Welcome our newest (and 1st Spanish) Blogger!

[Peter Staley]

We've just added Juan Carlos (a.k.a "xyahka" in the forums) to our team of bloggers.  Juan Carlos is from Ecuador, and this is our first Spanish language blog.  If you speak/read Spanish, or have friends that do, please let them know about this new blog.

Check it out at http://blogs.poz.com/juan/.

Welcome Juan Carlos!

Peter Staley
Founder
AIDSmeds.com

[xyahka]

Hi Peter and thanks for the warm welcome. A new friend adviced me to introduce myself here...

Well, my name is Juan Carlos (real name) and i live in Ecuador, Latin America, i am 29 years old and have been poz for almost a month and a half. I tried to explain a bit of what i have been through in the blog, but as i know spanish is not familiar for everybody i will just summarize my post saying.... this has been the longest, hardest month i have had in my life. I am pretty ok now (few symptoms, mostly stress and rashes... ah and diarrhea for a month and a half now). I am fighting it all and i think i will get even better first CD4 results will come by May 6th (almost two months after being diagnosed) that's the way things go in Latin America... it seems none is in a hurry over here... just me. lol

I personally think i am pretty fine, so i have decided Hiv won't become the main thing in my life, i am much more than that. I speak 5 languages (english, spanish and french = very good; russian and japanese = basic level). I was studying international business management here but i haven't finish... i decided i will finish it before passing away (so it means i have long time to do it yet!!). I like to dance (very good dancer here), go out with friends and chat, travel, getting to know others and learn about the stories behind them, reading, listening to music and singing (eventhough witht he voice i have i know i will never record a cd!!). I have always been a very sporty type of guy, studied in a military academy i was always used to excercise, then i like running, swimming, all sort of outdoors sports, by the way... green belt in judo and gay.

I found this page thanks to a friend "guyinsouthala" and since i first time i came in, the blogs called my attention... Ann, Marvelyn, Jonathan, Regan, Shawn, Joe and the stories of all the others have been a good help and a big source of motivation during my first days. Those stories made me understand and figure out how i wanted my live to be now i am hiv poz. I took time to discover the forums (don't know why...) and i just subscribed few days ago... have posted few... i have been more on the reading side cause i have found so many answers here. Since the moment i got diagnosed i understood there is no much info available for latin newbies on internet. There is lot of info about specific facts of the illness but almost nothing about the personal side of what happens to us... if i would not speak english i would still be lost.... So i decided i wanted to change that... i want to give a hand to other spanish speaking people to connect with others like us and realise this is a new hard reality but it does not have to be a bad part of our personal story.... is just different.

I think there are few latins in poz mentor and poz personals, so you better help me out to change it otherwise i will have to date myself!!

First step was the blog which i am actually surprised to be allowed, but i thank you all in aidsmeds and poz. I always think everything happens because of a reason and well... perhaps my reason for being firstly infected is to give a small hand to others in a topic where i was careless before. I know now many poz people like me face hard times in latin america where discrimination is bigger, same as health troubles, lack of information and government support, i hope i can give them somehow a hand.

I think i will be here for long time huh? so feel free to private message me i am open to find new friends. Cheers!! Juan Carlos

[Lisa]

Welcome Juan,
Glad you found us, and I look forward to trying to read your blog. Hope you come to relish our strange community as much as I do.

[Miss Philicia]

Welcome Juan Carlos.  It's such a great idea to expand that section of Poz to reach our Spanish speaking folks and I'm sure will prove quite beneficial in furthering diversification.

[xyahka]

Hi guys, thanks a lot for your nice words. hope we have chance to talk a bit later and develop and long term good friendship . Hugs from Sunny Ecuador

[milker]

Great blog story, JC!

I shamelessly used Google Translate to read it You are lucky to have family and friend support like this. Welcome to the forums

Milker.

[xyahka]

Thanks for your words Milker!!! it already feels like home to be here 

[StacheBC]

I can speak Portuguese, so reading your blog I probably missed some words.... still I got the essence

Your blog has a very human and personal feel to it. Thanks for sharing your experience and part of yourself.

Mauricio.

[puertorico2006]

  bienvenidos 

[xyahka]

Thanks a lot for your welcome words Puertorico2006!!

Muito obrigado a voce tambem Mauricio!!!

Glad to be here with you all

[siongi]

Welcome to the forums. Hope to read more from you. Good to have you around.

[xyahka]

Thanks a lot Siongi!!! It is great to know you come from Kenya!! glad we have a real international community here!!!

big hugs from latin america!!!