Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 10:28:14 pm

Login with username, password and session length


Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772947
  • Total Topics: 66310
  • Online Today: 441
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 1
Guests: 347
Total: 348

Welcome


Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.

  • All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

  • Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators of these forums. Click here for “Do I Have HIV?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

  • We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge.

  • Product advertisement—including links; banners; editorial content; and clinical trial, study or survey participation—is strictly prohibited by forums members unless permission has been secured from POZ.

To change forums navigation language settings, click here (members only), Register now

Para cambiar sus preferencias de los foros en español, haz clic aquí (sólo miembros), Regístrate ahora

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the symbol in each box.

Author Topic: Tested positive on Memorial Day weekend 2013  (Read 4130 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline ShazamsD

  • Member
  • Posts: 5
Tested positive on Memorial Day weekend 2013
« on: July 31, 2013, 12:57:51 pm »
So , first off thanks to everyone who posts on here as there's so much good first hand information.
I found out through a home test and had it confirmed at sdsu in SoCal.  I belong to kaiser so I have enough doctors to form volition.  After testing positive I wound up with a bacterial I fiction in the brain, which then caused hyperthermia. That's where your body can't control the temperature and it fluctuates at very high levels. The doctors first thought it was a pnemonia of sorts, but no. It was tough for me to make it up a flight of stairs some days.  The did chest x rays, blood cultures, sputum tests, etc. all clean. It wasn't until they ordered a head ct and spinal tap was it discovered.  They say there's mild brain damage but in areas that won't affect me much.

My first hiv numbers were vl 3 million, cd4 55.  At 39 years old and being positive less than a year, at least that's what they told me from the western blot test, my doc says, well the virus replicates very quickly in some people.

I was put on sepra but wound up being allergic e so now it's mepron (2x a day) and Zithromax (1x a week). Sepra gave me a rash and lowered my cd4.

Glad to say In a few weeks of antibiotics I can run again and go to the gym and live my life. Five weeks of hyperthermia fevers and sleeping in bed all wears on you.

Since the anti biotics took all the bacteria out of my body, I the. Got oral thrush.  That sucked, I missed eating, but a few days on diflucan and lidocaine oral swish and I'm much

I know it's different for everyone, but I was never sad or angry when I tested positive. I thought, ok new chapter, how do we tackle this.  At this point I couldn't imagine dating a negative guy. Maybe that will change in time.

Ill leave you with this, on the days you feel sorry for yourself, when you are really down and think your life is over, take a stroll through the oncology ward and look at the terminally ill kids.  Kids with months  to live and you know what, ever kid I spent time with had an upbeat thought process.

This is a chronic illness that's very manageable. Lets all try not to forget that. We are responsible as to why we are here, and yes it'd be easier if we weren't but it is what it is. 

I'm still the same me.
5/25/2013 - tested positive ora quick
6/09/2013 - confirmed positive at clinic
7/02/2013 - cd4-5. Vl 3,896,558
8/19/2013 - cd4-501. Vl 4586

Offline WillyWump

  • Member
  • Posts: 7,367
  • EPIC FIERCENESS!
Re: Tested positive on Memorial Day weekend 2013
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2013, 07:31:04 pm »
After all you've been through, what an amazing outlook on things! Good for you. ;)

Very refreshing.

Keep it up.

-Will

Ps- oh and Welcome
POZ since '08

Last Labs-
11-6-14 CD4- 871, UD
6/3/14 CD4- 736, UD 34%
6/25/13 CD4- 1036, UD,
2/4/13, CD4 - 489, UD, 28%

Current Meds: Prezista/Epzicom/ Norvir
.

Offline jkinatl2

  • Member
  • Posts: 6,007
  • Doo. Dah. Dipp-ity.
Re: Tested positive on Memorial Day weekend 2013
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2013, 08:56:31 pm »
Hey! It's been a long time since someone has mentioned Mepron.

I was on that when I had PCP the last time. It's nasty stuff. Looks and tastes like puree of grasshopper. I travelled with it once, and the bottle burst in the cabin of the plane. It got everywhere. I can still see crusty parts of my old digital camera, and it's still brilliant greenish-yellow.

I am glad you have recovered, and that you have such a great attitude. Welcome to the forums!

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

-Kimberly Page-Shafer, PhD, MPH

Welcome Thread

Offline tednlou2

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,730
Re: Tested positive on Memorial Day weekend 2013
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2013, 09:51:42 pm »
Welcome to the forums.  I am glad to hear things are better. 

You do have a good attitude.  I just got back some labs I was not happy with, and which have caused me some anxiety.  I saw a news report about a young kid with cancer, and then saw one about a 35 year-old woman, who has terminal cancer.  Businesses were chipping in to give her a wedding, at no cost.  She had to speed up her wedding, because they only give her a few months, at most.  Those kind of stories do help to put things in perspective. 

Keep in touch,

Ted

Offline ShazamsD

  • Member
  • Posts: 5
Re: Tested positive on Memorial Day weekend 2013
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2013, 10:22:29 pm »
Oh mepron, yeah if you've never experienced it, there's nothing like it. I saw a YouTube video where this girl got it in individual sized packets.  I'm jealous.

I figure with the outlook however I get, my status isn't changing so time to find the good in it. I do add in some holistic stuff in addition to what my docs tell me to do and I'm a believer that stress and attitude have tons of effects on how our bodies deal.  Now I sound like a hippie.

I haven't told my sister yet, who, aside from her kids is my only living relative. Am is hot changing her? I'm not sure really.

Dating seems very overwhelming at this point. But it's amazing how thought processes and priorities change huh?

I'm thankful for these forums as I read other people journeys and struggles and sit here think, oh yeah.  That's me too!
5/25/2013 - tested positive ora quick
6/09/2013 - confirmed positive at clinic
7/02/2013 - cd4-5. Vl 3,896,558
8/19/2013 - cd4-501. Vl 4586

Offline wolfthorn

  • Member
  • Posts: 88
Re: Tested positive on Memorial Day weekend 2013
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2013, 09:05:28 pm »
I love your attitude ShazamsD. Let's get better!

I am starting to notice some improvement at the gym in my performance. It's grounds for a little optimism...

Thankfully there is a treatment for what we have. We should get better if we take it.

This is no time to give up.


7/10/13: Oraquick at Home (+)
7/11/13: CD4 <20, VL 286,000
7/26/13: Start Stribild, Bactrim, Azithromycin
8/13/13: CD4 64, VL 1194
9/11/13: CD4 87, VL 511
10/14/13: CD4 164, VL 34
10/15/13: Stop Azithromycin!

 


Terms of Membership for these forums
 

© 2024 Smart + Strong. All Rights Reserved.   terms of use and your privacy
Smart + Strong® is a registered trademark of CDM Publishing, LLC.