I was diagnosed on 10th January 2000 at 4.30pm in Brighton after a long period of stomach problems—it was a complete shock. It was same day testing as this was arranged privately as I had private healthcare and it was being done as a routine check.

The results were like as if I had been thrown up against a brick wall at 100 miles an hour. My levels were bad, my CD4 was only 9, viral level was over 1.8 million—my world changed that split second forever.

Since then I have suffered TIAs, neuropathy in my legs and my stomach, and my colon does not work properly but I keep positive even with every day my strength becoming weaker. But I am thankful I am still alive and able to tell the tale. 

I do have grave concerns re benefit and pension losses with the new assessments and I feel people with HIV may be assessed as ‘fit’ when in fact they are very much not fit and very much not well.

Ian