I felt like writing and updating my CD4 numbers. Then I thought “How many people know their numbers can and will fluctuate while on HIV meds?”
Maybe our life is like a merry-go-round too. Around and around our health issues seems to go. We go up, we go down like the horses on the children’s ride. One thing gets better and something new starts or an old issue flares up.
I didn’t know it until it happened to me. And it can be a shock, thinking you’re sliding backwards. It’s like being on a roller coaster UP, DOWN. UP, DOWN! And it can or will happen often to many of us with HIV.
Isn’t it fun living with HIV? It may not be fun and games but it’s better than the alternative which is death. We’re so lucky to live in the new times of surviving HIV. The new medicines, new ideas, and new treatments. Thankfully most of our doctors are educated or can be educated about the new medicines and treatments.
I got side tracked now back to my new CD4 numbers. Mine have dropped a little bit again. I was at 513 in Jan. 2018. My CD4 now is 433 for June 2018. My viral load is still undetectable, less than 10, and my percentage at 28%. My doctor once told me the percentage is more important than the actual CD4 or T cell count.
I’ll add this explanation I found online to help some to understand this percentage importance. I googled “percentage CD4 numbers” and found answers to often asked questions there. It’s a little confusing but please ask your doctor to explain it well enough. That is the most reliable information
The CD4% is a more stable marker than the absolute CD4 count. The CD4 percentage refers to the percentage of total lymphocytes that are CD4 cells. If your test reports CD4% = 34%, that means that 34% of your lymphocytes are CD4 cells. The average normal CD4% for
What is the normal range for CD4count?
As HIV infection progresses, the number of these cells declines. When the CD4 count drops below 200, a person is diagnosed with AIDS. A normal range for CD4 cells is about 500-1,500.
Find more answers on this link. https://www.hiv.va.gov/patient/diagnosis/labs-CD4-count.asp
As I posted above it’s a roller coaster. It’s a merry-go-round. I guess we could say it’s an amusement park or a circus. The main thing is, it’s our life and most of the time it’s not fun. We need our “sisters”, our friends, our support circle around us and close. We’re a “family” and we’re in this together. We can laugh together and we can cry together. The important thing is “we have one another.” We Are Not Alone. Reach out and you’ll find one of us