I tested positive a month ago and I'm doing fine

Okay -

I was reading most of the posts on here, and...people seem to be taking the news of becoming positive harder than I have. And that's understandable given the world that we live in and the stigma attached to HIV.

I've been doing OK since I got my diagnosis a month ago. Of course, it would be silly to say that I doing GREAT or that everything is perfect, but I've accepted it as something I'll live with. I thought I would share a few things that have helped me:

1) Having friends who I KNOW would be supportive around. I don't want to tell people they should tell everyone right away - I know that wouldn't have worked for me, but if you know anyone with HIV, or who works in social services, who you know will be there to support you - it might be good to have them around. I know surrounding myself with people who understood what I was going through/could relate to helped me in the first two weeks.

2) Getting hooked up with my local HIV/AIDS service organization. In my case I tested positive through them, and had been getting tested there for years, so I already knew who they were. But even if you've never checked out local HIV/AIDS organizations before, they really do have great resources. Sometimes they can help with housing, healthcare, socializing - a ton of stuff.

3) Getting healthcare support. Your local HIV/AIDS service organization may be able to help with finding a medical provider who specializes in HIV/AIDS, and, if you're in the US like me, applying for a medical assistance program. I was lucky - I live in a large city, so I was able to make an appoint with an HIV specialist right away, get my initial CD4 and Viral count, and find out about insurance options with a medical case manager. If you live in a large city, there *are* doctors who are great with this. But even if you don't, there's bound to be resources somewhere. So don't give up. I know for me, I felt better knowing my exact medical condition right away. Other people who are asymptomatic might want to wait for a bit. But I know getting treated helped me out.

4) Realize that extra challenges aren't the end of the world, even if it seems like it. Again - I guess I have it lucky. I have moderate cerebral palsy, which means I've always dealt with a chronic medical condition. Having a chronic medical condition doesn't mean you can't live your life and achieve your dreams - it just means you have to be a bit stronger. I know that having HIV is going to be difficult, and I still have challenges ahead. But I'm determined to not let it get it the way of me doing what I want to do with my life.

Hope this helps someone
- Scotty

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