Dr. William Ivan Lapidus, MD

Dr. Lapidus successfully treated my severe cellulitis after an emergency room and two other doctors were unable to do so. His knowledge in the area of infectious disease is unparalleled and I would have no problem recommending his expertise to anyone.

Dr. Lapidus truly cares about his patients. I only wish he was a general doctor. If he were, I would transfer all my medical needs to him. He is an excellent doctor!

This kind physician was assigned to me when I was admitted on an emergency basis to Brookwood ICU from Lakeshore due to a collapsed lung. I was in Lakeshore for rehab as I had spent three months in a coma at UAB due to HIV-related pneumonia complications. All through this ordeal, up until this time, no one had talked to me at any length about my surprise AIDS diagnosis (I was diagnosed on admission). With all of the treatment, coma, drugs, care, etc., my mental state was terrible, and I honestly wanted to die. I had been told by one doctor was that I would likely be in assisted living for only a few years until I died. Another said that I would never work again (my career is my life). None would give any idea as to whether I had any hope. Even worse, many of them just wouldn't talk about it at all. After a few days in Brookwood, I was crying one day when Dr. Lapidus walked in. I honestly had been looking around the room for some means to commit suicide (not that I was able to get… up and do it). He immediately came to my bed and took my hand. I told him I knew I was going to die and that I just wanted to go on and go. Dr. Lapidus immediately begin talking to me so calmly and so kindly, explaining that my condition was no longer a life sentence, that I just had to get over what I had been through (which had been an awful lot). He explained that, once I got through my current state and once my condition was stabilized, that I could likely rebuild my CD-4 counts and perhaps live a long life. I asked him spot on how long and he quickly answered, "You'll probably die of a heart attack or cancer before you ever die of AIDS. You could live to be in your 80s or 90s" I bet Dr. Lapidus sat with me for two hours holding my hand, even crying with me. He hugged me when he left and told me that my life would be what I wanted to make it, but that the choice of how I looked at it and how I reacted was mine. He continued to see me weekly for the month I was at Brookwood, basically overseeing the HIV portion of my treatment (which had been established before I ever left UAB), until I was discharged back to Lakeshore Rehab, where I began the process to learn to walk again. Dr. Lapidus gave me hope, when I had absolutely no hope at all. He gave me some will to fight when I didn't have it anymore. I was discharged to home months ahead of time. My health improved and, within eight months, I was back at work part time. At twelve months post-discharge, physicians gave me the o.k. to go back to work full time. That's been almost three years now. I've stayed on top of my health, got my viral load undetectable, and have a great life...a life that I had already given up on. I live in a different state now, but some day I will return to Alabama I will go see Dr. Lapidus, hug him hard and let him know that he literally saved my life. I'm crying now as I am writing this. Yes, he treated me for a brief period and basically oversaw a treatment plan that another physician had developed, but he gave me hope which will stay with me for the rest of my life. I will be always grateful to this great human being.