LivingAndLovingLife
I was born in 1957 in a small Northern California town, farming country with a Mom and Dad, two brothers and a sister. I knew at an early age I wanted out of my small and wanted more for my life than just getting married and settling down. So after moving to Southern California I met a man and got married...much too young when I look back, but I was in love. Sadly our goals became very different as time went on and at the 5 year mark we divorced.
I had met the love of my life prior to my divorce and it was a whirlwind three years together. We were planning on having children and then he got very very sick. After multiple tests they ran on him, he said they were going to do one for HIV. We agreed it should be done in order to rule everything out....well guess what test came back positive...
More about Neen…
So I have known Maria for many years now, as I do Jyoti Dhawale. I haven't been too out with my status in the last two years after moving to Texas; it takes time to get to know folks, especially in a small town. I have been an admin in Maria's International group almost three years now but I have done speaking and peer mentoring in the past. I have been blessed to have had amazing HIV doctors in Los Angeles, Stanford University CA, Phoenix AZ, not so great in my hometown north of Sacramento, but a super doctor in Dallas, TX. I met Rebecca Dennison many years ago while living in the Bay Area. Through her I met my first other HIV positive woman after being diagnosed seven years previously. I have since been on several cruises for HIV positive folks, retreats, and have a pretty large network of HIV positive hetero friends, many of whom do not feel comfortable being out with their status. And a lot of us are now middle age and older...so now we are aging with HIV, a whole new arena.
Why Neen wants to be a part of A Girl Like Me: I have traveled so many roads and have experienced so much in life with family, friends, jobs, traveling, HIV and meds, related illnesses and side effects, yet I let none of this stop me. I travel, I explore, I thrive, I survive, I love my life...
