INTRODUCTION

[Blackandbeautiful11]

MY NAME IS TIA AND I'VE BEEN POSITIVE FOR 4 YEARS NOW. I HAVE TWO BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS 6 AND 11 YEARS OLD. THIS MAY I GRADUATE WITH A ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN SCIENCE AND THEN THID FALL I'M TRANSFERING TO A UNIVERSITY TO FURTHER MY EDUCATION.  MY MAJOR IS PSYCHOLOGY/ SOCIAL WORKER, SO I CAN BE A COUNSELOR FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I HAVE TO STAY PRAYED UP BECAUSE, DEALING WITH HIV IS NOT EASY. I WORK A FULLTIME JOB AT A MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC SO I CAN PROVIDE FOR MY DAUGHTERS. THIS SUMMER I HAVE TO START TAKING MEDS AND I'M SCARED BUT, I'LL GET OVER IT BECAUSE, I'M NOT GOOD IN TAKING MEDS. I HAVE MY SAD DAYS AND TO GET OVER IT BY: TAKING PCTURES AND SHOPPING. I TRIES TO ENJOY MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST ANDNOT LET THIS HIV GET THE BEST OF ME. I WAS IN DENIAL BUT , I SAID TO MYSELF IT'S PART OF ME BUT, IT'S NOT GOING TO STOP MY LIFE. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND GRANT YOU ALL YOUR WISHES LADIES. I'M A GOOD PERSON AND ALSO AN ACTIVE LISTENER AND IF YOU NEED ANY ADVICE YOU CAN HIT ME UP ANY TIME.

[emeraldize]

Hi Tia,

Welcome. Congrats on pursuing your degree. There are a number of us pursuing more education. It's a challenge to combine work, family and school, to be sure.

You'll do fine with taking meds. You'll figure out a system. It will just be another homework assignment. I like your remedy to a sad day: taking pictures. However, shopping?  usually makes me sadder with thinking over the cash rinsed out of the wallet.

Can I make a small suggestion? If you type in upper and lower case, it will be easier for us to read your posts. Caps are tough on old eyes like mine.

Em

[Blackandbeautiful11]

Thank you Emeraldize i appreciate it and I apologize about the all caps.

[emeraldize]

Hey Tia,

No apology necessary. Again, welcome.

Em

[BT65]

Welcome, Tia.  Glad to have you with us (well, not glad you're +, but glad you found us).  It's great to go after education, so congrats on that.  I graduated a couple years ago with a bachelor's of science in psych, and started to go for a graduate in alcohol and drug counseling.  But, I started working full-time, and I couldn't do that and go to school (work won out).  Having lived with HIV for 21 years (being diagnosed, probably longer being infected), it does things to the body after that long (plus meds for almost the whole time). 

I'm sure you'll be fine on the meds, just keep thinking that they're keeping the HIV under control, so you can accomplish your goals.  Wouldn't want HIV winning out.  I like to shop myself, but I'm trying to get myself under control, because of the money thing.  Em's right, it's a bit depressing to think of all the money going out.  But, it is fun when one can do it. 

Good luck, and we're here!  Just keep typing, glad to have you here!
  L-
Betty

[Blackandbeautiful11]

Thank you Betty I appreciate it. I take pictures more then I shop lol.