I tested Poz on 8/20/09

[mack1966]

It had been 18 months since my last HIV test.  I went to see my doctor for a routine physical and she asked me did I want an HIV test.  I knew I was long overdue and to be perfectly honest, I was scared.  But I knew from some of my poz friends the key is early detection. So I did the test.  She said if I didn't hear from here within 7 days everything was fine. Sure enough on day 6 I received a call from the nurse saying my doctor needed to talk to me about my test results.  I was pretty sure I knew it was going to be HIV, but I also had thoughts of maybe it was something else like cancer.  So I took a poz friend in with me to get the results.  Sure enough my HIV test came back positive.  To be perfectly honest, I was relieved that it wasn't cancer or anything like that! I'm 43 and my mother died at 43 of cancer. 

The following week I went to see a specialist.  What a fabulous doctor I have here in DC.  He's a GP as well as a HIV specialist.  A friend of mine who has been poz for over 10 years goes to him.  After meeting with him and having another physical I feel good about my situation.  As he put it "HIV is a chronic disease much like diabetes.  If you do what you should do, you will die an old man of something unrelated to your HIV."  My friend who goes to him had a CD4 count of 201 and a viral load of over 600,000 when he was diagnosed.  He was one T-cell away from being diagnosed as having AIDS.  This doctor has brought him back to being undetectable and his T-cells are well over 500!  This doctor is good!

My health is great.  My CD4 is 650 and my viral load is 449.  My doctor was surprised my viral load is so low with being recently diagnosed and not being on meds.  Because we don't have a baseline for me, I go back in 3 months to have blood work again.  He said it very well may be I'm in the 5% of people whose bodies naturally fight the infection.  We shall see! In any case, meds are a long way off in my future.

I'm glad I got tested.  I kept putting it off.  Early detection is the key.  Now that I'm aware of my status I can do things to protect my health as well as the health of others.  If I had let it go even longer, who knows.

I've told only 3 people thus far.  It's not something I want to wear on my sleeve.  As it becomes appropriate to tell people I will.  It's not something I'm ashamed of, but there is definitely still that stigma out there that if you're HIV positive you are going to die of AIDS.  It's just not true.  See a doctor regularly, do what the doctor says and you will live a very long life! I have every confidence in that.  I'm also fortunate that I have good health insurance as many don't.  But that's a different topic. Nobody should die because they're poor!

[Lakis]

G'day and welcome to the forum. It is sad to see a new hiv member, but at the same time is good to have you here. It is a right place to get informaton, talk to people and to meet some friends. Here you are not alone.
Lakis

[tony_wdc20001]

Wow Mack, I thought you were telling my story at times.  I get tested regularly; however when I went for my annual physical in July my STD tests came back poz for HIV (my last tests were in May/Sep 08, Feb 09). It was like a week after my visit that my doctor called me with my results, I thought nothing of it when he didn't call me the day after my visit to this office like he normally does.

Unfortunately, I am not in that 5% group that fights the virus naturally.  I need a little assistance..my viral load was 40803 and CD4 at 143at 12%.  Not sure what my baseline is and you would think that in this day in age that they would automatically get a baseline for everyone who goes in for an HIV test, so if they are negative they at least know where a normal CD4 level is for them.  I blame my low CD4 count on the high levels stress I have been under the last 18 months which can greatly influence your CD4 levels, because I feel perfectly healthy (albeit I have the knowledge that I am HIV + now).

Like yourself, I too am in D.C., 43 years old, told only three people, and have the fortunate pleasure of having an great doctor.  Today, I am happy to report that my levels have improved with VL of 207 and CD4 at 380 (22%).  A slightly elevated reading on my liver blood test count because of the meds, we pray they do not increase anymore. I go see my doctor again early next week to take another reading.

Good health to you.

[mack1966]

Tony - Thank you for sharing your story with me.  We do have very similar stories.  I'm happy to hear your viral load is coming down and your CD4's are rising.  I wonder if we have the same doctor?!  Not sure if I'm in the 5% or not. I'm happy you're responding to the meds! Just stay on them! Good luck with the tests next week! Feel free to PM me if you would like.

[tony_wdc20001]

Hello Mack.

I sent two PM...I am not sure if you received them or not because I am not sure if I am sending them correctly.  I don't see copies of them in my outbox.

Tony

[mack1966]

I didn't receive. I'm new to this but will see if I can figure out how to send you one!

[boneil]

Mack,

Similar background here - 42yo just diagnosed in August.  The only difference is that I had the wonderful  experience of realizing what may be happening once I got ARS symptoms but having to wait for confirmation.   
My numbers are also similar to yours (now that I'm passed ARS) and I really hope that we can keep our VL low and the CD4 high - but alot more time has to go by before I'm willing to declare it a pattern.  Seems like some with our numbers stay like that for a long time while others don't - time will tell.
I am with you on the disclosure - I have told 2 people (besides the folks on this site) and I have no itention of telling anyone else.  It is very stressful to tell people because you can't control their reactions or what they do with the info.  It is my biggest challenge right now - I have some close friends who don't know and it bugs me - but telling them is too stressful right now...