Mark Biernbaum Writes to Peter McDonald

From: Mark Biernbaum
Date: February 27^th 2007 7:04:47 PM EST
To: Peter McDonald
Subject: Apologies:

Dr. McDonald:

I am sure you’re quite busy and that this is an unpleasant and hectic time concerning the trial. I won’t take up much of it. As an AIDS patient, I just wanted to thank you for writing that you had some skepticism regarding HIV pathogenesis and transmission being “set in stone.” I became a dissident in 2005 – was diagnosed HIV+ back in 1998. Have taken many of the treatments. The medicines only seemed to make me sicker. And my numbers never seemed to change all that much. But my doctors all kept saying the same thing: that I had HIV, and therefore, I would develop AIDS and at some point, expire. If even one of them had said that perhaps, HIV pathogenesis, was not “set in stone,” I would have been so much more hopeful about the possibility of having a life.

What I am saying is that, contrary to popular belief, we AIDS patients don’t need utter certainty about our collective demise. If it’s true that it’s not set in stone, then there is hope. And if it’s true that it’s not set in stone, then – someone like me might have made a different decision about medication. If this is the truth – that HIV pathogenesis is not known, truly, – then all patients like me should know that. I hope that’s what you tell the judge, and I know it’s none of my business. But I wanted you to know how much hope there was in what you wrote to Dr. Mullis.

And I’m sorry for my intrusion. I read the transcript of your testimony. I know you were there at the beginning, like Sonnabend, here. I’ve had some lovely doctors whom I know were doing everything they could to help me. But I think they failed to provide me with a key to hope: some uncertainty.

My best regards,
Mark

Mark A. Biernbaum, PhD