HIV in Europe vs. HIV in the U.S. and other stuff!

[jonsi]

Hey people there!

I just wanted to share some thoughts, introduce myself to the people in the forum (the ones who don't know me or i haven't flirt with yet  ), and also say how great it has been for me to find this forum just a couple of days ago.

It seems very funny to me to read some artcles about AIDS and HIV in the U.S. where they present people as having AIDS just because their CD4 counts are lower than 200. Or even that they start with meds even before getting to that. Oh, yes, I'm in the Netherlands, I have to say that. My doctor never even discussed the possibility of starting with medication when I just found out that I was HIV+. Actually, the first time was last october, when my CD4 count went down to 150 and the viral load was on 400.000. And even then I'm still not cathegorised as an AIDS patient, since I have nothing else... I started with the meds to get the viral load to the lowest and boost my CD4.

Right now I'm in great shape, feling better than ever, taking my meds, my CD4 is up to 560 and my viral load went down to 2500. I don't know if it's a great idea to start with the meds before a situation like the one i was las october, and I don't consider myself as an AIDS patient either. I'd like to know how you guys feel about all that in the other side of the Atlantic.

My ex boyfriend is also HIV+ but is not on meds and his CD4 is great, around 800. I got into a big depression last year (nothing to do with the fact of being HIV+ though) and I truly believe that made me go so far down, to the point I had anemia and had to be in the hospital for a week. After that was solved, I realised that depression is really a great allied of HIV, so I decided not to give in anymore, I changed my attitude towards life and I feel great... I even got a great job last week!

I guess I just wanted to let you all know I'm here and I'm glad!

[Esquare]

Cool post and fresh perspective. You are more than welcome here. I've traveled in the Netherlands a little bit with work and I love that country.

[alisenjafi]

Hoi jonsi hoo gaat het met jou? Anyway I believe AIDS in America is a low t cell count coupled with an opportune infection, and when you have more oi's it is full blown AIDS. But never going below 327 I might be wrong.

[koi1]

Hey,

I was in the netherlands inthe summer of 95 and had a great time. I found my Aids label a bit disturbing because I am 36 and back when I was twenty 1 a relative died of AIDS. I would visit him in the hospital and saw all the classic signs, wasting kaposis, pneumonia, dementia...Back then it was the end of the road. So when the doctor told me that I had AIDS that was the first thing that came to mind.I had wasting, PCP, and my t cells were at 97. Here, people need that diagnosis if they want to qualify for disability. But I was surprised that even when you are back to "normal" the diagnosis remains once you get it. But no, I don't see myself telling my family I have AIDS when I am healthy again. I prefer HIV positive.

rob

[jonsi]

i understand about not telling your family... i haven't told mine, but the real reason is i don't want them to be worried, since they all live very far away, i'm originally from Chile, and that's where they are...

Well, here in Europe you don't get "disability"... you just get everything paid by the insurance, and they have no right to cancel your insurance, only if you don't pay, of course... it's quite expensive but not nearly as expensive as the meds... i pay 130 euros a month for my insurance, around 170 u.s. dollars, but the meds go up to 800 euros each month, more than USD 1000!!! so, paying the lousy 130 euros is not that bad :-)

I have friends in the U.S., oneof them is HIV positive, that's why I started this thread, since he told me he got meds from the moment he was diagnosed with HIV, although his CD4 was on around 700 back then... And he got fired from his job, and the insurance didn't want to cover the expenses, etc... I don't know if things have changed much the last few years (this was more than 5 years ago and he now lives in Germany)... That's why I was so curious to know how things are handled... What I do know is that I can't visit the U.S., if they find me with meds in the airport they can send me back, has happened already to a few people going from Europe to theU.S., I prefer not to waste the money on buying a ticket toget sent back and only see the police station in the airport :-)

[dixieman]

130 euros for insurance is cheap... 170 dollars... I know of people paying several thousand a month... I am fortunate that my insurance is a group policy with my employment... you can not be denied insurance in the USA... but, when the contract is renewed the scale of the insurance cost is very prohibitive... so costly an individual would not be able to afford it... wish you great success...

[Longislander]

Hi Jonsi, welcome! Hopefully the rules for visiting the US will change soon. Glad you found us here.

Paul

[blondbeauty]

Hi Jonsi!
I am also in Europe (Spain) and my grandmother lives in Chile! As you, I have not told my family for the same reason. I am healthy. Why worry them?
Here in Spain health insurances are much cheaper. I have two private insurances. One is only 43 euros a month (www.adeslas.es) and the other one is only for hospitalization in the best private hospital in Spain and is only 400 euros a year (http://www.acunsa.es/). But none of them cover HIV. In fact HIV is excluded by all private health companies.
But all of us are discounted part part of our salary to pay for the social security. Last month I payed 989 euros! It has complete and universal coverage even if you are unemployed or an illegal immigrant and it covers all my HIV treatment.
My only complaint is that I only receive meds supply for one month because some people were cheating on the social security and sending them to relatives in other countries or selling them by mail to people overseas. The Spanish Social Security had to stop this because we can't afford to provide meds for the entire planet.
Spanish protocols recommend to start treatment before counts drop under 350 CD4, but it is only a recommendation. I started when I wanted with a CD4 count of 503.
Hugs.
Juan