Email 9: Confused Spirit

“Hello there.

Of all the blogs featured on the HIV+blogrolls, I think yours is catchy.  Your blog doesn't totally revolve around yourself, no pretentions.... just genuine. Your blog is easy to understand because others use sugar-coated English words that's hard to comprehend.

I am living and working in the XXX.

Day one since I arrived I was overwhelmed, I engaged in a promiscuous, risky and unprotected sex....  For 3 years now I still do, until I felt some discomfort in my body. I had this feverish feeling, My body felt hot but I had no fever. A pinching headache, my ears are red hot but without cough or colds. However, my appetite was okay.

I’m not sure, but my instinct tells me that there's something wrong. After a couple of months the feeling of discomfort disappeared then I continued the same sexual routine.This year, I felt my lymph nodes on the left side of my neck enlarged, but without fever. I thought it was my sinusitis. 

I'm still in denial. I want to get tested but I can't do it here, It's a big NO NO. I'm not yet ready to go back, I still have to save enough money plus I don't want to be deported and be harassed and be treated harshly. I'm planning to get my test when I return back to the Philippines maybe at the XXX this year.

I just hope that if I have this illness, it will not progress too soon. As of now the enlarged lump subsided. I always take vitamin c and e plus meds for the colds. 

I still don't know if I'm positive or not. I'm not sure since I only rely on the symptoms that I read on the internet. I hope that before my vacation in the Philippines, if ever I'm ill, I could still be able to leave XXX safe and sound.

I have questions for you.

1.Are the meds expensive or for free? 

2. How about HIV testing does it include the viral load and CD4 test

3. If ever I have this "thing" inside my body, what are the things to do to keep my immune system okay?

4. What were the symptoms you first felt?

5. Since HIV positive individuals are rising in our country, do you feel now the scarcity of ARV meds?

6. Are your fellow pozzies supportive of each other?

Thank you so much and God bless

Dark Incognito”

Hi Dark Incognito.

Thank you for your email. It’s flattering what you said about my blog. I always want my entries that way. Serious and direct to the point. Our disease is a serious matter and I know a lot of people are confused and my readers deserve to be taken seriously. My blog is my diary, a collection of all my researches, and by educating myself, I also educate others. By helping myself, I also help other people.

You have a lot of concerns in your email but let me respond to them one by one.

First, I understand that it is hard for you to get tested there. I have lots of friends who are working and living where you are now and I believe that it would really affect your employment once you find out. I still believe that the best answer to your troubled mind is to get tested but if it really is not possible because of personal reasons, then you can wait until you come back home and have yourself tested here. There are free testing areas here. If you want to be tested from a  private hospital, don’t worry because they are not expensive. 

It is good that you are already doing your researches, however, each person is unique. I am no doctor, but from what my doctor told me, the first symptoms of HIV infection is like the same as any infection when you first get it, that is, fever and body malaise. Then for a period of time ( for years), the virus will be dormant in the body, as it slowly replicates itself until it comes to a point when you feel that you get sick every time. This is the time wherein your immune system has already been compromised with your CD4 count showing a low count. You will then be prone to different illnesses. Also your body won’t be able to fight against the opportunistic infections (OI’s) or infections that don’t normally affect non-HIV individuals.

Now let me answer your questions.

Are the meds expensive or free? 

There will be two answers to your question. 

If you are talking about the HIV medications or ARV’s, they are free here in the country. Currently the Global Fund (GF) is funding all the medicines in all the HIV/AIDS hubs in the country so you can get them all for free. However, by the end of the year, GF will discontinue it’s funding and the ARV’s will then be provided by PhilHealth. Our government, will then take over and the hubs are getting ready for it. We are still lucky that they are free because in other countries, like in the US, the cocktail (combination of ARV’s costs around $2k a month). The reason why our government will be able to afford the ARV’s is because they are the generic form which are manufactured in India so they are cheaper but work the same.

If you are talking about the medications for the different infections caused by HIV, then it is a different matter. Now, it becomes a case to case basis depending on the infection that affects you. 

If you are already have AIDs like me (patients who have HIV and with AIDS defining illnesses), you will need to have prophylaxis even while taking the ARV’s. One is required to take them for months until your CD4 count goes up. For me, just for my 2 month’s supply of my cotrimoxazole and azithromycin which are my prophylaxis against the different OI’s, I spend around P3,000. Some hubs provide free prophylaxis but they almost, always run out of stock so you would be forced to buy them out of your own pocket. 

Does the HIV testing include CD4 test and Viral Load test?

Unfortunately these tests are not included in the HIV testing procedures. They are usually done in the HIV/AIDS hubs and they are pretty costly. the CD4 test would cost you around P2,500 to P3,500 while the VL, around P5,00 to P7,000. However, once you are already enrolled in any of the hubs, meaning you are already an HIV positive patient, after 6 months under PhilHealth, your CD4 is already free. Unfortunately the VL is not covered under PhilHealth so you will have to get it once a year.

If ever I have this "thing" inside my body, what are the things to do to keep my immune system okay?

Here are some tips on how to be healthy:

1. General Physical Fitness

    a. Eat healthy. Have a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. Eat fruits and vegetables to get your natural vitamins. 

    b. Stay active. Exercise regularly or just do a regular physical activity on a daily basis. It can be a 30 minute walk, stair climbing, biking. You can also do sports or any recreational physical activities.

    c. Sleep or rest for at least 8 hours. Take naps when tired.

2. Prevent illness

    a. avoid crowded places

    b. use hand sanitizers or wash your hands regularly with soap

    c. clean and sanitize your home

    d. avoid or limit eating or dealing with uncooked foods

    e. have a good oral and body hygiene

    f. bring alcohol in your bag to sanitize your work space

    g. wear masks if going to a hospital or public transportation

    h. be particular with drinking water.

    i. avoid promiscuous and unprotected sex. You get lots of infections through unprotected sex.

    j. Avoid unsafe needle injections. Don’t do drugs, for that matter.

3. Emotional and Mental Fitness

    a. Find time to relax.

    b. Have a hobby to distract you from your illness

    c. Read and be knowledgeable to calm your nerves

    d. Go out of town or travel

    e. Attend mind and body group exercises like yoga or tai chi.

What were the symptoms you first felt?

If I would recall, I had frequent diarrheas, frequent fevers, frequent coughs and cold for 2 years. 8 months before I was diagnosed I had persistent dry cough, chest pain and difficulty of breathing when walking. They were my symptoms of pneumonia which I later found out when I was already confined in the hospital. During that time, I also had night chills and night sweat.

Since HIV positive individuals are rising in our country, do you feel now the scarcity of ARV meds?

I know that in some hubs, there are already problems with their ARV’s being delivered late, but I think it is not the supply that is the problem but by the hubs themselves by not monitoring wisely their supplies. 

Are your fellow pozzies supportive of each other?

This I can assure you. I have a group of pozzie friends who meet every week, to hangout and to enjoy each other’s company. The pozzie group here is strong and I am proud to say that they support each other, monitor each other;s health and help keep the positive spirit burning in them.

I do hope I was able to answer all your questions. Feel free to email me again anytime you have other concerns.

Good Luck!

Pozziepinoy

FOR TOPIC SUGGESTIONS, please email me at pozziepinoy@yahoo.com

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