Thank You Guys!

To all those who I have chatted with in twitter, namely,  @poz_angel, @bohemian_diary, @positHIVe, @iamhivpositivem, @astrb0i, @casuallypositiv, @PosJerry, @ako_si_bong, @boypositibo, @poz_pete@allaboutaids, @3rdworld_poz, @patient303, @sexybeehive, @pozzie_boy23, @geekpozzie.. thank you so much... I wish you guys all the best in the world! You made me deal with my solitary confinement easy and for that, from the bottom of my heart I thank you. As I bid farewell, I would like to give you this song as a reminder of my existence with you...

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Life Reconstitution

It's new years eve today and for the past days, I've been slowly going back to my normal life again. After 4 months of having AIDS, exactly 88 days of taking my ARV's --- from having pneumonia, to being hospitalized and stopping going to work, to meeting a lot of doctors, to being confined in my house for a month, to having problems with my lab tests after taking my ARV's, to switching hubs, to being scared of the side effects of ARV's --- now my life is coming back to normalcy. My life is being reconstituted. Like the "IRIS" term in AIDS...

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The Hepatitis B Vaccine

Another vaccine that I got last week in RITM was the Hepatitis B vaccine. It was free there. I requested it from DR. RD during my consultation 2 weeks ago and she said that it's fine for me to get it. I was worried about my low CD4 and she said vaccinations never rely on the CD4 count. She asked me first when I last had the shot and I remembered it was like 10 years ago. I also told her that I didn't finish the booster shots so she told me that I have to get it. She also checked the Hepa B test that I had 3 months ago and it showed negative...

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HIV/AIDS Vaccine

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Weight Gain with ARV's

I gained 30 pounds in just 3 months of taking ARV's . I wanted this. People said I look better and a lot said I look more buff. But no matter what, I feel that I have reached beyond my upper limit so I better do something about it now. I've read that some ARV's can increase one's appetite. In my case, it is absolutely true. I'm gaining fat more on my belly (poor abs) and I am starting to lose my cuts on my arms. My cheeks are getting fuller so people who haven't seen me for a long time tell me that I am getting fat because of the roundness of...

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HIV Prevention for HIV Positive People

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The Pneumonia Vaccine

I had my pneumonia vaccination last week. I personally requested this to Dr. RD because I don't want to be sick anymore. I got this in RITM and I paid P1,500 for the shot. Ate Ellen administered it and she was great. She told me that only a few are willing to get these vaccinations because they are expensive but I told her that it is more expensive to get sick. I spent more than P300k in my 10 day stay in my private hospital before because of my recurrent pneumonia and I dont want to take that risk ever again. What is the Pneumonia Vaccine? Pneumococcal...

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Help Yourself To Stand Up

When I was diagnosed to have AIDS last September, I told myself that I have to do everything to fight back. I know that it's going to be a long fight but I have to do my part. There is no reason not to. My support system is strong. Tag loves me. His family and my family are very supportive. We can afford the treatments and lab tests. My health then relies only on me. There are no other obstacles. 1. OI's are Not Allowed! I had recurrent pneumonia and oral thrush before, and this time I won't let that happen to me again. I am weakened by my the...

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Another Reason To Smile

Smile because we are still alive. Smile because we still have free ARV's which are so expensive in the first world countries. Smile because we have hubs that are will willing to give free services. Smile because even with our lives with our disease we can still be functional. It is Christmas time and everybody is busy with their own Christmas parties, with their Christmas gifts, with their family reunions. Everybody is busy planning for their Christmas and New Year's eve. But the recent events in the country somehow changed everybody's attention....

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My Second Refill

Yesterday,  I went to RITM as planned because I need to refill even though I still have an ample supply (I'm still good for 17 days supply of my ARV's). I know everybody will be busy for the next 2 weeks so I might as well get them now. I saw Letlet and Ate Ellen again and there where like 4 people who were waiting in line. I waited for like 10 minutes to talk to Letlet and I gave her my prescriptions. While she was looking for my card, I approached Ate Ellen and gave her the prescriptions for my vaccination. She attended to me fast and...

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Supplemental Treatments

I’ve been told a lot of times about the benefits of these supplements and food. Some pozzies believe that they can really help in increasing the CD4 and or decreasing the viral load, together with the ARV's. I asked Dr. RD about this and she just said that she has nothing against any of them except that there are really no proven facts or literature saying that they are effective. Well, for the benefit of everybody, I made a research about these and this is what I got. It's up to you to decide. Grapes HIV promotes a strong and...

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Email 1 Looking for Support Group

Hi Pozziepinoy, I just came across your blog and I would like to commend you for it. The simple advocacy is great. I usually don’t read local blogs about HIV because most of them are really scary, uninformed and negative but yours is really pleasant. I am also poz. I got diagnosed last October and started my meds the same month. Funny thing is that I can really relate to some of your posts and all the things you’ve been through.Halos pareho lahat: from the intensive research about the disease, commitment for adherence, the rashes,...

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HIV Stops With Me!

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Everything Will Be Ok!

So you got your confirmatory result and you don't know what to do. You cry a little, blame yourself a little, regret what you have done, get scared of your life and your work, don't know who to tell. We all have experienced that. It's a normal stage that we go through but don't fret. Everything will be fine. You are alive and you are capable of thinking straight. Life is full of hope and with our disease there is hope that everything will be ok! The best way to calm yourself and open your mind to our disease is begin to be knowledgeable about...

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The Flu Shot

I asked my doctor, Dr. RD if I can take any vaccination even though my level of CD4 was initially low.She said I can be vaccinated if I want to and she prescribed 4 vaccinations, one of which is the yearly flu (influenza) shot. I got this from the CDC Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS and Influenza (Flu) HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). HIV kills or damages cells in the body’s immune system, gradually destroying the body’s ability to fight infection and certain cancers.  People...

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Second Consultation

I had my second consultation with Dr. RD this morning. I was there around 7:30am when nobody was there yet, so I put my name on the paper on the door. Of course, I was number one. After 45 minutes I saw 2 girls wearing masks. They peeked inside the clinic room through a small glass window. I asked them if they're also going to see Dr. RD and when they said yes, I told them to write their names on the paper too. Later on I found out that they are new patients and are referred from a nearby hospital. They were from Quezon City. I didn't pry anymore....

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The October Report

The National Epidemiology Center of the Department of Health just released their October report on the status of HIV/AIDS in the country: 1. In October 2011, there were 200 new HIV Ab sero-positive individuals confirmed by the STD/AIDS Cooperative  Central Laboratory (SACCL) and reported to the HIV and AIDS Registry 2.  This was 92% higher compared to the same period last year  3. Most of the cases (97%) were males.  4.The median age was 27 years (age range:15-65 years).  5. The 20-29 year (60%) age-group had...

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Stupid Myths

Tag came home and told me this story yesterday. He said, his coworker came to him and warned him to be careful in drinking Pepsi because word is spreading around his company that an HIV worker in the Pepsi factory is dropping his infected blood in the soda. Tag just laughed because it was just stupid. I told him, that what is more stupid is that people are spreading it, believing in it and getting scared even in his company of educated people. So what's the impact of this? People are still unaware of the facts.. on how HIV can be transmitted....

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Another Face

It's really bothering me why the incidence of HIV/AIDS is still on the rise when there are a lot of awareness programs going around the country. I wonder why people, like me, never listened. I wonder why these awareness programs never penetrated my very mind. I wonder why I didn't get scared. I read another blog and the blogger said, in his opinion, that the awareness programs are useless. He was aware and still he caught HIV. I was like that too. So why? We are all aware that the incidence of HIV is still rising, but with the increasing...

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My Second Month

Today is my second month of taking ARV's, exactly 60 days. Whew. No more side effects, I hope. To recap once more, I started taking ARV's last October 6. My cocktail includes tenofovir, lamivudine and efavirenz.  I take them all at once at night time, at exactly 10pm on an empty stomach. I am also taking cotrimoxazole, 800 mg a day at 7am and azithromycin, 1250 mg once every week which I take it every Wednesday. How about side effects? On my 12th day of taking the ARV's, I had rashes all over my body which resolved in 3 days. My ALT or...

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Facts

I read these facts from 4 articles yesterday as the country celebrated the World AIDS Day: 1. Nine out of every 10 cases were infected on account of high-risk sexual contact 2. Senator Miriam Santiago has filed a measure seeking to replace the law to control and prevent the spread of the disease known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrom 3. Philippine Health Insurance Corp. vowed to provide strong...

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Blow The Red Whistle Today!

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World AIDS Day Wishlist

Today is World AIDS Day! It is my first time to celebrate it. I for one, is a person living with AIDS. I am a living example because of the disease. I am one of the many who experienced the struggle and the pain. But I am a survivor and I am a fighter. Now, I am happy. As part of my own celebration of the Day, I made a wish list. I hope other people will listen. 1. I became infected because of ignorance.     a. I wish people in our country would listen to the different organizations that are promoting awareness.     b....

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Spread the Knowledge, Not The Virus!

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Celebrate The World AIDS Day Today!

Today the entire world is celebrating The World AIDS Day. This is held each year on, every December 1 and provides an opportunity for people worldwide, from different countries and races to join hands and unite in the fight against HIV, to show their support to people living with HIV/AIDS and to commemorate those people who have died. It started in 1988 and it was the first ever global health day. The World health Organization (WHO) estimate that around 33 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV and that around two million each...

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A Story of Hope

My blog is my notebook. It's just a collection of all the researches I made about HIV/AIDS especially here in the Philippines. Its a collage.. I put bits and pieces of everything about my disease. At first, it was a diary for me to reflect on, a journal for me to spill out all my emotions. Lately it has become a venue for other people to interact with me, a channel where I can assist other people with their struggles. I met Miguel through my blog last week. He sent a message through my email. He was depressed and scared because he just found...

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Its OK to Talk

I have HIV. I have AIDS. I had opportunistic infections. I was confined. I am on ARV's. I belong to an HIV hub. I was confused. I was scared. I felt hopeless. I was at the bottom of the well. I know what you're going through now. I've been there. I am here. It's ok to reach out. It's ok to talk. I am here to listen. email me at pozziepinoy@yahoo.com or send a twit to @pozziepinoy FOR TOPIC SUGGESTIONS, please email me at pozziepinoy@yahoo.com DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fund ...

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Yoga For Life

I am an advocate of fitness and I know healing of the mind and spirit heals the body too. Once the mind is free of stress and negative thoughts, it frees us to eternal positivity.  FOR TOPIC SUGGESTIONS, please email me at pozziepinoy@yahoo.com DONATE to The Love Fund : The Love Fu...

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HIV Stops With Me!

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Being Positive

I know I will get well soon. That is my attitude. I don't care how fast, but I know I will get there and I will get well. I have a lifetime to wait. But while I am waiting, I need to help myself. I need to strengthen my immune system. I need to do my part in helping to heal myself. My weight has gone up to 170 pounds. Everybody's noticing it. Everybody's saying I am fat. I don't care. Here in the country if you're fat it is almost equivalent to being healthy. Well, not to me. If only they know why I wanted to gain weight. It's because of the...

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PhilHealth Application Form

I copied this from the PhilHealth website (PhilHealth) for all the non member pozzies. The hubs might require you to have one upon enrollment. Also, try to become a member now because by the end of next year, all ARV's and other medicines will be under PhilHealth. I have heard from some people living with HIV/AIDS that it's harder to be discreet and to ask for their PhilHealth request signed in their company. Usually their HR...

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