Bob Sheriff of Spencer describes what he has gone through since being diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. His wife, Wilma Sheriff, at left, is his biggest support. Staff photo by Chris Howell

Spencer

Bob Sheriff of Spencer didn't fit the stereotype. He didn't use drugs, was happily married and the proud poppa of a 7-year-old boy.

The talkative 36-year-old New Albany native with a quick laugh and a good job with an auto parts manufacturer certainly seemed healthy.

He started feeling ill, however, one day in February 1996. A couple of days later, his wife drove him to Bloomington Hospital. By the time they arrived, Sheriff had to be carried through the front door. He thought he was dying.

Doctors diagnosed him with a type of pneumonia known to be associated with AIDS. He was so ill, he could have died that day, they said. But he quickly recovered enough to return home.

Two weeks later, Sheriff received a telephone call with his test results. He had AIDS.

In fact, his T-cell count was 20, a disastrous number. A person is considered to have a suppressed immune system if the count of his T-cells, a white blood cell that is part of the immune system, falls below 600, and AIDS if the count drops below 200.

"There were death bells going off," said Sheriff, who thought he had less than six months to live. "It was the most devastating day of my life."

His wife, Wilma, said her only thought was that she was going to lose her husband.

Sheriff became part of a national trend of people with AIDS who defy the stereotype of homosexuals and intravenous drug users as those infected. In Indiana and the United States, about 10 percent of those with HIV or AIDS become infected through heterosexual sex.

Sheriff doesn't know for certain, but has a strong suspicion he was infected by a particular female sex partner he knew before he met his wife.

"Everybody needs to know the possibility of AIDS exists for them," Sheriff said.

He started on drug treatments for AIDS after meeting with Bloomington physician Tom Hrisomalos. The drugs have improved Sheriff's condition significantly, but his life has changed completely, nonetheless.

"I went from being self-sufficient to being dependent on everyone else," Sheriff said. "Your self-esteem goes down the toilet."

Sheriff is one of many AIDS patients who rapidly become resistant to particular drugs and have to start new drug regimens several times a year. His various "AIDS cocktails," which have involved between 14 and 53 pills a day, have resulted in such side effects as extreme pain in his arms, feet and legs; a left leg he temporarily couldn't use; severe intestinal problems and a neck that has swollen from size 16A to size 19.

"I went from a pencil neck to a no-neck," said Sheriff with a laugh. "I'm very fortunate. I've done a lot better than some people. Some have gone through hell with this disease."

Deb Wilkin, Sheriff's care coordinator from Positive-Link, an HIV/AIDS services organization that's part of Bloomington Hospital, says Sheriff wouldn't be alive if not for his positive attitude.

Sheriff said he's been treated well by those who he's told about his disease — except for one government agency that tried to take his son away until Sheriff and Positive-Link threatened legal action and to embarrass the agency in the media, he said.

Otherwise, publicly-supported programs have helped Sheriff tremendously. He receives disability payments because work would make his health worse. His medication, which cost as much as $23,000 a year, is paid for by a state insurance program.

Sheriff helps reduce family expenses by tending a large garden and fixing everything that breaks in their home and on their car. He also volunteers as an inspector for government-subsidized homes to be occupied by people with AIDS.

Wilma Sheriff provides most of the family's financial support through a warehouse job. She also gives her husband a wealth of emotional support that many single people with AIDS don't receive. Most people with AIDS can't afford cars and some are homeless, according to Wilkin, who substitutes as "family" for many people with AIDS.

Wilma Sheriff has tested negative for HIV so far. She will have to be tested every six months for the rest of her life to determine whether she contracted HIV from Bob before he knew he was infected.

The Sheriff's hope Bob's health stays good enough that a cure or better medicine will be found during his lifetime.

"We live every day as if nothing's wrong," Wilma Sheriff said. "We plan for the future like everyone else does."

Where to be tested

Testing is available at several  locations and can be completed in as few as 10 minutes.

It is completely confidential — you are identified by a number and don't even have to give your name. It is an oral test and requires no needles. Results are available in two weeks. You should call in advance to check the hours for walk-in testing.

Monroe County Health Department, 119 W. Seventh St., Bloomington, (812) 349-2829.