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20.04.2019

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Vecākais HIV-pozitīvais cilvēks pasaulē atzīmēja 100. dzimšanas dienu. “Es jūtos laimīgs,” viņš teica.
Simtās dzimšanas dienas atzīmēšana – tas ir milzīgs pagrieziena punkts visiem. Bet kad Migels, pazīstams arī kā “Lisabonas pacients”, šajā pavasarī svinēja savu simtgadi, tas kļuva par svarīgu pavērsiena punktu arī tai cilvēces daļai, kas dzīvo ar HIV. Vecajam vīram ir nenosakāma vīrusu slodze, lieliska geriatriskā veselība, viņš joprojām dzīvo savā mājā un aprūpē sevi. AIDS Migelam atklāja 2004. gadā, kad viņš nonāca slimnīcā Lisabonas pievārtē ar retas formas kolītu un limfomu, kā arī zemu CD4 līmeni. Tad viņam bija 84 gadi, un viņš nezināja, ka ir HIV inficēts, kā arī bija neizpratnē, kā varēja inficēties. Ārstiem bija zināmas šaubas, vai ir vērts vīru tādā vecumā ārstēt, jo viņš varēja neizturēt ārstēšanas sākumu. Taču viss bija  normā.
“Es jūtos laimīgs. Es šos gadus esmu nodzīvojis bez problēmām un nepatikšanām,” viņš pavēstīja savos simts gados.
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Source: HIVPLUSMAG.COM | «The Oldest Person Living With HIV Turns 100» | https://www.hivplusmag.com/uu/2019/4/16/oldest-person-living-hiv-turns-100 | Age ain't nothing but a number, after all |
Celebrating a 100th birthday is a huge milestone for anyone. But when Miguel, also known as “the Lisbon Patient,” celebrated his centennial this spring it was also a milestone for the global poz community. That’s because he is the oldest documented person living with HIV in the world. What’s more, his viral load is undetectable, he’s in great geriatric health, and he still lives at home and cares for himself.
In light of persistent HIV stigma, Miguel and his family requested that news outlets not display his face in photos nor share his full name. Maintaining that confidentiality, researchers studying Miguel (a pseudonym) nicknamed him “the Lisbon Patient” when referencing him in their case studies and published reports.
“I feel happy,” the soft-spoken senior told Canada’s CTV News, speaking through a translator at a hospital in Portugal. “I’ve spent these years without hardship and without troubles.”
According to CTV News, Miguel was diagnosed with stage 3 HIV (AIDS) in 2004 when he arrived at a hospital near Lisbon with rare forms of colitis and lymphoma and a low CD4 count. He was 84 then and had no idea he was HIV-positive or how and when he contracted the virus.
After learning about the disease, Miguel told his doctor he wanted to fight. Dr. Henrique Santos, Miguel’s primary physician, recalled having concerns, telling CTV, “When this patient came to me at this age, I had some doubts that he should be treated.” But Santos went ahead and started Miguel on an aggressive course of chemotherapy. “Everything went well, but it could have gone wrong,” he said. “There could have been signs of toxicity. He could have not been able to bear the treatment. He could have missed the treatment. We had to consider those scenarios.”
Fifteen years later it’s clear that Miguel and his medical team made the right decision.
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