Rob Bogart, CareGiver

Rob cares for Kathy Lawless who, like he, has HIV/AIDS

Rob

I'm a long time survivor. I've got this disease for going on 19 years, and when I had it they knew nothing about it, they told me I had two years to live. Well, here I am 19 years later and I'm still here; and I'm not ready to die yet or nothing like that. I've been in and out of trouble a lot, and now it's just like I'm getting my life back in a straight arrow now.

My goal is to get married, my mission is to have a strong positive life.

I provide love, I provide care, I provide moral supports, I do gardening work, I do a lot of the cooking, because she's not a very good cook and she doesn't like to cook and she doesn't like to eat, so in order for her to eat I have to cook and physically make her eat, basically tell her when to eat and make sure she eats all of it.

Besides having HIV I have other illnesses. Basically I have to keep the house clean because I have asthma and I have a lot of allergies. Basically, I'm not supposed to be around cats, but I clean the house good enough to where the cats don't bother me.

I have what you call peripheral neuropathy in my hands and my feet, I've got bone marrow cancer, I've got arthritis in my lower back, an asthmatic bronchitis, I've got just all mixed up, I guess.

Support groups are very important. I get a lot of support. If I'm having problems, all I have to do is get the list, we have a list, every body has a list of every body's names; if you have a problem, you just get on the phone and you call some body, or they call you, or you can e-mail them, whatever.

Next: Kathy's story