I owe the NHS so very much. The care that I have received over the last 8 years, since my HIV diagnosis, has been quite simply awesome. How very lucky am I to live in a country where I have access to my consultant and her team, when I need them? I can drop them an email, give them a call and they are there.

For the last seven years, I’ve visited the sexual health clinic every 12-16 weeks for a round of blood tests, a chat with my consultant and then off they pack me until the next time. Now that I’m successfully on ARV, the treatment used to suppress HIV in my blood, I go every 6 months for routine blood tests.

At my last set of bloods, in December, my liver function came back with an anomaly. I felt/feel fine and have no symptoms of anything being un-toward. But good ol’ NHS; consultant triggers repeat blood tests and also, today, an ultrasound to check out what exactly is going on.

The team at the clinic I attend really are so very attentive – in the past I’ve had my thyroid investigated ‘just to be safe’ and now my liver is having a full MOT too.

This is mainly down to the fact that although as simple as ‘a pill a day’ the medication for HIV is complex and toxic. It is a life long commitment, until science creates an alternative, and they want to keep my body in tip top condition so I can continue to suppress the hitchhiker in my blood as long as possible.

Now for me to do my bit; working on keeping myself tip top!