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Newly diagnosed, but CD4 counts is only 60!
#156716 - 06/30/05 07:09 PM
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I have been unwell since this spring. After a series of lymph nodes problem, I went to have myself tested. Three weeks ago I learned that I was positive. Last week had my first HIV doctor appointment and did some blood works. Today I found out that my CD4 count is only 60. So by definition, I'm an AIDS patient already. My doctor had me start HAART right away, today! The combination is COMBIUIR(AZT+3TC) + Kaletra. I start to take dapsone to prevent pneumonia as well.
How serious is my situation? Is it to late for me to be treated? What's my chance of survival?
Welcome share your personal experiences. Thanks!
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Monchhichi
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Guru
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Reged: 02/07/05
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Posts: 248
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Loc: Florida
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The medicine should do the trick. Just adhere to the schedule!!!!! Dont stress about it because the stress will make it worse. (I know easier said than done right?) My husband has been all the way down to 4 tcells. Then all the way up to 350. With a viral load of undetectable. It will bounce like this MANY times, so dont stress if it doesnt go the way you want right away. You have to give your body time to fight back. Just be careful to not catch a cold or anything right now. (That is my personal opinion) Just because of how low you are you dont want to add fuel to the fire so to speak. I am here if you need someone to talk to. Good Luck and keep your head held high and your spirits up!
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Never forget: Life is too precious to take for granted.
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With medication your counts should improve and you should live normally for quite a while. Have your counts checked every three months, have liver, enzymes, and cholesterol monitored every six months, get a PSA or PAP smear every year. Develop some stress releasing hobbies, focus on the now and let the future take care of itself. AIDS will always be a part of your life now, read Castaneda or Tantric Buddhism for a way through to peacful acceptance. A good book on learning acceptance is "Love is Letting Go of Fear" by Jampolsky.
ScotCharles
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spiritzone2
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Grand Master
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Reged: 06/24/05
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Posts: 166
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Loc: PORTLAND ROCKS !!
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Are you going to DIE with AIDS or are you going to LIVE with AIDS. I cannot stress to you how extremely important your attitude is. I had absolutely ZERO t-cells for 4 1/2 years. According to your Dr. your situation may be serious as He or She see's it. In other words: from their perspective. IT IS NEVER TO LATE to change your life, or to be treated. Your chances of survival are very good, but only if you do certain things. For one: be 100% compliant with your meds. Is not being alive kind of FUN ?? i think so. Do you smoke tobacco? If so stop. Do whatever it takes (to live). Live your life with PASSION. Are you stressed? seek help for that. How is your mental health? Address that too. What about your SPIRITUALITY?? Believe me, this is an important aspect of healing, too. What is your nutrition like?? See a Nutritionist and explore ways to live your life fully. If you were in Portland, Oregon I would tell you to find Project Quest; But you probably arn't. Have you read the book: the four agreements? By Don Ruiz? If not, do so. It's a simple little book that will help you to LET THINGS go and FLOW with life. Do not spend much time focusing on how bad you feel. Focus on how good you feel. Look around you: Notice the beauty of the earth. Reach out to others: volunteer your time. Find something to do that will allow you to forget yourself to give of yourself freely to HELP OTHERS. Don't worry about the numbers: by numbers i mean your tcell count, your viral load, your cholesterol #'s & liver function. If you focus on your #'s it will overwhelm you. So don't do it. Don't TRY to be happy, BE HAPPINESS. Happiness is free. Do things that are FUN, that bring you pleasure and make you feel good. Avoid alcohol & refined sugar. When taking dapsone, use sunscreen. Don't overexert your self as in strenous exercise BUT do have an exercise regamin or a bicycle and use it. Drink lots & lots of water. Your body will thank you. Don't think of yourself as being unwell. That is negative. Don't lie to yourself but it really is better to not identify yourself with AIDS because the virus is not a part of you. It is a parasite that lives within you but is separate from YOU. BE the best you can be. Follow you heart. Follow your dreams. Be the kind of person today that you have always wanted to be. You follow my advise, and you should live to an old age. Contact me in 40 years and tell me your success story. Also, if you are so inclined, my MSN MESSENGER 'handle' is spiritzone2 also, we could chat, perhaps i could assist you further. Your new mantra for the rest of this year is the word: FUN. Look into your heart & soul: see how you can BE HAPPINESS and incorporate F U N into your now healthy lifestyle. Believe it is possible because it is. Remember: we create our own reality
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OUR FOCUS DETERMINES OUR REALITY.
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ScotCharles
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Legend
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Reged: 05/06/05
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Excellent advice, choose life always. But the goal of our existence is not to have more of it, but to journey home and to know at our arrival, the place of our beginning. Desire causes sufferring my friend, compassionate detachment is the way, I am sure of it now.
Castenda said to embrace our death, much the same lesson that Lamaistic Buddhism teaches us. Paradoxically, the denial of the desire for more life, enriches physical existence. The harshest lesson is the inevitability and peace of oblivion. A great Christian mystic once told me, "It is when we are most not ourselves, that we are most at peace." The plunge into oblivion frightens us all, remember Hamlet's "shore from whose bounds ne'er returns?.
I have been fortunate to experience the eternal once in my life, when I was very small. When I forget that memory, I experience sadness and desire. Everyone has a path, the goal of this life is to find the way home.
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Life is a river.
Carpe diem.
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I was at 34 last year, I didn't know I had had aids for a decade until pneumonia,and thyroid and hep. C . I am now at 200 something. My viral load was sooo high over the 750,000 copies is all that can be measured, You will not die, I am living proof,I'm not sick hardly ever it is amazing.I take Kaletra and Truvada stick with it and soon in a few years science will find something even better. Take care you're not alone.
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Jessie
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Guardian
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Reged: 06/15/04
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Hey there,
I hope by now you have started the meds and are doing well...as said in the many replies that stress will cause more trouble than anything. You are not going to die with a tcell count of 60 because your doctors are making sure that you get the best treatment that is available. You will see when you are tested again that your numbers will slowly start to improve BUT please try not to focus to hard on the numbers...always go by your symptoms and how you feel...The doctors willalways let you know if your percents are in trouble and will know what to do.
Your main focus is to stay healthy, eat right and try to exercise a bit. This also helps clarity in the mind...listening to soft , calming music or just going for a drive(if you like that sorta stuff) may also be a stress release. Please remember that science has come a longgggg way since the beginning of this epidemic and they are still working hard everyday to improve the meds, give more options and help all to lead a happy and HREALTHY life...BUT attitude does play a HUGE role in it all, so have yur down days and then bounce back up and LIVE! People love you out there and want you around. You ARE important and very much loved!...=) ~Jessie~
HIV+ since 2-3-04
"While there is breath, there is hope".
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Thank you alll for your encouragement and advices. By the way, I just learn the rest of the report, which says that I have a viral load of near 12,0000 and the CD4 percentage is only 7.6%.
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That was absolutly GREAT advice, and very moving too. That should be read by everyone, Not just pos, EVERYONE! I think ou should put it in the "am I infected" threads. Maybe just MAYBE one of the people who are in there might read it and it will calm down thier anxioties, and possibly change them a liite. Great advise!!!
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