Rest of a Life

When called in to review lab results with my doctor yesterday, I knew enough not to be scared but wasn’t prepared for a treatment that involved taking a pill every morning for the rest of my life. It gave me pause to consider today I’d wake to a new element in my morning routine and an ounce more empathy for those who endure far more every day just to keep living.

Bret kept his pills in a Batman head container. It once held candy and now was stuffed 3 times with the pills he took every day. The rest of his life was lengthened 3 years beyond initial expectations but still ended too soon.

15 years later, many with HIV need only a few – some just a single pill to hold the virus at bay. Their lives are extended but with no guarantee of long term results.

I’ll take my pill each morning knowing that something else will ultimately end my life and ride until Dr. Wu or some other innovative researcher perfects the pill that gives everyone affected with HIV similar expectations for the rest of their life too.