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Author Topic: Anyone start meds in college?  (Read 3408 times)

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Offline Xavier

  • Member
  • Posts: 33
Anyone start meds in college?
« on: February 20, 2007, 11:45:08 pm »
I'm going to be starting medicine here soon and I wanted to know if anyone has started meds while in college and what it was like.. :P

Offline egello

  • Member
  • Posts: 907
  • cb
Re: Anyone start meds in college?
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2007, 12:14:29 am »
hmm, welcome Xavier if you are indeed a new member, since I am also pretty new to this, I wasn't sure.

Well, when I was in college I was such a fuck up, did tons of drugs, ate badly, never exercised and had tons of sex. But if I was diagonosed back then and had to take meds, I probalbhy would have taken care of myself better. However, I thought that doing all that was somehow experiencing life. To some degree, it was, but heck, if it means taking better care of my hiv, then I would have given up those fuck up things.
1/29/07 14 T, 300 k V, 1.8 %
2/22/07 197 T, 247 V, 6.8 %
3/27/07 164 T, <50 V, 5.4 %
5/28/07 177 T, <50 V, 8.2 %
7/28/07 214 T, <50 V, 9.6 %
10/3/07 380 T, <50 V, 10 %

Offline ndrew

  • Member
  • Posts: 695
  • ....-.-.-.-.-.....
Re: Anyone start meds in college?
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2007, 12:57:44 am »
Hi,

I started meds last semester while TEACHING college.  It was a little bit of a challenge, but here I am doin' well.  I would just tell the students I am high from cough medicine for a cold and drinke green tea to perk up my brain...  best of luck 2 u!

Drew

Offline Coffeechick88

  • Member
  • Posts: 431
Re: Anyone start meds in college?
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2007, 07:07:42 am »
I started meds while a student in college after my doctor had been harassing me about starting them.  I think if I had listened to him sooner and started when he first suggested it, I would have done better.  Before meds, I was so sick at one point, I just took a year off.  And the fatigue was horrible--I often had to lay down in my car between classes and sometimes even during classes.  I lost a ton of weight.  After I took meds, I did dramatically better--more energy, (though I gained a lot of weight as well, which I'm not enthusiastic about), and my CD4 absolute and % have more than tripled. 

Now I have to warn you, I had an excellent response to meds and had minimal side effects.  Not everyone is so lucky, though mine is one of those out there that is generally well tolerated.  It just is possible to go through college with them.  I was also lucky to have understanding professors who were willing to work with me--my virology professor was the best--I finally told him after I missed yet another class due to shingles this time, I had only told him I was sick, so he was more understanding when I told him the truth.  Just remember to get a system where you don't forget and take care of yourself--which a lot of college students with or without HIV don't do.
Lucas James is here
Born 6-14-08 at 1233 am
8 lbs 14 oz, 22 in long

Offline RobT

  • Member
  • Posts: 319
Re: Anyone start meds in college?
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2007, 07:20:24 am »
I started meds while in college, just before one of my terms ended. I remember at my worst that I broke out in terrible shingles that I did not go into school for an entire week. I improved so much since then.

RobT
Current meds: Atripla
VL: undetectable
CD4: 630

Offline Moffie65

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,755
  • Living POZ since 1983
Re: Anyone start meds in college?
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2007, 10:06:44 am »
I was also lucky to have understanding professors who were willing to work with me--my virology professor was the best--I finally told him after I missed yet another class due to shingles this time, I had only told him I was sick, so he was more understanding when I told him the truth.  Just remember to get a system where you don't forget and take care of yourself--which a lot of college students with or without HIV don't do.

Xavier,

I enlarged the above quote so you wouldn't miss a word of it.  What CoffeeChick is saying above is huge!   It is important that some people in positions of authority KNOW that you have some "special" needs, to accomidate those times when you must either run out of a class, or miss one all together.

Secondly, it is very important to remember that college is temporary, and HIV is not, so your focus must remain on your health at all costs!  While I am on the subject of Temporary situations; why don't you just come out and self identify?  How many lives can you save by stocking up with condoms from your local health department or ASO, and then be known as the condom boy on campus?  You know, disclosure is not always a negative thing, only if we ALLOW it to be, will disclosure become a negative power over us.  Enlighenment is always the best choice.

Finally, I had to chuckle when I read this, as HIV meds were not even a glimmer in the medical eye in 1966 when I was failing college....   ::)  Oh Well, Aging is fun, if you are given the chance to do it.

Love Ya!
The Bible contains 6 admonishments to homosexuals,
and 362 to heterosexuals.
This doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals,
It's just that they need more supervision.
Lynn Lavne

Offline Ihavehope

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,366
  • Yes, I'm a cry baby, AND WHAT?
Re: Anyone start meds in college?
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2007, 11:33:15 am »
Xavi

I am on Kaletra/Truvada the same regimen you will begin. Diahrea seems to be the most common side effect and so is Nausea but it tends to go away. I started almost 2 weeks ago and have had very minor side effects and I am working at a college so it is kinna like going to school again and I am dealing with it alright. Don't worry u will do fine just have confidence in your body and meds.

Al
Infected: April 2005
12/6/06 - Diagnosed HIV positive
12/19/06 - CD4 = 240  22% VL = 26,300
1/4/07 - CD4 = 200 16% VL = ?
2/9/07 = Started Kaletra/Truvada
3/13/07 = CD4 = 386 22% VL ?

 


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