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Poll

What worries us the most?

Physical health
Stigma and discrimination
Financial issues
Dating issues
Employment and/or carreer
Mental issues and depression
Pregancy, raising kids and see them grow to adults
Sexuality
Constant trouble with coping
The uncertainty of our future
Life expectancy
All
All (except pregnancy)

Author Topic: What's our major concern?  (Read 5074 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline zeb

  • Member
  • Posts: 172
What's our major concern?
« on: April 05, 2007, 01:50:21 pm »
As far as I'm concerned being diagnosed really has put a shadow on many things in my life.
HIV has made me gloomy, sad and depressed. Also because it's HIV and not Cancer (even though with hiv you can probably live in reasonable health a normal life span. Yes, stigma!).

I wonder what for you is most difficult to cope with. If you have more suggestions for the poll, please let me know

Offline woodshere

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,474
  • ain't no shame in my game
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2007, 01:53:21 pm »
The worries you listed didn't just enter my life when I tested positive.  They just visit me at different times.

Woods
"Let us give pubicity to HV/AIDS and not hide it..." "One of the things destroying people with AIDS is the stigma we attach to it."   Nelson Mandela

Offline Ihavehope

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,366
  • Yes, I'm a cry baby, AND WHAT?
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2007, 02:00:18 pm »
Zeb

In order of importance to Me:

Physical health which may cause severe:
Physical Appearance Changes which may cause severe:
Mental Health which may cause:
Depression which may cause:
Self-Mutilation of oneself which may cause
DEATH

« Last Edit: April 05, 2007, 02:06:02 pm by Ihavehope »
Infected: April 2005
12/6/06 - Diagnosed HIV positive
12/19/06 - CD4 = 240  22% VL = 26,300
1/4/07 - CD4 = 200 16% VL = ?
2/9/07 = Started Kaletra/Truvada
3/13/07 = CD4 = 386 22% VL ?

Offline koi1

  • Member
  • Posts: 713
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2007, 02:02:30 pm »
I know your survey says what worries you the most. Maybe you should consider an all of the above option, as I agree with Woodsy that they are all concerns at different times. I worry about keeping my career, my insurance, my health...all complicated by this disease.

rob
diagnosed on 11/20/06 viral load 23,000  cd4 97    8%
01/04/07 six weeks after diagnosis vl 53,000 cd4 cd4 70    6%
Began sustiva truvada 01/04/07
newest labs  drawn on 01/15/07  vl 1,100    cd4 119    7%
Drawn 02/10/07
cd4=160 viral load= 131 percentage= 8%
New labs 3/10/07 (two months on sustiva truvada
cd4 count 292  percentage 14 viral load undetectable

Offline puertorico2006

  • Member
  • Posts: 957
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2007, 02:11:32 pm »
yea i agree...what worries me more today doesnt phase me tomorrow (im like that though hehe)....

depends on the ebbs and tides of my mood (which changes drastically from day to day)...

-josh
(who has been scared by all those things at one point or another)

EDIT:
except for pregnancy :-O
Infected Probably: may 2005
Diagnosed: 11/2006

11/28/2006 CD4:309 / VL: 1907 No meds yet
12/27/2006 CD4:339/  VL:1649 No meds yet
  4/28/2007 CD4:550/  VL:1800 No meds :-)

Offline zeb

  • Member
  • Posts: 172
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2007, 02:12:10 pm »
Woods, Rob,

You both are right. I'll correct the poll.

Zeb
« Last Edit: April 05, 2007, 02:14:42 pm by zeb »

Offline AIDS2HIV

  • Member
  • Posts: 96
    • www.aids2hiv.com
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2007, 02:20:10 pm »
my major concern, is society is going to continue to overload "HIV" with all thier personal outside poilitics, clouding and preventing society from knowing,seeing,hearing the TRUTH about HIV and its gonna continue to wipe out all of humanity....it certainly is the one thing in this world capable of doing so*

thats my major concern*
Its the future of Hiv Education, and Resources www.aids2hiv.com      Got Community?

Offline woodshere

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,474
  • ain't no shame in my game
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2007, 02:21:50 pm »
Perhaps a clarification is needed.  Of the concerns you listed, I had all of them listed except stigma & discrimination before I tested positive.  I dare say there is no one who didn't have some of them prior to HIV.  So why would HIV make a difference as to what my concerns are now. Pre-Hiv some were more important than others, same thing now.  I think this is once again taking a fatalistic look at the situation.  When all we do is concentrate on our problems and the negative of it all, we are wasting valuable time. Time better spent in working toward moving on and solving our problems. 

As soon as I posted this I realized it was the wrong tone.  Since it is bad form to delete an entire post I will leave it but please disregard.  While I do standby the fact these are concerns every person HIV+ or not has, I took another look at the question and thought how have my priorities changed since testing positive.  While they change on a daily basis I probably am more concerned and aware of my overall health.

Woods
« Last Edit: April 05, 2007, 03:00:47 pm by woodshere »
"Let us give pubicity to HV/AIDS and not hide it..." "One of the things destroying people with AIDS is the stigma we attach to it."   Nelson Mandela

Offline allopathicholistic

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,258
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2007, 02:21:51 pm »
Since I've been dealing with the world of HIV/AIDS only since late 2005 (I should have started in 2000 after diagnosis) my vote is "Constant trouble coping" because this is a brand new world for me and I'm still brokenhearted over losing my old life

Edited to add: Sometimes I wonder if it's an unattainable dream of mine to want to return to a very energetic person because I allowed my cd4 absolute to fall to 42 and my percentage to 7. Even with an absolute of 379 and a clean bill of health my energy is iffy and I tend to want to blame it on having a low nadir. I also think about stigma and discrimination, career, the future, money, government laws
« Last Edit: April 05, 2007, 02:33:13 pm by allopathicholistic »

Offline newt

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,900
  • the one and original newt
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2007, 02:23:41 pm »
Depression
Side effects
Being normal/not normal
"The object is to be a well patient, not a good patient"

Offline mjmel

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,069
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2007, 02:42:37 pm »
Stigma and discrimination bothers me the most. That's why I got my face PMMA'd when it became haggardly. I hate attracting attention to my status, in the world at large.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2007, 02:46:36 pm by mjmel »

ImADope

  • Guest
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2007, 02:42:48 pm »
Zeb,

I read some of your older messages so infer you found out your HIV status within the last year.   If true or even if you know you have HIV longer each person takes amount of time needed to deal with shock.   It sounds as you are in early phase of coping.  With passing time life improves.  I think many people with HIV will tell you same.   There are no promises of easy life but many drugs are available to act against HIV.  Drugs now are easier to take with fewer bad effects but your body must adjust all the same.   I started 3 years ago with no problems at all.

My major concerns are
  • 1) Physical health     
  • 2) Financial issues    
  • 3) Mental issues and depression    

Number 3 has been issue all my life before and after HIV.    My physical health declined from another chronic disease and depression has not been helped.  I live on Social Security and barely make it month to month.  If a big expense happens I don't have money to pay.   I believe depression made coping with HIV easier because I was so low it was hard to get lower.  After a good time I knew I was not to die soon so live with HIV as fact of life.

I wish you best of luck!

Klaatu

Offline GSOgymrat

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,122
  • HIV+ since 1993. Relentlessly gay.
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #12 on: April 05, 2007, 02:50:50 pm »
I guess after 14 years HIV is taking a back seat in my life. The virus is currently controlled and I'm not experiencing any debilitating side effects. The issue that concerns me at this point in my life is that my parents are in their 80s and I know they won't be healthy and active too much longer.

Offline sweetasmeli

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,052
  • Love what you are...
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #13 on: April 05, 2007, 03:28:59 pm »
Nowadays, I tend to find worrying about something a complete waste of time and energy.

As an initial reaction to something, fair enough, understandable. But as a constant state of mind? Well, like I said, complete waste of time and energy.

I prefer to address issues that concern me head on and get proactive in resolving or alleviating them.

Prolonged worrying really doesn't resolve or alleviate anything. In fact it's more likely to exacerbate a problem or even bring about other problems. Especially when the concerns are health issues.

However, addressing your concerns, facing them head on and getting proactive? Well, for me, it helps me feel much less of a victim of my circumstances, no matter what those circumstances may be.

It's also important to be able to recognise and accept those things that can't be changed. For me, that's where the serenity prayer (one of my mantras - thanks Ann ;)) comes into play.

Melia 8)
/\___/\       /\__/\
(=' . '=)    (=' . '=)
(,,,_ ,,,)/   (,,,_ ,,,)/ Cats rule!

The difference between cats and dogs is that dogs come when called, whereas cats take a message and get back to you.

Yeia kai hara (health and happiness) to everyone!

Offline StrongGuy

  • Member
  • Posts: 492
Re: What's our major concern?
« Reply #14 on: April 05, 2007, 05:40:25 pm »
Quote
Prolonged worrying really doesn't resolve or alleviate anything. In fact it's more likely to exacerbate a problem or even bring about other problems. Especially when the concerns are health issues.

However, addressing your concerns, facing them head on and getting proactive? Well, for me, it helps me feel much less of a victim of my circumstances, no matter what those circumstances may be.

It's also important to be able to recognise and accept those things that can't be changed. .

What Melia said...

Mike :)
"Get your medical advice from Doctors or medical professionals who you trust and know your history."

"Beware of the fortune teller doom and gloomers who seek to bring you down and are only looking for company, purpose and validation - not your best physical/mental interests."

"You know you all are saying that this is incurable. When the real thing you should be saying is it's not curable at the present time' because as we know, the great strides we've made in medicine." - Elizabeth Edwards

 


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