16 year survivor

[JennyMominRI]

While I cannot pinpoint the exact date,somewhere towards the end of Jan begining of Feb 1991 I contracted HIV. I contracted it from my husband, while on active duty in the Military..I believed I was *safe*.. I was in a relationship and in the military while I was regularly tested..As I was in the military they used their own classification system for AIDS and at the time,if your tcells were below 300, you were considered to have full blown AIDS .I had 2 tcell counts under 300. I was 20 years old and pregnant with my oldest daughter.. AT the time it was expected that the time from an AIDS diagnosis to death was about 2 years..I was advised to have an abortion and write a will.
Well it's 16 years later and I'm still here. My story is written down here
http://www.geocities.com/jennymominri/MyPage.html
Why am I telling you this? Why do I choose to talk about this? I don't want special treatment, or pity. What I do want is to prevent some people from ending up in the sam boat that I am in. So many people ,even today ,think that they can tell when someone is *safe*. Well look at my avatar and my sig...That is what AIDS looks like..Can you tell? Do I look like someone with AIDS?
Peace everyone and please be safe.

 

[poohandwendy]

Awesome Jenny. You are truly an inspiration and I really appreciate your telling the story of your journey through this.

 

[disneyfam]

Add me to the list that admires you and think you are a true inspiration!

Cynde

 

[rie'smom]

Just keep doing whatever it is you're doing because it's definitely working. I'm very happy that you have reached this milestone!

 

[debster812]

Jenny,

Add me to the list of your admirers. I find your story inspirational as well.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

You are truly a very amazing woman. You are strong, inspirational, and beautiful inside and out.

 

[debbi801]

Happy 16 years, Jenny!! What a great milestone. Here's hoping for many more milestones like this. I admire you greatly.

I attended a confirmation class with my son before the holidays. The speaker was a gentleman who is at 20 years. His story was so inspirational and great for the teens to hear. It was his last speaking engagement because he was making Aliyah (moving to Israel).

 

[ButchJohnson]

Thats great news Jenny, my aunt died from it, she got it from bad blood during a blood transfusion, back before the first "scare" before they started testing the blood.

Question, if you don't mind answering, are you on one of those cocktails that they have produced that helps fight it? I remember that Time magazine cover several years back that stopped short of announcing a "cure" with some type of cocktail that the doctor had invented or whatever. I think it was similar to a drug or cocktail of drugs they were using for Hepotitus. Just curious, but in any event glad you are doing so good.

 

[Disneyland1084]

You're truly an inspiration Jenny. Do you ever speak at schools?

 

[LisaB]

Congradulations doesn't seem the right word but you are a true inspiration to all of us on these boards. I remember that when Aids first started making the news everyone would either know someone with Aids or be inflicted with it. I know many people who have lived long productive lives with this disease

 

[hentob]

Amazing, Jenny. Simply amazing.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Thats great news Jenny, my aunt died from it, she got it from bad blood during a blood transfusion, back before the first "scare" before they started testing the blood.

Question, if you don't mind answering, are you on one of those cocktails that they have produced that helps fight it? I remember that Time magazine cover several years back that stopped short of announcing a "cure" with some type of cocktail that the doctor had invented or whatever. I think it was similar to a drug or cocktail of drugs they were using for Hepotitus. Just curious, but in any event glad you are doing so good.

I've been on a few different coctails since 1997..SO I am in my 10th year on them..They came out just in time for me because I was just starting to get really sick..I would cough and cough and not be able to stop..I would get dizzy and weak from walking through the mall for a couple of minutes...I know that had the drugs not come out when they did I would have died within a year or two of 1997.. My viral load when I started on the ant-hiv meds was 197,000 ..Within one month I felt like a new person and my viral load was undetectable.. About 8 months ago I became resistant toI think, DDI and AZT. I had my meds changed in May and now take a combo of Crixovan,Sustiva and Viread .. I take 9 pills a day between anti-Hiv and heart meds... At one point I took around 42 pills a day so 9 is very nice

 

[JennyMominRI]

You're truly an inspiration Jenny. Do you ever speak at schools?

No,because honestly,I am afraid of the repercussions for my kids...There is still a lot of prejudice and ignorance out there..I make my voice heard on the net.

 

[ButchJohnson]

I've been on a few different coctails since 1997..SO I am in my 10th year on them..They came out just in time for me because I was just starting to get really sick..I would cough and cough and not be able to stop..I would get dizzy and weak from walking through the mall for a couple of minutes...I know that had the drugs not come out when they did I would have died within a year or two of 1997.. My viral load when I started on the ant-hiv meds was 197,000 ..Within one month I felt like a new person and my viral load was undetectable.. About 8 months ago I became resistant toI think, DDI and AZT. I had my meds changed in May and now take a combo of Crixovan,Sustiva and Viread .. I take 9 pills a day between anti-Hiv and heart meds... At one point I took around 42 pills a day so 9 is very nice

WOW thats awesome, so do those drugs "Cure" you or just keep it kind of like dormant?

 

[SillyMe]

You're an amazing woman. I don't know if I could be as brave and open as you are, and you're doing the right thing. It's horrible that people who live with HIV and AIDS are made to feel ashamed and scared. It's a disease, just like cancer, heart disease and any other disease out there. My best wishes to you.

 

[kathy387]

I too find your story an inspiraton! And your right, Aids has no face. Congratulations on being a 16 year survivor!

 

[JennyMominRI]

WOW thats awesome, so do those drugs "Cure" you or just keep it kind of like dormant?

Neither really..It gets rid of the virus in the bloodstream..The problem is that the virus is still hiding in the internal orans like the heart and brain.. It is quite possibly the reason I now have cardiomyopathy and the reason I had a stroke..Add to that the fact that the meds themselves are toxic and do dame to organs like the pancreas liver,heart and others,They make you sick to your stomach daily,they cause you to develop buffalo humps ,pot belly's and sunken faces..But what can you do..The other option is death.. I'm not knocking the meds..They have bought me 10 years of good health,but there seems to be this attitude among many peoplle that AIDS is no longer a big deal. They have lots of great med nowdays, so why worry. What they don't see are the physical effects of taking chemotherapy like drugs for decades and the emotional toll that a chronic illness causes

 

[Joanna71985]

Your story is an inspiration. God bless you.

 

[DizBelle]

EXCELLENT!!!!!! Hoping for MAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYYY more years. I'm looking forward to the "25 year survivor" (and beyond) post.

 

[dolphinrescuegirl]

I couldnt get the link to work. It said it was too full.