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SURVIVORS

Surviving AIDS by Michael Callen is an astonishing read, particularly if you keep in mind that it was written and published during the height of the AIDS crisis.
My impression is that this book was a beacon of hope with its message that AIDS was not necessarily a death sentence, Callen writes: “Whatever its source, the endless repetition of the lie that everyone dies from AIDS denies the reality ofbut perhaps just as important, the possibility ofsurvival, ”

In his “Thanks” at the beginning of the book, Callen thanks feminism for its critiques of the health care system and, especially, he thanks “the women, particularly the lesbians, who have labored so thanklessly in the struggle to end AIDS.
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Following are several quotations from Surviving AIDS that I will remember for a long time:

“The common thread that runs through my AIDS activism has been a passionate belief that hopelessness kills.
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“Believing in the possibility of surviving AIDS is the necessary precondition of actually surviving AIDS, ”

“One reason Im alive today is because Ive managed to avoid PCP, ”

“Im alive today because of what I didnt do than because of what I did do, ”

“Yes, attitude matters, But, ultimately, controlling AIDS is going to require finding the right combination of drugs, ”

“The cutting edge of AIDS treatment research is the growing network of more than twentyfive communitybased research groups in the United States whose top priority is the prevention of opportunistic infections.
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In Surviving AIDS, Michael Callen interviews thirteen longterm survivors of AIDS, “men and

women, gay, straight, and bisexual, black, white, and brown, each of whom is living a remarkable life” from front jacket flap blurb.
Callen defines “longterm survivor” as “anyone who has survived fullblown AIDS for three or more years, ” He writes: “The overwhelming majority of longterm survivors I interviewed have refused to take AZT, ” The impact these stories had on readers of the book when it was first published must have been tremendous,

In, Callen was optimistic that a cure for AIDS would be found, Its now, and, to the best of my knowledge, no cure for AIDS, no vaccine, is in sight,

In his afterword, Callen mentions: “All but four of the survivors profiled in this book are still alive and thriving, ”

In Surviving AIDS, Michael Callen controversially included a chapter title “The Case against AZT, ” I recall that an expartner who tested positive for HIV in earlyhad told me that AZT made him sicker, so he stopped taking it, When he was in a drug trial, if he found out that he was on a placebo, he would drop out of the trial, He eventually reduced his viral load to undetectable, Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack in late,

Also, in Surviving AIDS, Callen emphasizes the importance of being on prophylaxis to ward off PCP, Tragically, another partner of mine was stubborn, He would never get tested, When he went into the hospital in January, he wouldnt allow an HIV test, He was diagnosed with PCP and didnt have a chance, Prophylaxis didnt help him. He was on all the drugs that the ACT UP guidelines recommended at the time, He passed away on March,, The protease inhibitors were just coming out,

I learned a great deal from Surviving AIDS by Michael Callen, Nine years after Michael Callen was diagnosed with AIDS, he tells the inspiring story of how he and hundreds of others also diagnosed with the disease have beaten the odds.
Callen profileslongterm survivors and brings into focus the courage, drama, and the sometimes outrageous humor that has helped them to answer the question, "Why am I alive" Photographs, .