Reprinted from HIV Plus, May/June 2008. Copyright 2008 by LPI Media Inc. All rights reserved.

By Bob Adams

Learning you're HIV-positive is upsetting enough without having another bombshell accompany the news. But that's what happened to Cliffside Park, N.J., native Stephen Puibello when he was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness. But he didn't let the dual diagnoses drag him down. Instead, he focused on improving his overall health and has dropped 80 pounds in the past eight years. The 49-year-old is in such good shape that he's completed several cycling fund-raisers, including last year's 545-mile AIDS/LifeCycle.