‘It’s Not About Dying; It’s About Living’
Sharon Lund, 42, of Los Angeles learned she was infected with the AIDS virus seven years ago. She has symptoms of the disease--a condition called AIDS-related complex--but has not been found to have full-blown AIDS.
Lund has never been to a traditional medical doctor. She credits her longevity to her state of mind and confidence in her health regimen.
“I looked at what was going on in my entire life. The main thing I had to change was my eating habits. And I saw the importance of exercise, where I hadn’t before,” says Lund, who counsels and lectures on women and HIV infection.
Along with a vegetarian diet, acupuncture, massage and vitamin and herb therapy, Lund says she tends her spiritual and mental needs. She meditates, uses visualization, prays and works hard to achieve good relationships.
“I think when people get tested (for HIV infection), some say, ‘Woe is me. I’m dying.’ Others take the virus and allow it to empower their lives as an opportunity to live life to the fullest,” she says. “My whole life has changed, and my commitment to life has changed.”
But for infected women, who may have the responsibilities of children and a husband, coping can be much more difficult. Infected women may feel more isolated than gay men, who tend to form strong communities, and may believe that there is little that can be done for them.
Lund suggests that women in particular need psychological services.
Lund, who has a teen-age daughter, says she was unable to cope with her infection for three years after learning she was HIV-positive. (She contracted the disease from an ex-husband whom she didn’t know was bisexual.)
After her health worsened, however, she began to take charge of her life, she says:
“Now I live life to the fullest and I appreciate every moment. When I wake up in the morning it’s: ‘Thank you, God. I’m happy to be alive.’
“The long-term survivors, the thing we all have in common is the emphasis on body, mind and spirit. It’s not about dying. It’s about living.”