HIV Support Group

I think, in the old days one was considered "full blown" after going to 200 or below t-cells, or being symptomatic with certain things like PCP pneumonia, for example. Starting meds should be a decision you and your doc make together, my partner waited a bit too long and came up with a brain infection although he had already been considered "full blown" luckily he beat the infection got on meds and is doing really well, his t-cells never go above 400 now but we have kept his VL at zero, he has been poz since the early eighties. Project Inform can be more specific, call or google them.................... 800-822-7422...................

THANK YOU..for your reply..just trying to put it all together..before making any decisions..it does help to know I am not alone...my partner is negative but VERY supportive but with him being negative he can't really give me some of the advice I need...Thanks again!! Good Luck to you and your partner...God's Blessings to both of you!! Terry

Oh sure, hope I helped some but your doing the right thing, ask questions, be proactive, be annoying if you have too, I wish you the best of luck, no your not alone. Are you hooked up with a service agency? Do you have a case manager? A good one can be very helpful, pls let us know whats happening with you, we care!.....hugs

I have been on Meds for a year and 3 months or so. Before that, it was if they were just waiting for my numbers to get worse and worse until I hit that magic number of 400 or so t-cells to start meds. I did and went from a viral load of over 100,000 to undetectable (

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Good I am glad you are doing well...............Harry, my partner went from 3 t-cells and VL hundreds or thousands (don't remember) and a brain infection to functioning very well sith a VL 0 and his t-cells hover around 400, he had a recent drop in t-cells but we are working on that and will do bloodwork in few weeks, except for this drop he has maintained well for over five years now, I think meds are eventually critical in maintaining health but some can go years and even decades before that...........................................

There are different rules, for different purposes, in labeling a patient as having AIDS. One purpose is to become eligible for government assistance. It has been proven best for most patients to begin treatment sooner, rather than later. But if the government won't pay for medications until the patient is really sick it often delays the treatment. Deciding when to begin treatment is difficult, and involves considering the cost of treatment and many other factors, as well as the health benefits. For someone with a good job, the cost of drugs may be trivial compared to the cost of being out of work and in the hospital with PCP for 2 weeks. But for someone with no job, it may be necessary to become an actual "AIDS patient" before the government will help.

Thank you for your reply..it is truly a bad time that one has to get "Aids" or be hospitalized before our government can offer any assistance, when GMC and the auto companies get billions of bail out money..nevertheless..I am blessed to have a good job..yet the future does leave me a bit concerned.

Well, I agree "the future" is a huge concern, and with the economy and the state of California threatening to cut all AIDS/HIV med funding for my partner it is scary now here, not to mention the horrible economy and all the war BS going on.....................................................

Thanks Dr. Duke for the above, as usual you are very accurate and concise.................:)

I had a doctor at our educational hospital tell me I had AIDS, because my t-cell count was at 9, and viral load through the roof... but after a nice long stay at the hospital, and new meds, my viral load is undetectable, and I'm not sure what my t-cells are, but they're around 400 or so, I think.

And now my regular doctor tells me I DON'T have aids. Confusing much? I'm with you, I don't know what constitutes AIDS exactly. I think the "student doctor" was misinformed the first time...