worried about my friend

My best friend has AIDS. And it's bad. He's not doing very good at all. I am so worried that I won't get to see him if somehing happens to him. He moved 1,200 miles away when we graduated high school. I talk to him everyday on skype and we are always e-mailing but it's not the same. He played his illness down for a long time to me but he fianally told me hw bad it is and I can tell by talking to him he's getting more and more tired. He has 2 clots in his lungs from pcp pnuemonia and his t cells are 24 when healthy peoples t cells are like 700,000. I try to keep his spirits up by telling him about people who have lived full blown for years but in the back of my mind I know it's not good for him. It's so hard to comfort him when you know he may very well die 1,200 miles away from his hometown and all his friends. Not only is he positive he is bi polar and suffers from severe depression. He has since high school so I'm worried about his mental state through all this. I'm the only one of his friends here at home that knows he has AIDS or that he's even gay. And our friends ask me everyday about is facebook pics and postings and why is he so sick. I'm not going to tell them it's not my place. I don't know. I love him he's the only friend I got and he's 1,200 miles away and the only thing I can do is skype

The world can be such a hard place.

(((( thunderbear )))) Indeed, you're in a very difficult spot. You are doing what you can for him. I hope you know how much contact with you through skype is doing for him!! You may not be able to be there with him but you are doing the next best thing! You are an amazingly wonderful friend!!!!
~lila

(((Thunderbear))) Im sorry to hear that your friend is so sick. He is so blessed to have a friend like you, who loves unconditionally. Know you are doing everything you can do for him from your end. Friendships and loved ones are so important. So many people fail to realize this until it's too late. I admire your passion in protecting him from prying questions regarding his illness.

(((((thunderbear)))))- you are a wonderful friend. I am so very sorry this is happening to (((((your best friend)))))---theo

Thunderbear, keep doing what you are doing. I am positive too. So what you are doing, whatever the distance, is worth its weight in gold. Thank you for caring so much for your friend. If there is anything I can do please do PM me.

I am sorry, Thunderbear.

I don't have any words of wisdom to share. Just wanted to give you a hug of support. You have been very kind and supportive of your friend (which I'm sure hasn't always been easy for you to do). It is wonderful that he can count on you to be there for him to share how he is feeling. Your friend doesn't have to be entirely alone ~ just like you aren't.

It would be wonderful if you could be there for him physically, but that can be much more emotionally draining than you might imagine it is. While the physical isn't really possible right now, your friend can rest assured that he is in your thoughts, hopes, and very best wishes. And from my personal experience, feeling that support and love is much better than you might imagine. It's also better than people forcing themselves to be with you (even when they'd honestly rather not be doing).

Gentle hugs to you. I hope that your friend's discomfort and unhappiness ease very soon. Best wishes!

How are you and your friend doing, thunderbear?

Hi Byz. He is not so good. He has his good days but I think his depression is slowing his recovery. He is'nt allowed to see many people because his immunity is at 1% He can't come home even though he wants so bad to. But he has 2 blood clots in his lungs from the pnumonia and is just so weak trying to recover from it, that flying is out of the question and riding at the moment would be bad to do. He's hanging in there. But like he told me these things take time. His drugs they have him on are mostly to blame for his weakness I think. But I send prayers and positive thoughts his way all the time. Me, I feel guilty because all this time he has been my shoulder and I have complained about so many things from relationship problems to my mental problems and he still askes me how my anxiety is but I feel awful telling him how bad I got it when he's laying there suffering the same mental problems and with his illness and it's physical problems. I love him like a brother and to top it all off he finally told one of our good friends from H.S. about his illness and his sexuality and I don't think that friend is talking to him anymore. Small town people can be so judgemental. He's a good person with a condition and loves who he wants. But he's still the same good ole boy as he used to be. And it's not like you can get AIDS from talkng to him or eing his friend. I guess it's fear and small town ignorance. No wonder he moved so far away

I will remember him.

T-bear So sorry to hear about your friend.
I missed you and hope that you try to be strong in this difficult time.
Take care of yourself.

(((THUNDERBEAR))) - thinking of you, and I commend you for your patience and support. I live in South Africa, where HIV is a very real thing. I am in a fortunate position where I don't personally know anyone who is HIV+ (Or at least who's come out about it) but I hear about it all the time. I see it all the time. I even worked in a consultancy where we would go to the larger companies and run train the train programmes. I've heard wonderful stories about people living many happy years with the disease. It's terrible that it still comes with such a stigma and irritates me about people.

All I can say is: strength to you and if you need to talk, come PM me.

Gentle ((((((hugs)))))))))))) to you and your friend, thunderbear.

You are both in my thoughts.