Late presenter...... - TheBody.com's Bulletin Boards

Well the situation of just finding out after 15 years no, I found out in Nov 1989 after I went through a tremendously hard time (father dieing June 1989 while I was away at work in Europe) and did some stupid things sexually while there and before I came back home for the winter off season. I tested and voila I was poz, woohoo I figured there go’s my career and everything I have worked for (needless to say it didn't) I went through all the normal stuff finding a person who had been one of the biggest supporters in the early 80's still standing by my side telling me he would always be there and he would make sure no one ever knew and could tell because we were going to keep my body so strong the disease will never have time or the ability to cause me to get any illnesses (he died in 2002 after being hit by a car on his bicycle), I continued in Europe until 1994 when they finally retired me because of age and not anything physical. In 2000 I had a little physical setback due to a big time auto accident and major spinal trauma which is the only thing I think that would be a denominator in causing my physical and mental state to get to a point of having to do too much work and allowing the HIV virus do it's job and start doing a number on my system, I watched my T-cells go from the high 700s to 300, then 200 then 100 the whole time my viral load staying in the 8 to 200,000 range. I finally started meds (Combivir and Sustiva) Jan, 2004 without an opportune infection or an Aids related illness with a T-cell count of 5 and a viral load of only 152,000. Since I started meds I went from 5 to the point I am now which is 482 and un-detectable. Don’t worry too much being treatment naïve that is the best way to start with numbers in that renge, that means you will have many many years of options before the combos run out if you have to change and the new stuff coming in to the system every year pretty much insures that if there is a combo you can not tolerate you have many you can switch to. Just help your self a bit by attempting to keep a good attitude ( I know it is hard but I have been doing it for a long time) and a little bit of looking out for your body makes a big difference, I still try to keep as fit and active as I can even with the cane and the Dec 8, 2005 three level cervical fusion ( my pic) but I am on my feet, trying not to let the depressions and all the good food get me down, maybe the end of march I can start therapy and be allowed to drive again so I can get out and about and work on me some more. I hope you just relax, and work on you.

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