Her Shattered Reality
The doctor's words were ringing in her ears. It felt impossible. How could she be HIV positive? As her mother collapsed next to her Elizabeth knew she would have to be strong. She got her phone out and dialed her boyfriend's number to deliver the news.
How was it possible that both people in her life that were meant to love and protect her instantly abandoned her? With a devastating diagnosis, she felt like her life was over. All it would take was one small phone call to change everything.
It Was A Routine Appointment
Every young woman should have annual checkups with their family doctor or gynecologist. Your doctor will check your internal health and run tests to make sure everything is healthy. The procedure can be uncomfortable but is mandatory.
Six years ago, Elizabeth thought she was having a routine check-up and thought it was strange she had to go to the office for her results. She brought her mother with her but both women were not prepared for what the doctor told them.
How Would You Handle This Bad News?
When they entered the doctor's office, Elizabeth was surprised the first question she was asked was how do you handle bad news? Before she could even respond, her doctor told her a diagnosis she would never forget.
The doctor told her “You’re HIV positive”. Elizabeth was in shock. She had been with one partner faithfully for years. How could she have contracted the virus and what did it mean for her life? Before she could respond, her mother collapsed on the floor!
The Attention Moved To Her Mother
Elizabeth remembers time standing still while she processed the news. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. As she began to formulate a response her mother collapsed on the ground.
Quickly the appointment changed to focusing on her mother. Elizabeth had just been told she had a life-threatening virus but no one was paying attention to her. Nurses were called to sedate her hysterical mother, but Elizabeth tried to get her doctor's attention to ask important questions. How long would she have?
Was This A Death Sentence?
Elizabeth knew that there had been medical strides in HIV medication and asked her doctor how bad her diagnosis was. Instead of telling her any facts the doctor just held her hands and said, “we’re going to make sure you live the longest life possible”.
What did that mean? Was it weeks? Months? Years? The young woman hadn’t gotten married or had children yet. She wasn’t prepared to end her life so young. As nurses focused on her mother she reached for her phone to call the one person she expected support. Did Elizabeth have anyone in her corner to rely on?
How Would Her Boyfriend React?
Her boyfriend told her he would go get tested and they would get through this together. When she left the appointment the doctor told her someone would be in touch. She didn’t give Elizabeth any pamphlets or follow-up information.
Two days later her week got worse. Her boyfriend's test results were negative and he quickly ended the relationship. Her mother was unreachable and Elizabeth never felt more alone in the world. She tried to harm herself and felt like her life was over. An appointment with a specialist a week later changed everything.
An Appointment With Specialist
After two very stressful and emotional weeks, Elizabeth got an appointment with an HIV specialist. She went to the appointment expecting to figure out medication and how to plan for the rest of her life. Instead, the specialist was bewildered.
After reviewing her results the specialists told her she was negative for the virus. In fact, the specialist had no idea why Elizabeth’s doctor had told her she was positive in the first place. It felt like a second chance at life, but she needed to speak to her original doctor. What kind of apology could this medical professional offer?
There Was Never An Apology!
The doctor decided instead of apologizing to say “mistakes happen.” Elizabeth had almost ended her life and lost her boyfriend due to this sloppy malpractice. Apparently, all the doctor could say was before Elizabeth they had little experience with HIV.
Elizabeth was furious. She knew she needed to let people know about her experience but it wouldn’t be for a few years that she had the platform to do so. In the meantime, she had different battles to overcome and face. What else was in store for this young woman?
An Unexpected Viral Sensation
Elizabeth’s TikTok went viral and was viewed over a million times. People couldn’t believe the audacity of the doctor, her boyfriend, or her mother! They had so many questions that Elizabeth made a part two.
What would she cover in the second video that hadn’t been addressed in the first? How could she explain to her followers what it had been like to think you were dying and then find out it was a mistake? She knew she needed to share what she had learned so it never happened to anyone else.
It Was Unbelievable
The same doctor that had been so careless with Elizabeth's life was still practicing medicine. In fact, other people had reviewed her online and said she was incredibly thorough, trustworthy, and explained things clearly.
Elizabeth debunked all of these accolades by reminding her followers that the doctor had offered zero support or further follow-up. When she had delivered the terrible news she sent Elizabeth home and said someone would be in touch. All people really wanted to know though was what happened with her boyfriend?
Can You Believe They Got Back Together?
Six years ago, after Elizabeth found out that it was a false positive she got back together with her boyfriend. She explains in the video that at the time she was young, vulnerable, and conditioned to his extremely abusive tactics.
Elizabeth has learned so much from her past. She holds herself accountable for her choices but has also learned to let go and accept change. She knows that this isn’t easy for everyone, and encourages you to reach out if you are in an abusive situation. What would her followers think of her choices?
It Happens More Than You Think
One of the most interesting things Elizabeth was learning was that a lot of people were being failed by the medical system. Her followers began to share their own horror stories of being misdiagnosed and their doctors' lack of responsibility.
We put all our trust in medical professionals. It never occurs to us they could be wrong. It’s a dangerous situation to be in when the doctors don’t take responsibility. If they are dealing with people's lives, why are they allowed to get away with saying the wrong information? Elizabeth had a lot of educational resources to share on her platform, could she help save someone else in the future?
Always Get A Second Opinion
It is crucial that regardless of the test results, patients understand they can get a 2nd opinion. For Elizabeth, her doctor had been practicing for 20 years and still provided terrible service. A lot of patients think their doctor has the final say.
The first thing Elizabeth wants to change is letting people know that they are within their rights to get a second opinion. The next thing Elizabeth had to share was something not a lot of people know. Would her followers appreciate her research or call her a fraud for sharing?
Why Do We Get False Positive Results?
The reason why Elizabeth got a positive test result is that her doctor misread a reactive result. Reactive means that her body is fighting any kind of virus, including the common flu, and is carrying certain antibodies. It does not mean the patient is an HIV patient.
Elizabeth had done all this research by herself to get answers on why this had happened to her. In her research, she also finds out that there are laws in place to protect HIV patients from being left alone to handle the news. What exists currently to support those dealing with this diagnosis?
This Is Legally Binding
Elizabeth wanted to share with her followers that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had strict mandates on how to deliver news for an HIV diagnosis. They clearly state that a diagnosis does not come from one test alone.
As she walked her followers through this information, one thing was startlingly clear. There is still so much miscommunication about an HIV diagnosis that people are still living in fear. Would this next slide shed a light on startling figures and help someone else in need?
Reactive Is The Most Crucial Word
A lot of Elizabeth's followers had never heard about the term “reactive”. It needed further explanation, especially since this one word had flipped her life upside down. Elizabeth had received her entire medical file after the process and this word kept coming up.
A “reactive” result means that your blood has reacted to something. It can range from common colds to other external things impacting your body. It only means that your body has reacted to something similar to an HIV antibody. Elizabeth had more educational facts to share with her followers, but was anyone listening?
What You Must Know About HIV Tests
What everyone needs to understand is that due to the nature of the virus there is a significant amount of false positives. Due to the volume of these results, medical professionals are never allowed to confirm an HIV diagnosis on one test.
With all this information and education that Elizabeth was providing to her followers, everyone wanted to know two things! What happened to her mom and did she pursue legal action against the doctor. Elizabeth said something next that shocked her entire audience.
She Decided Not To Press Charges
At the time of the false-positive result, Elizabeth was dealing with a lot of things. She was in an abusive relationship and her mother was incredibly toxic and narcissistic. She understands that most people would have pressed charges but she just wanted to move forward.
While the most comments she received were asking about the size of her settlement Elizabeth said she couldn’t answer. It was clear she would have a case if she did decide to move forward, but she just wanted people to be educated instead. How would Elizabeth deal with negative comments?
A Firm Salute
A lot of people who heard Elizabeth’s story were empathetic. She was young and scared and had done what felt right at the time. However, some people were rude and ignorant towards her mental health struggles and she has no patience for them on her page.
She shared with her followers exactly how she would respond to any of these comments and was loudly applauded for being so direct. Did the state that Elizabeth lives in have anything to do with her horrible treatment?
Eye Opening Facts On Illinois
The midwestern state of Illinois is where Elizabeth calls home and does not have special circumstances for HIV diagnosis. The state also enforces strict regulations and does not encourage giving any information after one test result.
Besides Illinois, Elizabeth had done global research and had information from the AIDS foundation of Chicago. She was going to continue to educate anyone that came to her channel, even if it meant losing followers in the process. Did anyone leave the TikTokers page based on this content?
It Makes People Uncomfortable
AIDS is still incredibly taboo and there's a lot of misinformation circulating. One of the best sources of information for Elizabeth was going to the American Civil Liberties Union or ACLU for reference. Their website partnered with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the AIDS Legal Council of Chicago to provide detailed and easily accessible information.
Elizabeth had one more thing to highlight to her followers before she started answering questions in the comment sections. What was written in the small fine print and was it helpful for someone to take the time to read it?
Always Take The Time To Read The Small Print
If you don’t understand the information you’re given, find someone that does. Elizabeth stressed it is incredibly important to go over all the fine print and disclaimers. These are your basic human rights and will only help you when understanding an AIDS diagnosis.
What was the bigger message Elizabeth was trying to spread? She was using a popular social media platform for a reason, but was it helping anyone? How could she tell if she was making a difference?
Awareness Is Critical
Even if Elizabeth's story only helped one person she was creating TikTok to spread awareness. It was something that she felt driven to do based on her own experiences. She was a success story.
A false-positive test had almost ruined her life but now she was a married mother to two healthy children. Was her mother still involved in her life? After Elizabeth shared her diagnosis nightmare, it was just the tip of the iceberg for her family dramatics. What was a startling decision she made a year ago?
A Problem Since Childhood
Elizabeth was vocal about her traumatic experiences during childhood and how listening to her mother had caused a lot of problems and stress. She made TikTok videos to demonstrate that just because someone is related to you doesn’t mean they deserve to be in your life.
Would Elizabeth feel comfortable sharing tough memories to demonstrate her points? She was covering intense emotions, but did her followers not believe her without proof? How could she share while still maintaining her privacy?
A Big Decision A Year Ago
One year ago, Elizabeth decided that having her mother in her life was more negative than positive. She had endured gaslighting and emotional abuse until she finally had enough. After she became a mom, it was time to reevaluate her priorities.
In the video, Elizabeth shares candid photos with her mom that were taken at some of the worst times of her life. It’s never easy to lose your mother but her mental health had to come first. How would she learn to be a mother when her own role model was a disaster?
She Shared What She Could
Elizabeth only shared the parts of her life she felt comfortable with. She touched on several different topics and let her followers know that it was a safe space for dialogue. If she had gotten over these experiences they could too!
What kind of comments did Elizabeth receive? In a short period of time, she had been vulnerable, opening up about the worst time in her life. Would she receive positive feedback or choose to leave social media forever?
She Wasn’t Alone!
The first thing Elizabeth realized was a lot of people had been in her situation! There was a large number of people who had also received the wrong test results and never received an apology from their doctors.
Stories started to pile up in her comments. Elizabeth began to struggle to get to each one and worried that she would feel overwhelmed. Who would come through the comments to support her journey?
Her Followers Just Wanted MORE!
Elizabeth had found an audience that was enthralled with her story. Every time she posted a clip about her personal experiences people wrote that they needed to know more! It’s a tough line for every social media persona to find. How do you balance your privacy versus your social media reality?
Elizabeth needed to make a choice for her family's future. Would she continue to share personal details or go back to making lighter content for follower engagement? This strong young woman made a tough decision based on these two factors.
Her Children Inspire Her
Elizabeth is a stay at home to two children and they require her full focus. When she is sharing too many stories of personal experiences, she loses time doing other things. For now, her audience would have to settle for funny content that made her days easier instead of harder.
After sharing how abusive her ex-boyfriend was, when had Elizabeth left him? Was he still in the picture or did she have a partner that she could depend on for support? She loved to show off her amazing family, but was she keeping him all to herself.
A Happy Family With A Bright Future
Elizabeth had accomplished a lot in the past six years. She left her abusive ex, reconnected with her childhood sweetheart, got married, and now had two beautiful children. Her life and her priorities were clear and no one was going to interrupt them.
Elizabeth will continue to serve as an inspiration to many. She is always finding the positive spin and believes in always standing up for the dialogue. She is proof that your life can always get better and will constantly inspire her followers to believe in themselves.