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Life Expectancy with HIV
#208292 - 09/24/06 07:08 AM
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Hi
I was recently diagnosed with HIV some 6/7 weeks ago. While I can accept this illness and try not to let it affect my life too much, and making sure I go to my appointments on time etc, I'm wanting to know if HIV actually has an impact of your life expectancy?
I'm 25 and would love to live to a ripe old age and I'm concerned about this more then anything else
Before I get people replying saying 'we're not doctors' I'm aware of that and would just be interested to hear what other peoples doctors have said
Thanks
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Survivor
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Reged: 10/30/05
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Posts: 3256
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Loc: Get off the fence and live again!
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"Eric, your going to die of something unlreated to HIV" - "Live your dreams Eric, Your going to be around for them". "With a robust drug discovery Pipline, a normal life expectancy is expected" Quoteth my ID PHD Doc.
Sound good to you?
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IzPoZ
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Guardian
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Reged: 01/24/05
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Posts: 398
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Loc: FTL, Florida
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My doc tells me he's gonna dance with me at my daughter's wedding... She was 10 months old when I learned of my status. Now she's 13. I was 26 when I found out.... I'm now 38 and still asymptomatic.
There is a 22 year old man who contracted HIV as an infant via blood transfusion. He's now married, with a negative wife and a biological child.
Many people I've come across have had HIV for 20+ years....
I think you're going to be just fine. Take care of yourself.
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The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly. ~ Chesterton G. K.
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Although I may not be able to promise you a life til you are 100 years old. I can tell you that my friends that I have with me in this life that are Positive, They are in great health and have been diagnosed for a long time. I believe if you will that life is what you make it. Reguardless of what illness you may have via anyone. Me I have diabetes and i refuse to let it take control of me. I think it is mind over matter alot and if you think healthy you will stay healthy which will grant you a long life span.
With Love Always...Lisa
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God bless me, God bless My Family, and God bless My Friends, Please forgive me for all of my sins,
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KayCee
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Regular
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Reged: 09/22/06
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Loc: South Georgia
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Hi. I read your post. I am not HIV pos, but I do have Systemic Lupus and have to take several different medications to stay healthy. I got tested for HIV in 1994, because I honestly thought that I somehow had that due to the symptoms that I was having. That test was negative, but the doctor decided to test me for Lupus also and that unfortunately was positive. I did not know a thing about Lupus and thought oh well that is not serious. I was wrong there big time. There is not any cure for SLE. 50 years ago would already be dead, because they did not have the medications that they have now. I had to learn to live one day at a time and not worry about years from now. I also had to realize that no one is guaranteed tomorrow. I hope that you live for many years. Take your medications faithfully and keep your doctors appointsments. Keep yourself in a positive state of mind and don't worry about what tomorrow will bring. I like to think of the song that says one day at a time sweet Jesus that is all I ask of you. I hope that I did not bore you. Just keep a positive attitude and you should be ok.
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ScotCharles
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Who can really know the span of one's life? Life expectancy with HIV is increasing all the time from just a few years when I was diagnosed in 1984 to perhaps as much as 40 years these days; and the increase in life expectancy is increasing geometrically.
The insidious thing about HIV is that most of the time it is a non-event, and then you get a blip. It is important that you learn to live your life to its fullest and not keep waiting for the next shoe to drop. Meds will fail. You will develop reactions to the meds. HIV will wear down some body system or the other and require treatment. You can't wallow in these little blips; you must get on with life as best you can.
The next moment is not guaranteed, seize responsibility for your life and quit worrying so much about HIV.
My doctor told me this week I have thrombocytopenia or low platelets. Oh well. To me it sounds like an exotic flower, the yellow flowering thrombocytopenia. I imagine it as a tropical vine with glossy dark green leaves. It's home range is the slopes of the rugged mountains of New Guinea.
See, while you were reading that last little bit of fluff, you didn't think once about HIV, did you?
Have a safe trip,
ScotCharles
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Life is a river.
Carpe diem.
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Survivor
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Sometimes I just wana hugya Chuck, othertimes... well...
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Bear60
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well Charles....we are glad to know you are still cooking with gas!!!!
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6 ft tall poz bear in Philadelphia
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polywog
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All Star
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Reged: 07/30/06
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Saltywater - your question is a common one, and it's only naturaly to consider your logevity after being diagnosed. Many of the other responses speak of "who knows how long anyone will live" which is true - you're simply asking if being HIV poz will impact your longevity, given you are at such a young age. Here's the best advice I can give - the truth is, some people decline quickly with HIV while others stave it off very well for very long periods of time - but even if you're counts decline quickly, the meds now available and those soon to come will keep you healthy. while it is true that some people react badly to some meds, there are others you can take in their place - medical advances are so rapid right now , I beieve you will see a cure in your lifetime, as i believe I will in mine, and i'm over 40, others here may not be so optomistic - i am - so, get on a health kick and eat , exercise and live well, and by all means, yes my friend, you will live to a ripe old age - just take care of yourself - :)
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ScotCharles
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Yes, well sometimes I want to soothe you and other times I want to hit you over the head with a croquet mallet. We with AIDS have a right to be ourselves; fuck the little people who aren't secure enough in their own skins to accept a person who is independent of the need for approval.
I feel especially feisty as I am in court now fighting some people who mismanaged a pension plan and lost a number of people their life savings. Takes a lot of cajones to rob someone and then fall on the courts for justice; and it takes a lot of cajones to stand up to these bastards.
Fighting for the Right, as always,
ScotCharles
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Life is a river.
Carpe diem.
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as with anyone with any kind of illness,it doesnt really get any time frame.as with life itself without any illness there ids the same non destined time frame for it either.we make dealing with the illness first then meds and then work on being as usefull as possible and make the most of it anyway possible.just take care of yourself health wise and do all the right things to ensure your not putting undue pressure on your immune system.drugs,alcohol,stress,stuff like that can hurt more than help.as for a time frame,you can get up and get hit by a bus and it never crossed your mind,so life expectancy is real a non issue the way i see it.take care
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so true charles,i thought i was at a plant seminar for a moment,nice to hear from you,how you been?take care
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Survivor
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Reged: 10/30/05
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Chuck, I always new you had big balls....
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Hi Salty
Sad to hear your news, but we are a growing family, ironically.
Me Poz for 6 years, now undetectable virus and CD4 500plus for 3 years. Trizivir maintenance therapy after a successful quad-therapy trial
The average delay from diagnosis to AIDS is 10 years. Many need meds before that. So firstly I hope you're planning to start meds when you are ready. It takes a while to mentally adjust to HIV, then to mentally adjust to meds – it takes years in fact for most.
A friend in Belgium has been poz 22 years. So have many others. But yet others are less lucky – poor health, poor adherence to meds, resistance (from poor adherence), other issues, the No 32 bus, suicide etc can all get you. Itºs odd but we do seem to forget that many people die before their natural time is up, and HIV gives no extra protection against that!
Using HIV as a catalyst to eat well, avoid horrible recreational drugs and stress is one of the few benefits you can draw on.
Get involved in your care – own the disease and work with your Drs, understand the disease process, meds and decisions you have to make is the best advise I had.
Oh, and if you take the meds – do it right, on time. Every time. If you cant do that, well, why bother? The meds work, are now down to a once a day routine and the side effects get ever easier to manage for most.
So get a pension plan, map out a career, eat well, exercise, fall in love and enjoy your life. But dont comb over your hair if you go bald – really- just plan for it (grin).
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I was probably infected about 13 years ago and only found out in 2000 when my CD4 was down to 300 with a high Viral load and I was advised to start meds immediately. If I had found out earlier, looking after myself better would probably have delayed the need for them. (I know people who found out early and still don't need meds 13+ years later.) My first regime is still working fine with CD4 around 1000 and undetectable viral load with just slightly elevated cholesterol to worry about, and there are plenty of good alternatives available to swop to if I need to. As the years go by there are more and more and better alternatives becoming available. So what I can say is: take your condition seriously and look after youself, but there is no reason why you shouldn't still be around to pick up your retirement cheques in many years to come!
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