Only one more thing needs to be said.... THANKS to all those who have provided encouragement to me during these past 13 weeks. My test results show that I am hiv negative. I wish I could buy all of you a steak and a beer. Now it is time to get on with life. Good Luck to all. I will be visiting this sight once a week to lend encouragement to all who are still on the road to their negative results.

Thanks Again,

Saltysam

GREAT!!!I'm happy for ya...I wish there were more messages like yours in here.
Have a great and healthy life and be carefull in future
best wishes

Sam,

I have followed your posts through this and I am so happy for you. How can you let it go? That is my trouble. I test at almost 20 weeks after my exposure and still I can not let it go. I think that 6 months is conclusive so give me some tips on letting this go. I want kids but I am too afraid because I can feel lymph nodes in my neck. Right now I have a sore tooth and I know it is caused by HIV. One of my lymph nodes is swollen and I figure it has to be HIV. Any help?

Dear Never,

I am not sure how I can help. What has helped me is to sift through all the info that is posted on this and another board and try to reach some type of concensus regarding my status. I have also read boat loads of info, always reading with a grain of salt. What I have discovered is 13 weeks is all a person needs to come to the conclusion that they are either -ve or +ve. Yes there are those rare exceptions, but the fact is they are rare. I have also refused to allow myself to be scared by all of the fears of others. And that my friend is what so many people do and may play a part in why some people cannot move on. Your symptoms are stress related and their is no doubt in my mind. Have you noticed how many people have the same exact symptoms? Then, they get there test results and they are -ve. You have to trust your results and move on. As time goes by you will see all those symptoms fall by the wayside, one by one.

Good Luck,

Saltysam

Hey Salty, my hearty congrats on your negative results!! I am very happy for you. I have a few more weeks to wait, but I was negative at 6 weeks, so I know that all those symptoms up until then were likely stress. You see, I've been through this anxiety before. In fact, I sometimes get light-headed or get a headache or get kinda warmish and get scratchy and think I'm getting a rash or I start to think I'm getting a sore throat, or I have loose stools, and on and on and on. But you know what? Those symptoms go away when I take my Alprazolam that the doctor gave me -- it is a form of tranquilizer. Now, add to the mix the fact that I am going through job interviews and I am just darned pleased that I haven't had a heart attack. Not yet. But it's scary when you walk in and are waiting for the blood test results, is it not? What if they have a crisis counselor sitting in there, waiting to help you through the bad news. Gasp. Anyway, I will be at eight weeks next Tuesday. Waiting. Waiting. It's hard. But time passes quickly, really.

Congrats SaltySam.I am so happy for you. I hope my 13th week test result will be negative(tested at 5th and 9th week-negative)but or course I will have to wait for another 4 more weeks for the 13th week test.Once again, CONGRATULATIONS and take good care of yourself buddy.