The Arc - Natalie Gregg

The Arc of Cowlitz Valley

Natalie Gregg

Natalie Gregg is 25 years old. Six months ago she found out that she has HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Less than a month ago, she began to experience the first stages of AIDS. Her diagnosis was especially difficult for her to accept in that Natalie acquired the AIDS virus, HIV, from her husband, Raymond.

"Before we got married, Raymond went through a pretty hard time. He lost two jobs, couldn't find work, couldn't pay his bills. He was feeling pretty awful about himself. He started doing drugs to numb all those bad feelings," Natalie recalls. Although she didn't know it at the time, Ray was injecting cocaine into his veins. "He used a needle that someone with HIV had already used. I got HIV from having sex with Raymond," Natalie says.

Neither Natalie nor Raymond knew their HIV status until Natalie became sick. Although Natalie was infected not long after she and Raymond were married, like many HIV infected people, Natalie showed no symptoms for nearly four and a half years. When she learned she was HIV positive, Natalie had a lot of mixed feelings. "I was confused, angry at myself and at Ray, and I was scared." Natalie talked to her doctor and a counselor. The counselor was able to answer a lot of Natalie's questions and helped her find a support group for people living with HIV and AIDS.

Natalie and Ray have faced many difficult situations together in the past six months. First, they had to tell their families about their illness. Ray's family has been supportive, as were Natalie's parents and younger sister, Ann. That is not the case with Natalie's older brother, Nathan. "Nathan and his wife don't want to be around us. He says that he is afraid for his three children. I try not to be angry about it," says Natalie.

Natalie plans to take life "one day at a time". She is concentrating on getting enough rest, and eating right so that she can stay healthy as long as possible. She sees her doctor regularly and takes AZT, an immune boosting drug. "I refuse to look at this as a death sentence," Natalie declares. "Instead, when I start to feel down or depressed, I remind myself that I have a life, and I'm going to concentrate on living it."

For Natalie, "living life" means continuing to work at her job as a paralegal in a law firm. Regarding her decision to tell the people she works with about her condition, Natalie says, "It was important for me to tell my bosses and co-workers. The only way people will get over their fear of AIDS is by being around people with HIV or AIDS."