I just found out that I way positive. My mind is racing like a car. I dont know the life expectancy with HIV. I want to go school, get apartment and get education for my daugther. Will I look sick ? I used to weigh 150lbs now I weigh 145. I am wondering will i see my daughter graduate from high school. I am going to enroll in support group today. Will i be able to maintain a job. Do I need to collect disability now? What should i do. I am so in the dark about this whole experience. Please someone send me information. I just got out of mental hospital. I have been doing research on my personal being with the symptons that i gotten from my body actions. I am trying to have a powerful outlook and attitude on this situation. But deep down there is hole somewhere in the back of my mind that is sending negative thoughts about dying in 10 yrs. Please help me to be positive and live longer for me and my daughter. NY

Well - NY - there is much room for optimism. We have more knowledge than ever before about how to successfully stop this virus with meds, and more treatment options than ever before to do this. It is likely you will be here, and healthy, and looking well, for more than ten years. And we have several examples of how to achieve this success. I invite you to explore this web site - this is a question that we have addressed many times, and many of the previous answers should be helpful to you. And there are some summaries of this info as well. Explore around. There is much reason for optimism that you can have a healthy and long life.

You deserve the chance to also talk with others who have been through this one - in many places there are HIV positive support networks. I don't know where you are but a few phone calls around should help you find someone - there are some national groups that could help you find some local networks if you don't know where to start, like project inform in San Francisco. And your health care providers - nurses or doctors - should know of whatever resources there are near you. They should be key in helping you find out where you are in terms of this fight between your immune system and HIV - and hopefully you can find some providers who you have trust in, who can work with you in creating a treatment plan.

Please explore this, and stay confident knowing we can help -- a lot. Write back if you have more questions.

good luck. CC