How come Magic Johnson is still alive? MILLIONS died of HIV/AIDS during the 80s & 90s.

[Anonymous]

HIV is a virus. People with strong immune systems are going to stand a better chance fighting it off. Both of these men are retired athletes. They had strong bodies and were able to fight the disease until we got medications that were able to suppress the virus.

And they might have been lucky. Some people are more resistant to HIV. A (very) few people are immune to HIV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Greg Louganis is still alive.
He got diagnosed with HIV in 1988 - 3 years before Magic.
How come nobody's wondering how he's managed to survive?

Nobody knows who Greg is.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are known all over the world.

He's definitely not as popular - but he's still alive.
How come?

What do you mean how come? He started taking AZT as soon as he was diagnosed. He has said publicly that he was very strict about sticking to the protocol. Also, he was a professional athlete. His body started in a healthier place than most. That has to have helped too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because he has money to get meds. He's virus free now, I believe.

Is their written proof that he actually had it?

I think he may have been a paid government spokesperson to increase national awareness.

There is ZERO chance that this is true. Magic Johnson was a millionaire athlete when he was diagnosed. He was a major basketball star. The HIV diagnosis ENDED his career. It was an absolutely scandalous diagnosis at the time, with a ton of associated stigma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a nurse at an early AIDS clinic from 1984 to 1999 in Chicago. I keep in contact with a good amount of people from the mid 80s who are all doing well. They all had the HIV virus and got their cocktail early and never got off path. It's entirely possible. I knew 3 personally who have undetectable levels. We also lost many many many (sometimes 15 a week) and they were mostly diagnosed with AIDS. I am still upset/ almost offended how little the public knows about the difference between the two. I think as a country we must have really dropped the educational responsibility component. Sometimes Im shocked how little even other nurses know about HIV/AIDS.

PS: The people I know aren't rich like Magic Johnson but they had insurance, jobs, resources, and were able to educate themselves. The people I know who are thriving didn't let the fear of their lifestyle prevent them from seeking help. I probably heard at least 100 patients tell me they knew they were sick but were afraid to find out. Those are the people who died. It was shame and fear and it makes me so upset and sad. To know you are most likely dying of their horrific disease but not want to find out because everyone you love will know you "are one of them" is really soul crushing and heart breaking.

PPS: I read Cookie Johnson's book and you can absolutely feel the fear they all had for their lives during his diagnosis. I don't think it was a government spokesperson. Cookie was pregnant when he was diagnosed. Not to mention what the diagnosed implied on their marriage itself.

???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a nurse at an early AIDS clinic from 1984 to 1999 in Chicago. I keep in contact with a good amount of people from the mid 80s who are all doing well. They all had the HIV virus and got their cocktail early and never got off path. It's entirely possible. I knew 3 personally who have undetectable levels. We also lost many many many (sometimes 15 a week) and they were mostly diagnosed with AIDS. I am still upset/ almost offended how little the public knows about the difference between the two. I think as a country we must have really dropped the educational responsibility component. Sometimes Im shocked how little even other nurses know about HIV/AIDS.

PS: The people I know aren't rich like Magic Johnson but they had insurance, jobs, resources, and were able to educate themselves. The people I know who are thriving didn't let the fear of their lifestyle prevent them from seeking help. I probably heard at least 100 patients tell me they knew they were sick but were afraid to find out. Those are the people who died. It was shame and fear and it makes me so upset and sad. To know you are most likely dying of their horrific disease but not want to find out because everyone you love will know you "are one of them" is really soul crushing and heart breaking.

PPS: I read Cookie Johnson's book and you can absolutely feel the fear they all had for their lives during his diagnosis. I don't think it was a government spokesperson. Cookie was pregnant when he was diagnosed. Not to mention what the diagnosed implied on their marriage itself.

I read her book as well and agree. I was also shocked at how badly he treated her throughout their relationship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because he has money to get meds. He's virus free now, I believe.

Is their written proof that he actually had it?

I think he may have been a paid government spokesperson to increase national awareness.

This is the most insane thing I’ve ever read anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Why was there never a big announcement that HIV has been essentially cured? With the amount of attention it got in the 80's - mid 90's you would think that these new drugs would be major news. I remember around the mid 2000's wondering what happened to AIDS. I hadn't really heard about it for a few years, and it used to be all you'd ever hear about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Greg Louganis is still alive.
He got diagnosed with HIV in 1988 - 3 years before Magic.
How come nobody's wondering how he's managed to survive?

Nobody knows who Greg is.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are known all over the world.

He's definitely not as popular - but he's still alive.
How come?

What do you mean how come? He started taking AZT as soon as he was diagnosed. He has said publicly that he was very strict about sticking to the protocol. Also, he was a professional athlete. His body started in a healthier place than most. That has to have helped too.

That pp may have been employing sarcasm. Though I'm not completely sure of that.

[Anonymous]

On another note, Magic Johnson's diagnosis was one of those generational events in a way. I remember where I was when I heard about his diagnosis. It was shocking.

Not on the level of the Kennedy assassination (I remember that too) or the Challenger explosion or 9/11 but still, it was huge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why was there never a big announcement that HIV has been essentially cured? With the amount of attention it got in the 80's - mid 90's you would think that these new drugs would be major news. I remember around the mid 2000's wondering what happened to AIDS. I hadn't really heard about it for a few years, and it used to be all you'd ever hear about.

?? Reducing the viral load is not the same thing as being cured. If you stop taking your meds, the virus will return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On another note, Magic Johnson's diagnosis was one of those generational events in a way. I remember where I was when I heard about his diagnosis. It was shocking.

Not on the level of the Kennedy assassination (I remember that too) or the Challenger explosion or 9/11 but still, it was huge.

Magic Johnson seemed to be the turning point of the average American realizing that HIV wasn’t just a disease for gay men. Even Ryan White and Elizabeth Glaser didn’t have the impact Magic did.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who has had HIV 20+ years. Still working still strong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did he just happen to get lucky and beat the odds?
Beating the odds by being 1 out of MILLIONS of people from that time period who did not die.

AZT was on the market in 1987. Johnson was diagnoses in 1991, and presumably started meds right away, so his disease didn't progress.

We lost a loved one, in part to to HIV in 2006. Obviously it could still happen, but like most of the people who died in those days, she'd had time when she was on unmedicated at the beginning of her illness, and while the progress of the disease had been stopped it had already ravaged her organs. She also had periods of noncompliance with meds, which Johnson might not have had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because he has money to get meds. He's virus free now, I believe.

Is their written proof that he actually had it?

I think he may have been a paid government spokesperson to increase national awareness.

This is the most insane thing I’ve ever read anywhere.

Seriously? Are you new to DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why was there never a big announcement that HIV has been essentially cured? With the amount of attention it got in the 80's - mid 90's you would think that these new drugs would be major news. I remember around the mid 2000's wondering what happened to AIDS. I hadn't really heard about it for a few years, and it used to be all you'd ever hear about.

Because it hasn't been cured? We've just figured out how to control the virus to a point with expensive meds with lots of side effects.

I know a young adult who was HIV exposed in utero, and "converted" (meaning he does not have the virus, not exactly the same as cured, because the early meds prevent the virus from developing in the infant so he technically never had it). He was on HIV meds for 3 months, and still as an adult has medical problems linked to side effects during those 3 months. The meds the control HIV have a long way to go.