COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWS JANUARY 2020
GREG LOUGANIS ON AGING WITH HIV by Jack Bunting
For many DAP clients living with HIV, planning for old age can feel dubious. Long-term survivors, having once believed they would die from AIDS, can still find it hard to trust that current treatments and organizations like DAP are going to see them through to elder care. And for the recently seroconverted, learning how to live with HIV daily can distract them from thinking about this essential planning.
while competing in the Olympics, and his odyssey of selfdiscovery since, helps do this for him. The bold decision to continue in the 1988 Olympics while getting used to the toxicity of AZT was encouraged by his doctor, whom Greg remains grateful for. The medication regime in 1988 was two pills every four hours, around the clock, with very unpleasant side effects.
The audience at the 4th annual Aging Positively conference Nevertheless, he found value in pressing on. in September at the Joslyn Center in Palm Desert learned “I wasn’t focused on the disease,” Greg says. “I was focused valuable information about Medicare and prescriptions, avoiding isolation, and estate planning. But anyone who heard on a potential goal, something outside of what I believed I could do.” Greg Louganis talk about his own journey with HIV (positive since 1988) was presented Even still, there were hiccups. Sufficient They termed me a long- medication adherence was so challenging with a less tangible, yet vital message: term survivor 10 years for Greg as he trained for the games that his thriving with HIV as we age requires hope, humor, and self-love. ago, and I’m still here. doctor had to appeal to his competitive side. “They termed me a long-term survivor ten “You show up early to your 8 a.m. workout years ago, and I’m still here.” prepared,” he says. “Taking your medication is just as important as showing up to your morning workout.” Making it seem as effortless as one of his dives, the five-time Olympic medalist shared a brutally honest accounting of pain Having a doctor who made those kinds of correlations for him and loss, including coping with depression. His was not a made a huge difference, Greg says. story of pageantry; it was about the importance of not giving Paying it forward all these years later, Greg offers moral up, the value of incremental personal changes, and the power support to newly diagnosed people living with HIV (PLWH) of being vulnerable enough to tell on ourselves. whenever they reach out to him. The fear experienced According to Greg, his anxiety from opening up about his HIV when someone finds out they have HIV is something that journey to a global audience dissipated when he considered transcends generations. how it would help others. “By sharing my weaknesses, I was “I remember those feelings,” Greg says. “There was this ringing actually sharing my strength.” in my ears and I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna die.” Aside from his dogs, Greg staves off isolation by only Fortunately for all of us, Greg is still here. “I’m aging. Uh, how choosing activities and work that give him a true sense of positively, I don’t know.” That’s OK, Greg. We see you, and meaning and purpose. Sharing about secretly living with HIV you’re doing just fine.