mark, as ashamed as i am to admit it , i am the 22 yer old girl here with yet another quesiton.ok, breifly let me refresh you on my testing : elisa tests every motnh for 13 months and donation at red cross 8 months post sex, pcr viral load <400 at 9 months post, and finally pcr viralload <50 copies at 14 months ALL NEGATIVE now, mark, i have swollen glands nder both arms and deep in the axilla i have nodes the size of walnuts that have been felt by an oncologist and he is trying to tell me many women have them that size and he says it is NOTHING to worry about. i feel like i am being lied to , he ruled out everything possible (EVERYTHING!) so i am stuck with these painful swollen glands under my arms that have been there on and off for about 8 months now and i am very worried. i dont htink glands are swollen elsewhere but i have no answers as to why this is happneing. i am only 22 , i am too young for these sorts of problems. unless i do indeed have hiv, which is the only thing that can explain this, why am i tesitng negative all these times? what can i do next?what would be your next step?i mean i have literally been tested for everything. my underarms hurt which the doc says is from me feeling but i dont think it is normal for me to have these nodes the way he says it is.

1. your opinion??

2. do you think i should retest?

3. could it be a breast infeciton, i mean i am lost!

4. have you felt nodes under arms of normal healthy individuals with no infection going on?is it true some people have this and are ok??

help me , i am so scared, mark, i have been thru this for so long. the possible exposure was end of april 1998. if i turn up positive i wil be so shocked but i cant think of any other reason why i would be having this if i didnt have hiv. thank you, mark. i really do appreciate it.

I think you should get a second opinion. I wouldn't get anymore HIV tests though.

MH