Positive Living with HIV

Who Gets HIV?

What does the

H in HIV stand for?

Not homosexual, Nor hemophiliac,

Not Haitian, Nor heroin,

Nor hypodermic needle.

It stands for "Human"

There are no high-risk groups,

only high-risk behaviors.

--Alan Barnett

My name is Crystal. I am a nurse and contracted the virus by an accidental needle stick while working with an AIDS patient. My initial HIV test was negative and within 6 months I had seroconverted to positive. Like most other people, learning this was a shock. The chances of healthcare professionals becoming positive after exposure is supposed to be something like .03%. Needless to say, so far, it's been an eye-opening experience!

I still work at the same place, I can't imagine myself in any other profession. There are days when I still question why me. I have cared for many people in my profession who have died of AIDS. But after my own diagnosis, holding the hands of those who die in my care has been very difficult to say the least. I look at them and see me. I can only hope that I have eased their transition through the changes at the end of life and I pray that someone else will do the same for me.

Finding out that you-or someone you love--is HIV positive or has AIDS--is never good news. Your life will never be the same. As strange as it may seem, for a number of people who have been diagnosed as HIV+, it has been a wakeup call to live life. Everyday, more and more people are learning to live with HIV. We are learning to take control instead of giving up. We are finding ways to stay healthier through proper diet, moderate exercise, stress management and developing positive attitudes and playing a major role in our own healthcare.

I hope by putting together some information I have gathered so far, medically and personally, that I might be able to share with someone else. Please remember, I am not a doctor, just someone learning day by day how to live with the HIV virus. None of the information I am sharing here should be a substitute for a consultation or a visit with your own physician.