ABSTRACT
Jeff and Martin met in their mid-30s, a late start on a relationship made thus more special. Both were active in the gay community. They also volunteered at the county health department's HIV testing and counseling program where Martin's training as a nurse was especially useful. Their decision to be tested was in part an effort to understand the process more fully but also because Martin had recently suffered a string of minor illnesses. The results came back, confirming the worst—both men were infected. Martin's immune system was already significantly impaired and he immediately began a regimen of AZT under the care of Dr. Marks, his personal physician at Mercy Hospital. He maintained good health for a year and a half until the virus settled in his central nervous system and began to impede his motor performance. As Martin's physical mobility decreased, Jeff found it necessary to do more and more. In mid-December, Martin was admitted to Mercy in order to diagnose a severe eating disorder and things went immediately from bad to worse. Martin was immediately diagnosed with TB and pneumonia; an intestinal blockage was forcing bile to back up into his stomach and fluid was accumulating in his abdominal cavity. After 2 weeks, Dr. Marks informed Martin and Jeff that nothing could be done. Martin insisted on returning home and was released on Wednesday, January 2, 1990. His health was precarious: his bowels had collapsed, his liver and kidneys were shutting down, and his blood was extremely unstable. Two rough days followed. Martin slept only 15 minutes at a time, and insisted that Jeff stay awake with him. Jeff began to sink into a fatigue of sleep deprivation and anxious concern for his lover. By Friday evening, Martin began to feel suffocated due to low blood oxygen content. He pressed Jeff to take him to the emergency room. Meeting the request took 4 hours because most emergency rooms in the area had filled their patient quotas for the night and were no longer receiving patients. Martin was finally admitted to Charity Community Hospital, where it was immediately apparent that Martin was dying. The staff focused on palliative care and tried to comfort Jeff.
