feb 2011 - poz

[sevillano]

hey guys,

how are you?  I hope u doing well!!!
this is my first post here and I want to say HI to all of you ..
I was tested + a month ago (10.2.2011), but had gotten infected 6 weeks ago (22.1.2011) ... my first ELISA test was negative, but i was positive on p24 test so they made me another test (DNA test) and yeah.. it was positive ...a week later ELISA test was also positive...

so, what to say? i´m doing well, the week waiting to get results was horrible, i was a nervous wreck, but I went through it ... the weirdest thing is that I felt kinda relief hearing i´m +.. :S

"Good thing" (I know it sounds odd) is that my best gay friend is also +, had told me about his "status" a week before i was told about mine... so we hang around more than we used too :DDD i sleep at his house, we cook together etc... i really feel comfortable in his company...

I have told to all of my friends and they really have given me an enormous support!!! that´s what makes me feel ok, relaxed, calm etc.... of course I do have some ups and downs, but nothing serious ... my doc has told me that my life wont change dramatically, coz i´m still young (25yrs... stil young? ) and normally young bodies fight it well...

so, I was told (and read many threads here, articles etc) that I wont start any kind of treatment right now - in accordance with EU guidelines which say that it is recommendable to start the treatment when CD4 cells fall down to 350 .... so guys, I know that there were more threads written about this issue, but still... whats your opinion?

wish you a great afternoon ... :DDD

[Miss Philicia]

Hi sevillano, welcome to the forums.  Sorry of your new diagnosis news, but must say you are very fortunate to have your best friend diagnosed around the same time, as that will be good for both of you to have each other for support.  Like you I was diagnosed in my 20's and as well by best friend was diagnosed right before me, and we're still best friends 20 years later   You should find solace in having such good support at this juncture in being newly HIV+

[thunter34]

It always feels a little awkward for me to say "Welcome to the forums", but yeah....welcome.  Sorry about the circumstances, but under those circumstances it is good that you are here.

[sevillano]

hehe 
I know what you mean No worries!!!

 

[sevillano]

Hey guys!

just got my first LAB results, which are ... hm.. so so

CD4: 421
VL: 5 mio (?) - infected less than 7 weeks ago

and I need to go back, cause the results for the liver were a bit out of the "normal range"... hm??? any ideas???

[Matt39]

Hey guys!

just got my first LAB results, which are ... hm.. so so

CD4: 421
VL: 5 mio (?) - infected less than 7 weeks ago

and I need to go back, cause the results for the liver were a bit out of the "normal range"... hm??? any ideas???

You need to ask for far more *detail* about your bloodwork.

1. Your CD4 percentage (%) is just as important as the raw number, ask them what it is
2. Is that Viral Load figure 5000?(which is very low). If it is really just '5' then it is 'undetectable'
3. You need to know all the other blood test results - Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Kidney as well as Liver function for starters
4. Hep A, B and C - these (especially B & C) are crucial

If you are in Europe, the treatment guidelines are a little more detailed than simply CD4 number.
If your CD4 number is 350+ *and* your percentage is >14%+ *and* you do *not* have Hep B or C co-infection, *and* you have no recent history of, or current, Opportunistic Infections then treatment start is not advised yet.

As far as the out of range Liver function test, get your Doctor or Clinical Nurse Specialist to talk to you about what the normal ranges are, and how yours fits in with that.

Good luck

[surf18]

i always get a copy of my lab work

[mecch]

I am assuming its 5 million you mean by mio.

That can happen in acute primary infection.

Just if it might help you calm down - there are likely two scenarious, your VL will probably start dropping to find a final set point considerably lower.  The less likely is that you could just stay there with a high viral load.

In my seroconversion, i fluctuated between several milllion for a few months. Finally the doctor said I wasn't genetically cut out to mount a good fight and I started HAART.  That has gone more or less smoothly.  My experience is the exception to the rule.

Another possibility is that your doctor belongs to the "treat at diagnosis" team, and he or she will be watching to see either a spectacular result, or will offer to treat you soon. 

I would ask, in Slovenia, how often they are offering to do the blood work in the coming months?    You will want to see a big drop on the VL in the coming few months or be ready to start HAART.

[Wrist]

I found out I was positive the same why you did a year ago when i was 26.. WB was neg but I was reactive in some sections and my RNA VL was 5 million as well.. My body was able to quickly klnock the VL down to 6 thousand 2 months later and my CD4 jump up too.. I also had abnormal liver readings and it was because I was recently infected. By my next labs my liver function was  back to normal.
I've held off on meds for now and my body is doing a great job at keeping the VL down in the low hundreds..
You should definitely wait 6 months to a year to see how your body resets and is able to fight off the virus.
best of luck

[sevillano]

hey guys...

yeah, 5mio means 5 000 000 my blood sample was taken approx 5-6 weeks after the infection, so still within the period of primary infection, thats why my VL is probably that high :S


I would ask, in Slovenia, how often they are offering to do the blood work in the coming months? I was told that they will do it every 3 months... if I will be "stable" (in fact, if my CD4 and VL will be "stable"), then  they will do it every 4-6months ... but that depends on every individual, I can insist to do it every 3 months!
My doc told me that I need to wait at least a year (only if CD4 cells drop immediately or something) to see how my body fights the virus and then we gonna make any further decisions

tomorrow I am gonna do "ultrasound" for my liver ... lets see what kind of information this brings to me

TC

[Schrei]

Hi man!
how r u?can I ask u how did u infect?

[David Evans]

Schrei,

You are not HIV-positive and so you are not allowed to post in ANY forum except "Am I Infected?".

Please pay attention to the rules that are set out in the first post in every forum.

Thanks,
David
Moderator