why I launched this website
The purpose of this site is to tell my story about a series of HIV+ related illnesses, which lasted for almost two and half years. Originally, this site was for my family and friends who weren’t living in New York at the time. It was originally planned as a story that I could e-mail to everyone, but then I thought I could reach so many more people, people that don't even know me. 
Hopefully, it might inspire you when you’re dealing with a friend or family member, or even your own illness. Everyone deals with some form of tragedy, at some point in his or her life, and its how you deal with the tragedy, that makes a difference. There's a lot of humor in my story, not only because I found other illness testimonies on the web very boring, but also because I don't take myself that seriously. When I made this a website, I didn't even know the defination of a blog, and I still don't understand what a thread and XML feed is? It took me several months doing research online, comparing websites and blogs. Until I finally chose Squarespace as the software to launch my website. I wanted to produced a website, instead of a blog, because I didn't want people commenting on this work. I wanted it to come from my gut, pardon the pun! In essence, I would be editor-in-chief, with a staff of one: me, myself, and I, just the way I like it. I’m kind of a control freak! I eventually added a "web-log" just for fun, one of my entry explains a star sightly of Barbara Walters on the upper East side...fluff to you, but monumental for me!!!
I got a 2006 Christmas card from an old friend of mine named Jim Hitchcock, who used to live in Nashville, of all places. He's been on my Christmas card list for a long time, but I don't have a phone number for him or an e-mail address. (I'm sorry I outed you, but I wanted to tell you that you were my inspiration!) Jim said that he missed me, and he said I should write him some time. And boy, did I have a lot to write about! So that's how the story began. I've been in cognitive therapy since January 2006 (you'll have to read why I'm in cognitive therapy in “I'm not myself?!”) My cognitive therapist, Ilana, thought this was a great idea, because I have been working on my writing for the last five months.
I've been HIV+ since 1993, just before I graduated from Parsons School of Design, not the best graduation gift, if you ask me. I’ve been positive all during my adult life. In fact, some of you might remember in 1995, when I had tuberculosis. I was working at Ralph Lauren Home Collection in New York City, as a designer. I had to go on short-term disability for nine weeks, half of which was spent recuperating at my parent’s house. Luckily, I was still employed for Ralph Lauren, not until I was at Gap Inc. did I lose my job.