Hello and I would like to share only some personal experiences that I
have had and am currently having.  I certainly am no scientist and in
the past, I have not subscribed  to any particular dissident viewpoint
concerning HIV and AIDS but this is no longer the case.  Being an HIV+
person diagnosed early in 1987 and being on the full range of
antiretovirals over the years beginning with AZT (which I could not
tolerate), I began a series of early intervention projects when the
drug DDI became available through the National Institutes of Health
(NCI Phase I Study 1988).  At that time,  I had a T4 count of 166 with
ratios of T4/T8 being around .12 to .14 at the beginning of the Phase I
DDI Study. From about 1988 to 1993, I was on DDI alone and my results
of theproject were outstanding.  During the course of my program, my
TCells were averaging from about 550 to almost 700.  When the PI drugs
came out my doctors leaning not on the results of my treatment but what
researchers told them their "next step" and the "PC" thing to would be.
Introduce protease inhibitors.  During that period, I tried them all
and they were so incredibly toxic to my system that I knew if I
continued these, the cure would be much worse than the disease.  I
refused PI therapy and continued on NNRTI drugs perhaps two or a
maximum of three at any given time.  My counts were always near 500 and
my VL was always undetectable during that period.  In the late 1990s
when so many patients were experiencing lipodistrophy and other drug
related problems, I wanted to say I told you so but I just continued
doing what I was doing.  My attitude was and still is its my body so I
will determine what I will and will not put into it.  For the last two
years I have more than not been off of all HIV medications.  I have
taken prolonged "holidays" from antiretrovirals and the highest that my
viral load has gone is 30,000 which in my opinion is acceptable.  My
TCells also continue to be in the 400 range without any major drops.  I
would also like to add that during these periods, I had some very major
losses in my life of deaths of friends, both parents, severe financial
deterioration, the loss of an only pet, a move half way across the
country as I could no longer stay on the left coast because of the
surreal reality of mere survival requirements.  In addition,  during
the transition from the West to the Midwest, I almost became homeless
in the process. Perhaps that throws out the medical model which has
been indoctrinated to us for years relating to avoiding stressors in
our life.  I have now been off all retrovirals for seven months
continuously and have had my "labs" drawn each month and the results
are as follows:

T4  12/04  376   VL 15,000
T4  01/05 494    VL 30,000
T4  02/05  465    VL 20,880

What I believe now is that perhaps we are dealing with two different
issues in my particular case....at least on a medical level.  One is
that I started anti retroviral treatment early on and that by doing so,
I was able to survive the disease all of these years because of this.
When AIDS first showed up in the late 1970s (GRID) and early 1980s, the
disease was very virulent and because of the lack of treatments
available, many people continued dying from it for many reasons.
During the early to mid 1980s, so many people just did not get tested
for the virus once the "test" came out in the mid 1980s for no other
reason than who would want to know they had a disease that would turn
them into pariahs and would change their lives forever.  When I was
tested in early 1987, I was tested because of symptoms that were rather
severe during what I believe was my own seroconversion.  I was not
taking illicit  drugs nor did I.  I was not a major partier nor did I
really fit into any specific "high risk box" other than being a rather
careful sexual being on the fence so to speak.  During the years that I
have been infected with the "virus" I have seen many things but what
sticks out in my mind the most is that I have personally known several
hundred or maybe thousands of people that have died from this DISEASE.
I have personally known at least 5 men who have tested negative on the
initial Elisa test who when further studies were done (Western Blot)
their immune systems were not much different than mine other than they
had much higher viral loads and less T4 cells than I did.  They were
very ill.  What this tells me is that some individuals do not develop
HIV antibodies because perhaps of genetics etc.  Now we are seeing
false positives and again all of the people who are actively ill who
have no antibodies to the HIV virus.  What does that say?  To say the
least, these findings are very disturbing and with the advent of
proposed mandatory HIV testing in the United States for all men, women,
and children.....how is that going to affect our culture and society
using the myths that the medical community are using today to treat
this DIS-EASE.  I saw something that was written on this group the
other day that perhaps simulates this very well.

HIV POSITIVE PATIENT + PNEUMONIA OR OTHER UNUSUAL CONDITIONS = AIDS
PATIENT

HIV NEGATIVE PATIENT + PNEUMONIA OR OTHER UNUSUAL CONDITIONS = PATIENT
WITH PNEUMONIA OR OTHER U CONDITION.

I recently ran across an alternative publication at
www.breakfornews.com and there was quite an extensive interview with
Christine Maggiore who runs a website called www.aliveandwell.org.  It
is definitely thought provoking reading.  She give an audio interview
that is playable on Windows Media and it is quite good.

Take from this what you want and perhaps if you have anything you would
like to share with me feel free to write me at
dakotaskysurfer@gmail.com and I would very much like to hear ALL VIEWS
regarding what I have had to say here.  Again, I am not a scientist or
academic but just a person who has lived through this thing called
AIDS.  I would very much like to hear from people that perhaps have
been thinking along the same lines or NOT.  Thanks

Dakotaskysurfer