Comments and Replies

Because my blog is full of entries, I can’f find the entries that you guys commented on so I might as well respond to comments on this entry. 1. Comment : “If there is an award for HIV blogs, your blog will surely win!”. Pozziepinoy’s Reply: Thanks but my blog wasn’t intended to be in competition with other blogs. I just want to be straight forward, factual and serious. Having AIDS is a serious matter and the impact of it is so devastating that one really has to be careful in advising or even discussing it. My initial intention was...

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Eye Check Up

Had my eye check up today in American Eye Clinic. They did a thorough check up and I am glad everything was ok. When I was filling up their form, I came across the question if I was taking any medications, but I decided not to disclose anything. Anyway, if they would find something, then that will be the time that I will tell them about my health issue. I guess, it really is better to have your own personal doctor to whom you can disclose everything. I will ask my doctor friend then if she can refer me to her ophthalmologist friends. So far that...

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Heartburn!

I really thought it was something else. For 2 days, I felt slight heaviness in my chest. I did not have fever though but it did bother me. I told Tag about it and he told me to tell Dr. D about it. I told him that I will wait for another day and if it won’t disappear I’ll go to the hospital and have it checked. Not thinking about it helped. Also since I’ve been hunching a lot lately, I tried to correct my posture too. I got busy with work and forgot about it and by the end of the day, I became gassy and belching and farting (sorry, too...

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Are You Still Dizzy???

Is it just me? I don't know the statistics. But what I know is I don't experience dizziness from efavirenz  even when I stay up hours after taking it. I take it at exactly 10pm and even when I am up til 3am (ok, I know it's not good to stay up late, but I am just making a point here), I still don't feel dizzy. So how am I doing it? I just followed the packet in the box that comes with it... take it on an empty stomach! My doctor from SAGIP before said an empty stomach means having your last meal 4 hours prior to your intake of efavirenz,...

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Eat and Try to be Healthy

"Eat and try to be healthy". That's what I told a new pozzie who I have been communicating with recently. I have been assisting him through his "journey", giving him all the tips that I can think of, answering all his questions about the virus and sharing all my experiences. I know it is hard to give him all because I am not a doctor but the wisdom is coming from my experiences so I am sharing everything with him. "Eat and be healthy". That is the best way to combat the ill effects of our virus and somehow the ARV's. By eating, we nourish our...

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Agitated

Like what I mentioned before in my recent entries, I will be having my 6th month lab exams this coming week. I am getting a little nervous that I felt chest pain this afternoon (pretty psychosomatic eh). I know that the nurse will draw blood again for all my blood work and my CD4 and another chest xray for comparison to be shown to my pulmo.  So this week and the following week, I will be stressed with my schedules with my 3 hospitals: one for my check up with Dr. D., one for my check up with Dr. T and in RITM where I will get all...

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Email 5: Another One

I received an email last January and it went like this. “I'm XXX, just tested positive last March 2011.  The most difficult thing was when I got my first cd4 count.  It was only 9.  Now its 38.  Still very low.  Count yourselves lucky.  I hope we could communicate so we can share. God Bless.” I was out of the country at that time but I emailed him back with my cell number. When I came back we were already communicating and he had a lot of questions about my situation and my hub. He became interested...

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Email 4: Brother's Concern

This is a love letter actually. This is so heart warming so I am posting it in my blog and to the writer I hope you don’t mind. I deleted some pertinent information to protect you guys’ identity. I just think that other readers will learn something about your experience. I am in close coordination now with the brother and I make it a point to communicate with him everyday and check on his status. I always encourage him to stay positive and that soon he will be back on his feet again. It is a great treasure to have loving and caring family....

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Target: 15 & Above

Just read this article by Jenny F. Manongdo in Manila Bulletin. She cited an official of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS saying that the “the incidence of HIV in the Philippines is a ‘challenge’ aside from being a ‘rising trend’ as more young people are getting infected with the disease. In her article, she interviewed Teresita Marie P. Bagasao, the UNAIDS Country Coordinator who also said that they have even reported infections as young as 15, because of unprotected sex. Bagasao also reiterated that in the past, the mean age...

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One Week To Go

Yesterday I texted my good doctor friend, B. I asked her if I need to see Dr. T, my pulmonologist. If you guys know my medical history, I had 2 bouts of pneumonia last year, so I was thinking since it will be my 6th month in March taking ARV's, I might as well have my lungs checked again. B asked first if I am coughing and having chest pains and I told her that there were moments especially when I am tired but won't last long as long as I rest. I also told her that I have a pneumonia vaccination last January already. She told me that I might...

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On Guard!

“Always remember that you have AIDS!” That’s what I am telling myself all the time. Is it because I might forget that I still have the virus inside me and that I should always be alert? Is it because I might let my guard down and allow the opportunistic infections to get a hold of my health again? For almost 6 months now, I’ve never been sick again. Like what I wrote before, I’ve never been afflicted with any illnesses. No fever, no diarrhea (well, except on my azithro day which is definitely related to it). tag said I am in my best health...

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Lose Weight

Well, I stopped working out again after I started working. I know I know, but I slowly am losing weight because of my tedious job, but still it is unhealthy for me not to exercise. My health should be a priority so I have to do it again... well, starting tomorrow and that's a promise to myself. I also dropped my diet program and I am eating like crazy again. Thanks to this, now my belly is getting big again. This has to stop. I can't allow this to happen, especially now that we are planning to go to Boracay again. This would be hard, but I...

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138th Day

Today is my 138th day of taking ARV's. I am still recording everything up to now in case you guys are wondering. My adherence to my meds is still 100%. Never I have I been late or ever have missed my daily intake. I am still on cotri and azithro and I feel that my life is incomplete without them. I feel that they are my ritual vitamins, the things that will make me complete my day. I don't feel or see any side effects. I feel normal like before so for those of you who are scared of taking ARV's, the challenge really is just the beginning. As you...

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Email 2 & 3

I love writing entries to my blogs because I know someone, a new person, a new pozzie will somehow find it and read what I wrote, about my struggles and my researches. I know somehow, my entries can clear up a confused mind and calm down an anxious heart. So even though I am quite busy with my job lately, I know I have a responsibility to myself and to others. I know that my mission is forever and helping other people with their struggles is comforting. This February, I was able to help another pozzie with the financial burden of his...

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HIV Alert!

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Day 127

It has been a while since my last post. Everything came back to normal... like nothing happened. I am so happy with Tag and my work. Everything is fine. Everything is ok. I am back to being a workaholic which I enjoy the most, but of course with precautions. I get tired after work but there is a fulfillment that I can't explain. I am helping people again. I am in the mainstream again. Today is my 127th day of taking my ARV's. So far, no more side effects. My ARV adherence is still 100% : no missed or late intakes. The habit has seeped into me....

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"What's Your CD4?"

People have been emailing me. "What's your CD4 now?" Well, I don't know because I haven't taken the test yet again. I will surely know in March. But to be honest with you guys, I am not even worried if it's still low or it is already high. What is important to me is that I feel good now. I feel healthier and I don't get sick. Tag is even worried about my CD4. He said he's been having dreams about it, but me, no. I love what  I am now. I am staying positive no matter what. My strength is myself. I believe in my doctor and I believe in my ARV's....

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My 121th Day

I should have wrote on my 120th day cuz that would have been my 4th month of taking my ARV's. Work to me has been exciting and coming back after an ordeal is a fulfillment. Well, on my monthly report, I guess everything is great. No more physical side effects. I sleep good. No itching or rashes. No dizziness, just once in a while regular dreams. What's good about the ARV's is that since the time I started taking them, I've never been sick again. I don't catch a cold or flu, don't experience frequent diarrhea's anymore. Everything's perfect....

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