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Poll

What's the prognosis according to your doc?

When you live healthy and take your meds religiously you will live a NORMAL lifespan
When you live healthy and take your meds religiously you will live ALMOST A NORMAL lifespan
Well I can't predict the future
When you live healthy and take your meds religiously you will live 20 TO 30 YEARS
The meds are now 11 years on the market, so 11 years from the moment you start to pop pills
Well even with the meds your situation is bleak

Author Topic: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)  (Read 23979 times)

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Offline MarkB

  • Member
  • Posts: 292
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #50 on: June 07, 2008, 07:11:05 am »
I have never put that question to a doctor, but at the Clinic the information was volunteered that no doctor can speculate as to how long someone is going to live. My own GP here in the wilds of nowhere said that he saw no reason why I shouldn't live as much as ten years.

Offline RapidRod

  • Member
  • Posts: 15,288
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #51 on: June 07, 2008, 07:25:37 am »
aelwyd, there is no guarantee that you will wake up in the morning, but if you are compliant with your medications there is no reason that you won’t live out your life and die of old age. Your doctor’s 10 years thought is way behind times. There are a lot of old farts on here like myself that have lived with HIV over 20 years.

Offline GSOgymrat

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,122
  • HIV+ since 1993. Relentlessly gay.
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #52 on: June 07, 2008, 09:37:02 am »
When I was diagnosed in 1993 doctors told me 5-10 years. Then a year later an ID doctor told me to get my affairs in order. When 2003 rolled around and my counts had improved and my partner was doing well I was very optimistic that we were both going to live a normal lifespan. Now in 2008 my partner has had two different HIV-related cancers. Knowing that our metabolisms are out of whack I'm concerned that cancer, heart attack or stroke is going to take one or both of us before we reach retirement. The bottom line is you don't know: you could stroke out tomorrow or live to be 99. No doctor can tell you how long you are going to live.

What I'm talking about isn't "hit by a bus" scenarios. HIV and medications take a toll on the body.

Offline aliveinla

  • Member
  • Posts: 247
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #53 on: June 07, 2008, 10:50:36 am »
"how long" was my first question to my PCP doctor. He said "almost normal". I didn't quite believe him so I searched Internet, came across the NIH paper of "on average, poz people live 20 some years after diagnosed, with modern medicine", so I will die around 60yo. My ID doctor told me the "normal lifespan" answer, so did most people on this board, now I am a firm believer that I will live a normal lifespan, with proper care.

Oh, I believe there will be a cure within my life time.
4/24/07: Last tested Neg
1/22/08: First tested Poz
1/30/08: CD4 393; 28%; VL: 44k
3/18/08: CD4 218; 26%; VL: 222K
4/24/08: CD4 402; 26%; VL: lab forgot
7/22/08: CD4 405; 25%; VL: 6,780
10/15/08: CD4 340, 26%; VL: N/A
2/4/09: CD4 394, 26%; VL: N/A
Jun 09: CD4 300, 25%; VL: 4000
Oct 09: CD4 324, 23%, VL: 10K
11/22/09: started Atripla
11/20/11: CD4 405; VL: UD

Offline MarkB

  • Member
  • Posts: 292
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #54 on: June 07, 2008, 12:50:03 pm »
There are a lot of old farts on here like myself that have lived with HIV over 20 years.

Hey ... I'm an old fart. Does that mean I get another 19 years??

 :D

Offline RapidRod

  • Member
  • Posts: 15,288
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #55 on: June 07, 2008, 01:02:05 pm »
aelwyd, plain for your future, it's too early to think about poppin' up daisy's.. ;)

Offline megasept

  • Member
  • Posts: 478
  • Steven here...
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #56 on: June 07, 2008, 01:35:15 pm »
But I'd just like to remind you that your doc does not have all the answers.  Part of it is up to you, insofar as living a healthy lifestyle.  And part of it is up to chance / luck / divine intervention.

Regards,

Henry

healthy lifestyle + luck + divine intervention = longevity

Well put!  8) -megasept

Offline MarkB

  • Member
  • Posts: 292
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #57 on: June 07, 2008, 02:11:48 pm »
healthy lifestyle + luck + divine intervention = longevity

Well, I can go with the first two, anyway!  ;)

I have always felt that the measure of life is its quality rather than its duration. What I have learned again since diagnosis is that it is not how many days I live that counts, but how fully I live each day. Thanks to some of you, I am still alive (for the time being, at any rate!) to remember that fact.


Offline next2u

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,813
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #58 on: June 07, 2008, 03:05:53 pm »
my gp said 10 years. bastard, it was the first time i met him after diagnosis. then, i went crazy and pulled up these fucked stats on a grip of websites. 26 years was an average that stuck in my head. AVERAGE - that word is such crap. anyhow, i came across some other sites that said normal life span. my id doc also said normal life span. the women live a lot longer than the men in my family. i believe i will retire and live the long life ive dreamed of - hopefully with some sex in it.
midapr07 - seroconversion
sept07 - tested poz
oct07 cd4 1013; vl 13,900; cd4% 41
feb08 cd4  694;  vl 16,160; cd4% 50.1
may08 cd4 546; vl 91,480; cd4% 32
aug08 cd4 576; vl 48,190; cd4% 40.7
dec08 cd4 559; vl 63,020; cd4% 29.4
feb09 cd4 464; vl 11,000; cd4% 26
may09 cd4 544; vl 29,710; cd4% 27.2
oct09 cd4 ...; vl 23,350; cd4% 31.6
mar10 cd4 408; vl 59,050; cd4% 31.4
aug10 cd4 328; vl 80,000; cd4% 19.3 STARTED ATRIPLA
oct10 cd4 423; vl 410 ;); cd4% 30.2
jun11 cd4 439; vl <20 ;); cd4% 33.8 <-Undetectable!
mar12 cd4 695; vl ud; cd4% 38.6
jan13 cd4 738; vl ud; cd4% 36.8
aug13 cd4 930; vl ud; cd4% 44.3
jan14 cd4 813; vl ud; cd4% 42.8
may14 cd4 783; vl *; cd4%43.5
sept14 cd4 990; vl ud; cd4% *
jun15 cd4 1152; vl ud; cd4% *
july15 - STRIBILD
oct15 cd4 583; vl 146; cd4% 42
mar16 cd4 860; vl 20; 44

Offline blondbeauty

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,787
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #59 on: June 07, 2008, 07:43:35 pm »
I don´t see myself as an old man...HIV has nothing to do with this feeling.
The only member in these forums approved by WINBA: World International Nail and Beauty Association.
Epstein Barr +; CMV +; Toxoplasmosis +; HIV-1 +.
Counts when starting treatment:
V.L.:80.200 copies. CD4: 25%=503
Started Sustiva-Truvada 14/August/2006
Last V.L.count (Oct 2013): Undetectable
Last CD4 count (OCT 2013): 52%= 933

Offline J.R.E.

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,207
  • Positive since 1985, joined forums 12/03
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #60 on: June 09, 2008, 07:57:48 am »
Hello,


You may just outlive your doctor !!


Ray
Current Meds ; Viramune / Epzicom Eliquis, Diltiazem. Pravastatin 80mg, Ezetimibe. UPDATED 2/18/24
 Tested positive in 1985,.. In October of 2003, My t-cell count was 16, Viral load was over 500,000, Percentage at that time was 5%. I started on  HAART on October 24th, 2003.

 As of Oct 2nd, 2023, Viral load Undetectable.
CD 4 @676 /  CD4 % @ 18 %
Lymphocytes,absolute-3815 (within range)


72 YEARS YOUNG

Offline dixieman

  • Member
  • Posts: 889
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #61 on: June 10, 2008, 10:28:29 am »
Wow! what a odd question... I've had so many doctors over the years... one of my first doctors stated I would probally be dead within 6 months to a year... well after several initial visits to his office he did not show up to the office for his appointments one day. This was extemely odd for this doctor ... come to find out he had a FATAL heart attack at the ripe old age of 50. So to the man who said I would live possibly a year at most... its now been 17 years... not all easy years but, 17 none the less... so far this year 3 of my friends have passed away 2 from heart attacks and one from an aneurysm all at the ripe old age of 47 and only one was hiv poz... So who knows when its your time its your time... I have stated to several of my hiv infection specialist... who has one of the shortest lifespans of a profession... of all professionals ... well guess... what,  its doctors ... generally most doctors do not take care of themselves, its a stressfull job but, percentage wise the odds are against them.

So here I march on... alittle wiser, a little older and not as pretty as I was before the meds but, its remarkable... I'm still here...

Offline John2038

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,529
  • Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
    • HIV Research News (Twitter)
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #62 on: June 10, 2008, 04:15:51 pm »
A doc to his patient:

DOC- Sir, I'm sorry to announce you that you are having a serious disease
PAT- How serious ?
DOC- Very serious: More the time will go, more your health will decline. The death is certain
PAT- What is it ??
DOC- ..the life


Nobody can say how long he will live. But we are programmed to die.
The things with HIV, is that it's a relatively slow progressing disease, and as such, can cause stress and sadness over a long period of time.
If we can control our emotions, then HIV is maybe just like the life.
Probably a bit shorter with, but with a common cause of death: cancer, stroke, hearth attack, etc..

Some doesn't have HIV, and discover that they are having let say a cancer with weeks to live.
Others die just crossing the road.
Compared to us, if we don't try to control our emotions, those people have worry for a shorter period of time, but will die for the same cause of us.
Cause we will die, it's certain. We will have one day this cancer, heart attack or what ever.
We know it.

So how about to live today and worry tomorrow ? As everybody. So the life can be live in its fullest ?
How about then to forget the question ? And the answers ?

Easy to say. But does it make sens anyway to say: I have 30 years to live, if these 30 years are full of stress and sadness ?
« Last Edit: June 10, 2008, 04:35:25 pm by John2038 »

Offline heartforyou

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,132
  • I must be a survivor in many ways...
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #63 on: June 10, 2008, 06:34:50 pm »
Good lord...

I survived 21 years of HIV already.

Another 21 years would make me 73... strange thought , as at 72 I would have lived 42 years with the virus and only 31 without it.

I can see myself watching porn in my wheelchair and delusionally yell at people : I am a suvivor of TITANIC   AIDS ...or was I doing that today??? good old brain fog....


hermie 8)
Infected 1983. Diagnosed in 1987 and still kicking
Dovato once daily. Hydrea

Happiness is the freedom of breathing fresh air every day.

Offline water duck

  • Member
  • Posts: 404
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #64 on: June 11, 2008, 02:25:08 am »
Darling, i shall try to be around to push that wheel chair for you.

And if you yell too much , i shall take great pleasure in sticking you with my favourite 22cm.
Oh by the way , it is in black , or i can hit you on the head to clear your 'good old brain fog '  ;) :D

Wd

Offline littlefire

  • Member
  • Posts: 36
Re: Doc, how long will i live? (for the newly diagnosed)
« Reply #65 on: June 15, 2008, 04:26:09 pm »
"The likelihood that you will die in a car crash cannot be ruled out, since there are no pills I can give to bad drivers. But... I do have these for your HIV..."

 


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