Is HIV the least of our health worries?

[Loa111]

End of this month, it's 4 years since I was diagnosed with advanced Hiv (AIDS, was fairly sick then) & started treatment. All is going very well, I take my meds, my health has improved greatly, sometimes I even forget I'm poz.

I've noticed over the last year or so when I go to see the ID doctor every  4 months, the Hiv end of it has become very routine. UD all good, CD4 not bad (300 approx) could be better (at least 500 is ideal they. say), other blood tests liver, kidney, etc all normal, takes no more than 3 minutes for this. All I can do is keep taking my meds daily anyway.

However, I notice I spend more time now discussing other potential health issues or health issues to watch out for with the ID Doc. E.g. keep an eye on cholesterol, probably have Restless Leg Syndrome, recently discussed feeling old since Hiv DX & asked for TRT (doc so far as refused to give me TRT saying it's "ok level for a 50 year old" but I'll keep making a case for it. Doc has acknowledge it is common for poz people to feel "aged"). My ID clinic take a holistic health approach to hiv patients which I really like, (my local family doctor wouldn't know what to do with me anyway).

So I am wondering if we take our meds daily & properly, is HIV the least of our worries, and our treatment & relationships with our ID Doctors become more about other potential health issues related to hiv (especially those of us who had Advanced HIV, who knows what long term damage it did to us?). Perhaps ageing, heart health, bone health, etc?

[Jim Allen]

My ID clinic take a holistic health approach to hiv patients which I really like, (my local family doctor wouldn't know what to do with me anyway).

I have the same experience in that regard. My GP is clueless and if anything happens they tend to refer me to the clinic even if it's not HIV related at all.

Now, my HIV care is boring and that's what we want right? I take my meds, get my refills, and bloods checked every 6 months. There is nothing more to for me with the added benefit that they can catch & treat things early that my HIV negative peers might not know until far later. 

So my conversations with my ID doctor are never about HIV. I would say 90% of my conversations are issues unrelated to HIV or issues that also happen to people regardless of HIV status. (Correction, I lie as a few years ago we did talk about HIV once, and they asked me to be in the HIV Positive flu-shot study and I agreed)


For example, the last time I was in we discussed how my blood pressure is going, my pain levels, the progression of my shakes and general well-being, STI screening and lifestyle changes. 

[Jim Allen]

sometimes I even forget I'm poz.

Excellent. Strange isn't it? I also forget despite being logged in here most of the day, talking to people or answering emails about HIV

[Loa111]

My GP is clueless and if anything happens they tend to refer me to the clinic even if it's not HIV related at all.

Now, my HIV care is boring and that's what we want right?

For example, the last time I was in we discussed how my blood pressure is going, my pain levels, the progression of my shakes and general well-being, STI screening and lifestyle changes.

Good to know you also have a clueless GP. The one time I did go to the GP since I found out I was Poz, she was so confused, she sent me right back to the ID clinic! I'm actually of the opinion now that there is absolutely no point in me going to the GP at all (except if I needed antibiotics for a chest infection), and to just save it for the ID Docs. Thank God for & I'm so grateful my clinic does take this holistic view.

Well my mission for my upcoming ID Doc visit is to have another go & see can I get TRT.  I almost thought he was going to give it to me last time and he did say he hears lots of Poz people say they feel that "hiv has aged them" so I'll keep whinging & see if I can break through this time!