Dear Dr. Daar,

My compliments about your work (and that of your fellows) here on this site.

I've read a lot of your articles, also on other sites. Your words are encouraging and optimistic. Despite that I'm still scared, this diagnosis has made me so (almost unbearable) aware of my mortality. I found out in dec that I'm HIV+. My doc tells me not to worry and he seems very relaxed about HIV (no it's not just a flu, but there are many worse diseases he says). Thanks to the current advances in medicine he is convinced that when I'm under treatment care and take religiously adherent medication when the time is there the chance of getting aids is nil (that only happens to folks who find out too late or have had suboptimal treatment before '96 he claims). He always makes the comparision with life itself and says that the chance that I'll die of circumstances which are part of normal life is bigger!

Now my questions: If you were me, would you save for retirement? would you be 'not too worried' about what the future holds for you? Would you in fact still plan life as if you weren't HIV positive?

I'd be very glad to read your response

Greetings from The Netherlands from a 38yo guy.

Hi Netherlands, Thank you for your posting. Until I got to the end of your post I thought that maybe you were one of my patients since I tell them exactly what your doctor has told you. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that if I had HIV I would be doing exactly what I am doing now; i.e., work full time, saving for retirement and as much as possible living life to the fullest!!

Best, Eric