"Remember the past, but move forward into the future, one day at a time. In January 1996 one of the doctors from the BC Centre for Excellence came into my hospital room in Vancouver and said, 'You know the reason why I'm here?' I just looked into her eyes and replied, 'Yes, and I want you to go away until my partner gets here....'

My partner along with the doctor and head nurse came into my room shortly after. The doctor said, “the HIV test came back positive.” My partner and I started to cry. The head nurse took my partner for tea into a side office and explained about the new HIV drugs that had just came out. I was in a private room. She offered me her cigarettes and put a do not disturb sign on the door… bless her heart.

Some great things have happened since diagnosis. I was motivated to get into Health Policy/Research in a big way. It sometimes gets too busy and we need more capacity building and leaders, but it keeps me out of trouble or perhaps gets me into more trouble! My friends certainly don’t believe me when I say I am staying out of trouble as I continue to advocate and push limits for change. Every day, I regain my culture and traditional teaching from the creator and our ancestors.

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