Community Assessment and Analysis Presentation
Yellow4christ
TheInterviewwithDarleneKing.docxThe Interview with Darlene King
1. Do you feel comfortable Sharing your story and how you were infected with HIV?
I am always happy to share. I am an advocate for using protection and stopping the spread of this Virus. My husband was highly sexually active before and after we married. Unfortunately he always refused to use condoms even once he tested positive. Sadly he spread the virus to me and several others.
2. How did you connect with services in Philadelphia and did you find there was enough assistance being offered?
My journey began on Google. While I was married my husband forbade me to tell anyone about our status. Once I was divorced I knew I needed help Mentally, Physically and Spiritually. I began my search for a mental health professional. I also searched for an AIDS groups to join. I met so many wonderful people which help me to come out of my fear bubble. Then I became an advocate once I learned all that was needed in our community. I saw how our church could be a resource for the community and this began my journey. As I was blessed to connect with people around the country, this revealed that many communities did not have the help, assistance, resources and agencies serving the community. As an older person you are expected to be patriarchs and matriarch of your family structure providing support to whoever needs you.
3. Living with HIV and with other health issues, who has been your support system? How have your medical providers supported you?
Coming from a family of 9 children and 50+ grand’s and great grand’s I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family as my support system. My Mother and Daughters were and are my biggest supporters. My biggest regret through all of this is missing the opportunity to give my mother hope. I shielded her from HIV. I only talked about fun things. When in fact I gained hope as my CD4 (T-Cell) count steadily increased. My viral load went down to undetectable. I should have taught her about HIV and all the positive things happening. Sadly she passed before I realized my mistake. I was so busy trying to keep her happy and not talk about anything that would make her sad. And it wasn’t until she passed and I found an envelope where she was preparing my obituary that I realized I should have handled things different. She worried daily about me dying. I regret that I did not inform her of the new medicines, how people are living longer, that my t-cells were rising and viral load was undetectable. As I was gaining hope I believe this information would have given her hope. My doctors have been great supporters in providing the latest Medical treatments and updated information.
4. What notable changes have you noticed both positive and negative in community, medical settings or otherwise since becoming positive or working with adults who are positive?
The positive and encouraging changes over the years is seeing the mental health, HIV/AIDS agencies and churches working together in addressing the needs of people living with this virus. There is much more to be done but this is very hopeful. There also appears to be many more ad campaigns targeting the older population and I’m prayerful that this will result in more adults being protected and changing the thinking that this could not happen to older adults.
5. Where do you find most of your health information: Internet, doctor’s office or community organizations? Where have you found the most accurate and easily obtainable information according to your needs?
The easiest resource is the internet. You can Google anything. I’ve used all those resources Internet, pamphlets, HIV/AIDS magazines, such as POZ, Case Managers. I read a lot. I would have to say my doctors are the most accurate. When I see interesting stories, I always run them by my doctors to find what’s most accurate.
6. If you could advise your medical providers on how to better care for you, what would your advice be?
My advice would have to go to the ER doctors. There is no privacy in most ER’s and many times it’s just a curtain. I would ask doctors to have a better way of collecting our information without everyone around being able to listen. My doctors are very good at giving the latest up to date information. But I find when I share a lot of the information many people do not know some of the latest. So I would say give patients the latest information and for doctors to tell patients ways they can help them in their care. Inform them of all changes and reactions to medications.
7. How do you explain your status and health to family members?
The Interview with Darlene King
1.
Do you feel comfortable Sharing your story and how you were infected with HIV?
I am always happy to share. I am an advocate for using protection and stopping the spread of
this Virus. My husband was highly
sexually active
before and after we
married. Unfortunately
he always refused to use condoms even once he tested positive. Sadly he spread the virus to me
and several others.
2.
How did you connect with services in Philadelphia and did you find there was enough
assistan
ce being offered?
My journey began on Google. While
I was married my
husband forbade
me to tell anyone
about
our status. Once I was divorced I knew I needed help Mentally, Physically and Spiritually. I
began my search for a mental health professional. I also se
arched
for
an
AIDS
groups to join. I
met so many wonderful people which help me
to come out of my fear bubble.
Then I became an
advocate once I learned all that was needed in our community. I saw how our church could be a
resource for the community and this
began my journey. As I was blessed to connect with people
around the country, this r
evealed that many communities
did
not
have the help, assistance,
resources and agencies serving the community.
As an older person you are expected to be
patriarchs and
matriarch of your family structure providing support to whoever needs you.
3.
Living with HIV and with other health issues, who has been your support system? How
have your medical providers supported you?
Coming from a family of 9 children and 50+ grand’s
and great grand’s I’ve been blessed with a
wonderful family as my support system. My Mother and Daughters were and are my biggest
supporters. My biggest regret through all of this is missing the opportunity to give my mother
hope. I shielded her from HIV.
I only talked about fun things. When in fact I gained hope as my
CD4 (T
-
Cell) count st
ea
d
ily in
creased. My viral load went down to undetectable. I should have
taught her about HIV and all the positive things happening. Sadly she passed before I realized
m
y mistake. I was so busy trying to keep her happy and not talk about anything that would make
her sad. And it wasn’t until she passed and I found an envelope where she was preparing my
obituary that I realized I should have handled things different. She wo
rried daily about me dying.
I regret that I did not inform her of the new medicines, how people are living longer, that my t
-
cells were rising and viral load was undetectable. As I was gaining hope I believe this
information would have given her hope. My d
octors have been great supporters in providing the
latest Medical treatments and updated information.
The Interview with Darlene King
1. Do you feel comfortable Sharing your story and how you were infected with HIV?
I am always happy to share. I am an advocate for using protection and stopping the spread of
this Virus. My husband was highly sexually active before and after we married. Unfortunately
he always refused to use condoms even once he tested positive. Sadly he spread the virus to me
and several others.
2. How did you connect with services in Philadelphia and did you find there was enough
assistance being offered?
My journey began on Google. While I was married my husband forbade me to tell anyone about
our status. Once I was divorced I knew I needed help Mentally, Physically and Spiritually. I
began my search for a mental health professional. I also searched for an AIDS groups to join. I
met so many wonderful people which help me to come out of my fear bubble. Then I became an
advocate once I learned all that was needed in our community. I saw how our church could be a
resource for the community and this began my journey. As I was blessed to connect with people
around the country, this revealed that many communities did not have the help, assistance,
resources and agencies serving the community. As an older person you are expected to be
patriarchs and matriarch of your family structure providing support to whoever needs you.
3. Living with HIV and with other health issues, who has been your support system? How
have your medical providers supported you?
Coming from a family of 9 children and 50+ grand’s and great grand’s I’ve been blessed with a
wonderful family as my support system. My Mother and Daughters were and are my biggest
supporters. My biggest regret through all of this is missing the opportunity to give my mother
hope. I shielded her from HIV. I only talked about fun things. When in fact I gained hope as my
CD4 (T-Cell) count steadily increased. My viral load went down to undetectable. I should have
taught her about HIV and all the positive things happening. Sadly she passed before I realized
my mistake. I was so busy trying to keep her happy and not talk about anything that would make
her sad. And it wasn’t until she passed and I found an envelope where she was preparing my
obituary that I realized I should have handled things different. She worried daily about me dying.
I regret that I did not inform her of the new medicines, how people are living longer, that my t-
cells were rising and viral load was undetectable. As I was gaining hope I believe this
information would have given her hope. My doctors have been great supporters in providing the
latest Medical treatments and updated information.
