorado AIDS Project needs you.  The Community Health Center needs you.  We need warm bodies to help us.  We are overwhelmed.  Linda Lorraine at SCAP particularly needs help answering the phone and always something to be done.  Do this.  See down below this where it says send a comment?  Send me a message.  If you do not want it published just say so and it will be our little secret.  If we keep talking we can conquer the world!

I do not remember who said this, but I remember it being said:

No man is an island....

P.S.  I give a social luncheon on the second Tuesday of every month at the SCAP office.  Everyone is welcome.  Come and meet some of the clients that eat with me.  They are wonderful people and this will put a face on this disease.  We even have a tiny baby to play with!  It starts at 11:30.  Oh, but I am skipping December because the Springs office caters that one for Christmas!  Well not skipping, but being lazy.  I will be there with the cookie bags from PFLAG.  Call me!  I am lonely!