Dan Muth has AIDS. He was first diagnosed in 1991 and has been sick and near death several times since but as you can see from the picture he is going strong now..

Dan was hospitalized first in 1991. He had a fever of 105 and was delerious. The doctors ran tests on him and said he had Cryptoccal menningitis and infection of the menninger, a membrane enclosing the brain. He had double vision when he was released and his doctor was unsure of the prognosis.
He has been on disability since then, although at one time he was able to work part time.

Dan was hospitalized again when one of his medications caused him to have pancreatitis.

This time he was in the hospital for two weeks and was in intensive care for ten days. Seven of those he was on life support and a respirator and in a comma.
Harry had to make the decision about putting him on life support, and went against Dan wishes in doing so, although today both are glad Harry acted as he did.

About a week after his release he was admitted to another hospital in a diabetic coma because his pancrease was damaged more severly than anyone had thought.

His blood sugar level was so high that the emergency room doctors could not measure it. he was in the emergency room at Parkland Hospital in Dallas for over 12 hours. He now is a diabetic and has to inject insulin twice a day.

He was sent home about a week later, but while in Parkland the social workers set him up with a referral to AIDS Services of North Texas in Denton.

This was a very key point in his life. Through the services provided by A.S.N.T. and especially Pat Bell Harry was able to recieve an education in H.I.V. and in being a care giver and Dan learned much more about caring for himself

Eventually, the disease effect on Dan's body and brain took its toll. He developed dementia. In most cases AIDS dementia is little more than short term memory loss, but in rare severe cases it can destroy the brains grip on reality and make a person unable to function.
This is what happened to Dan. He progressed to the point that Harry had no choice but to put him in a nursing home.
His case worker at A.S.N.T. refered him to a small nursing home in Denton where Dan recieved great care.
His doctors, however, stated in July that he probably would not make it untill Christmas.
At this time a new class of medication, protease inhibitors, was under going trials but Harry was unable to convince Dan's doctor to start him on them.Finally Harry got another doctor to put him on a clinical trial.
Dan's improvement was apparent almost immediately, although the doctor warned that it probably would not last.
Harry was able to take Dan out of the nursing home for 2 days at a time if he then returned him overnight. Then he could take him out on a pass again. He did this at Christmas and spent the holidays at a state park nearby in their travel trailer.
During this time Harry became convinced that Dan was entirely too healthy to be kept in a nursing home, so he brought him home again despite advice that the improvement was only temporary, and that Dan would be better off in the home.

The rest is history. Dan has been home for about 7 years now and continues to thrive. When it became apparent that the protease inhibitors would help Dan's doctor changed his medications to try to fight the dementia.

Although his attention span is too short for him to hold a steady job he has an active life and rides around Dallas on public transportation and participates in many activities at various agencies in Dallas.
He also keeps house and of course rides his bike.

Due to the length of time Dan has been ill his virus has developed a resistance to most medications for HIV. He is usually on one or more new drugs undergoing clinical evaluation. The skills and knowledge of his care team at the Dallas V.A. Hospital is put to a test finding the proper medications to enable Dan to continue to thrive.
Life is always a challenge for Dan as it is for all persons living with AIDS.

Dan was telling his case worker at A.S.N.T. about the cycling he was doing when she suggested to him that maybe he should try the Tanqueray's Texas AIDS Ride.

The idea appealed to him and he talked Harry into taking him to a presentation about the ride. He decided that he wanted to try it and although Harry says that he did not believe Dan would stick to it he paid his entry fee as a Christmas present.