dear bob i writing to you as a last resort.....iam totally going out of my mind. After 9 years of marriage and - hiv tests my husband and i divorced my partner and i since then have had alot of unprotected sex which resulted in pregnancy..... now looking back i so wished we had hiv tests before having unprotected sex, well from the time i found out i was pregnant for some reason i have been freaking out about having hiv. so freaked out i couldnt bring myself to get tested at my prenatals. Anyway our son is now 3 months old being born 7 weeks prem and is doing superb,(i had a c section without any incident or infections) now myself on the other hand constantly worry ,i have more symtoms(well i think) than anyone else could possibly think of, i spend all my time on the net looking for more symptoms i must poke myself in the neck at least 20 times a day to check the glands,the themometer is now my best buddy and i have found out i have abnormal cells on the cervix .......iam thinking RED FLAG!!!!iam constantly crying and thinking that every comment made on tv about hiv /aids are signs i need this madness to stop but i cant bring myself to be tested.....i want to live a good life with my son and partner without having to deal with this every minute of the day .........please bob help me so i can start enjoying my life and family again

Hello,

Help you so you can start enjoying your life and family again? What exactly would you like me to do? I could tell you not to "spend all your time on the Net LOOKING for more symptoms." I could tell you to stop "POKING yourself in the neck at least 20 times a day to check the glands," and to get a new "best buddy" other than your thermometer. I could tell you your abnormal cells on the cervix are not a "RED FLAG," and to stop "constantly crying." However, Im not at all certain you would believe me. What I will tell you is that yes, you "need this madness to stop," and only you can do that. I very strongly recommend you ask your doctor for a referral to a psychiatrist. The "good life with your son and partner" is waiting for you, but youll have to take the first step and get some counseling. Hopefully with the help of therapy, youll be able to address your irrational fears and OCD behaviors. Good luck.

Dr. Bob