Anonymous Northern, NM created on Thu October 24, 2013

I have been living in Northern New Mexico for the past seven years. But I was born and raised here. I came back for safety. It’s been really hard, it’s been really isolated. But, I’m safe here and I’m happy.

In 1983, I was diagnosed with HIV. I was in California. I moved to LA in 83’. I was in major culture shock. I didn’t know much about what was going on, I was just trying to survive. I tried a different scene and got HIV. 4 months before, I thought I’d move back, because I was having such a hard time in LA. The culture shock was really too much for me. I went out with a guy and I thought I’d check myself. I had never been with a guy before. And I was HIV positive.

I have been through doctors and nurses for the last 32 years. Most of them have been good, but some of them have been really rough and really negative. Others in Northern Mexico don’t really except people with HIV or aids yet. I’ve gone through cancer, lymphoma, I’ve gone through pneumonia. I’ve been poked in every part of my body. I’ve taken medication that most of friends dropped like flies with. The AZT I took for over 30 years. I’m back on the cocktail and I’m doing better. My T cells were at 6 when I got sick. Now they’re at 250 and 500.

I have a doctor here in Northern New Mexico, but unfortunately he’s not an AIDS specialist. Issues that come up with my AIDS I either deal with it myself or I go to acupuncture in Santa Fe or the AIDS clinic in Albuquerque. I got refused service at a center. They were helping with bills at the time, and they were sending them late, and the creditors were coming after me and I was getting disconnection notices. And I started complaining, and then they asked me to leave because I was complaining so much. So, I can’t get services at that center anymore. They said I was a liability. So that’s the last time I saw an AIDS doctor. Other than when I got to NMAS and that’s like once a year.

I currently have Medicare and Medicaid. I started both in 1996, when I got diagnosed with full-blown aids. Before that I was uninsured, only through jobs did I have insurance. However, being a hairdresser, you don’t get health insurance.

Most of my family members are uninsured. I come from a family of 14. My parents are passed away. There are ten of us siblings still living. I have lots of nieces and nephews in this area that don’t have insurance.

Every new program has its glitches, but you just have to go with it, because it’s for everybody.