
HIV Support Group
HIV (also known as human immunodeficiency virus, and formerly known as HTLV-III and lymphadenopathy-associated virus) is a retrovirus that primarily infects vital components of the human immune system which can lead the syndrome known as AIDS. Many of the problems faced by people infected with HIV result from failure of the immune system to protect from opportunistic...

deleted_user
I just found out yesterday that my brother has tested positive for HIV/AIDS. He's in the hospital right now and he's very sick. I don't know much about either of these diseases. I'm on the internet now, trying to read/learn as much as I can. I googled HIV support and found this site, it would be nice to hear from other's who understand what I'm feeling right now. I love my brother and I want to learn as much as I can so I can help him in anyway!
Posts You May Be Interested In
-
A friend sent this to me..As far as I can see, grief will never truly end.It may become softer overtime, more gentleand some days will feel sharp.But grief will last as long as Love does - ForeverIt's simply the way the absence of your loved onemanifests in your heart. A deep longing accompaniedby the deepest Love some days. The heavy fog mayreturn and the next day, it may recede.Once again, it's...
-
Today is my 25th birthday, to my somewhat lack of surprise I can see already no one really seems to care. I've always been the kinda person to make sure that everyone I Care about feels appreciated and knew somebody had their back. I can count 4 times this year when I Went out of my way to make sure a "friend" felt good on their birthday, especially if they got left hanging. Its early in the...
HIV Weakens the immune system over time, so after quite some time of being infected, the immune system is so weak that other viruses, bacteria or fungi which often cause no problem to people with strong immune systems, become a problem.
There are many good treatments now, for both HIV and these other pathogens. So if your brother gets good care there is a very high likelihood that he will survive this and get better rather soon.
HIV infection also greatly increases the risk of leukemia and other problems that are not so easily treated. But these are very rare in comparison to more typical AIDS problems like pneumonia.
This is a good support group. Stick around, and encourage your brother to join this or a similar group too.
Other good sources of info:
http://www.aegis.org/
http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/lecture/hiv2000.htm
http://www.hivplusmag.com/
http://www.hivmedicine.com/
http://www.hivtest.org/links.cfm
I know this is a frightening situation. But just know that this is all treatable and that all hope is not lost. Share my story with your brother. I am not unique. I know many people who have gone through exactly what I have. Hang in there and try to remain positive. It will not only help your brother, but it will help you, as well.
Thank you both for replying, I really appreciate it!
SquEARL, I'm sorry, I don't understand some of the abbreviations in your reply. What is a VL count? and what is HAART treatment? His Infectious Dr. wants to start aggressive HIV treatments, which my brother is fine with, but since we are learning as we go, it's all new to us.
I don't blame you for being scared, but I thought it might help you to know that I've also seen people bounce back from circumstances like Squearl's.
I like http://www.thebody.com/index.html as a resource.
God bless.
I was also living in California when I was first diagnosed. I was very ill and knew very little about the disease.
The important thing to remember is that there are so many treatments available right now. Be proactive and agressive.
I left California to return to wyoming with my family with the idea that I was going to die. Seven years later, I am healthier than I ever was before and I have been "undetectable" for almost five years.
I also think it's important to focus on life..... There is power in positive thinking!
Take care of yourself and your family and let us know if there is anything we can do to help!
I know you are scared. He'll be okay. Like your brother, I was 3000 miles away from my family (I was in Seattle and my family was in FL). They couldn't be by my bedside because they were dealing with another crisis). That's what bothered me the most when I thought I was going to die (I didn't want to die alone). Again, my doctors and nurses assured me that I was going to be fine.
Just be by your brother's side through this. This is the beginning of the rest of his life, which is still going to be quite long. As sick as I was and with as many OI's (Opportunistic Infections) as I had, I feel better today than I have in a long time. Your brother will, too. It will take about 3 months of overall recovery. Tell him not to be discouraged from complications, either. I was (because of the PIC line, I ended up with Deep Vein Thrombosis in my right arm, which led to pulmonary embolisms). I ended up back in the hospital two more times after the initial infections. Again, all treatable stuff.
Good luck and hang in there.
earl
Your love and support will do wonders for him