Having the rug pulled out from under you

Could you imagine being in the prime of your life - so between 20-40 yrs old - in the point of time where you're supposed to find the person you LOVE and get married, have children, travel some, finish school and find a job (hopefully a good one!), apply for health insurance through them so it's coming out of THEIR pocket and not yours and live a GLORIOUS life!!!

So you're in the midst of doing so...

THEN.....

BAM

You are hit with a diagnosis of HIV!!!

Thing is, you live a non risky life, you've done EVERYTHING correctly so how the HELL did you get this?! You've never had a blood transfusion, haven't travelled (unless you count going on a cruise 2 yrs ago that the riskiest thing you did was do accupuncture - I wouldn't have but we aren't talking about me!) and don't have risky sexual encounters (have been monogomous their entire life)... so how does this happen?! AND how is that you find out when you're applying for health insurance?! Geeze if THAT doesn't suck, I don't know what does!

And HOW do you, as a nurse respond when your patient just breaks DOWN - and of course you feel like shit for asking about the diagnosis - you try to be empathetic but how the hell am I supposed to relate when I have never experienced this and I can't even try to. But I CAN be sympathetic and try to lend an ear as well as a shoulder. I did that today for my pt. I hope I provided some hope for this pt.