I was in my late twenties and was pursuing a very successful career in the competitive horse show industry.  I was competing on a world championship level, it involved much travel and excitement.  I thought my life was on a path to only get better.  In the fall of 1990, my whole world was turned upside down.  That is when I was diagnosed HIV positive.  In those early years of the epidemic, this was considered a death sentence.  I was determined not to let that happen to me.  I gave up many things in my life, including my career, in order to focus my attention on staying alive. 

I am very fortunate to be able to enjoy life today, but through the years it has not been an easy path to follow.  In the late 1990's I began noticing changes to my body composition.  I soon realized I had the condition known as lipoatrophy, which is the loss of fat in the arms, legs, face, and buttocks.  These changes can be devastating to ones self confidence, quality of life, and can cause severe depression. 

The cause of this condition is not yet completely understood, but it is now widely accepted that the effects of many HIV drugs, and even HIV itself can be the reason for these changes in body fat distribution, or the lack of body fat.  This condition drove me into a deep depression, and affected my overall health. 

Although a healthy diet and exercise can alleviate some of the thinness in the arms and legs, this does nothing for sunken cheeks or buttocks.  My only choices were to live looking like the "face of AIDS", or to try to find a solution to make myself look healthy again.  I did not want HIV to steal what little self-esteem I had left, so I contacted a cosmetic surgeon.  I was informed that fat transfer surgically removed from my abdomen and inserted into my face was the answer.  This painful and very expensive procedure provided no improvement. 

The next attempt was with another doctor who gave me a series of eight Sculptra treatments.  Again, after many painful and expensive treatments, no improvement in my appearance was gained. These experiences were completely devastating to me.  I was quickly becoming a recluse, reluctant to be seen in public because of my appearance. 

I then learned about Clinic'estetica and the impressive results they were achieving treating HIV lipoatrophy.  The winter of 2002-2003 I had my first treatments on my face using BioAlcamid.  After the second treatment, I looked completely healthy and normal again.  My results were dramatic, my overall health improved simply because I felt so much better and self confident about myself again. 

I decided in 2005 to have buttock reconstruction done as well.  These results were also wonderful, its great to be able to sit again with no discomfort.  I have recently had another treatment on my face and buttocks to refine what had already been done.  This time I chose to use the permanent filler Precise. 

Again,  my results have been fantastic. In the past I have also experimented with temporary fillers currently on the US market, which are very expensive and VERY temporary. I have learned that temporary fillers offer little or no improvement for lipoatrophy, and the costs are prohibitive. 

This has been a tremendous learning experience for me as I have found what works best and which treatments are the most cost effective.  I am happy to share my experiences with others to help them make informed choices, to have realistic expectations, and to help them gain back what disease and mother nature has taken away.  I would like others to know that there is hope, and help available.

I can be contacted by email at:
GEA121@aol.com , or by phone at 217-398-8153.