Hello!!!! Back after a year's absence

[Sweet_C]

I used to be more active on this board a year ago after I was diagnosed.  What a year it has been!  In Aug 2008, my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and began a long grueling nine month battle.  I tested positive in September 2008.  I got engaged in Feb. 2009.  My mom died in May.  My husband and I got married in October in a civil service and we're having a ceremony in October.

So I've experienced the worst times in my life and the best times in my life all in a very short time period.  It's really amazing to me when I think about it.  The absolute worst was losing my mother.  I think because that was so horrible, I really didn't have enough time or energy to really grieve over testing positive.  I have been surprised at how normal my life has been since testing  positive.  I caught mine early and started treatment right away.  I haven't had any side effects whatsoever from the drugs or disease itself, so I guess that has a lot to do with it.

When I tested positive, my husband tested positive a few months later.  For the first few months or so, I thought that I had infected him, but after a few rounds of tests, it looks more likely that he infected me.  His T cells were very low and he had to be put on Bactrim.  I remember I was really feeling guilty about it, and a lot of ladies on this board coached me through it.  I almost never discuss the question of how we got infected with my hubby.  I don't want to focus on the past and just want to concentrate on the future.  My hubby wanted to go back and talk with his past partners and find who infected him, but I convinced him that that would probably just make things worse.

Now we're trying for a baby and I'm so happy.  It's so weird sometimes.  I have this disease that everyone thinks is a death sentence, and for me it's like nothing has changed. When I look at what my mother had to go through with her cancer-it was very painful for her--I feel so thankful.

[BT65]

Hi Sweet C,

Glad you're back!  Congrats on the wedding, and I'll be looking forward to a baby announcement soon (or not so soon)!  I changed my screen name from last year.  I'm still Betty, just the screen name changed.  

I'm so sorry for the loss of your mother.  I just went through that two years ago (plus my dad died last March).  It's an immense loss.  I have pics of her and my dad on one of my walls, and I look at that sometime and still cry.  So, I feel ya.

Anyway, welcome back!
  Luv,
Betty

[Sweet_C]

Thanks so much Betty!  I'm so glad to be back!