Friday, February 22, 2013

Life's A Piece of Cake


Hi Pozzie,

 Once again, good morning!

 I really appreciate your blogs, it helps us PLHIVs keep our minds intact amidst crises, like ARVs, the signs and all complex description in the life of a  PLHIV.  Though, I am new to this “modern disease”, I feel like I already belonged to the group.  I felt bad for those who have not made their share yet, maybe they’re a bit embarrassed or should I say, still doesn’t have the strength to accept the fact that they too have it.  And I clearly understand their situation.  For now, I don’t even know if I am still in this bad dream.  Come February 28 or March 1, I will have my confirmatory whatever you call it from Manila, they have already forwarded my blood sample second week of this month and like you mentioned, it really takes time for the results especially in the province.

Just to share an overview here in Cebu, it appears that majority of those who are newly infected are MSMs, seconded by IDUs or they call it injecting drug users.  We are all aware with the statistical data that these are common among men, on my own, I got it because of the first stance, MSM but like they said, it is not about who infected me or when and how I got the infection.  Right now, I am in between acceptance and denial.  That somehow, at any rate, I will succumb to death.  I tried to be calm as much as I can and I hope PLHIVs who read this post will also understand how hard it is to be like us, I mean, even to those who are not PLHIVs.

 I adore your strength and being proactive on this, despite the fact that you too have personal things to attend to yet, you still spend time to post important information about HIV which is helping to those who are scared to consult.  I for one, back then when I was sick, I think that was the time when I had the infection, I had fever, no night sweats, no diarrhea whatsoever, just plain pain in the hips like I had UTI but I never had a hard time peeing though, my stomach was bloated and hard, my fever keeps on going back despite several pops on paracetamol.  The Doctors at Chong Hua diagnosed Proctocolitis – a bacterial infection in my intestinal mesentery, there was rectal abscess, bronchaecstasis which the latter was defined by one doctor as a sign of an HIV infection.  The doctor told me that I should have an HIV test.  So there it goes. 

 Now that it is all over, I am not sick but again, afraid that somehow, my CD4 might drop and will soon rush again to the hospital, I just want to call out the attention to those PLHIVs out there to don’t stop believing! (parang kanta)… Faith and Life goes together, if you believe you’ll live, you will live its just a matter of time before HIV will take its toll on us but if we struggle to fight and take our medicines ON TIME… We will have a long long long way to reach.  Take for example Nanay Pesing here in Cebu, she was diagnosed with HIV in 1994 and went on the AIDS phase, she almost died of complications but she was strong, she remained calm despite the fact that she was rejected in her own place, by her family, even chairs where she sat were burned or washed with hot water , even motorcabs won’t allow her to have a ride to the town center.  Nanay Pesing is a PLHIV of 18 years now yet she is strong. 

 So, in this manner, we can say that if we take our medicines on time and have the right diet and exercise, one can reach as far as 18 years or even 20 years, we have another PLHIV here in the name of Gabby who in 20 years is living with HIV.  Matter of fact, he just had his second baby mid this month.  Those two things made me think something positive about my sickness, I am not even sick right now, I am a bit happy because I  know I am not alone and the people around me doesn’t even know I have something that they should be scared about.

 To wrap it all up Pozzie, Life is a piece of cake, it's sweet and tempting.  It's what we do that defines who we really are.  PLHIVs, we can do this, we will survive!

Rolled Over




"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-






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