Author: Alan Brand

Published by: Jacana Media

Summary:

As a successful, respected and widely accomplished businessman, the last thing Alan Brand expected was to be diagnosed as HIV positive. Positively Alive chronicles Alan's tremendous journey with HIV through vivid and personal journals where his revitalized holistic approach to health became so successful that when he finally divulged his status he had trouble convincing people that he was in fact HIV positive. Breaking the silence about his status helped Alan to turn his HIV status into a positive force in transforming his life and the lives of others.

In writing, Positively Alive, Alan has revealed an intimate and compelling personal account of life with HIV. He shares practical and emotional steps that have helped him live positively with HIV in a rousing account that is both readable and remarkable and gives advice to those who are HIV positive and to their family, friends and caregivers on how to live positively and productively with HIV.

"In 1997 I left my doctors rooms in a state of shock. She had just told me that I was HIV positive. On that day a journey of discovery started.

I remember trying to think what I knew about HIV and found it was very little. One thing, and the only thing I could think of at the time was that I knew for certain I was going to die of AIDS, how long did I have?

I decided to remain silent about my status until I was ready to deal with it. I knew I needed information but didn't know where to find it. Information about HIV/AIDS was mostly about prevention and was based on frightening people into using condoms. I already knew I should have practiced safe sex. I was well informed about the risk of HIV and that I would die of AIDS. This information was useless at this point of my life. But every poster and pamphlet seems intent on propagating this type of fear-based information. Information about living with HIV was difficult to attain. I felt that if I asked for help, people would suspect that I had HIV.

In 1999 I had my CD4 count done, it was discovered that my CD4 had dropped to 236 and I was told that I must start antiretroviral therapy or I would be dead within 18 months. The shock of this news is hard to describe, I guess anger was my first response. My heart cried out in anger:

'Who is this doctor, is he God that he knows how long I have?'

That was the day that things really started to change. Six weeks after changing my attitude and beginning to take charge of the situation I had my CD4 count done and it had recovered to 549. The viral load had also dropped to undetectable levels. That was in January 2000 and at the time I managed to maintain my CD4 and my health without the use of antiretroviral therapy." Now since 2004, using ARV’s Alan continues to remain positively alive.

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Positively Alive Recipe Book