HIVBeAware

Hi there this page I will be using to tell people about my story and whats goin on in my life etc , abit like a blog but not if you get me , anyway my story starts on the 17/10/2007 (I could take you all the way back but I would be typing for hours and you would be reading for hours haha) but basically I was feeling a slight discomfort in my testicle and it had a small lump so i thought best to get it looked at and rather than visit my doctors (who up until lately have not been very good) I checked places I could go on the internet and found out GUM clinics could help with stuff like that. So I went straight to the clinic and they offered me a free sexual health screening and asked my consent for a HIV test , which I was in no doubt would be negative , all the tests they did came back negative the same day barring the blood which would take longer as it goes to a lab , so they said they will get in touch when the results came back. From that point on I never really thought anymore of it as i suspected there would be no issues , but on the following monday (22/10/2007) the nurse from the clinic called asking if i could go to the clinic the next day to discuss my blood tests. An appoitment was made for the next day and I must admit I was petrified , I was in doubt that there was something there. The next day in the clinic they told me I had tested HIV positive and well I dont really remember the rest of the appointment it was all just a blur , there seemed to be no reality , although the people at the clinic were and continue to be extremely helpful its a very confusing situation to be in. In those few words my whole world had been turned upside down and everything seemed out of place , the emotions and feelings involved are undescribable. The next day I was again in the clinic to have some blood took (9 barrels) this was to measure my cd4 and viral load and also to give a rough estimation of how long the virus had been in my system. As time progressed and I thought about it more i began to put things into place ie. matching a time when I was really unwell into being the possible sero conversion. The first set of tests came back with a cd4 of 292 (21%) and a virtal load of 68,600 and also showed that this had been in my system roughly 4 years or there abouts. Thinking about it , I was really lucky to find out when I did. After getting those results back more blood was took to again check cd4 and viral load and also I was given an x ray card for a chest x ray. On the next visit my bloods indicated a cd4 of 261 (16%) and a viral load of 24,000. Also the chest x ray had showed a shadow on my lung. I was then giving pneumonia tablets , diazepam , flu jabs and pneumonia jabs. The doctor said there was no need for a referal to a chest specialist although a different doctor has now made the referal so that should be sometime soon. As time has progressed i have learned that this is a virus that I must fight and lot allow it to take control of my life although some days i do wonder what the point is although on other days I have a much more positive outlook , I am still finding it hard to come to terms with it but I am gradually accepting it and with the medication now available life wont be so bad i should hope. I have been to an organisation who I will reguraly visit although I have just been the once so far , maybe I would like to move onto volunteering with them. because of how progressed in my system the virus is they are looking to put me on anti retrovirals in the new year. I had an appointment at the GUM clinic on 28/11/2007 where they took my blood to do baseline tests to make sure my blood isnt resistant to the medication and was also prescribed temazepam to help me sleep as I have been struggling since finding out I was HIV positive. (I WILL UPDATE THIS AGAIN SOON SO KEEP COMING BACK IF YOU WANT TO STAY UP TO DATE)

Piczo