POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: Ihavehope on February 02, 2007, 01:02:31 pm
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To get an idea as to how long someone has been living with HIV.
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First off many of us have no true idea, I can ball park it, but it doesn't really matter. I have a hard time seeing the relevancy of trying to figure out when I was infected or do I wish I could go back change something or who infected my. The fact still remains I am HIV+ and choose to learn from my past, appreciate who it has made me and move on with the business of living.
Woods
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2003. Between August and September.
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Late '82/early '83 is my best estimate (based on symptoms and my relationship history).
I didn't take the test until 1994.
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For me...my ball park of infection was around 1997...it love me long time! :D
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It was on the brink of 2004-2005.
Best New Year's present ev-ar.
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My doc guesstimates 1996 +/- 2 years. Very difficult to tell as I didn't develop any symptoms until last year when I was diagnosed with some single-digit lucky numbers.
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93'...and I wasn't a slut back then! Now....weeeellll, that's a different thread. ;)
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As it says in my signature--February 23, 2001
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Sometime between 1987 and 1991 would be a good guess for me, in my early to mid-20's
I'll pick '89 for the purposes of the poll though.
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on the unforgetable 2001 right after September 11
J.
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On the exact day of April 9, 2005.... Saturday at about 4 pm...
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Doing a little math and a lot of guessing, I figure I was infected around 95 or 96. That was the last time I had risky sex. I got very sick, and diagnosed Aug. 2006.
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1998. Seattle. April tested neg. July had weird rash. August tested poz. Figured I'd just ruined my life. Good times.
...and after 10 years of living in SF and being Mr. Safe Sex poster guy. :-P
2007. London. 1 week ago started meds for first time. Today was my first day with no side effects whatsoever! NONE. Sustiva dizziness is now gone and I feel totally myself again. :-)
So maybe there's hope. ;-)
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between September and October of 2002.
Justin
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april 14, 2004 at 12.47am in a truck in the Parliament House parking lot :) :o
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Started testing in 92 when I found out my ex was poz. Tested poz around August of 97. As of today my cd4 is 372, still haven't gotten viral load yet.
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I have no idea.
I can't even remember the year of my diagnosis, 2003? 2002? I do rememebr when I got my reslt I was in a rush to get back to work and the health visitor thrusting an orange folder ("HIV & YOU") into my hand was kinda annoying me.
- matt
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Became infected around the forth of July weekend in 1985. Tested positive October 21st or 24th( can't remember for sure-have to look up the day) of 1985.
Ray
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I know the date and time: December 16, 1989 at 10:16 PM. The rubber rolled off and that's a shoot...a big one! My first reaction was where the hell is it (the condom not the shoot)? Three weeks later the flu and the rest...
Rog
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Best guess, June/July 2003.
Seroconversion illness in August, followed by pneumonia (Dec), herpes (Feb), shingles (March)
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dammit fearless.. I didn't get bonus gifts :'(
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I found out about my HIV status in May 1986. I have no idea when I was infected, probably sometime in 1984-1985.
Dan
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I think it was when I was dealing with Hal, but I am not sure...
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-1/1137672/2001.jpg)
Not enough protection evidently...
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I think it was when I was dealing with Hal, but I am not sure...
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-1/1137672/2001.jpg)
Not enough protection evidently...
Brilliant!
I think we all opened the pod bay doors a little too quickly... hmm...
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My god, it's full of stars!
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PS. It was not a black Monolith, wait a minute, I cant be for certain about that either... It was very dark in there..... ;D
[attachment deleted by admin]
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This conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.
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My mind is going... I can feel it...
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Dr, Chandra taught me a song, I’ll try and sing it for you..
Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your virus do!
I'm half crazy,
All for the hate of you!
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford the medications,
But you'll look sweet on the seat
Of a protein built for two !
Pull the plug….
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Dr, Chandra taught me a song, I’ll try and sing it for you..
Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your virus do!
I'm half crazy,
All for the hate of you!
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford the medications,
But you'll look sweet on the seat
Of a protein built for two !
Pull the plug….
Anagram "Daisy" to "AIDSy" and you have a gold record on your hands!
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I think Thanksgiving weekend 2003. Converted between Christmas and NewYears (Never been so sick) Recovered and then found out on Ground Hog's Day 2004 (2/2/04) Been three years now. Something like the movie, I wish I could wake up and it was all a dream!
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My first doc's best educated guess, based on medical info, etc.:
May 1980.
Ended up in the hospital with viral meningitis in June of that year. Not a lot of fun, but I lost 30 pounds in just five days, so there always is a bright side. Remember, thin was in.
I was 22 and in love.
HUGS,
Mark
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My first doc's best educated guess, based on medical info, etc.:
May 1980.
Ended up in the hospital with viral meningitis in June of that year. Not a lot of fun, but I lost 30 pounds in just five days, so there always is a bright side. Remember, thin was in.
I was 22 and in love.
HUGS,
Mark
If that's not patient zero that's surely patient two! :) Seriously though, that's pretty damn amazing. You have stellar genetics.
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Based on risk behavior, I had to have contracted HIV (and HEP C) no later than June or July of 1980, which is when I cleaned up my act, and probably earlier. I had deposited my intelligence in and on a speedball binge that lasted from late 1979 until the summer of '80. I recall having what may have been thrush, for which my doctor prescribed monistat tablets to suck on like lozenges. He was puzzled, needless to say, and it was assumed that I had gotten a yeast infection by going down on the wrong woman. It cleared up and I stayed asymptomatic. In 1988, after reports of long term non-progressors became more frequent, I was tested at the NYC Health Dept. clinic on Ninth Avenue. As with all of us, I recall the day that they gave me the results as if it were yesterday.
It may not be coincidental that my Hep c strain is type 4, the so-called "north african" or"egyptian" strain.
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I always place it in 1986 because of an obviously unprotected and pretty rough sexual encounter with a "bad boy". But who knows, maybe it was a year or two earlier because I was dating a lawyer who died of aids at a later date. If it was him, he probably didn't know it himself. He was a very nice person. Too bad he was cut short of his life because meds were so limited back then.
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October 1985.
Ray
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IHaveHope: "To get an idea as to how long someone has been living with HIV."
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Interesting.....what I am seeing in the numbers isnt how long we have lived or not but how many people are here from different years. Looks to me like a bunch of recently infected folks and a bunch of folks infected for a long time.
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I think the year with the most votes should be given free plane tickets to the next AMG and the year with the least a weeks time out.
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IHaveHope: "To get an idea as to how long someone has been living with HIV."
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Interesting.....what I am seeing in the numbers isnt how long we have lived or not but how many people are here from different years. Looks to me like a bunch of recently infected folks and a bunch of folks infected for a long time.
Well Bear, If you want to over-analyze my thread you are probably right this poll doesn't determine how long people live with HIV. What I did learn though is that people who do visit poz.com are mostly people infected in the early to mid 80's and recently infected. Is this info gonna help me or anyone? Maybe not, but it didn't hurt to ask. There were a few people who didn't know an exact year when they were infected but overall most people have an idea. Personally it helps me know that there are many people who visit this site who have lived with it for 20 plus years therefore the information I may read in many forums are from people who can give effective advice. If the results would have came out where most people who voted on the poll were recently infected then I would base it on recent experiences. But I think the poll so far has shown a large number of those who survived pre-HAART visit the site. Maybe when the poll reaches 100 votes we can have a clearer number, and again this will not contribute to any important statistical study.
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Hope, you can bet that somewhere in Washington or Langley or in some other government or Big Pharma uberfile, they have compiled a whole terrabyte of information on this topic and related stats.
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I was diagnosed December 1995. The worst Christmas I've ever had. I had acquired syphillis and while being treated for it my doctor decided to do an AIDS test and voila, it was discovered that I was hiv+.
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I tested Pozitive shortly after the test became easy to get. I was having swollen glands so my doctor tried many tests and finally did the HIV test. I was Pozitive. It was another year before they knew what my counts were. Since 1986 my T-cell count has been above 400 only twice even though my viral load has varied alot. The last three years it has been mostly undetectable. Otherwise, I have continued on with life and worked continuously even through a wasting period. Hope all of you are doing well. Joel
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Infected May/2002. Tested positive 13/October/2005. Started meds 14/august/2006. First undetectable results 3/Jan/2007.
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Infected Year
by Razorbill
The decades stretch long
longer than my memory serves;
I think I see faces of lovers,
and smell them and do not remember them.
I marvel at those who remember
day, date, time the very stroke;
how precise their lives must be
mine is a fog.
I'll never know when it passed
to me from whom or when;
or why or where, mostly why
the author shall remain unknown.
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As someone who has always had his dancecard filled, I can tell you that I know that I got infected during some of my sluttier years, perhaps between 1996 to the present. Because although I did practice safer sex most of the time, it was apparently not good enough. Where was Ann when I needed her?
P.S. I wish that those that find threads a "waste of time" would just not post, because then you waste your time and ours.
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1994... I know this because I was testing every 6 months. I tested negative in July 1994 and positive in December 1994. Have the best day
Michael
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72 people responded to my poll. thats great.
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Ihavehope...is that a picture of you in your profile? :-*
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Diagnosed in 1987 when I was flying to the US a lot.
Early 1983 I was rushed to the hospital withan extremely high fever of 106 degrees.
Half in come I was put on ice and survived.
That must have been my seroconversion, as far as my doc thinks...
Well, makes me patient 103??
Hemie
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I was infected January 2003, tested poz in July 2003....started showing signs and symptoms around Feb - March 2003 but blew them off. Boy hind sight is 20/20.
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Ihavehope...is that a picture of you in your profile? :-*
LOL
We have enough here diagnosed in 2005 for a pick up basketball game.
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I likely became infected in June 1981 while living in NYC when I became very ill. Tested positive in 1985.
Paul
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Ihavehope...is that a picture of you in your profile? :-*
lolz. maybe...
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Hmmmm, looks like the before 1984 crowd gets the free trip to AMG 07, at least so far.
HUGS,
Mark
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I'm pretty sure i know the exact date. I dated this guy from 86 to 87 but the only time we did not use protection was valentines day 87 which was the last time we were a couple. I was in night school and remember not long after that i got very sick, fever, chills, white sores all in the back of my throat and missed 3 weeks of college. My doc blew it off as mono and even hiv never crossed my mind. he moved, i met someoneelse got married, and my x died of what i was told was bone and skin cancer. still no clue. 1999 i got very sick and the last test they ran was hiv, my husband was negative so it left the x from 86 to 87. Plus i found his sister and asked her and she verified that he died from AIDS. So forever i have a valentines day reminder of when i was infected.
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March 8th 1990, I remember waking up with the worst sore throat ever and a fever of about 104 degrees....I called my mom a few days later when things didn't seem to improve, and I remember hardly being able to hold the phone I was so weak. Didn't think about HIV....I had always played safely(or so I thought), and had had numerous neg HIV tests since they became available, and had just taken one the month before I got sick. I lost about thirty pounds mainly because the apthous ulcers that developed in my throat didn't allow me to eat or drink. I begged to be taken to the hospital because I knew I was desperately dehydrated....the emerg dept suspected "AIDS" and chose not to admit me....even though I was a nurse and knew how badly I was dehydrated.....(I often thought if I ever ran into that attending physician I would like to kill him)....a simple IV would have made me feel a lot better. I could only take small sips of water and let it trickle down one side of my throat because of the pain from the ulcers. My bowels shut down, and I lost most of my hair from the fever...which went on for about a month.
My Doctor in my town suggested an HIV test....which of course came back negative.....I suspected I had a really bad case of mono(as I thought, wrongly, the HIV sero-conversion was something relatively mild).....
Returning home to recover under the kind care of my mom(without whom I suspect I may have died) I struggled to our local library where I found the latest edition of the Merck Manual(which is a resource guide for physicians)...there in black and white was the exact description of the sero-conversion illness I was experiencing. I returned home and my mom asked me if I had read something bad.... I guess I was completely ashen when I got home...There in was the long wait for the third HIV test, which of course I knew would come back positive......and of course it did.....almost three months to the day of becoming ill with sero-conversion illness.....it was textbook.....
I must thank the lovely lady from AIDS Vancouver(whose name I have forgotten over time) who counselled me shortly after getting the news. I suspect given how poorly I still felt and looked, I might have done something rash....she told me about the ten year survival period....and with that I perked up....realizing that a lot of treatments could develop in ten years....which in deed they did. I feel humbled that seventeen years later...I am in relatively good health and doing well.....I also try to remember those who contracted HIV earlier, and were not so fortunate in their treatment options. I remain indebted to their courage, and their tenacity in the face of overwhelming adversity....they are truly my heroes.....
HammyJ
Vancouver, BC
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Man do I feel like the newbe boy 2006 >:(
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IHAVEHOPE...
i know this is inappropriate, but PM me when you can, please.
Thanks!
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i guess i got infected sometimes between february-april of 2005 probably during some tweaking orgy :-\ .....i should have known better :o lol (no more tweaky for me :D)
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i was infected the night of October 10th 2005 @ about 1a.m. diagnosed Feb. 1 2006 HIV+... diagnosed Jan. 30 2007 with AIDS, started Atripla that night. Have not been back to DR. since. ~jordon
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diagnosed Jan. 30 2007
The fight is not over yet.....far from over..
Hermie
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I was infected January 2003, tested poz in July 2003....started showing signs and symptoms around Feb - March 2003 but blew them off. Boy hind sight is 20/20.
Yes hind sight's 20/20. My guesstimate is 1999, no earlier than 1998 I think. Poz diagnosis spring of 2000. Blew it off. Fatigue began around 2003. Blew it off. Wasting began around 2004. Blew that off too. Fatigue progressed to absurd weakness in 2005. Couldn't ignore the signs anymore. Nearly fainted in Rockefeller Center on August 31, 2005. Rushed to the E/R that afternoon and given a referral to the in-house HIV/AIDS clinic. Found out I had 42 T-cells shortly after
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I think 1994 but maybe 1992, anyway was the same guy I lost my head with.
Diagnosed June 1997, meds June 1997. Those were the days. :)
(I couldnt vote in this poll what;s that about, maybe I'm banned from polls only :D :D )