My Dr. phoned me today (on a Saturday)

[blondbeauty]

Yesterday I had my last visit to the Dr. When checking my VL on the computer this message appeared on the screen "Viral Load HIV-1 (Taqman): <2.00E+1(1.30)". We couldn't figure out what this meant, so he phoned to the hospitals lab several times but nobody answered. So he left all the rest of the patients waiting and we both went together to the lab, which is really far. The hospital is endless.
There a lab technician told us it meant the viral load was under 20 copies, so I am undetectable. During the trip the Dr and I talked a lot about many things. He is 62 but plans to retire at the age of 70, so he will be my Dr. till I reach the age of 50. I asked hm many questions. Some of them he couldn't answer and needed to check them (he is a liver transplant specialist). I though he would wait for my next visit to give me the answers, but unexpectedly, he phoned me today so I didn't have to wait three months. Receiving private calls from your Dr. in the National Health System and on a weekend is unusual, so I think I have an extraordinary Dr after all.

[next2u]

i think your dr is extraordinary as well. keep him...

[Oceanbeach]

Hey Juan,

I also recently got a call from my HIV doc.  As a patient over the years in 4 HIV clinics (1 in Los Angeles, 1 in a very small California town, 1 in a large California town and now in San Francisco) I have gotten many calls from Nurses, and other staff members but the doc himself called me about my labs from UCSF, Positive Clinic.  He was concerned because on my first visit w/labs I have VL of 200.

Have I been missing dosages? No, but the 3 hour trip to the clinic was stressful and I do have an occasional blip which usually happened in November.  They drew 8 vials + urine, the paperwork said "routine labs" but it was my first draw at UCSF and the most thorough ever.  We are redoing the blood draw at my follow-up meeting in January.  I like an HIV doc who is younger than me because, he won't retire before I am 86 when I am expected to die of non-HIV reasons.     Have the best day
Michael

[eric48]

HI,

<2.00E+1(1.30)

is the scientific notation for 20 (2 followed by 1 zero)

200 is 2.00 E+2 ( (2 followed by 2 zeros)

2000 is 2.00 E+3 ( (2 followed by 3 zeros)

and so forth.

1.3 is the Log (base10) for 20

going as low as 20 on commercially availalble equipments is only very new! you're lucky

Please note that my doc explained ot me that thay can do (in research labs) as low as 1

it seems that a good number of people who are under 50 for a while are in fact ... under 1.

BUT... reserach results, also show, that for some unknown reason, some people remain UD (below 50) but also above 25 (research lab results). If you are below 20 long enough you might very well be in the lucky pool!

Awesome labs!

Eric

[blondbeauty]

So do I, next2u. Michael, only 86? Why not 96?. 
Thank you Eric for explaining so clearly what that means. My Dr. suspected that 1.3 was the log and, therefore, I was undetectable, but he checked the results of other patients and all of them said "undetectable" so he wanted to make sure. Maybe it was the lab that simply sent the result of the test skipping the step of "translating" the result into something understandable by anyone.
My CD4 percentage has decreased for the first time a little, from 46% to 43%. He told me not to worry...

[Basquo]

That is a good doctor. I had one that was good about following up with me like that; of course, he told me my poz results over the phone instead of in person, which freaked me out a bit and was a little cowardly since his office was right across the street and he could have called me over, but he redeemed himself several times after. I think he was not used to delivering news like that.

[Oceanbeach]

Michael, only 86? Why not 96?. 

Hi Juan,

I believe 86 is an age taken from averages... "The average American male will die of a heart attack at 86 years of age."  This doctor was referred to me from my previous HIV doc in L.A. as who he said is the best HIV Specialist in California.  This doctor is also listed in the 100 most important people of the 20 centure in Sonoma County for his work with HIV.  Since our HIV clinic was closed for Ryan White funding reasons, I have transferred my care to UCSF Positive 360 clinic in San Francisco as they treat their patients under the same reasoning that people living with HIV are beginning to reach normal ages so heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol and other issues which the aging man or woman are being treated for, is being more closely watched.

Our local clinic staff set up a "transition team" to insure all patients remained in care at the smaller but not HIV specific community clinics.  I chose UCSF because they have 125 years in training the best doctors with the latest technologies and if I am going to die of a heart attack at age 86, I choose the 125 year history over the pleasant local clinics.  All things considered, I was surprised the doctor called me himself instead of delegating the task to staff.     Have the best day
Michael