I was diagnosed in January 1995, its a day that will live on in infamy, if I may quote President Roosevelt's Speech after the attack on Pearl Harbour. No disrespect to all the US naval staff that perished that day. May their dear souls rest in peace. I felt I'd been attacked on all fronts at the time. There was no treatment available apart from the much dreaded AZT. I prepared for death as I already had Shingles, one of the first signs if HIV Infection. I was reasonably well until November 1995 when I was diagnosed with HIV Encepholopathy. The virus had attacked my Brain, which is normally a terminal situation,and this condition resulted in agonising refered pain all round my body. I was put on Morphine until the first ever Combination Drugs became in March 1996. Following this treatment I miraculously rose from my death bed in a London Hospital. And have had another 28 years on Earth beyond my expected death.

For me it wasn't a big surprise.
I knew I was behaving rectlessly.
And when I received the news. I had just spent the past 2 weeks on antibiotics for clymidia and gonorrhea. It didn't take me till about a year later. For realty to set in then I lost it.
I thought I was going to die. I didn't know which route to Take. And it was at that point I went through a stage of infecting as many people as I possibly could, I was angry.
I wasn't angry. At the person who gave it to me. I wasn't angry at the virus. I was angry with my own behaviors. The news actually saved my life rather than take it. It was a eye opener that I wasn't Superman and indestructible. Catching, the virus was the only way that I would have ever stopped the behavior. Good question, Brad, everyone have a great day.

It's strange. I didn't cry when I got the news. I immediately began chastising myself that I knew better, and I was responsible for letting this happen. My shame eclipsed my sadness. It was 1988. I was 24.

I was 7-8 months into a monogamous relationship with a man who was HIV-, so I was infected in 1987. I had an HIV- test right after we met, when I must have already been infected. I thought my partner was infected, that I caught it from him, until he tested negative. It was a strange, and mixed up time.

PS: @A myHIVteam Member. I also waited until 1996 before my first round of AVT. It was CombiVir (AZT/3TC) + nevirapine. I had to stop the nevirapine almost immediately. I stayed on CombiVir for 3 years (1996-99). "Undetectable" throughout. Stopped in 1999. Resumed AVT in 2012.

I lived in the state of denial for a couple of years .
Then I decided that if I were going to take control of my life after such devastating news that I was going to have to take the first step .

Having saved the number one of the nurses had given me to a local hiv / aids clinic decided after 2 years that I should stop denying the truth because reality must be net head on .

From that point I was taking control of my life because dammit I wanted to live a long time !.
( way back then the diagnosis to death ratio was still a 10 year window ) .

Got my first consultation with the very sane Dr I see today and that was that we formulated a plan of action and began the steps to implement it .

I went on as a non progressive for the next few years which made me happy because I had not had much change and my viral load was consistent which made her happy so my life was as close to " normal " as I could have wanted .

Then the sorry side of the saga that is my life started in 2000 and well here I am .

Well when I was diagnosed in late 1998...I was living in Madrid, Spain...I felt very ill went to the doctor and was told I had AIDS...
After spending 2mnths in the hospital I was strong enough to return home...

So in answer to your question...no I wasn't surprised ...and I was more upset at having to return to Canada...than finding out I had AIDS...