you may have just misunderstood. a normal cd4 is 500 or more, but you don't have to be 500 to be undetectable.

you don't need a CD4 of 500 or more to be undetectable. I was undetectable with a CD4 of 119. I am still undetectable, and my last blood draw my CD4 was the highest it has ever been since diagnosis at 310.

As long as you get on meds ,and your body stabilizes . You can expect to live a normal life.

Actually there is no real "normal" for CD4 counts... anything under 200 is considered very bad. However there are some of us who ave never had a CD4 count of 500. my normal is between 350-450. it was not ever 500 even before I was infected.

Once you get on medication, you can live as long as somebody who does not have HIV. If you do not get on medication, there are many factors into how long you can survive. So if you are not on medication and want to live a normal lifespan, then you need to get on medication.