Positive and Past 50: Words of Wisdom to My Newly Diagnosed Self

Millicent Foster, 51, Baton Rouge, La.; Diagnosed in 2002

If I could go back in time to when I was first diagnosed I would tell myself, first, don't listen to everything the doctors say because they are human and they make mistakes. They only have medical answers but God has the final say so. Just because I have been diagnosed with what once was a deadly disease doesn't mean that death is sudden. You can live a long productive life if you eat right, exercise, reduce stress and get plenty of rest. HIV doesn't have to stop you from living, but it will help you to change your life for the better. Find a support group, meet people who are facing the same things you may be facing and get active. It's up to you whether you live with HIV or you let HIV control you. Live long and love hard because you only have this one life and it's up to you how you live it.