POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Someone I Care About Has HIV => Topic started by: snoofle on November 02, 2011, 10:13:26 pm
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It has been a while since I last posted about my boyfriend. He was doing pretty well the past few years, but just recently he landed back in the hospital after suffering some terrible headaches. About two weeks ago, he was admitted to the hospital his infectious disease doctor is affiliated with and for 9 full days, he was in the hospital where all they did were 3 CTs!! On the CTs, they found a 1cm cyst on his left temporal lobe. The docs kept saying, a lumbar puncture or brain biopsy would be needed to determine what it was, but nothing was ever done. We were flabbergasted, b/c he was feeling lucid and normal, just sitting in a hospital bed and constantly begging his ID doc to provide some answers or at least a realistic timeline for tests. Anyways, his ID doc ended up not communicating anything to him at all and my boyfriend left the hospital with no resolution.
Fast forward to this week, after suffering from these headaches for 2 wks, he started acting a little bit funny..he wasn't completely "there"..like saying things that didn't make sense or losing sense of time and space. So I took him to the ER of a different hospital and they admitted him immediately to their neurology floor, b/c of his diminishing mental capacity. They did a lumbar puncture and are tentatively ruling out toxoplasmosis and crypto. The docs decided a brain biopsy would be necessary to determine what this thing on his brain is. He is scheduled for his biopsy tomorrow morning. His mental capacity is scaring me every day, b/c I'm sooooo scared that the docs won't be able to reverse it/fix it. I am trying to stay optimistic, but I can't help but be scared. Please just include us in your prayers and hope that everything is treatable with no long lasting issues.
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It's like you posted this last night. How did his test go this morning?
I'm so sorry to hear about this. I am thinking about you guys... Sending positive thoughts your way.
Please give us an update!
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They finished his brain biopsy and prelim said it was probably infectious in nature..doesn't look like cancer. When I got back to his hospital room, the doc showed me his most recent CD4, which dropped to 39. This is so scary, b/c about 2-3 wks ago, he was at 750. However between Oct 18-31, he was not taking one of his meds, Truvada, b/c he had run out of it completely and did not have insurance to get anymore..so I'm wondering if this could drop his CD4 so exponentially??
Just keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
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The docs.figure that he has PML from the JC virus. Everything I've read is pointing to something terrible. he has lost his personality and is really a shell of who he was. I hope that it takes him fast and without pain bc I don't want to see his mind deteriorate to nothing. Please pray for us.
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Nothing I can say will make this time easier for you. Just want you to know that you both are in mine and I'm certain, many other members of this forums thoughts. Take care of yourself mate.
Joe
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My thoughts are with you both!! Find as much strength as you can right now to do what you need to do (on your part). Its out of your hands actually at this time and in the hands of doctors and other medical staff. The body is amazing so do not rule out a recovery yet.
As Growler said...'take care of yourself'.
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I am so, so sorry to hear this, I've heard that if the patient can improve his immune system it helps a little with the PML recovery but unfortuanately not to full recovery, this is not going to happen, but I'm sure you know that already.
All you can do it support him in whatevr way you can and be his strength...prayers and thoughts go out to you both.
Aroha
Jan
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Sending postive thoughts your way. So sorry you're both dealing with tragic news.
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I wanted to update everyone who was sending their positive thoughts to us. God really did grant us a miracle, b/c after the doctor said he thought it was PML from JCV, the final biopsy results came back negative for everything under the sun, including JCV. The final diagnosis was HIV invading the brain due to his low CD4 count. He is pretty much 100% now, has gone back to work, and is doing 1000x better (no more headaches!).
I decided to contact his old hospital where his old ID doc was affiliated and I obtained all the doctors notes and lab results from them and saw that they had got a CD4 of 650. His new hospital and ID doc got a CD4 of 39. His new ID doc said there was no medical possible way for his CD4 to drop that low in less than a month, thus suggesting that the lab at his old hospital made an error.
We've tried contacting attorneys to file a malpractice suit, but funny thing is, that unless he would've died or stayed in a mentally diminished state, then they won't pursue a case. I wish there was a way to let his old doctor and hosiptal know how incompetent they both were. But I guess that's how the cookie crumbles sometimes.
Thank you to everyone that thought about us and kept our situation in your prayers.
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glad everything came around for him and you, I hate how hospitals do stuff like that and say its not there fault, happened to my step dad after they game him to much pain meds and cause heart failure, they had to reduce the pain meds and caught it just in time (he isn't positive) he went in for his spline and fluid in his lungs then ended up with heart failure... he is doing good now, but stayed in the hospital for about 3 weeks, anyways im glad you two are doing good and he is back working, I would keep up with law suit though or talk to another lawyer.