Question
Multiple questions about the husband…
29 September 2008. Related: All topics.
My husband found out in the hospital recently that he is HIV+.
Needless to say, this was a shock, since we have been married for over 18 years. when we saw the doctor he said that he has had this for more than 5 years and it is possible that he may have this for more than 18 years, he just can’t be sure, since my husband has always been very atheletic it may be he did not need meds for that long. My husband thinks he may have gotten this from someone he dated back in college. My question is: is this possible? Second, his CD4 is 125 so he has AIDS and he started on atripla 4 days ago and I have already since a significant improvement and he says he feels better than he has in years. Can this medicine work this fast and is this a good thing? Third, will his CD4 count increase so that he will no longer be classified as having AIDS? By the way, I am negative and the doctor says it is possible that there is something in my genetic makeup that may have prevented me from contracting the disease, have you guys heard of that?
Answer
Right, I will reply to the questions following your ordering:
1. It is possible in extremely rare cases. I would say that living for more than 18 years without needing medications is more of a huge exception rather than a rule. Still, it is possible, so you can’t really make conclusions based on that :)
2. The significant improvement may be based on the fact that he is already feeling better psychologically (knowing that he is taken care of, that everything is fine, etc), but Atripla can have a fairly quick effect in some people too. Anyway, as long as he feels OK-all the better.
3. I expect his CD4 count to increase, but according to the classification (American), once one has been with AIDS s/he is classified as a person with AIDS, regardless of the fact that his CD4 is back to above 200. There is a huge opposition to that in Europe in certain circles, as some people find this really stigmatizing. They argue that only the term HIV-infection should be used, regardless of CD4 count, opportunistic infections, etc.
4. The genetic thingy that you are referring to is called CCR-5 delta 32 deletion.
Hope this helps!
Hi Elle,
It’s good to hear that your husband is doing pretty well and coping. Hope the doctors will treat the ear infection.
Hi Thandeka,
Sorry it took so long to respond, lots going on. My husband
has been doing very well, so far. He still gets ear infections and we have been told that this is something he may have to
deal with for the rest of his life. He’s very forgetful now, which worries me a little. I read somewhere that this may be CMV,
and that is scary. I cope day to day. Some days are harder than others.
Hi Elle,
How is your husband doing, is he coping? Did you go for your test again? Good luck!
Thank you for your comment and
First of all,