ALTHOUGH...
I am writing in english, although I am Icelandic and although being Icelandic writing in english... Although that makes me a bad writer loosing a poetic touch, although I will put some information on here that only concern Icelanders, although they might even be informations in Icelandic : I will do it although!
So here is something of my concern:
Many people living with HIV are taking HIV- medications and if they don't they get sick. And these people HAVE TO be very precise in the intake of the medicine; they have to make sure to take the medication around the same time each day, with or without food (depending on the type of meds) and so on...
This also means of course that
HIV poz people have to be careful not to run out of medicine as it can be dangerous to not be able to take them according to the given routine! If HIV poz people are not careful about their intake of the meds
their HIV-virus can become immune to the medicine. And that is some serious stuff just right there!
So not to go on and on about this serious fact here is my concern : People are people (only humans) and they are not perfect! Even though and ALTHOUGH they may be doing their best, it has been known that in the middle of a summervacation or at some point or another HIV poz people here in Iceland have ACCIDENTELY run out of their pills...
This has been known to happen f.eks. whilst being on the country side or during a weekend.
In such cases it is VITAL to be able to get hands on the anti-viral drug. It is a given that people on anti-viral drugs are trying to be responsible. They know that they have to be careful and that.. well in spite of the fact that they have let this happen the problem has to fixed somehow, of course it has to! So this has happened and well that's a shame and hm.. they might be thinking "Oh well shame on me but I have to fix this problem"
(Just typing in the shame part there as HIV+ folks tend to carry more shame around than the average Joe).
So yes you got the situation : HIV positive person - no medications - it is very important to get them straight away - and they should be able to, right?
But here in Iceland one cannot go to an ER-ward to get HIV meds. The healthcare system only provides these anti-viral drugs on the ER to girls or boys that have been raped to prevent that they will get infected (which is another subject related to this one and I promise to write about next)!
And then the doctors are not easily reachable - many times over people have to wait many days and even weeks for a doctors appointment. Which shouldn't be so bad since we have the hospitals, but you know I told you about the ER, they only so and so... But NO! (And please don't mistake me for an angry woman, I have an aggressive style). At the department for transmittable deseases at the biggest hospital - and I should throw in that I'm only talking capital Reykjavík here, so it could be far more complicated on the countryside.......... WELL
at that ward they do NOT have medications, not even a few pills.
Everything goes through the APOTEK - drug store. But not just any drug store, THE drugstore at the hospital.
So back to the shameful situation of the shamed patient here who then tries to say the words "I'm sorry" and what else? Perhaps: "I just have to somehow fix this problem of mine, is there anything we can do?" (you might add "as I am trying to take responsibility for this disease that I have - I'm sorry to be a burden on the otherwise in perspective good healthcare system that I actually really love, and might I add that I am so grateful to have access to these medications or I'd be dead" - you get where I'm coming from, sorry for the rambling on... )
YES here we are: "I just have to get my pills - or it might have serious effects on my body".
The staff at the hospital are not being nice at all. Sorry to say so but many times over they are not patient to the patients needs, especially when the problem is irritating. They are talking to a person with HIV. And not only that, an irresponsible person with HIV. Even worse perhaps a DRUGADDICT, or who knows? a gay person or a single mom who went ahead and had a baby anyway and didn't get an abortion when she found out that she was pregnant -what an egoista, an HIV positive mother?! (I could add to this list).
The situation is already hard for the HIV poz person. And it's right he/she shouldn't have let this happen, should have taken responsibility. (Heard that before!).
But CAN WE FIX THE PROBLEM? The answer is actually NO not really.
Why? Because the drug store at the hospital isn't open in the weekends.
Why? Because your prescription ran out.
Either case is a dilemma for the HIV+ person. "OK. uh, should I go to the ER and get 2 or 3 doses until the APOTEK reopens or until I get a hold on my doctor?" No, I already told you why. Then what to do?
I found a law that says that at the drugstore you can go around the problem of your prescription having run out - IT SAYS IT RIGHT THERE IN ARTICLE 16.
That wouldn't go around the weekend-closing time problem though, or being stranded on the countryside, but I am not so pessimistic afterall. Hopefully there would be someone understanding to assist. But since that is actually not they case too many times I cannot stress it enough that there are more than one reasons for you to GET THE HELL OUT OF YOUR CLOSET!
The least you should do is get connected to the very few other HIV positive people here in Iceland. Because at a time like this there might be someone that you know taking the same stuff as you that you could call and borrow a couple of pills from: PROBLEM SOLVED! (for now).
ALTHOUGH HERE IS THE LINK TO THE LAW FOLKS, ARTICLE 16 remember!
http://www.velferdarraduneyti.is/hbr/log-og-reglugerdir/reglugerdir/nr/31941
And remember! You are a person with just as much right as anyone else to healthcare and service - don't get pushed around and stepped on just because you happen to have exactly this disease. Take responsibility for not being pushed about as well as your health.
