Lymphomas are tumors of the lymph glands that can occur in anyone but are more common and more severe in people with HIV infection. In some people, the only symptoms of lymphoma are the constitutional symptoms. In other people, the symptoms of lymphoma are very large lymph glands in the neck, under the arms, or in the groin; these symptoms are more commonly caused by persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (PGL). In some people, the symptoms of lymphoma differ according to where in the body lymphoma occurs: lymphoma in the intestines causes pain and diarrhea; in the brain, focal neurologic problems; in the lung, pneumonia. In people with HIV infection, lymphomas often progress rapidly, more rapidly than they do in other people. Treatment is with radiation and with chemotherapy using the same drugs used for other types of tumors. The treatment is given by specialists, either radiation therapists or oncologists. The success of the treatment is variable; some people do extremely well. Curing lymphoma is increasingly likely, so talk to your physician about the side effects and potential benefits of each treatment.*141\191\2*
The Rural Housing Services in the Department of Agriculture is an excellent source of information. Many communities also choose to use Development Block Grants through Access Modifications Funds to help individuals make their homes physically accessible. You can contact your local Office for Persons with Disabilities or your local HUD office for help, especially if you feel your civil rights have been violated in the housing arena.When Kelsie Collins, who had suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident, was looking for an already-accessible rental unit, she had a real estate agent who believed that “anything was possible.” The agent was convinced that Kelsie could buy her own home, and set out to make this happen. Kelsie was living on a fixed disability income and didn’t think she could get financing for her own home. Like many people with spinal cord injury, she had spent a lot of “down time” in the hospital and both her credit and income history had suffered.The real estate agent thought that a steady income was the bottom line for obtaining a mortgage and that Kelsie’s disability income was likely to be her permanent source of income because her disability was so severe (quadriplegia). With the help of an independent living center and a mortgage company that was willing to at least consider Kelsie’s application, the agent was able to get the Social Security Administration to confirm that her disability income was projected to be lifelong. With this virtual guarantee, Kelsie’s disability check became an asset rather than a liability. She was able to buy a condominium, with mortgage payments only slightly more than her previous rent. The condo was already accessible inside. Only the addition of a ramp was needed to give accessibility to the parking lot.Kelsie’s story illustrates the power of persistence and creative problem-solving in dealing with housing needs. It also provides several insights into home-buying:
1. Seek financial counseling if you need to clear up your credit record.2. Make a budget or get advice on how to build up savings.3. Write a letter of explanation if your credit rating has suffered because of lengthy hospitalization or job loss following your injury.4. Look into FHA (Federal Housing Administration) mortgages and other federal assistance programs.5. Shop around for a loan officer and get approved for a loan before you shop for a home.6. Try to persuade banks to waive some fees.7. When negotiating the sale, ask the seller to finance home modification costs.
Once you’ve picked out your home, look to community organizations, church groups, or private firms to help with home modifications. These sources can supplement any federal or state assistance you receive. Above all, don’t give up!
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“Helping Karen took a year. We would reexamine the thoughts she recorded in her journal. I challenged her to do things. At the start, she was tired all the time, had no energy, wanted only to sleep. We wondered if this was medication, but it probably was depression. Karen enjoyed athletics but had given them up because of her epilepsy and her school problems. We got her involved in just one sport and watched her energy level increase. When she found she could participate despite her epilepsy, things began to go better.”Initially Karen was having seizures every few months. With medication adjustment (and as she got older) she would go for almost a year without a seizure. It seemed as if she’d almost made it; our state then required a person to be seizure-free for one year to get a driver’s license. The rug was pulled out from under her each time. But, through counseling, she had become a stronger person and was able to deal with the recurrence of seizures. With each recurrence she was, of course, disappointed and angry, but most of all she was determined. Most of those recurrences happened when she had tested the limits of how little sleep she could exist on, of how much she could drink, or of how long she could miss her medication. Gradually she learned those limits and that the seizures and the driving were under her control. With each of these recurrences, she would come back to see the doctor and to see me. She would be angry and extremely upset, but I could support her. I never made light of her problems, and that is very important. What may seem to be small problems to the counselor and possibly to the parents can be big problems to the teenager.”*222\208\8*