"It’s funny how seemingly inconsequential decisions end up changing your life." – MartinLook at what skills you already have and what skills you would like to have.

John was quite excited that he was in a position to mould his own vocational and working life at the age of forty.

John: The transition from expecting death to expecting life was not a problem for me. And as the medication worked its magic I started thinking about what I would do with the rest of my life; what skills I had. So, I used the experience I had with working in the public service to my advantage and set up a consultancy business.

Because of my diagnosis, I didn’t achieve what most people do, for example, I didn’t get a driver’s licence until I was forty years old. When I was twenty-two I was too afraid to get one in case I had an accident and there was blood, and I had to tell somebody that I was HIV positive. At the age of forty I did go out and have lessons to learn to drive. I now have a car and I couldn’t exist without it.

Don’t focus on limits – focus on what you can do.

Consider all your options and what is important in terms of work and quality of life.