POZ Community Forums

HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: Airforce 1s on March 26, 2008, 07:54:08 am

Title: Result about 6,7 weeks late, question about O.I...anyone in UK?
Post by: Airforce 1s on March 26, 2008, 07:54:08 am
Hi,

I went for a test around the time I joined this forum, I believe it was early Feb...it took me a while to be able to take myself to the clinic after suffering from some fever and general malaise for sometime, I decided to go after I had terrible body pain, (mainly back/shoulders)fever, and cold sometimes in January, this lasted for about 4 days

I'm yet to receive my test results, in UK they tend to text you if you're negative, I'm sure they don't text people to tell them they +ve, I haven't even received any calls,  is anyone from UK here, does it take this long if you're poz? I check all my letters and haven't received any from the clinic, when I took an STD test before they text me within the time frame to let me know I was -ve.

This waiting time is killing me, I'm having nightmares like every other night, I had a dream the other night and they said "negative", I slept well in my sleep (really felt myself go into a deeper slumber) but sometimes in my sleep I realised "oh this is a dream" lol, it took me a year after my risk (jan 2007) to go there and after pysching myself up I was able to go, now this wait!

The girl I was with, well don't know her status but she's definitely got thyroid, she's on pills like levothyroxine, zabalin, warfarin, cadicor  plus a whole lot more and she had her thyroid gland removed around october of last year, her immunes system are low which happens to people with over active thyroid. Is thyroid an O.I of HIV? or could O.I be anything?

Are any of those tablets for aids? Also if anyone's from UK and know how it works, why is it taking so long?

Thank you for your time.
Title: Re: Result about 6,7 weeks late, question about O.I...anyone in UK?
Post by: Andy Velez on March 26, 2008, 08:13:25 am
You haven't said what your risk was. Unprotected intercourse? Please clarify.

Labs go at their own pace but 7 weeks does seem a long time to wait. Have you tried contacting them?

It doesn't work to try guessing about your status by what someone is taking medically. No, an overactive thyroid is not an HIV symptom. Nor are any of the symptoms of your own in any way HIV specific.

Get in touch with the lab and ask is what I suggest. Keep us posted. I know it's hard not to be thinking the worst, but I'm suspecting this is some sort of screwup on the part of the lab rather than a harbinger of bad news.

Cheers,

 
Title: Re: Result about 6,7 weeks late, question about O.I...anyone in UK?
Post by: Airforce 1s on March 26, 2008, 09:00:41 am
Thanks for the quick reply, it was protected till the condom broke and I came in her, I was on top...I've thought about calling them up but I doubt if they'd tell you anything over the phone, I'm also very scared of them telling me to come in because it could only mean one thing. How could they forget me, they're quite reputable, it's government ran.

She's a sex worker and she's still working, I remember when she was in hospital for about 4,5 weeks, right after she came out of hospital, after her thyroid operation, she was back working, like the next day...she even had after surgery scar on her throat where they burnt her. Sometimes I think surely she can't be working if she's got HIV, she even said it to me like that before. I was only with her that one time.

I'll have to call them since they're not calling me, the place is just so intimidating, not because of the staffs but because of the people you see waiting to get tested, you never know who you might bump into, and the way it's set up, the waiting area could be more private, I mean I don't wanna see the girl at the club from last night or some "familiar" face waiting and looking at you, when I went to get my test done I couldn't help but think the chicks were looking at me like "ha, you're burning". the thing is women could be there to get pills and stuff but every male that goes in there is for one thing...STD Check up.

I'm just scared, if it's poz, don't know how to tell my mother or my girlfriend.

Came back to edit this...I just called them up and of course no answer, I let the phone ring for 3 mins plus, I'll keep trying.
Title: Re: Result about 6,7 weeks late, question about O.I...anyone in UK?
Post by: RapidRod on March 26, 2008, 09:25:42 am
It would be better to go down and talk to them in person. You are correct more than likely they will not tell you anything over the phone even if you were negative.
Title: Re: Result about 6,7 weeks late, question about O.I...anyone in UK?
Post by: Airforce 1s on March 26, 2008, 09:41:14 am
Ok, I'm back, so I finally got thru to them, the lady I spoke with told me I did not tick the option to have a text message sent to me, I told her I believe I did, she said the last text option was ticked in Sept. 2006, anyway she told me if she don't call me back today, I'll more than likely get a text tomorrow. (Sure she could see my result) Not looking good because I know they have my number and the guy that took my blood even read my number back to me from the paper that day.

Title: Re: Result about 6,7 weeks late, question about O.I...anyone in UK?
Post by: Andy Velez on March 26, 2008, 10:04:47 am
Well, no matter how your mind is busily interpreting details, there are other HIV realities you ought to know. Such as HIV is not an easy virus to transmit. It is significantly more difficult to accomplish from female to male. The condom protected you for at least the time you were covered until it broke. And if that was your only risky incident the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor that you will test negative.

Good luck and keep us posted. Fingers crossed for you, mate.

Cheers,