Re: "Light" positive? Help!

[Nina]

Aww Kelley, I'm sorry.  We really can relate to what you're going through.  It is devastating news to hear someone in your care has tested pos.  You're right, you don't know exactly what you're up against yet.  Why not try to expect the best instead of the worst?  Our words and visualizations DO have power.  At the very least, you can make yourself sick with all this worry and forgetting to eat.  I won't suggest you dry your tears, that's a stupid thing to say, but you have to keep yourself healthy if you're going to do the best you can to help your little charges stay healthy.  The general public and veterinary community as a whole have come to equate felv and fiv as a death sentence.  But sweetheart, life is a death sentence.  It's what we do with that life, it's in the way we live the time we have here, (felines and humans alike), that makes the difference in the quality of our life and the time we've been given.  While it's true that most of our positives become symptomatic, it isn't necessarily so that they will.  Some "throw" the virus and later test negative.  You just don't know what will happen.  Even with the formidable obstacles in dealing with this disease, there have been many, many miracles of recovery and longevity.  It is a daunting task to remain upbeat while we sift through all the conflicting/lacking information that we encounter.  Take care of yourself and those little babies the best you can.  One day at a time, one moment to the next is the only way we can "handle" the things that life throws at us.  I don't mean to sound Polly Anna, but you will be surprised to find, as most of us have, that the grief is counterbalanced with incredible joy.  Even being through the heartache of losing my sweet felv babies, knowing them and loving them is something I would never change. Sending you supportive and healing energy, Nina  They are cute, but even with a sleeping pill I had problems sleeping last night, having nightmares of dead and dying cats and kittens, and I forgot to eat too. And I have been crying all day, and I don't even know anything yet. How am I going to handle it when I actually know something?