I tested HIV positive while pregnant with my second son Justin in 1992. At that time doctors where not offering treatment to prevent mother to baby HIV transmission.
No other illness in the world comes with such a risk of prejudice as HIV. The stigma attached to being HIV positive is less now than it was years ago, unfortunately many people still remain ignorant. Ignorance is HIV's best friend and until a cure is found we can only hope that the education and prevention we teach will help stop the spread of HIV and the discrimination that affects persons with HIV.
My son Justin passed away in 1997. My husband Michael passed away in 2001. My oldest son Aaron is uninfected.
I have a wonderful relationship with my boyfriend William. He is a great friend with tremendous love and compassion.
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My advice, try to stay in the moment. Don't live in the past or the future. It's tough to do but every time you get there, you get to truly live. Be optimistic. Take charge of your medical care be assertive and get informed in your treatment. Doctors can and do make mistakes.
Celebrate your life. Allow yourself to be silly sometimes, it will lengthen your years and brighten your life. Take care of your body. Eat right, get plenty of rest and eliminate as much stress and drama from your life as possible.
Before HIV was a part of your life you made decisions, faced challenges, and found what was important to you. You will now, too. Even very sick or very burdened people have remarkable spirits, inspiring creativity, the capacity to cope with illness and mortality, and the drive to find meaning in thier lives.
I have a social networking webpage at http://www.hivaidstribe.com/Winiroo.
My email address is Winiroo@att.net