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HIV

A myHIVteam Member asked a question 💭
Barrie, ON

What is one thing you learned from your diagnosis? The gains, the losses, the good and bad?

April 27
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A myHIVteam Member

My gains were a new lease on life and had me respect my life. The losses were, I lost my last partner and a bit of my family. The Good, is I found a man who loves me and treats me with respect and kindness. The bad, is sometimes I have a negative emotions. All in all, I am happy that I was diagnosed, as it opened up my mind and eyes, to see what life is all about.

April 27
A myHIVteam Member

As strange as this may sound, one of the gains was that I have made leaps and bounds of progress in blood labs. See, before I was diagnosed, there was only one person ever who could get blood out of me, without me passing out before the needle ever touched me. This was due to traumatic childhood memories in a blood lab.

Once I was diagnosed as HIV+ however, I found myself in a position where now, quite literally, my life depends on being able to get stabbed, and do so on a regular basis. Now, as long as I'm laying down, I can manage perfectly fine in a blood lab. This is a good thing for my overall health as there are many things other than HIV that require blood to be drawn, so as strange as it may sound, my diagnosis gave me the motivation I needed to force myself to be able to do what needs to be done.

It's truly amazing what you can force yourself to do when your life depends on it, isn't it?

April 30
myHIVteam

What's one thing you learned from your HIV diagnosis — the gains, the losses, the good and the bad?

This is such a meaningful question, and many people living with HIV have shared deeply personal reflections on this. The journey looks different for everyone, but some common themes emerge. The Losses

A diagnosis can bring Show Full Answer

What's one thing you learned from your HIV diagnosis — the gains, the losses, the good and the bad?

This is such a meaningful question, and many people living with HIV have shared deeply personal reflections on this. The journey looks different for everyone, but some common themes emerge. The Losses

A diagnosis can bring a real sense of grief — and that's valid. Some of what people describe losing includes:

- The feeling of invulnerability or carefree living
- Ease in relationships and vulnerability with partners
- A life without medication schedules and frequent medical appointments
- Freedom from stigma and fear of judgment The Gains

Perhaps surprisingly, many myHIVteam members also describe unexpected growth after diagnosis:

- A much deeper awareness and appreciation of their own health
- Letting go of assumptions and learning what living with HIV *actually* means
- Finding community, connection, and people who truly understand
- A stronger sense of self-worth and dignity
- Becoming advocates and educators for others One myHIVteam member put it beautifully — living with HIV is like a rollercoaster, with real highs and real lows, but over time many people find their footing and discover that a full, meaningful life is absolutely still possible.

What has your experience been like?

April 27

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