robear

Thanks for the thoughtful and informed responses. At the age of 70 my use of PrEP is part of a largely hypothetical sex life, and is more in the line of honoring fallen comrades: I take it because I can. (I know that sounds silly, but it makes sense in my world.) I whored my way through the late 70s well into the PrEP era unscathed, and in my day my body count was sometimes prodigious, so concerns about HIV are historically manageable for me with or without prophylaxis. My thought now is that the loss of any small measure of "vitality" caused by a PrEP regimen might not be worth it. I could try going back to generic Truvada, or drop it altogether. (It seems likely that the current 100% coverage under Medicare Part B will come into the crosshairs of the current regime at some point, anyway, necessitating a return to generic Truvada.) I'll continue to monitor, I have a 6-mo checkup with my PCP in March and will ask him to order another blood panel at that time.

My last CBC showed my RBC as 3.27 and hemaglobin at 12.5. These are quite low and described by more than one doctor as "slightly anemic." All other blood counts as well as my comprehensive panel are fine. My PCP checked my folate and iron levels, they are normal. The low counts were first noted during pre-surgical testing about a year ago, and the doctor's comment was that it could be because I'm taking Descovy for PrEP. The University of Google says this is a known but rare side effect of the med. My counts have not been historically low, including the period when I was taking Truvada, the low counts seem to more or less track with my switch to Descovy. My question for the panel is, has anyone else experienced red blood cell suppression with PrEP meds?

This is a tangled topic, but just jumping in to say I've been very pleased with my medigap type G+ plan. Two surgeries and a hospitalization, among other things this year and I never needed pre-approval or other nonsense from a for-profit insurer. Gap plans ARE more expensive upfront (premiums, deductibles, etc.) and so may be unrealistic for some, but there's peace of mind knowing your needed procedure isn't at the whim of a CEO shopping for his second yacht. I strongly urge any American over 60 to register with medicare.gov. Don't wait until you're 65+. For a government resource it's remarkably useful and gives a clear picture of your options, insurers and providers in your location, and comparative costs.

Hi Axiom, as I'm naive as can be about drug things, is Lemonade referring to a THC preparation or something else? I have found that an edible is my friend before an encounter. The Cialis works so much better with it. (Obviously, brain stuff going on there.) But the term Lemonade is new to me.

Like a lot of things in this realm ("tantra" anyone), the words mean whatever the user wants them to mean. There is no universal meaning, nor are there any specific qualifications to offer services. Allen Silver, whom I've seen both for massage and SI sessions, is based in SF. As a guide, he has a very useful list of possible goals for an SI session on his website. It might give you some guidance in communicating with him, or other providers. If you don't want a generic experience, it's important to have a goal for the session (um, be realistic in what can transpire in an hour or two), and to communicate those goals as clearly as possible to the provider. I would say the first requirement for an effective provider is that he listen actively to the client's needs. https://www.allensi.com/index.php/what

Got mine last Thursday, the tenth for me. When I booked at Duane-Reade/Walgreens the week before, in NY, I was told they required a doctor's prescription which he sent through. In the event, just a week later, the pharmacist said they no longer required it but patients of any age, or their guardians, must "attest" that they have a special need for coverage. This is the three-ring circus preventive healthcare in America is being reduced to.

My new kitchen crush https://www.youtube.com/@cookingfromspain

Not really a "retreat," but an annual week-long gathering of 500+ gay/bi/whatever naked men at a sleepaway camp facility in in the Poconos https://www.gaynaturists.org

Pasha is one of the best! Excellent technique, and he's grown from handsome twunk to muscle daddy and I'm here for it!! I'd never live through Milo's treatment, but happy to see Pasha!! Thanks for this post.