Looking for advice.

[scaredtoo]

I was recently hospitalized last month before Christmas with PCP pneumonia and also was informed that I was HIV positive with a CD4 count of only 16 and VL load of 790,000.  I lost about 15lbs through the course of 5 weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not knowing what was wrong with me until my family took me to the ER.  The doctor started me on Atripla about 2 and a half weeks ago.  I've been told the PCP is gone but I still continue to feel weak and can only walk short distances.  I'm also still on Bactrim.  I'm just not sure when my energy level will come back; so I keep getting scared.  I also haven't gained any weight since the weight loss, and with little energy I'm not sure sometimes what I should be doing.  I'm staying with family and they have been great, but I just am scared that sometimes I feel the same as before going into the hospital.  Any advice someone can provide on food intake or things I should be doing to increase my energy level would be greatly appreciated.  Or how long these feelings will last. 

[darryaz]

Your situation sounds amazingly like mine around Christmas 2007.

I felt like hell all through January and February.  Then in March I started felling better and was pretty close to 100% normal by May.

Hang in there!!  With a VL that high your body has been through a lot.

[darryaz]

Actually I started FEELING better, not felling.

[mikeyb39]

Hi Scared,
I was similar situation, lost a lot of weight when seroconverted and it took about 6 to 8 months to gain some weight back once started meds, but now i'm about back to normal..  Give your body some time to heal, you will be back to your old self soon.

[Assurbanipal]

Hi scaredtoo

Welcome to the forums.

Getting over pneumonia often takes a while.  After I got out of the hospital 5 years ago I needed two naps a day plus sleeping at night at first.  (I had about one and a half good hours a day the first week)

But I was able to ditch the oxygen tank after about a month on meds and to go back to work (desk job) after 2 months.  I started feeling pretty good 3 months out of the hospital, although people still thought I looked ill for the first year or so. The details are in my signature line below.

And now I feel pretty good.  Last year I trained for a marathon.

So be patient and keep taking the meds.  It gets better slowly at first, and then the pace ratchets up.

Best
Assurbanipal

[Lugzsoo]

Hi  scared too


Yes I had the same thing last year lost 40-50 lb c4 count was 20 and in the hospital for a month couldnt Walk feel alot and took about 6 mo to get were I'm at to day . Now I can walk and don't need a walker and god now I'm 167 lb and going to go the gym so stick in there it will get better  trust me


Randy take care

[scaredtoo]

Thanks for the responses. Someone had sent me a personal messag asking about azitromycin and the doc had me taking 1000mg of it once a week on Monday's. I feel like I do lay around a lot since my mom and sister are with me and sometimes I feel bad for not doing much. I try and walk around the house for about 5 minutes every hour or so. My appetite is small too. And I sleep very little. Sorry for rambling.

[Lugzsoo]

Well I couldn't eat at all too so my doc give me Dronabinol  it like  getting a high without smoking and the you get the munches like hell I eat all the time know.And as for as not helping to much is not that big of deal I know now that trying to push yourself to much can lead to just hurting yourself . I didn't went ppl to help me take a shower I feel in it by just sitting down hated to be abother  to my family. Now I know that I made it by there help doing things for me.Yes it hard but you will get better .