2019 will be my winning year!

I still remember it like it was yesterday, but in fact it was during the Christmas season of December 2003.  My husband and I had just got back from Pretoria for my HIV treatment.  Although I was desperate to start my medication, I was very scared about possible side effects. 

I was not sure how I would be feeling during Christmas and the New Year if I started medication. I did not want to miss those specials moments with my loved ones.  So I told my husband that I would go to all the parties and then, when they were all over, I would start the tablets on 2 January 2004. I started with 20 pills per day, plus my diabetes medication.  

A few years later the number of pills went down to six, then to three.  It has been difficult for me to go down to one pill because HIV treatment is combined with medications for other conditions:  diabetes, high cholesterol, blood pressure, and a blood clot - which in 2015 got me into trouble, after my cardiologist asked me to stop the medication I was taking, because she was convinced that I was very healthy, and had no cardiology problem.  I trusted her and stopped the tablets, but a few days later I had a heart attack on my way to London for holidays with my family.  

Then I started a process of re-evaluation and tried many different new medications. My HIV medication also changed from three pills to four. I told myself not to give up. I started working hard to improve my health condition:  to play more sport, to control what I ate and to make sure that I took enough rest and ate healthily.   

First the cardiologist who treated me after my heart attack told me that I was now healthy and could stop some of my tablets.  That was the first good news. Then I talked to my diabetes doctor who said that if I could bring my sugar level down in three months I would be able to take one less tablet from the four I then took for diabetes. I started going to the gym three times per week, to the sauna and also started to walk regularly.  I controlled my calorie intake and I lost around three kilos.  Together the results of my efforts meant that I was able to stop one diabetes pill.  

Today is 4 January 2019 and after 15 years of hard work and positive thinking, I am starting a new HIV medication which means I am taking just one pill per day!   Like I told you, I am definitely on the winning team!  I am now taking Biktarvy, a combination of three drugs:  Bictegravir/ Emitricitabine/ Tenofoviralafenamide.  Can you imagine me with just one tablet?  Down from four: Darunavir, Lamivudine, Maraviroc, Ritonavir.  

2019 has started very well for me, so I think of it as a smiling year full of surprises. Whatever is waiting for me out there is going to good – lots of positive things.   

Never give up, always be positive and love yourself in any situation! 

Peace, 

Eliane

Proudly Amersfoorter

I am Amersfoorter and I am very proud! 

I came to live in Amersfoort on 23 May 2008. No one knew who I was, neither my talent nor HIV. My first important target was to integrate in Amersfoort society which meant learning the Dutch language and culture as soon as possible. In 2 years I was done, participated in the ceremony, shook hands with Mayor Lucas Bolsius and with that handshake I became a Dutch citizen. 

Why did I come to love Amersfoort? It is a city that is known for embracing everyone and giving opportunity to Amersfoorters, whether original or joining later on, to grow into the society. I am very proud to be an Amersfoorter and now, 10 years later, to belong to a group of inspiring people for my town Amersfoort. 

I was one of the 10 inspiring people nominated for Amersfoorter of the 2018 election organised by het Algemeen Dagblad. This event showed once again how great Amersfoort is to have so many initiatives by people who give their energy to our society. My beautiful Amersfoort has 160.000 people out of which 400 people were nominated and 10 selected for this special event. And I was one of them. I am so proud to be recognised as one of the ten most inspiring people in Amersfoort. Doing something good for my community by sharing my music and HIV/ AIDS education, and being recognised as a role model in fighting stigma gave me this special nomination. Charming Amersfoort  is my town and I am grateful for it, and I want to make sure Amersfoort remains a welcoming and friendly town without any discrimination. 

My husband and kids, neighbour Rita, my best friend Elise and some more friends came to stand by me yesterday. A very special moment for me was when I shook hands with Mayor Bolsius again. It shows what can be achieved in 10 years if only given a chance here in the Netherlands and especially in my Amersfoort. Thanks to his handshake I am now able to show him how grateful I am and that his faith in new Amersfoorter bears its fruits. He was very happy and proud to see my achievements as an active and passionate Amersfoorter over these past 10 years. He definitely inspires me to do even better and more and has already inspired another rising star, my 10 year old son Akira Becks 

It’s an honour to have made it to this select group of inspiring Amersfoorters who all showed that you can make that change if you fight hard for it. Thank you AD Amersfoort to make this possible and all the people that have supported and voted for me. It shows that hard work always pays. Stay open to learn more about HIV and Let’s fight stigma together, and keep on supporting people living with HIV in Amersfoort and the world. 

Peace, 

Eliane