HOW DO YOU ALL PASS THE TIME?

Question

curious....it has been 22 days for me.

What does anyone here do to pass time while waiting to be tested?
Sometimes I just break a sweat thinking about it...no less having to get tested.

Thanks.

pretty_scared_tx · Answer

I convince myself I'll be ok without being too over confident. That helps me get by daily. I also try to do something good everyday, like talk to someone or help someone out. other than that I clean or something.

uglyduck · Answer

Man... so far we all have made it... you will make it... is just 4 more weeks.. and you'll be just fine... i'm on my 4th week now.. and currently waiting on my PCR results that come back monday... good luck.. and remember we are always here...if you need help!!

GTEmpress · Answer

Today is my Second week after exposure and It scary I work full time and just started school I dont know how I am going to make it through to the next 4 weeks I feel like I am literally losing my mind I cant stop crying or thinking about it I try to convince myself that if I am Positive its not the end of the world. I try to prepare myself mentally for watevea the outcome is it is so hard to stay positive and continue willl everyday life

Daveansh · Answer

LOL...my case is each time i try to touch and feel the nodes of my neck..my mum kind of ask me..ur neck is paining..i am like..no its fine..these days i am better...my wife tells me..i am no longer in those depressive days when i used to sit and say to myself..f**k what i have done...in fact i am more scared thinking if i infected my wife..everyday i kind like ask her..ur fine..u had fever or body pain..how was ur day at work...if she is fine..i am fine...but one thing for sure i am mentally much better than what i was those past 2 weeks...was kind like a dead man walking...keep the faith uglyduck...

uglyduck · Answer

I'm suppose to be looking for a job too, but I barely have the strenght... I do joke with my friends from time to time, but is hard to think on anything else other than this. I have been looking at my tongue for the past 2 weeks, and everytime my dad sees me, he just tells me, ARE YOU ORAY? and I'm like yeah.. cool!!! I do hope we all get out of this one for once and for all... PCR on 9/3/09.. and after those results another quick test... i hope for the best... good luck man.. just try to calm down.. i calm down too, but then i start thinking about this again.. this is difficult... just difficult..!!!

Nido · Answer

I'm in between jobs and I'm supposed to be looking for work but can't focus on that. I spend almost 8 hours a day on this forum hitting the refresh key on this forum for new messages, anything to relieve the anxiety and give more cause for hope. I haven't told anyone yet neither friends or family outside of these forums about my concerns, everyone thinks I'm worried about my career and spending time on the internet job hunting but I couldn't care less about that. 

Anyway, resolved finally to get tested next week. Get this over once and for all. Am going to tell my folks too. Have withheld from them since I didn't want to get them worried through the window period but I know I can't go through the test alone. If I'm positive, I'm sure I'll do something crazy or suicidal. If I am negative, then won't care so much what they think although they will be ashamed they will  eventually forgive me. And I'll need their support to get through all the other tests to find out what's been hitting me.

concernedcitizens1234 · Answer

Your comment seems to make sense, but look at this link....

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-white-blood-cell-count/AN00726

It states the complete opposite. I like where you head is at and I wish you were correct, but you are not.... 

tg

uglyduck · Answer

I think is time for me to give my two cents... So far since this happen I have done mostly nothing... but after my right superclavicle lymph node 3 1/2 days later I just went crazy... completely nuts.. then that same week I went out with my friend and three other girls I drank a lot and I drove super fast.  After that I just kept looking for symptoms... and is getting me all crazy.So far I have had like 20 different symptoms and I'm starting to feel that the worst has come to me. So far, all I do is drive super fast. I've been doing between 50 and 60 miles in places where you're not suppose to go more than 35... on top of that... the people who know are my best friend, my brother, my mother, 2 hiv specialist, 2 doctors, all of you, GOD, and ME... It has been 31 days since all this happen, and I'm still waiting on my PCR test 18 days post exposure, i'm also waiting for my CD4/CD8 count. 

I went to church this pas sunday, I also went to a christian seminar, I've been reading the Bible lately... I'm praying everynight too...from time to time I cry and go crazy too...Sometimes I wake up at 3AM or 4AM... 

anyways... if I come back positive I will have a big problem.. and If i come back negative it will be a be problem too... i think i will have to retest myself for a long time for this to be over...........

Brian123 · Answer

by the way.....How did I pass time?

I played with Barbie dolls.

(thought that would get you all to laugh....certainly what you need here)

Brian123 · Answer

I would think the contrary....if applying the whiteblood count to HIV.
THOUGH I KNOW WHITE BLOOD COUNT HAS NOTHING TO DO FOR SYMPTOMS APPROACH TO HIV.
WHite blood platlets fight off infection, therefore white blood cells would INCREASE....right?

Think about it.....

when you get the flu (a virus), you are sick within days of getting it....right?

THen, if you had HIV, a much more virulent virus, wouldn't you get EVEN more sick within a couple of weeks?

Seriously,....think about it.

concernedcitizens1234 · Answer

12 weeks to be sure says cdc and all health care clinics
my doc and doc hhh says 6-8 and you are home free 

my doc did lab work and he said my white cell count was low, not very low, but still lower than normal.

I wonder if that is a sign a serconversion?

concerned_1980 · Answer

you tested negative after 35 days, i saw on the forum that 4 to 6 weeks is a good enough time to get tested negative. Is it not true.

how did you know about your low white blood count.

concernedcitizens1234 · Answer

You know what I did tonight, I ran unitl I almost passed out... 
I sit in front of this damn computer looking up every little symptom and it drives me crazy. 
I barely can wake up in the morning and go to work. 
I barely function on a daily basis. 
I think about the person who could of infected me and putting them in jail or worse if they did give me HIV, but yes it is my fault for reckless behavior.
I go to bed thinking about getting in a delorean and going back in time two months and making a few different decisions.
I am in my own personal hell that I share with you...
I am neg HIV 35 days, but I have a low white blood cell count, sore throat for about a month, and so much stress I think about driving my car of the Clearwater bridge or into a brick wall go about 100 mph with no belt. 

I think I have answered you query on how I deal with the time.....

Hope you all are better than me!

tg
tg

Daveansh · Answer

I used to go on the net looking for hiv symptoms...and so on...and used to get scared..now i am over with that..now i only come to this forum...i am rtying to live a normal life until next week wen i will be tested (6 WEEK TEST)..and i will be able to get back to my normal life...these days whenever i am scared i phone my std doc for reassurance or go to see him..i have seen a psy also..i am on pills...only my std doc,my psy and a colleague of mine are aware..

islandfever · Answer

Have any of you told anyone what you're going through? I've kept all of this a secret evem with my best friends. The only person who knows my name and knows that I have had a risk is a teacher at one of my schools from a few years ago.

josh3103 · Answer

I avoid thinking about it. When i think about it i start stressing out endlessly. I cant sleep, i get really testy with ppl in my family, i have a hard time breathing sometimes. I just stop thinking about it, or think very shallowly into it and then my mind jumps to soemthing a little more pleasant.

I am going tomorrow to get tested. Pray for me like i pray for you all.

concerned_1980 · Answer

I pass my time mostly on this community and pretty much am convinced by now that jaguar83 is a God. 

I got my 25 days test as negative today though my exposure most people say was zero but like all I am also concerned and can understand every one being anxious. 

I have learned so much about HIV in the last few days that not a lot of people would know about, by that I mean people who never went through what we are going. 

sparkley : I have read that typically symptoms start at 10 to 20 days. Another article i read said they typically start from week 2 to week 4. Those are the ones to watch. I have also read in a lot of places that the strongest symptom observed in more than 90 % of all people is a fever greater than 100.4. I was concerned cuz my fever would go as high as 99.5 

Today I am a little relieved as I got my 25 day test back, now i am desperately waiting for the 6 week mark which most people say is conclusive including Dr H.H.H.

I had another question for all of you do you know what generation of ELISA test does the Home Access uses ???? I am trying to call them but they are closed by now.

Marins · Answer

For your last question, you could experience all of the ARS symtoms or none of them but regardless the only way to know your result is through testing. Many people here have experienced, or at least believe they have (myself included) some of the ARS symptoms. To the best of my knowledge all tested negative. There are others that never had a single symptom and tested positive, so don't try to symptom search and perform a self diagnosis.

For your first question, 2 days after my exposure (exposure on Wendesday, so Friday) I got extremely stressed out, real severe chest pains, tightening of the throat, sore throat, headache, cold sores, etc. But Monday most of that was gone.

I still have my ups and downs, in part because I can't wait for the test, the other part is i have experienced other ailments so to speak. Not that I think they have anything to do with ARS, but just being sick, in general, can be frustrating.

So first, try not to think about it, or at the very least don't go searching all over the place for ARS/HIV information and symptoms. It won't help.

Second, not sure how old you are, but I have a career, so work occupies a lot of time (and has also added to some of the recent stress I have had, but that's a whole different story). TV, movies, friends, alcohol (only if your legal and don't overdo it - I keep joking with my friends that the only thing I'll end up with at the 12/13 week mark is alcoholism), etc. Just do things you normally do, things that might take some concentration, etc. to get your mind off of this until you can get tested.

Tomorrow will be exactly 5 weeks for me and I am planning on getting my first test the following Friday. Followed by a confirmation test on the 12/13 week.

I know what it's like. First, I can't believe it's been 5 weeks already, on the same hand, it seems like next week will never come. So just try to relax, find things to do, and stop symptom searching and you will make it through it like everyone else.

Good Luck!

sparkley · Answer

maybe a repetitive question....as so many on here...

Would I have experienced ideally some kind of symptom by now ?   (22 days later)

I have not....so I hope that is a good sign.  :)

wishing the best for you.

sparkley · Answer

maybe a repetitive question....as so many on here...

Would I have experienced ideally some kind of symptom by now ?   (22 days later)

I have not....so I hope that is a good sign.  :)

wishing the best for you.

islandfever · Answer

I've been anxious since the 2 week point when I first got a rash and now am at my 6 week point and am getting a test on Thursday. Just think that the chances of getting HIV are very low with almost every kind of exposure (except blood transfusion) so everything is in your favor. I would say to stay off the internet, although when you're anxious it really helped me a lot. It's a horrible time, but still make an effort to call people and hang out with them or to read books and whatever. I just moved from Spain to Florida during my window period and focusing on the move and starting college has really calmed me down. I just have a sore throat now that's really scaring me, but just be aware that someone else has had every symptom you may have and have tested negative.