my girl friend has just been diagnosed with aids

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needhope77:
thanks virgo,
she is also very concerned that because her cd4 levels are very low and she has just started her meds, about the road ahead and what to expect during recovery. especially because she doesnt want her parents or friends to notice she is sick. are there big possibilities she will suffer from huge weight loss, lydrophy, kidney problems, osteoporosis or even appear very unwell or anything else possible? she doesnt want anyone to know there is something wrong, her family dont even know she is in hospital, at the moment you cannot tell by looking at her that she is sick. but in russia people are not as understanding and sympathetric or educated on HIV compared to the US or europe. 100 percent she will take the meds for ever, and we were planning to have a baby, which will have to wait now, but neither of us know what type of challenges ahead we will be facing

virgo313:
One step at a time first. As soon as she start meds, she the VL will decrease a quite fast. That will ward off any other Possible OI. In other words, she most likely will not have other issue that will cause things like weight lost. Kidney issue can happen for people that is not positive, so this is not something she Shd be thinking now.

As other have mention, if she is fine now, there will not be issue now. Osteoporosis is more commen to elderly women when old. I mean like very old, again this should not to be taken into thought now.

Advise her to just be calm & take meds. Give herself few months time & when she have her VL blood test done again I am sure those VL will drop & she will feel better.

Treating VL is not like putting a plaster on a cut & u can see blood stop coming out of the cut. It takes time, so no need to stress too daily.

The aim now is only 2 things:-
1) bring the VL down
2) stop other OI coming
Already her Dr is doing this by giving her medicine.

needhope77:
thank you for the information and advice

kentfrat1783:
Hi,

Sorry to hear about your GF's diagnosis but great that you are still there for her and concerned.

Like her, I started with a very low CD4 count of 2 and that was back in May 2017 and now I'm hovering in the 250 range. My OI was PCP pneumonia and just recently got off Bacterium.

A few things I have learned and I hope is helpful (and heard many of these in these forums):

1) Don't look at the numbers daily but see them improve over time. Starting with a low CD4 it will take a lot more time to increase but let your body recover.
2) The medication is what keeps the viral load suppressed and then your body can work on regenerating your CD4. Many think the medication creates the CD4 but it doesn't.
3) Tell your GF to ask questions that she may have to her doctor/specialist. For the first year I stayed with the same specialist I dealt with in the hospital but learned I needed different care. Find someone that she feels she can trust.
4) No question is a stupid question. It is all new to her.
5) Now the hard one. There may be times that she doesn't want to share something with you. Please respect that. This is a hard Dx to deal with. Just let her know you are there for her.

Now for you. Make sure to have someone to talk to if you need that. The forums on this page are great and have great resources and information.

Take care and I wish her and you well.

Kenneth

needhope77:
thanks kenfrat.
Is it common to be kept on antibiotics the whole time while CD4 is below 200?
I was wandering if you knew or anyone else knows,

once the viral load is non detectable is it safe for her to be pregnant at any CD4 level , or must she have a fairly recovered immune system, and it must be over a certain number ?

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