life is just a bottle of pills

[michael80909]

HHEY EVERYONE,MY NAME IS MICHAEL AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE POSTED ANYTHING LIKE THIS ANYWHERE ON THE WEB OR ANYWHERE ELSE AS FAR AS THIS IS CONCERNED. I HAVE BEEN POZ NOW FOR 1 MONTH. NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW IM FEELING EXCEPT REALLY SCARED. I START MY MEDS ON THE 20TH OF JUNE 2007 AND TRUTHFULLY HAVE HEARD ALOT OF BAD THINGS ABOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS. IS THIS WHAT LIFE IS NOW JUST A BOTTLE OF PILLS. IF ANYONE HAS ANY ADVICE OR CAN TELL ME THERE EXPERIANCES I WOULD APPRECITATE IT ALOT THANKS

[anniebc]

Hi Michael

First of all welcome to the forums.

It will take a while for everything to sink in...but I always found that knowledge and a good attitude are the best medicines, learn as much as you can..the guys here are a great bunch and will help you with any problems you come up against.

What meds are you starting on?..most HIV meds will carry some side effects but not everyone will suffer the same side effects, even those on the same combo can react very diferently to the meds.

There may be some of the guys here who are taking the same combo you are about to start and they can give you some advise on how to handle any side effects that may come up...just give us a little more info.

BTW...please use the lower case when writing..upper case is considered shouting, and can be difficult to read...

Take care
Jan

[Wolfhound]

Hey michael,

   Before you start taking meds have your doctor give you the phenotype and genotype resistence tests. They're expensive.  They will determine which antiretroviral drugs work best for you and your genotype. This way there will be no guessing games in terms of which drugs are most effective. I understand your apprehension. I've seen people have some bad reactions and side affects on the drugs.  If your doctor doesn't want to give you these tests find another doctor. I would not start taking any meds until you get the tests done.  Start keeping a record of all your tests and doctor visits. You've only known your HIV status for a month. Why are you jumping on the pill bandwagon so soon? How is your overall health? How do you feel about your doctor? Is this doctor an infectious disease specialist?  I ask this because there are a lot of mediocre doctors out there working in this area of medicine. It's only been about 25 years or so since the bug hit, that we know of, that's less than the blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things.  We're all on this learning curve.  Unless you are now seriously ill with the classic symptons, it sounds like you're rushing in and fear is effecting any rational thinking on your part. Get the phenotype and genotype resistence tests done so you have a better understanding of what's going on with your body and what medication will have potentially positive results. Stay frosty,stay focused and remain in control.

                                         Wolfhound

[milker]

Hello Michael,

welcome to the forums. It is customary to use lower case, otherwise we thing you're yelling 

Could you tell us what your numbers are? And what meds you will start? It will help us help you

Milker.

[aztecan]

Howdy Michael,

Welcome, although it is always bittersweet to welcome someone newly infected. I am glad you have found us, but sorry for the reason.

Since you have only been positive a month, how many labs have you had done? Just curious as to what your numbers showed that resulted in your starting ARV therapy so quickly.

Like Jan said, not everyone has side effects and they vary in intensity. What meds is your doc talking about starting you on?

I look forward to hearing more from you.

HUGS,

Mark

[michael80909]

i hope this is going to end up in the right place. Thanks to everyone that responded to my first post i really apprecitate it alot. Even though most of you had questions that i can answer im not sure if there is a way to answer all of you individually or if its a group answer. if you can help with that i would be greatful. Until then i guess this is for everyone that had questions. The first set of answers is to aztecan...i have only had one set of labs drawn and the numbers came back with my t-cells bieng 198 and my viral load is at 29,000. I am under the impression that since the cells are below 200 and i have had two opprotunistic infections both bieng phnumonia(misspelled that really badly) that i am considerd full blow aids..if im mistaken please correct me.The following answers are for milker......my numbers ive already told you and i will be starting combviar, sustiva, crixaven all wich are probably misspelled. on june 20th. the next answers are for Wolfhound..i actually have a very knowlegable and nice doctor here in denver at university hospital. he did preform the genotype phenotype on me wich he got back last week and this lead up to the desicion of wich regiment that i wil be starting. next anniebc i think that your questions were answerd in this long reply..i want to thank everyone for responding and if you know more on these meds your knowledge is always appreciated. hope that we can become friends through all this

[Ann]

Hey Michael, welcome to the forum.

If you haven't already, have a read through the Just Tested Poz Welcome Thread where you'll find links to other useful sections of this website. Have a read through the Lessons, where you can learn more about your labs and things. You can also look up information on the drugs you will be taking in the Drugs section.

You may have more questions after you've done some reading, and this forum is the place to come to ask them.

Hang in there Michael, it does get easier in time.

Ann

[RapidRod]

Welcome Michael, no life is not just a bottle of pills, it could be a couple of bottles, but that's just an addition to your life. Your life living positive is what you make of it. Welcome to the forums.

[lifechanging2007]

well my dear michael if only that was true!!!!
if HIV is ONLY a bottle of pills, i would have taken not one but 3. but HIV is a mental disease more than a chronical one. at least it is for me. It has been 4 months on my diagnosis and nothing is getting better. I try to convince myself that nothing have changed but i lost my will for life. I have no purpose for living anymore which is the most dramatic thing in the world. Anyway you have your own worries so i will stop as for the side effects, the first month of taking the pills was awful but things get much better the next month but what we should be scared of are the long term side effects. so hang in there and keep some pills for me   

[RapidRod]

lifechanging2007, not to hijack Michael's thread but it does get better. I've lived with this for 23 years. You'll have your ups and downs just like you would have if you would be negative. That's just life. 

[aztecan]

I have to agree with Rod, it gets better. Life has its challenges, to be sure, but it would whether you were a neggie or a possie.

HUGS,

Mark

[Wolfhound]

 Michael,

   Glad to hear you have a good doctor, and you two are on top of things. By all means work on good healthy eating habits, if you haven't already. It can make a difference in your day to day well being. Plus excercise. Even if it's just walking a couple of miles a day. It might be tough to do in your neck of the woods in winter, but even walking in foot deep snow is good aerobic excercise. It also clears the mind. Just don't allow yourself to become sedentary.

                                        Wolfhound

[michael80909]

just want to thank everyone that have been so supportive in humoring with my posts. fell free to email me or whatever would like to make new friends and make a support system let me know if i can help with anything

[xtente]

back in 1984 - 1990 there WERE no viable meds. listen buddy, I have been + for 8 years and I am fine. Sure I have had minor illnesses and whatnot but be careful NOT TO LET THIS DISEASE DEFINE YOU!

You are who you always was. You are not HIV and HIV is not you. YOu HAVE HIV and are dealing with it. Now you can take better care of yourself than you ever have before and REALLY enjoy life. Please think carefully on what I have said. You will be FINE!

Xtente

[LT]

As to your point about being defined as "Full Blown AIDS," it depends on what those specific opportunistic infections were.

If they were bouts with PCP (Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia), then yes, that's an AIDS defining illness.  If it was some other variety of pneumonia, then no, you're still just HIV+.

There are about 29 different OI's, and several different "conditions" such as the low CD4 count.  But a CD4 of 198 is so close the magic 200 number, that a sniffle or statistical error could make the difference on which side of that boundary you lie.  I think that the below 200 number has to be maintained for a certain period of time to count as one of those "conditions."  If I recall correctly, it requires a selection of three from the list of conditions and OI's to make a diagnosis of AIDS.  Of course the definition could have changed since I last looked into it.

And finally, you could alway ask your doctor, because he'd be the one making that distinction.

[PJC0510]

Hello Mike!

Welcome to the Forum.

I want to say that it gets easier, it has only been only a month.  The side effects will go away.  And if they do not, talk to the doc.  Make sure you make all your appointments to insure your numbers are good.  I have yet to miss one since 3/2006.

You have to realize that you are not alone with this.

Accepting the fact that you are positive and that you will have to be on meds is easy as you want to make it.  You can sit around and wallow in self pity or you can stap on your big girl boots and go out there and enjoy life as you used to!

It took me about a month to strap them boots on, and I am glad I did.  I was never the one to be depressed about anything to much.  I am a really laid back, easy going guy.  I accept whatever life throws at me.

And remember that we are here for you, or you can PM me if you want to chat off-line!

Have a beauty filled day!

Peter