I was diagnosed in 1985 during the infancy of the world learning about the disease. Just the info I would receive from my doctors, I had nothing or no one to guide me through it. The only thing I would hear the most was- "You're going to die." Those words were given to me by a doctor that issued blood work for a upcoming surgery. So I waited to die. I had no clue there was a even an HIV clinic here in Austin for resources. Eventually, in 1992, I found out about the clinic and have been a patient since then. It took therapy to get through the issues that lead to my exposure to HIV. The main reason I am able to keep my health in check is EXERCISE! However, I will admit, I have slacked off with my bike excursions, teaching aerobics, pilates, and yoga, dancing and choreographing professionally, and weight training, after an injury that shut me down for a year. Diabetes runs rampant through my family, it was inevitable that it would creep up on me. I'm more fearful of that more so than HIV. I still occasionally drink socially, but not like it do. I have a four years old great nephew who pretty much lives with me that keeps me on my toes, and I've taken up the non compensated job as my parent's caregiver. I meditate, take walks, enjoy my chickens, and do my very best not to take on any stress or negativity. After 38 years living with HIV, I've learned to remove all that negativity. I made HIV a part of me rather than something alien to my body. HIV is not the death sentence it use to be. You may struggle with dating due to the stigma, however you can still live and enjoy a long and successful life. Be kind to yourself. Give yourself grace, and buy yourself some flowers every once in a while. You'll be surprise what that can do for you. You can always reach out if you want to chat. Peace and well wishes to you...

The Progress with the meds is enormous, I started taking 10 pills on 2000 , then I took different treatments till taking only one pill, but now I'm getting shot, one every two months.. the way that It becomes changing it's amazing, it feels like we are not to far from the cure.. thank God..

Hi Brad, Great question yes its been a long journey with all different kinds of medicines to get to where we are at now with HIV treatment. We still have some stigma but for the most part it is really easy to stay healthy with this disease. For some of us who have lived through those difficult times it affects us more when we see people refusing to take the meds that saved our lives. Oh I could tell you stories of good times when the whole community came together and we had buddies to help the sick and had meals together and played uno at a big table helping each other play their cards because their brains were fried from Hiv related dementia. We were very close because we had to be so we could find out about new treatments. I can't listen to Queen, Another one bites the dust without thinking about that or the song from Les Misérables Empty Chairs at Empty tables. New treatments at the time went like this. The doctor would say you have to take 7 pills a day 1 hour before a meal and two hours after you eat. So if you were in a movie theatre you could hear the pill timer boxes going off and you knew you weren't alone. Brad I am so happy that you are interested in learning what it was like. You will gain a new perspective of this disease that some just don't get. Just know not everybody has lasting bad side affects from the drugs we had to take. For example I live a completely active healthy life. I workout ride a motorcycle work full time and only think about HIV when I go get the blood test every six months and its such a routine that I don't even think about taking that one pill before bed every night.

Beautiful sentiments from people who know what it means to live with this disease... gratitude. Thank you.

I remember my first treatment, I decided to go on a clinical trial when I was diagnosed back in 1998. 30-odd pills and 5g fat restrictions for 9 hours a day. That, paired with a new diagnosis, was quite hard work but currently on 3 pills a day for the HIV (plus 20-odd more for other things that have been diagnosed along the way). So, we have made great advances but still have some way to go. Fortunately many of the new treatments do not have the toxicity of older ones, ones that caused lasting damage to organs, we always have to be careful though.
Life is made much easier with these new treatments although I never forget what others have gone through for us to get to this place, we cannot afford to be complacent. Just live your life and enjoy as fully as you can.