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Main Forums => I Just Tested Poz => Topic started by: john33 on December 22, 2009, 10:47:10 pm

Title: tested positive last month
Post by: john33 on December 22, 2009, 10:47:10 pm
last month i found that i have hiv (elisa and western blot). i was told that they have to do the test a second time to confirm things and was given the option of either the clinic could do it or go to the hospital. i went to the hostpital and after an armful of blood was given an appointment for the 31st of this month.
I've been reading the posts a lot here in the meantime and one said that the elisa and western blot together are 99.9999% accurate, and something about a p31 band on the western blot which isn't in the results.
i'm presently going mad and would willingly sell my soul to stay in the house and distract myself with something, and hoping that the lab somehow made a mistake or mixed the blood samples up.
What are the chances of this or am i grasping at straws? because i hate myself for doing this to myself
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: max123 on December 22, 2009, 11:53:48 pm
hi john,

sorry to hear about the circumstances that brought you here, but you found a good place to get some objective info.

first up: combined, the tests are pretty accurate though i'm unsure of the exact percentage. are your docs concerned that the first results are invalid or are they simply going to draw additional sample to see what your cd4 & viral load levels look like?

unfortunately, the fact that you are wb poz indicates that you do most likely have hiv, as the wb is the confirmatory test....never an easy thing to hear. what you are currently feeling is normal, given the circumstances. it's probably fair to say that most of us have been there. give yourself a little breathing room, educate yourself about hiv (the lessons on this site are well written & informative) and take an active role in your medical care team....learn the lingo & understand the what & whys regarding the tests being run. also, realize that in the end, everything will be okay and there's no better time than now to love yourself, not hate yourself.

tell us a little more about your circumstances when time permits.

hang in there...

max 

Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: tednlou2 on December 23, 2009, 01:43:23 am
I was diagnosed just about a year ago.  When I first saw the HIV doc, they told me they were sure I had a false positive because my CD-4 was over 1,000 and vl just 400.  They told me they were sure I had a false/positive.  They did the WB and it confirmed HIV.  It is very accurate.  It was like being told all over again. 

I'm sorry to hear about your situation.  Try to learn all you can and stay in medical care.  I was just reading how many young people often drop out of care for years after finding out they are poz.  About wishing the lab made a mistake--unfortunately it is probably not likely.  Even today, I often wish I would get a call saying they made a terrible mistake and that I really did have a false/poz.  I know that call is not going to come. 

I wish you all the best.  There are so many knowledgeable people here who've given me a lot of helpful info and counseling.
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: john33 on December 23, 2009, 05:48:52 am
thanks for the support!
Ted no worries about me dropping out of medical care i haven't got a clue whats happening and the doctors do so i'm going with the 2nd option,
Max, i'm living in france ( and not much good with the langauge which makes things interesting), the doc at the clinic didn't tell me it was invalid or unclear, she just gave me the option of them or the hosptital as some regulation says they have to do the tests a second time. the hospital are doing that plus all the others tests vl cd4 and a load of things i've forgotten how to spell
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: max123 on December 23, 2009, 08:31:07 am
john,

okay, got it. perhaps in france they run the complete confirmatory test series a second time to ensure accuracy...that's a good thing in the event of an error somewhere along the line.  since such an error is unlikely, i would caution you to refrain from getting overly optimistic about the second elisa & wb test results being any different. to do otherwise will just reopen the confusion/denial issues. the key element here is acknowledging, accepting and believing that your diagnosis isn't necessarily a death sentence. the ability to believe that can only come from educating yourself about the disease, the meds (if necessary), staying healthy and maintaining a proactive/positive attitude. trust me, i know it's hard, but to get through this, it's how you have to start thinking. feel the grief (reasonably speaking), set up a support network (including counseling) and move forward.

do you know how you may have been infected or for how long?

max
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: lusopt on December 26, 2009, 11:53:47 pm
Hey John, never give up hope.. Who knows, somehow there might be some error.

But If it really comes out positive, try not to think to much of it, it will consume you like it did to me.
You can still have a healthy life, a normal life, you just need to control the virus and it will be OK, try to learn things about HIV you will be relieved.

Good Luck
Luso
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: john33 on December 27, 2009, 05:08:59 am

do you know how you may have been infected or for how long?



there was a risk in july(cringe)
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: max123 on December 27, 2009, 01:10:20 pm
john,

well, it's good in the sense that if you are truly infected, it's a recent infection. that could potentially afford you many years of meds-free living, giving you plenty of time to adjust to your diagnosis & new set of needs, learning about living with hiv & of course, educating yourself on hiv meds before the need arises.

best of luck with your lab re-testing.

max
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: Lobster1 on December 29, 2009, 12:42:50 am
Hey bud sorry for the news.  I myself heard on Nov. 4.  Trust me it was devistating.  The women who gave me results told me "Your handling this well."   I thought to myself if she only knew what i was thinking.  Enough of that.   I know it's only been a month, but i already have days where I do forget about it.  But days where it's all I can think of.   I was exposed through work i believe, b/c i was faithful to my girlfriend for 3 yrs.  I'm in law enforcement, and blew off on 2 different occassions this year alone being stuck with dirty needles.  I know dumb, but you do something long enough u just become immune.  So, luckily i got her by myside still, and still plan on getting married.  Have to wait on the kids think b/c she is still scarred to have any kind of sexual intimacy.  But it's understandable. 

Also try to calm the nerves.  I just got shingles.  Not fun.  Have been off work for week and a half.  If you get, just tell work you got shingles.  Dont tell them about your hiv, unless you want.  I found that several people have had shingles, who dont have hiv.  that i know of. 

take care.  get my first labs on Jan. 14
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: john33 on December 31, 2009, 05:58:28 am
HI there, just got back from the hostpital.

my first labs are CD - 756 / VL - 13.730
At the moment feeling very relieved that i don't have some super monster in me, even if my rather slim hopes of a mistake at the lab have gone.

Think this calls for celebrating the new year this evening!!

Thanks to erveryone for your support :)
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: max123 on December 31, 2009, 12:30:46 pm
john,

glad that you followed up.

reasonably speaking, it's always good to have hope...in this case of an error. its pretty much a given at this point that you're poz & you have the right attitude: celebrate the fact that your numbers are good and that you discovered your status early on. most importantly, educate yourself about hiv & what you need to do to stay healthy. as previously said, keep up with your bloodwork studies and familiarize yourself with the meds out there. it will likely be quite sometime before you face the meds decision, but i think its always a good thing for any of us to be aware of in advance.

interestingly, we share some very similar first lab numbers. i just got my second blood draw yesterday and am hopeful that the results are good. my doc & i delayed them a month because i had received a lot of vaccines in the preceding 2 months. we'll see in a couple of weeks.

take care & keep in touch.

have a happy new year ;)

max
Title: Re: tested positive last month
Post by: john33 on December 31, 2009, 12:37:50 pm
the doc told me that looking at the gentype the virus seems to be one of the kinder(leser of evils i suppose) and i'm hopeful that i won't need meds for quite some time to come.

Know i can think more clearly i'm going to start studying and learning, although the only concern is apparently i have high cholesterol( not sure if i had it before or not, just found out being thin as a rake is no indicator)

I got told to avoid butter and fatty foods(not that i lived in maccy dees), all suggestions are welcome

John