Anyone else feel like they are living a normal life?
Suppose you are undetectable with no major complaints feeling like you are not infected in your day-to-day life (you look on the outside even more healthy than some "normal persons"😉, how should a person like you live his normal life?
Are there people on this forum like that?
I want to hear from you. Thanks!
I know exactly how you feel and thank you for asking such an important question about how to live your life. Though I have several co-morbidities to treat, except for fatty tissue build up around my body I have been able to experience growth in myself and my career despite my positive status.
I've never treated it as a hindrance and actually consider it a motivator to try new things. It might seem a strange suggestion, but I find the times when we are feeling our best to be the right time to plan for when we will not be well. Long term care planning and end of life choices are easier to make when you have the energy to face difficult topics.
Thanks for bringing this subject up. I know there are many of us who have been surprised that we are able to live long and productive lives.
Let me know how things are going for you!Thanks for reacting to my post. I do have some co-morbities too but I live a "normal life". I am undetectable for years now and being HIV+ is not ruining my life right now. Most of the time I don't think of it as something that is going to stop me in anything. So, as a believer I pray to God to keep it that way or even better. 
It is so nice to hear that living with HIV has not negatively affected your personal growth or your career!
I think everybody needs to give some consideration to long-term care and end-of-life decisions. When I saw everybody, I even mean people who are not living with a health condition. You never know when something could happen!
My best friend lost her husband recently. It was all so sudden and unexpected that they did not know what his long-term care and end-of-life wishes were. Since he also did not have a will, she is having to go through lawyers to deal with his family. I do not have much that would matter to anybody, but I am going to do a living will and medical proxy, etc.
Sendingn love - Heather R (team member)
I agree. For me & all of those like me, keep on living & enjoying life to the utmost degree. And the others, I wish you well & still, live life to the utmost degree as possible.
Do not let ANYTHING get you down.
You are too valuable for that!Thank you for reacting to my post. Indeed, I'm just as upbeat as you are. LIVING MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST!
I love your energy and your message! Consider sharing your story (if you like!) on our stories page - https://h-i-v.net/stories . When folks reach out through email or direct message, I usually link them to one of our personal stories and I'd love to have from your perspective! No pressure of course, only if you're interested and willing! Thank you for being part of this community. - Liz (Team Member) You can share it. No problem!
They should live every day being mindful and aware. But, most importantly, they need to be living! Not hiding or staying away from others, like many of us still do today!
Loneliness is killing more of us than this disease nowadays.
I feel that far too often, people living an undetectable lifestyle prefer to look away from the fact they’re living with HIV because of the stigma. The reverse side are advocates, who shout it out loud but that takes its own toll on your mind and body too.
I have been living with HIV since 1996, A LOT has changed in that time. Newly diagnosed peeps in resource rich areas immediately gain access to medication, so thankfully Nowadays we get to figure out what normal is again.
Back in the early days, I heard that at group over and over - I just want to be normal again.
What’s normal?
To me - It’s getting up every day and completing your day to day activities. That’s normal.
This was a great question and I hope I helped a little.I feel like you have hit the nail on its head with your comments about loneliness. There are a lot of us who are living undetectable but still hiding. Some more than others.
I love your outlook on normalcy too. Getting 'back to normal' is more about having the ability to live a day-to-day life without a struggle. Many people are able to live their lives with HIV the same way that somebody without HIV (except they need to take a pill everyday).
Despite this, normal is overrated in my opinion. I like to live life with my own little spin on it. - Heather R (team member)
