Full Time Job

So you have been diagnosed, both with HIV and with opportunistic infections. You are scared I know. You are confused. What's your next step?

Simple. Get well fast! Do everything to be strong again so you can fight HIV and your opportunistic infections.

You want to know what I did before?

Well, after I found out that I have HIV and pneumonia, I told myself that I have to fight back and get myself better. I talked to myself in front of the mirror and I said that I will just focus ONLY on my illness and not think of anything else. I said it will be my priority, that it will be my "full time job" for at least 3 months.

I stopped working. Even though I love my job, I told myself that I can't focus on my health and my job at the same time. One has to be sacrificed. I stayed at home and just stayed focused on my goals. I ate 6x a week with a good balanced diet. I told myself that nourishing my body will make it recuperate faster. I ate everything, basically in the fridge, however. I gained 10 pounds in 2 weeks. My bizarre notion that I will be ugly and thin boosted my energy to eat a lot. I started meditating to calm down my nerves. I did 30 minutes of either yoga or tai-chi or qi gong at home with the help of DVD instructional materials every day. A sound mind, I believed promotes a sound body. Calmness in my mind somehow helped me recuperate my physical body. I did exercise with stationary bike and small dumbbells. I did functional training and circuit training at home. I slept like 8-10 hours a day. After a month, I went back to the gym and worked out like crazy again. Sleeping is a good immune system booster since it helps your body to get the good amount of sleep it needs after a bot of physical illness.

Medical wise, I told myself that I would believe in all my doctors and all my medicines, which I did. I did what all my doctors told me to do and I always asked them first before I take anything that I read in the internet or what other pozzies told me to take to boost up my immune system. I stayed away from crowded places. I tried not to be sick! I did all my best to have a better hygiene to avoid getting sick. I studied all opportunistic infections and tried my best to avoid them. I didn't even have sex even with my partner for 3 months.

I believed in the power of my ARV's and the power of adherence. I never missed a dose or have been late in taking doses of my ARVs. I prepared everything, from the timer in my phone and my alarms at home, my pill boxes and my notebook of side effects. I had a mentality that my ARV's are my lifeline and I should not take them for granted. I take them at exactly the same tim, every night at 10pm even up to now.

When I was alone before and resting, I try to read everything about HIV and AIDS but I always ask my doctor so my knowledge won't confuse me every time. Knowledge is power but too much information can also be a bad stress so I try to learn from the information but still I calm myself.

I started to have a positive outlook in life. Depression can lower down my immune system and it won't help me get better. I followed what my older brother told me: to live my life to the fullest, to love other people and not think bad things about people. He told me to try to not put myself in situations wherein negative vides will come in. He told me to just abando that situation because it is not good for me. He was absolutely right!

Not to brag or anything but my "full time job" was fruitful. My CD4 jumped from 70 to 487 in eight months. All my doctors were shocked and happy for me. They all said that I did a pretty good job! Coming from a low CD4 count that was AMAZING!

Well, worth the time right? During that period too I never got sick, just minor illnesses like 3 bouts of cold and one time sore eyes (pink eyes, in the Western world) and that was it.

Getting well is indeed a FULL TIME JOB. I know a lot of pozzies have a hard time doing this, to quit his or her job, to prioritize his health, to not get sick, to not exercise, to not get enough sleep, to stick to ARV adherence, to follow doctor's orders, to have a positive outlook despite our illness.  But it is the only best thing that we can do for ourselves so why not sacrifice for sometime.

We have to stay committed to getting better. A good body and mind is always a good start for a good future.

So what are you waiting for????  Get "employed" now. You are more than qualified for the job!

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

DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fund

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Exercise Today!

Our ARV's can have a lot of side effects. We can have high cholesterol levels in our blood, heart issues, depression, lipodystrophy, etc. However, these can all be halted if we start doing exercises from the very first time that we start taking our medicines. Dr. Ditangco said that some patients come back to her with signs of lipodystrophy and she said it would be harder to reverse these effects with exercise so it is really best to start working out when we don't see anything at all yet. Well, no matter what exercise is a good immune system booster which in effect will show in our CD4 counts and our total well being. It is also a good way to combat depression.

I promised a pozzie that I will give him my regular, weekly exercise routine. Here it is:

Monday:

1. Chest: 

    a. Bench Press

    b. Inclined Bench Press

    c. Pullover

    d. Dips

    e. Cross cable

    f. Dumbbell Press

2. Triceps:

    a. Cable Pushdown

    b. Overhead Dumbbell Extension

    c. Dumbbell Kickbacks

3. Abs

    a. Plank

    b. Side Plank

    c. Weighted crunches

    d. Hanging Leg Raises

    e. Air Bike

4. Cardio

    a. 5k on treadmill (speed, 7 mi/hr)

Tuesday:

1. Back

    a. Pullups

    b. Pulldowns

    c. Barbell Row

    d. Cable Row

    e. Dumbbell Row

    f. Back Extension

2. Biceps

    a. Cable curls

    b. Barbell curls

    c. Inclined Curls

Wednesday:

1. Shoulder

    a. Machine Press

    b. Military Press

    c. Seated Dumbbell Press

    d. Side Raises

    e. Plate Front Raises

2. Traps

    a. Machine Shrugs

    b. Dumbbell Shrugs

    c. Cable Shrugs

3. Abs

    a. Plank

    b. Weighted Crunches

    c. Hanging Crunches

    d. Air Bike

4. Cardio

    a. Swimming/ Biking

Thursday:

1. Quads

    a. Squats

    b. Deadlift

    c. Lunges

    d. Leg Extension

2. Hamstrings

    a. Straight Legged Deadflift

    b. Leg Curls

3. Calves

    a. Dumbbell Calf Raises

    b. Seated Calf Raises

Friday:

Any weak Body Part!

Abs: Any weak muscle Group

Cardio: Circuit Training/Functional Training

Saturday/Sunday: Cardio if missed during the weekdays but mostly rest days

Exercise is so good for our body. Start Now!!!

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

DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fund

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Email 28

“Hi Pozziepinoy

Ako ay 21 taong gulang pa lamang. Noong Marso ko nalaman na ako ay infected na pala. Nitong Hunyo, 322 na lang ang aking CD4 count. Kailangan ko munang makapag pa lab tests para mabigyan ng gamot. Walang nakakaalam ng sitwasyon ko bukod sa iilang mga kaibigan. Aabutin ng limang libo ang gagastusin batay sa pag ko kompyut ko. Kasalukuyan akong estudyante sa kolehiyo at magtatapos na rin sa darating na Marso. 

May grupo ba na maaaring magbigay ng financial assistance sa mga HIV+ na nangangailangan ng tulong? Isa ako sakanila, ang totoo nga nyan ay hanggang ngayon di pa rin ako nakakapagbayad sa aking tuiion fee. 

Salamat po.

(Translation: I am only 21 years old. Last March, I found out that I was infected. This June, is CD4 count is only 322. I need to complete my lab tests before I can be given medicines. Nobody knows my situation aside from a few friends. Based on my computation, the expenses will reach P5,000. I am currently a college student and will graduate this coming March. 

Is there are a group that can provide financial assistance to those HIV + that need help? I am one of those and in reality, up to now, I haven’t paid my tuition fee yet.

Thank you).

-POZ”

POZZIEPINOY’S REPLY

“Hi POZ,

Dahil sa Tagalog mo ako sinulatan ay mas mabuting sagutin din kita sa wikang Tagalog. 

Tama ka na kailangan mo na ngang makainom ng gamot dahil ang CD4 mo ay mababa na sa cut off level. Kasi, kapag bumaba ng 350, minamadali na ng mga doctors sa HIV hubs na painumin kaagan ng mga ARV’s ang mga pasyente nila. Subalit, nangangailangan talaga na makumpleto muna ang mga laboratory tests para malaman kung anong klase ng mga ARV’s ang pwedeng ibigay sa iyo.

Tama ka din na may kamahalan ang mga lab tests na gagawin at karaniwan ay aabot nga ng mga P5,000 ang halaga ng mga ito.

Mabuti at sumulat ka sa akin dahil isa ako sa mga tumutulong sa kapwa kong may HIV lalo na sa pangangailangang pinansyal. Ang ginagawa ko ay tinutulungan ko silang pumunta sa RITM kung saan doon ay may libreng mga serbisyo o di kaya ay nakikipag usap ako kay Dr. Ditangco upang matulungan sila sa PCSO at sa Love Fund ng RITM-ARG. Sa sitwasyon mo, ang maitutulong ko lang ay ito. Pumunta ka sa RITM-ARG sa Alabang dahil nagbibigay sila ng libreng initial lab tests para sa mga baguhang tulad mo. Pati CD4 test ay libre doon. Mababasa mo sa ibang entries ko sa blog ko kung paano pumunta doon. Hanapin mo lamang si Ellen Domingo o si Maram Bartolome at sabihin mo ang pangangailangan mo. Libre din doon ang konsultasyon kaya wag ang mabahala.

Sana ay may naibigay akong tulong sa iyo. Kung may iba ka pang tanong ay sumulat kang muli sa akin.

Palakasin mo ang loob mo ha.”

(Translation: Because you wrote me in Tagalog, I will reply also in Tagalog.

You are right that you need to take medicines since your CD4 count is below the cut off level. Whenever the CD4 count is below 350, the doctors in all the hubs rush their patients into taking ARV’s. However, it is really a requirement to complete all laboratory tests to know which ARV’s to give to you.

You are also right that the lab tests to be done are expensive and usually will reach P5,000.

Good thing that you wrote me an email because I am one of those who help our fellow HIV’s who are needing financial assitance. What I do is I help them out by telling them to go to RITM-ARG where there are free services or I talk to Dr. Ditangco so they can help them with PCSO and The Love Fund of RITM-ARG. In your case, what I can do is this. Go to RITM-ARG in Alabang because they provide free initial lab tests to newly diagnosed like you. Even the CD4 test is free there. You can read from my previous entries on how to go there. Just look for Ellen Domingo or Maram Bartolome and tell them what you need. The consultation there is free too so don’t worry.

I hope I was able to help you. If you have other questions just email me again.

Stay strong,

Pozziepinoy

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

DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fund

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Email 27

Hi Pozziepinoy,

Would you mind sharing to me your "new normal" scheme? LIke how's your sleeping schedule, things that you avoid doing, food that you eat. Do's and dont's. :) Again, I appreciate your help. 

Continue being an inspiration and a blessing for others!

Best,

XXX

POZZIEPINOY’S REPLY

Hi XXX,

Thanks for the email.

For you and my readers I would like to share my what I do and what I don’t do.

1. I sleep at between 10pm to 10:30pm and I wake up at 5am or 6am. This means that I sleep around 7 to hours a day.
2. I workout 5X a week: 5X strength training and 3X aerobic exercise
3. I stay positive. I rarely cry and become depressed.
4. I eat a balanced diet. I avoid raw food that can get me sick. I avoid street food.
5. I stay away from crowded places so I won’t get communicable diseases and viruses
6. I have regular immunizations.
7. I have protected sex.
8. I maintain a good hygiene.
9. I don’t step on soil, dirt or pet a cat.
10. I follow my doctors. I trust them.
11. I don’t take any herbal supplement.
12. I don’t allow myself to miss or be late in taking my ARV’s.
13. I don’t think bad about other people. Love strengthens my spirit. 
14. I don’t have any vices. In case I need to drink alcohol I inform my doctor first.
15. I travel and enjoy life. I love to drive around, fly to other countries and enjoy life.
16. I meditate. I practice yoga, tai-chi and qigong.
17. I help other people. By helping other people, I help myself.

I hope this answers your question. There are more in my previous entries in my blog.

Stay healthy,

Pozziepinoy

                                                         

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

DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fund

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Email 26

"Hi there!

I have read your blogs and it is indeed educational. I have been tested about a month ago and I have been to RITM for the baseline testing. My CD4 count is 181 and I am only waiting for the sputum test result. I would like to know if will RITM be submitting me for a viral load testing. Because I really would like to monitor the status of my progress once I start taking ARV. I just thought that it would be ideal to know my "current" condition before taking meds, and then would get another set of CD4 and viral load tests after around 3 or 6 months of medications. 

I just need to know if viral loading will be done for me in RITM. If not, can I request for a viral loading test?Is that for free?I hope you could help me with my concerns. Right now, I am taking things one day at time. Much as worrying, regrets and anxiaety would love to really set in, I just cannot entertain negative thoughts right now. Because there's no other way but to MOVE ON. ;)

I am glad to know you here and I hope you can help me out with my quesstions. 

Salamat!

XXX"

POZZIEPINOY'S REPLY

Hi XXX,

First of all thank you for your email and I am happy that you find it educational. That is really the intention of my blog, to share both my experiences and my researches, to give hope to everybody that life is worth living for even with HIV.

I am glad that you have RITM as your hub. The staff there are so friendly that whenever I go there I feel that they are all part of my family. 

Regarding your baseline tests, what RITM can offer only for free are the baseline tests and the CD4 test. The viral load test is a separate test which is really necessary for you to determine for baseline information and for comparison later on. Unfortunately, the VL test is not free. It usually costs around P6,000-7,5000 (sorry, figures are sometime confusing, but I’m pretty sure about the range). If you want to get it just ask the staff or your doctor that you want to have it and are willing to pay for it. That’s what I did. 

Regarding frequent checking of CD4 and VL, Dr. Ditangco said you can take them as frequent as possible, however, you can get better results if CD4 be taken every 6 months and VL every year. In RITM, the CD4 tests are free every 6 months under the PhilHealth OHAT (out patient HIV/AIDS Treatment) package and in case you want to get it every 3 months, then you have to pay for it (P3,000-3,500).

Im proud that you are taking it easy and taking it a day at time. With that attitude of yours I know, you will get better fast. Don’t entertain bad thoughts. Our lives will get better even though we have this disease inside of us. You’re absolutely right... that there is no way to go but to move on. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and soon, like most of us, you will come out a better person.

If you have more questions just email me again. I am more than willing to help you out.

Stay healthy,

Pozziepinoy

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

DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fund

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Deadly Pneumonia

My journey with HIV started with two bouts of pneumonia. One happened in the first quarter of 2011 and the other at the beginning of the last quarter of the same year. Bout bouts had had the same syptoms --- difficulty in breathing especially with strenous exercises (working out) or non-strenous exercises (regular walking), persistent dry cough and chest pains. I was brought to the emergency twice, the first I got discharged the same day and was just prescribed with some prophylaxis. The second one, I was confined because two of my lungs had been affected. During the second confinement, my heart rate was high and my oxygen level in blood was low. I was on a respirator for 9 days. After they found out that I had pneumocystis carinii and was given medications, my symptoms normalized. Doctors said I was lucky. The rest is history.

Now, everytime I would go to RITM-ARG and see people with the same condition that I had before, I always think of myself. I always remember that our virus is that deadly if not diagnosed fast and if people are not knowledgeable about the opportunistic infections, like pneumonia. Everytime I encounter a person who has it, I always make it a point to tell hi or her that everything will be alright, and the OI is treatable. I can really attest to it.

I researched about it and I found this out from the net:

Reposted from: www.livestrong.com/article/250827-what-are-the-causes-of-pneumonia-with-hiv/

So what are the causes of Pneumonia?

The immune system protects the body from infections. People living with HIV/AIDS have a weakened immune system, which increases their susceptibility to a variety of infections, including pneumonia. The same germs that cause pneumonia in otherwise healthy people pose an increased risk to patients living with HIV/AIDS. Additionally, germs that people with a healthy immune system can easily defend against may cause potentially life-threatening pneumonia in a patient with HIV.

Pneumococcus

Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, remains a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia among people living with HIV/AIDS, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Patients infected with HIV have a significantly increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia compared to the general population. CDC recommends vaccination against pneumococcus for people older than age 2 living with HIV infection.

Pneumocystis Jiroveci

Pneumocystis jirovecii, previously known as Pneumocystis carinii, is a common fungus found in many environments. Although people with a healthy immune system generally do not develop Pneumocystis pneumonia, the fungus poses a significant risk to patients with HIV and a low immune cell count. The incidence of Pneumocystis pneumonia, or PCP, has declined dramatically among the HIV-infected population in the United States due to the use of combination antiretroviral therapy and antibiotics to prevent PCP in those patients at high risk for the infection, reports CDC.

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes the illness tuberculosis, or TB. People living with HIV infection have an increased risk for active pulmonary tuberculosis. Unlike other HIV-related infections that occur primarily in patients with a low immune cell count, pulmonary tuberculosis can develop in HIV-infected patients with a relatively high immune cell count, reports CDC. Untreated pulmonary tuberculosis can spread to other parts of the body, including the brain and bones.

Coccidioides

Coccidioides fungi inhabit the soil of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. The fungal spores commonly travel in the air and may cause pneumonia and systemic disease in patients with HIV and a low immune cell count. The initial infection develops in the lungs, causing chest pain and coughing. In untreated HIV-infected patients, the fungi may spread to other organs, including the nervous system and bones, reports Dr. Judith Aberg of New York University on the medical information website HIV InSite.

Aspergillus

Aspergillus fungal species occur commonly in the environment and may cause severe pneumonia among people living with HIV. A low immune cell count increase the risk for lung invasion by Aspergillus fungi, reports the medical reference text "Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases." The fungi may spread from the lungs to other sites in the body, including the nervous system, liver, kidneys and spleen.


Credits:
www.livestrong.com/article/250827-what-are-the-causes-of-pneumonia-with-hiv/

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

DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fund

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Real Angel

Today at 8am, I met a real Angel. He picked me up and we went to RITM-ARG to give donations for the 2 year old HIV baby. Actually all those were his donations... diapers, formula milk, toys and towel. He found time and effort to gather them from friends and me a mere courier... helping him to deliver the goods.

We met Dr. Ditangco at RITM-ARG and "Angel" and her talked in her small clinic cubicle while I went out to see two pozzies from twitter, positivecutie and impopoy21. I talked to them and positivecutie's mom for awhile.

When "Angel" came out, we went out to get the goods from the car and returned to RITM with them. "Angel" donated some cash for The Love Fund too. When we came out, I once again sat with the twitter friends and gave words of encouragement especially to positivecutie and his mom.

We left RITM-ARG around 9:30am and headed straight to my place where he dropped me off.

Sometimes we meet people by chance or by accident. But these encounters are not just mere coincidences. To me meeting "Angel" is not an accident. I know there is a purpose to it.

To you "angel" thank you so much! You have such a great heart!


                                                         

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

DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fund

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Email 24 & 25

Hi,

I was reading your blog and I came across email 19. I can relate to him because I’m also working out of the country. 

I would like to know if we are on the same country and if we can get in touch through email so he can share his experiences to me in terms of the testing procedure.

I need to be tested this July since it is the XXX month since I had my last risky sex. I tested negative last May but the doctor said that I should be tested again for confirmation. 

I am still thinking twice if I will do it here or be back in Manila because my employment just like email 19 will also be at risk... Worse is, the humiliation of escorting me back to my country. On the other side of it, I want to save the amount that I will spend in going home and just send it to my family instead. 

If you can send my email address to him so we can get in touch is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

SXXXXXA

POZZIEPINOY’S REPLY

Hi SXXXXXA, 

Ok I already sent a letter to him with your letter attached to it. I'll wait for his reply first before he agrees to get your email address. I hope that is ok with you.

Stay healthy,

Pozziepinoy

THE OTHER POZZIE’S REPLY:

Hi Pozziepinoy,

I wish good health to all of us. 

Sure, you can give it to him.  Who knows we might know each other also.  I actually need someone like me to talk to over here. Almost everyday I wish that I'm already in Manila where I could be safe.  I'm losing appetite, I'm losing weight and I can't sleep well.  I'm not worrying of my HIV but the fear inside me is killing me.  I already submitted my resignation ....  My reason was I need to seek medical attention because lately I'm not feeling well.  Last XXX when I have my blood test for my insurance, it turns out that my XXX is little higher than normal and I have high XXX and I use that as my alibi.  My leave is already scheduled at the end of XXX and I don't wanna go back here anymore.  Please Pozziepinoy, help me.  I need a doctor who can give me a certification that I have to stay in the Philippines for an extended period of time.  I just need a letter to present to my employer that I'm needing medical attention so that they can cut short my notice period.  I can actually escape and get MIA but I don't want to do that.  A lot of people knows me here and in the Philippines and whatever happens to me here or whatever I will do here definitely I won't be able to explain to all of them. It's too much. I want to fix this so that I can focus on my health and help others too.  I tried to donate to the love fund but the enrollment in BDO online banking requires activation which I can't do at the moment.  I will personally donate when I go home.

I'm planning to book a flight early XXX morning.  I want to visit the hub right away.  I only have 1 week to stay and I'm hoping to find someone who can help me with the problem with my employer. 

I would like to meet you as well.  I have a lot of things to tell.  I have everything inside my chest and I don't know until when I can get hold of it.

By the way, I got teary eyes when I saw my name on your prayer list.  It means a lot to me. Thank you very very much. 

XXXX

POZZIEPINOY’S REPLY

XXX,

Thanks for the fast reply. I will definitely give your email address to him so you guys can talk. With our condition, it is really better to speak our hearts out so that there’s no build up of emotions. We have to face our condition no matter what but it is really best if there is someone who can understand, especially if the person is on the same boat as us.

Regarding you problem, let us discuss it when you come back home. My number in the Philippines is XXXXX. Please text or call me when you are in Manila. Let’s talk about your problem and discuss how you would go about getting tested and or treatment. I will introduce you to my doctor too.

For the meantime, don’t think too much and just stay positive. I know everything will be alright. 

You have someone here who will guide you.

Stay healthy, 

Pozziepinoy

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

DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fund                                                    

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