Q: I am HIV infected since 1999 but I am healthy and my weight is as it is but I have AIDS related tumours all over my body starting from the neck, then hands below the ribs and now recently on my chest and lung also. I have a severe continuos cough and cold from the last 2 month and my jaws are bleeding. Can you tell me how much time do I have and what will happen to me next? Do you know any organization in or around Mumbai where I can live for the rest of my life away from society? I am unmarried, 28 years old, my friends know about this and no one else. I have never taken any medicine but I have tried ayurvedic in the first year when I was infected.

A:You would need to see a specialist in HIV medicine at the soonest possible. There are several reputed specialists in the Mumbai area and you should arrange for a consultation. After tests including a CD4 count are done, you could be put on anti-retroviral drugs if indicated. With proper treatment there is no reason why you can not feel much better and prolong your life. Please contact the Mumbai AIDS Control Organisation or some similar organisation for advice on whom to contact. There is a government scheme for free supply of these drugs and you may be eligible.