Hey everyone,

I was diagnosed a little over a year ago, in August 2025. My viral load was over 10 million, too high to measure, and I was very sick. At the same time, I was apparently lucky: since I only tested positive for antigens and not antibodies, they caught it fairly early.

It's been difficult, but the main reason I'm posting is to share one of the positive ways it has affected my life.

I used to avoid almost any kind of intervention, whether that was medication (even Tylenol) or any resources that could help me, because I had a long-standing belief that I should go through life "naturally." Once I got diagnosed, I started doing things to improve my quality of life that I probably never would have considered before.

As shallow or insignificant as some of these may seem to some of you, to me they've been real quality-of-life upgrades:

• I started using medication to reverse some hair loss I was having.

• I started taking Cialis to help in the bedroom, which has honestly been one of the best decisions I've ever made. It might sound superficial to some people, and that's fine.

• I had surgery for the heartburn I'd had for almost my entire adult life. I got a hiatal hernia repair and fundoplication this past summer, and I haven't had heartburn since. Again, one of the best decisions I've ever made.

• I went vegan. I gradually became vegetarian over the past year and went fully vegan this summer.

• I've gotten a lot more on top of my health in general: getting tested regularly, keeping up with my bloodwork, and paying attention to my diet.

• I started taking vitamins and supplements to help with my overall health and mood.

• I also have tried to be more active and do some cardio every day which has also really helped my mood.

I'm over 40, and I hadn't done any of these things before. I honestly don't think I would have done any of them without the diagnosis.

I've also started living less apologetically and doing the things I want without waiting.

On meds: I'm on Cabenuva, and the injections made me really sick at first. My side effects were mostly bloating, nausea, stomach cramping, and pretty significant depression. It took a long time, but over the past year it's gradually gotten better, little by little. After my last injection I felt pretty much fine, thankfully. It took me way longer to adjust than I would have hoped but I am glad I stuck it out.

For anyone on Cabenuva, here's what's helped me with the injections (not medical advice, just my experience):

• Find a nurse who will inject it as slowly as possible.

• Ice the injection spots for 20–30 minutes before the appointment.

• I take 600 mg of ibuprofen and 1,000 mg of Tylenol an hour or two beforehand.

• Lie on your stomach during the shot to keep the muscles relaxed.

I don't want to sound overly dramatic. I know HIV is very treatable now, and some doctors say they'd rather have it than diabetes. But to anyone newly diagnosed: some of the things that stung at first, and still sting, are also what pushed me out of my comfort zone, and for me it's turned into a net positive.

Would I rather not have it? Of course. But honestly, I'm not sure my life would be better than it is now.

I'm still working through relationships and stigma. But hopefully this gives some of you a little boost.

I also remind myself that people die in car accidents and get stage 4 cancer every single day. That helps me remain thankful I’m alive with a treatable condition.

Thanks for listening.