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Author Topic: Yet another newbie...  (Read 6945 times)

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Offline VM-Bass

  • Member
  • Posts: 38
Yet another newbie...
« on: February 02, 2008, 02:57:22 pm »
First of all, let me say how awesome this place is!!  I have been trolling around here for a couple of months, and reading all the posts about various people, and how much love and caring there is, is just astounding to me.  Thanks to all who make this place so great!!

Back in October last year, I had a couple of weeks of on and off diarrhea and some night sweats...nothing really serious.  For some reason, I just had this feeling that it wasn't some flu bug or anything, and that it was HIV.  I don't have insurance at the moment, so I decided to go to a local ASO in town and get tested.  They did a rapid test and it came back positive.  I haven't had much sex lately (not advertising, just saying  ;D), and I haven't had unprotected sex in YEARS, so it did come as a bit of a shock.  I should add right here that I hadn't been tested in about 4 years because of my lack of "activity."  They did a WB test that day as well, and a few weeks later it came back positive as well. 

With no insurance, I went to a local public health facility and got registered and approved for Ryan White money and all that.  I had an appointment in December, and they took like 17 vials of blood to do all sorts of tests.  When I went back a few weeks later, the doc (who is AWESOME btw, and recommended this site to me on my first visit) was confused by my lab results.  She said that the viral load came back undetectable, which didn't make sense for someone newly infected.  The CD4 count was like 1001, and they did a geno/pheno which showed no significant mutations, and that my virus is sensitive to all meds (good news there  :)).  She ordered another viral load and CD4 count just to make sure that one of the tests wasn't wrong.  So yesterday I went back again to get the results of the latest tests.  As of 1/11/08, CD4 is 927, CD4% is 42, and viral load is 2170.  Doc says these are great numbers, and I agree, and for that I feel blessed.

The only known HIV exposure I had was about 5 years ago, and I got tested shortly thereafter, and tested negative at the time, but I can't exactly remember the timeline.  So I think that I may have been infected all this time and just didn't know it.  Thankfully, I had no serious seroconversion illness, and I'm still feeling great to this day.  Hopefully I will continue this way for many years to come...

Thanks for listening, and I look forward to finally joining in the discussions.  Have a good one...

Also, I'm a 29 year old singer, piano player, choir director, music nerd type person.  Music is my life!!!  I live in Fort Worth, Texas but I'm a transplanted Yankee from the Baltimore, MD area.  Texas isn't as bad as they make it out to be sometimes, I swear.   ;)
1/11/08                  4/14/08         6/12/08

CD4: 927                    838               883
CD4%: 42                    40                 47
Viral Load: 2170           926               173

The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel...
---Shakespeare

Offline MOONLIGHT1114

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,918
  • Cheech 2.2.94 - 4.23.10 We miss you so much!
Re: Yet another newbie...
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2008, 03:12:23 pm »
Welcome, VM~

I am a music nerd as well, but my tastes run the entire gammit!  Metal and smooth jazz, NSO at The Kennedy Center to Disco.  Used to play clarinet, just picked up "Guitar Hero" last week!  LOL   :D  I am a DC native, living in Maryland.  Welcome to the Forums!

~ Cindy
HIV+ since '93, 1/12 - CD4 785 and undet.   WOO-HOO!!

Offline minismom

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,660
  • Quocumque jeceris stabit
Re: Yet another newbie...
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2008, 10:38:19 pm »
Welcome to the forums, VM.  You have found yourself among some of the finest people around.  Take a look around and post where you feel comfortable.  If you have any questions, feel free to start your own thread.  I've only been here since Nov 07 and I just wish would've found it earlier in our journey.

Again, welcome!

Mum (who is a violin player and once danced for a ballet theatre)
www.watoto.com
www.MotherBearProject.org
"Whichever way you throw me, i will stand"
"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today...it's already tomorrow in Australia"  Charles Schultz

Offline Andy Velez

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 34,126
Re: Yet another newbie...
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2008, 10:55:14 am »
Wow, VM! Those ARE great numbers! And no less excellent is that you have a doctor who's really paying attention. You're in an excellent position to stay well.

Welcoming someone here is always a mixed matter since we regret your need to be here but we're glad you found your way and that the site's  already proving helpful to you.

You're always welcome to ask questions and to bring up any concerns you may have, musical or otherwise.

Cheers,
Andy Velez

Offline Assurbanipal

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,177
  • Taking a forums break, still see PM's
Re: Yet another newbie...
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2008, 06:34:46 pm »
Hey VM

Welcome to the forums.
(Choir directors are cool :))

Assurbanipal
5/06 VL 1M+, CD4 22, 5% , pneumonia, thrush -- O2 support 2 months, 6/06 +Kaletra/Truvada
9/06 VL 3959 CD4 297 13.5% 12/06 VL <400 CD4 350 15.2% +Pravachol
2007 VL<400, 70, 50 CD4 408-729 16.0% -19.7%
2008 VL UD CD4 468 - 538 16.7% - 24.6% Osteoporosis 11/08 doubled Pravachol, +Calcium/D
02/09 VL 100 CD4 616 23.7% 03/09 VL 130 5/09 VL 100 CD4 540 28.4% +Actonel (osteoporosis) 7/09 VL 130
8/09  new regimen Isentress/Epzicom 9/09 VL UD CD4 621 32.7% 11/09 VL UD CD4 607 26.4% swap Isentress for Prezista/Norvir 12/09 (liver and muscle issues) VL 50
2010 VL UD CD4 573-680 26.1% - 30.9% 12/10 VL 20
2011 VL UD-20 CD4 568-673 24.7%-30.6%
2012 VL UD swap Prezista/Norvir for Reyataz drop statin CD4 768-828 26.7%-30.7%
2014 VL UD - 48
2015 VL 130 Moved to Triumeq

Offline BT65

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 10,786
Re: Yet another newbie...
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2008, 10:09:42 pm »
Hey VM, welcome.  I've seen some of your other posts in other threads.  I am also a yankee, but the time I was "transplanted" to Alabama, I quickly moved back up north.  I live in Indiana, which is very red-neck conservative. :-\   I play the piano and like all types of music. 

I hope you feel welcome here and look forward to hearing more.
Peace~
Betty
I've never killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction reading the obituary notices.-Clarence Darrow

Condom and Lube Info https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/safer-sex
Please check out our lessons on PEP and PrEP. https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/pep-prep

https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/treatmentasprevention-tasp

Offline vivyt

  • Member
  • Posts: 565
Re: Yet another newbie...
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2008, 12:09:38 am »
Another welcome for you VM-Sorry...I don't have any musical talent...LOL

Offline strykern

  • Member
  • Posts: 60
  • Oh. I see...
    • Strykern Journey
Re: Yet another newbie...
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2008, 06:57:51 pm »
Welcome from someone in your "neck of the woods"  -  I am in Dallas.

You found a great site.  The people here are incredible and have taught me so much. 

It is what it is...

I am what I am...

Offline BreakerOneNine

  • Member
  • Posts: 65
    • Myspace
Re: Yet another newbie...
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2008, 05:55:34 pm »
I am a little late on the welcome...but welcome...I cant express how glad I am I found this site...hope it is as helpful to you as it has been to me....a bunch of awesome people here.
poz 96 and med free til now.
Sept 2007 cd4 280 28.37% and VL 19,200
Nov 2007 cd4 230 25.87% and VL 38,000
Dec 2007 start Atripla
Jan 2008 cd4 490 32.5% and VL 119
Feb 2008 cd4 450 28.4% and VL less than 50
April 2008 cd4 510 28.6% and VL less than 48
July 2008 cd4 570 30.2% and VL less than 48
Dec 2008 cd4 570 32.0% and VL less than 48

 


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