WELLNESS STARTS WITH AWARENESS - CD8 T cells - The Body

the lives Joey, Ken, Mark and similar others have created for themselves.
Relationships
Th e power of relationships has been a healing force for each of
the men discussed above and remains a healing force for all of us.
Tapping into the power that comes from connection with others is
a key ingredient to wellness. Of course physical health infl uences
a desire to connect with others, but reaching out to others and, in
turn, having others reach out to us creates a powerful synergy that
contributes to a sense of purpose and well-being.
Courage
It is no small feat to face imminent death, feel resigned to this
destiny, yet swift ly turn on your heels and walk in a diff erent direction.
Th e process of rebuilding a life, in many ways, takes more
courage than the initial building. Each of us, when faced with an
obstacle, has the choice to become resigned, or to learn and grow.
Long-term survivors of HIV such as Joey, Ken, and Mark allowed
themselves to be transformed from their experiences and courageously
chose to rebuild lives of meaning and purpose.
Humor
Given the stories of long-term survivors of HIV like Joey, Ken,
and Mark, it seems diffi cult to even consider humor an ingredient
of wellness. And yet, I remember many instances of laughter even
as each man shared incredibly painful and embarrassing experiences.
Joey will consistently share with me his family’s hardships,
economic problems, and illnesses, but through the pain, he is able
to make small jokes and sometimes, even chuckle. And now, several
years later as he recounts the incident of me rushing clothes to him
at the gas station restroom, he grins at me and chides: “Couldn’t
you have at least brought me some socks?”
Morality
While each person’s sense of what is right and what is wrong
may be diff erent, the idea of having a sense of right and a sense of
wrong serves as a foundation for all of us. Long-term survivors of
HIV are constantly faced with others’ judgments, their own feelings
about their HIV status, and making decisions about self-care and
risk. Th ere are no clear “rights and wrongs” in this world, which
requires that each person have some internal mechanism for recalibrating
this process in response to constantly changing physical
health.
Spirituality
None of the men I’ve described here would consider themselves
religious, in the traditional sense of this word. But all of them, at
this point in their lives, would say that spirituality plays a major role
42
Long-term survivors of HIV face
innumerable challenges.
in how they currently live. Each has found a way to connect with
some force that is greater than themselves. Ken’s relationship with
his cat is a nontraditional example as, for him, his cat represents
a connection to all living things and some source of energy and
“spirit” larger than his own. Joey has created this sense of connection
with extended family, and Mark taps into “spirit” through AA
and prayer. Regardless of the source, a belief in and connection to a
source of energy beyond ourselves is a great source of wellness.
Living well
Long-term survivors of HIV face innumerable challenges. In
many instances, the medical challenges of living with the eff ects of
HIV take a back seat to the emotional and psychological challenges
of dealing with impending death. For those people who have spent
years preparing to die, fi nances have been exhausted, careers have
been compromised, and loved ones have died or moved on in other
ways. Th e prospect of continuing to live may become a frightening
one, fraught with existential questions about fi nding purpose and
meaning—and a process of dealing with both tangible and intangible
losses. Wellness takes on a new and diff erent meaning for longterm
survivors who are now looking at living indefi nitely. While
still comprised of what we traditionally
consider wellness activities (healthy eating,
exercise, entertainment, work-life balance,
and other forms of self-care), wellness with
long-term survivors is equally comprised of
meaning-making and purpose-fi nding.
I didn’t think that I would be using the
word “wellness” in referring to long-term
survivors of HIV, and yet here I am, discussing
three people, each of whom have lived
with HIV for close to 20 years. Advances
in medicine have contributed to living with HIV, but attending to
“wellness” with HIV is the task of each individual who chooses to
live well. In a recent session with Joey, he ended as he has on many
occasions: “Well, Jeff , it looks like I’m going to live.”
Yes, Joey, it looks like you’re going to live—and it looks like
you’re going to live well. e
Joey, Ken, and Mark are composites of some of the long-term
survivors of HIV with whom I have worked. Th eir names are not
act ual client names and their st ories have been const ruct ed from the
common challenges faced by long-term survivors of HIV.
Jeff Levy, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and the Chief Executive
Offi cer of Live Oak, Inc. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Live
Oak provides psychotherapy, consultation, and professional training.
To learn more, visit www.liveoakchicago.com.
*from Merriam-Webst er Dict ionary Online.
PA • September / October 2008 • tpan.com • positivelyaware.com
Positively Aware