What Should Have Been Done First?

Posted by Pozziepinoy on 8:54 PM
hi pozziepinoy..

 nabasa ko po mga story dito kya me nainspire n mgsulat din..its about my brother na hiv+ din..bi po sya at ng umuwe po sya d2 sa province kc sumasakit tgiliran nya eh ngpatingin sya..nakita po n my gallblader stone sya at npnsin din ng mga doctor n my symptoms sya ng aids so pindla dugo nya sa manila for test kng positive sya..ilang wiks po ata un bgo dmating and the result is positive kya pnyuhan kmi ni doc to go to ritm alabang para matest or mkapagmedicine..pgdting po jan sa ritm lmabas n 10 n lng ang CD4 nya so sobrang baba kya nra2mdman n nya mga skit ng ktawan kc mhina n imune system nya..ang pingtaka lng po nmin nde sya binigyan ng mga gamot n dpat inumin ng hiv positive  at cnbi n ptingnan muna or ipaopera ung sumaskit n tgiliran nya..hinang hina n po sya nung tym na un..

 ask ko lng po kc po after a week dnala n nmin sya sa osptal kc nde n nya kyanin ang skit at nmatay po sya.. posible po kya n kung nbgyan sya ng medication agad jan sa ritm humaba pa or lumakas sya kc nkainum lng po sya ng gamot nung oras n nakaconfyn n sya at mahina na.. sensya na po nka2lungkot kc ang bilis ng pngya2ri

luke

POZZIEPINOY’S RESPONSE

Hi Luke.

First of all, I want to say that I am sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is for you and your family to accept your brother's death, let alone your brother's illness.

People don't die because of HIV directly but because of the infections brought about by the weakened immune system that is caused by HIV. The AIDS related infections usually are serious enough to cause death that is the reason why they are addressed immediately together with the treatment of HIV.

In your siblings case, the AIDS-related infection, which you didn't identify, for all of us to understand, caused your brother's death for sure. Your concern boils down to which should have done first: HIV treatment or AIDS-related infection treatment or both.

Let me get to the bottom of this.

1. I can't make a decision based on what you emailed me. His doctor made a decision based on his history and the medical tests. It will be a close call for doctors to make decisions when it comes to prescription of ARV's even with serious AIDS-related infections and I am absolutely sure that his doctor's decision was the best for your brother, even though you lost him during the treatment process.

2. Some AIDS-related infections are already so serious that PLHIV's can't recover even with ARV's. The ARV's will tame the HIV and strengthen the immune system but this will take time. AIDS-related infections should then be given priority and in your brother case, it was already life threatening, thus it was addressed first. Unfortunately, even with AIDS-related infection treatment, you still lost him.

If you would read my story in my first blog entries, my recurrent bi-basal pneumonia and PCP, my AIDS-related infections, were life threatening that my doctors addressed them first prior to giving me HIV treatment. After one month of medications, after my infections were treated, then I was sent to the hub for HIV treatment. 

The Project Red Ribbon (TRR) has been handling clients for almost 3 years now and we still lose clients because of serious AIDS-related infections, even with HIV treatment.That is the reason why we advocate for early HIV diagnosis and early HIV treatment. If people get diagnosed fast, then they block HIV to wreck havoc to their immune system which can cause these AIDS-related infections to come out. If people get treatment fast when they first experience symptoms of a weakened immune system or experiencing symptoms of infections, then their lives can still be saved with immediate medical management.

I know you guys are still hurting but I know with your email, I can say that you have somehow enlightened my readers on the value of prioritizing one's health. May your brother's struggle serve as wake up call to those who are at risk of HIV, to take the courage to take the HIV test and get an early HIV treatment.


Stay healthy,
Pozziepinoy






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

-Pozziepinoy-



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