Guest guest Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 chrst_carr wrote: >I just recently tested positive for HIV. I am hoping that someone can give me some insight. I am very scared and am not sure what I am up against. Any advice/info would be great. Thanks < Hello, The first words of advice I would give you (and wish that someone had told me) is to remember to breathe, not to panic, and try not to feel overwhelmed. It may be of small comfort to you right now, but with today's medical knowledge, available drugs, and treatment options, you have a great chance of living a long life. You will want to become informed as much as you can about HIV, and an array of related topics. This will be one instance when you have to remember not to get overwhelmed.If you feel this is happening, take a break from what you are doing if you are reading up on HIV information. There is no shame in telling your doctor, case manager, or other health worker that you feel overwhelmed, and to ask for help if you feel it's needed. I know from experience that this is hard to do. I owe a personal debt of gratitude to a therapist I saw off and on for two years after my diagnosis. If not for her, I think I would be in much worse shape mentally, if not physically. You've already made a good first step in becoming informed by joining this list. There are a good number of people here who have been living with HIV/AIDS for a long time. They can be smart, savvy, sometimes opinionated, but I think overall, everyone here has a sense of compassion. Don't be afraid to ask questions here or search the archives for *recent* posts about questions you may have. Look through the Yahoo site for links to various websites that will have information and resources. Everyone will have a list of important sites. I often visit www.thebody.com and have used its forums to ask questions. You'll want to find a doctor that you are confident can treat HIV. This can be more or less problematic depending on where you live. You also want to find out what kind of services are available to you in the area you live. My recommendation - no surprise - would be to see a social worker or therapist if one is available and you think it would be helpful. Part of becoming informed will be to learn to ask questions of your doctor - or other professionals involved in your care. If you don't understand something, tell your doctor to explain it in terms that make sense to you. Other people here have fired doctors who were hostile, disinterested, or less qualified in their specific instances. I think I'm lucky to have had three HIV specialist doctors that were all extremely capable. The second one was a replacement for the first one who went to Africa, and the last one because of a move back to Illinois. The day I was told my diagnosis was the day I faced my greatest fear. I was in a county hospital with PCP almost 10 1/2 years ago when the doctor told me I had full blown AIDS and only 12 CD4 cells. In all this time I've learned a great deal about myself, as you will likely, too. Now might be the time for you to examine your life to see what works and what doesn't and start to make changes to bring or concentrate more on those things that have or will give meaning to you. One day after receiving some potentially bad news I was driving home and crying. I've always been self-conscious about my voice, let alone singing, but at the moment I felt compelled to sing along with the radio. I may still sing terribly, but it makes me happy and can now hold an off key note for a long time. :-) My greatest pleasure comes from making art, and going to an art class that is for HIV + people. Work through your feelings of anger, fear, hurt, resentment, etc. Your emotions are valid in that you'll not want to deny having them, but don't let them rule your life. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Well, Sorry you've joined the club, but I think you'll find things are far better than you fear.Give yourself some time to adapt to the news. The most important thing first off is to try to find a good doctor, experienced with HIV. You may or may not need to start medications, you and your doctor will decide that when you get your T cell count and your viral load.When you're ready, you'll want to read. Over on AEGIS.com there is a feature called "Day One," which can be helpful. In the meantime, focus on your future. You have one, and it's going to be pretty much the same as it was before, so plan for it.Glad you found the list. Post questions here, or privately, if you need. You're going to be fine- just take care of yourself. Barrowpozbod@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Well, Sorry you've joined the club, but I think you'll find things are far better than you fear.Give yourself some time to adapt to the news. The most important thing first off is to try to find a good doctor, experienced with HIV. You may or may not need to start medications, you and your doctor will decide that when you get your T cell count and your viral load.When you're ready, you'll want to read. Over on AEGIS.com there is a feature called "Day One," which can be helpful. In the meantime, focus on your future. You have one, and it's going to be pretty much the same as it was before, so plan for it.Glad you found the list. Post questions here, or privately, if you need. You're going to be fine- just take care of yourself. Barrowpozbod@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Well, Sorry you've joined the club, but I think you'll find things are far better than you fear.Give yourself some time to adapt to the news. The most important thing first off is to try to find a good doctor, experienced with HIV. You may or may not need to start medications, you and your doctor will decide that when you get your T cell count and your viral load.When you're ready, you'll want to read. Over on AEGIS.com there is a feature called "Day One," which can be helpful. In the meantime, focus on your future. You have one, and it's going to be pretty much the same as it was before, so plan for it.Glad you found the list. Post questions here, or privately, if you need. You're going to be fine- just take care of yourself. Barrowpozbod@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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