Thank You!

Thanks for the pledges for the month of April. Fellow pozzies have pledged to donate for next month for The Love Fund. Their total donation already reached P10,000. It is nice to know that people are helping out. One poz donated from his monthly allowance. Another donated by not going to 2 restaurant dinners for next April. One poz sacrificed his 3 movie dates for next month just to contribute. Instead of going out on 1 Saturday night, a poz...

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Love Fund: March 2012 Report

So here is an update of the Love Fund beneficiaries. Aside from the ones that I mentioned before, 2 other beneficiaries of the Fund have been provided with support. One patient had breast cancer and the Fund was able to support the patient with meds, lab exams for mastectomy. Courtesy of PCSO, Dr. Ditangco and I have arranged for full financial support for her chemotherapy and hospitalization. Another patient with pulmonary tuberculosis has been helped by providing him with the medicines that he needed. Ms. Maram said that the patient...

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PP Prayer's List 4

I will be sending the PozziePinoy's Prayer list again to the heads of churches here in the country and in two church organizations in the United States this Friday evening. Three new pozzies have been added to this list. Please email me fast or just ask for a name inclusion in the comment box if you want your name or your friend's name to be included here. In need of prayers: to watch over their health, to help them keep a positive outlook in life despite HIV, to help them face all health fears, to guard them against possible infections. 1....

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Home Service Vaccinations

Ate Ellen Domingo is a dear friend of mine ever since I moved to RITM-ARG. She is one of the nurses there. She told me that she helped Dr. Ditangco in organizing ARG from the very start so she knows every detail about the clinic. She has been in contact with a lot of poz and has become one of the counsellors there. I communicate with her if I have health problems and if other pozzies have problems. I also communicate with her if I need to schedule for my CD4 test and if I have questions about the availability of the ARV's. Lately, we have...

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Award Winning Video

This video by students of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health was named Best Video Presentation by the Scientific Committee of the 2012 UP Manila-National Institutes of Health Research Forum. Most of the people who have been interviewed here are people from RITM-ARG. If you would go to my hub, you will see them there. My previous ID doctor, Dr. T was also interviewed here. Dr. Ditangco was also mentioned. I hope you will learn something from this video. *** Please donate to the LOVE FUND. It is for the benefit of...

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New Cases in February 2012

The DOH-NEC HIV/AIDS Registry for February 2012 is out. It said that in February 2012, there were 274 new HIV cases, which is 72% higher compared to the same period last year and the highest number of cases ever reported in the registry. Facts: 98% of the cases were males Median age was 28 years 46% came from the National Capital Region (NCR) Mode of transmission were sexual contact and needle sharing Males having sex with other males were the predominant type of sexual transmission (87%). Most (98%) of the cases were still asymptomatic...

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Day 175

Today is my 175th day of taking my ARV's. Like before, I still have 100% adherence, no missed or late intakes. For those who haven't read my entire blog, I am currently taking tenofovir, lamivudine and efavirenz. No side effects anymore, well, I guess my body has adjusted to them already. I am still taking them all at 10pm. I am still taking my cotrimoxazole daily and my azithromycin once a week. Up to now, I am down with a cold. But somehow it is going away. No more sneezing, less coughs and I can breathe better now. Thanks to the fluid therapy...

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Email 8: Clueless

“Hi Pozziepinoy! I hope your are doing well. First I would like to thank you for putting up you blog, it is really very insightful.  I am XXX years old currently in XXX. I’ve been here since XXX. I had myself tested and this morning I was told that I am HIV positive. I'm currently at a loss right now and clueless as to what my next step would be.  I haven't told anyone yet but eventually I have to tell my close friends and my family. I definitely would have to go back to the Philippines very soon.  I hope we...

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Answered Prayers

“I have had sleepless nights the months because of neuropathy, last night i was able to sleep better. I am so happy i woke up at 6 am. The Lord indeed answers prayers. Thank you Lord. Thank you too Pozziepinoy for the prayer and for including me in the prayer request. Hope This is the start of a healthier me. Thank you Everyone. Hope everyone gets better too. Thank you Lord!” --- XXX “Maraming salamat sa pagsama mo sa pangalan ko sa Prayer’s List mo. Malaking bagay ito lalung-lalo na sa aking naguguluhan dahail sa sakit ko. Nalaman kong may...

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Refill

Tag and I just came back from RITM-ARG for my refill. It only took us 30 minutes to get there by car from our place. I was supposed to get my CD4 and my CBC test today but because of my cold, I didn’t. I know it would affect my CD4 result. Instead I scheduled it again for next month. Prior to going there, I already texted Ate Ellen if they can give me my 3 month supply today and she answered yes. When I came over, Ate Ellen was there and she assisted me totally. She had me sign four PhilHealth forms. I gave her photocopies of my PhilHealth...

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First Time

I got a cold. This started yesterday and I felt it brewing. First time in almost 8 months! I once told by Dr. Ditangco that if ever I’m going to be sick it will not be caused by my virus anymore since I already passed my 6th month of taking ARV’s. I believe her. I am fully loaded with vaccinations 3 months ago so I believe I am safe. This is a normal common cold that affects everybody. But I won’t let my guard down still. I am on ARV’s but I am still immunocompromised.  I’m still having a positive attitude about it. This too...

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Mentally Preparing For ART

I know you are scared. I know you finished all your lab tests including your CD4 count test. Your doctor told you that you are about to start with your ARV Therapy (ART). You are very anxious. Here are some tips. 1. Read about ARV's. Knowledge is power. It is best that you are mentally prepared for everything.     a. Know the different cocktails and combinations.     b. Know the side effects     c. Know the time to best take them     d. Visualize your medicines. Check their sizes and forms 2. Know the...

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PP List Sent!

I already sent my PP Prayer's list to heads of different religious organizations for this week. I will be doing this every week for all of us. It is another way for me to help other people and as a way to give thanks for all my blessings especially my good health now. The heads of religious organizations just requested me to send them letters of answered prayers so for every one in the list let me know if you have answered prayers every week. Look for small miracles every week and then let me know. You can have your fellow poz' names to be...

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Assisting Aqua!

I am assisting a new poz. His name is Aqua. He has the same condition as I had 7 months ago. He had bouts of pneumonia and his CD4 is below 100 too. He just finished all his lab workout and I am glad that everything is good..well, same as mine before. I encouraged him to fight back. He will soon be on ARV’s and he is pretty scared about the side effects, especially the rashes. I told him that everything will be fine. He is from San Lazaro Hub and he said he is hearing good things about RITM-ARG. I told him that all hubs are the same and...

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Heaven's Gate

I guess when you start helping, people notice it and they start giving. This month of March, I was fortunate to have helped by patching up 2 poz with donors. One poz came from SAGIP and one from San Lazaro. They were assisted financially with their initial lab tests and CD4. I am so happy. One poz before asked me if the Love Fund can assist with other pozzies from the other hubs. I told him that for now, it is for RITM-ARG patients. But now, with...

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PP Prayer List 3

Keep on emailing me for prayer requests. Will send this The Pozzie Pinoy’s Prayer’s List every weekend to different religious groups.  Today I am adding 5 more poz for prayers. For those who are already in the list, please pray for all of us and for all our families and loved ones. We are all in this together! 1. Poz Angel 2. PositHive 3. PozzieBoy23 4. ExofPB23 5. Ryan HIV 6. Iamhivpositive 7. Poz jerry 8. Casually 9. Bohemian 10. Chris HIV 11. Mike HIV 12. Kien HIV 13. Mark HIV 14. Panga HIV 15. Rob HIV 16....

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Immuno Depression

I am always discussing about how to improve the immune system, that is increasing the CD4 count. This time, I want to discuss in detail some causes on how the immune system can be compromised. The studies that will be presented are from individuals who don’t have HIV. So for us immuno compromised, we should all pay attention and read on. 1) Low CD4 counts in the intensive care unit This means that severe cases of infections can cause a decrease in CD4 counts. 2) Low CD4 counts in Various Human Infections     a) Pneumonia,...

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Pointing Fingers

A friend sent me a link about a blog revealing some guys who "may be" HIV positives who "may" have been spreading the virus around out of revenge or hatred. This is no news anymore to me as I've heard it decades ago. In the blog, it even posted profile pictures of chatters in Planet Romeo who they "suspect" to be positives. My friend is pretty worried. I calmed her down by telling her that there are things that we can't control. However, there are still things we CAN control, that is, having safe and protected sex all the time. We can't allow...

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HIV and Splenomegaly

Help me pray for a poz who I just recently been encouraging to fight to be healthy again. He was recently been diagnosed. He’s on ARV’s now and his doctor told him that he/she will replace his ARV’s because they are not working. Yesterday, he had his check up and they found out that he has splenomegaly or enlarged spleen.  So for all the poz here who are reading always reading my entries, help me pray for him so that he will recover fast from this and whatever new cocktail of ARV’s his/her doctor will give, let’s pray that they will work...

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Above 350?

The cut off here in the Philippines for the issuance of free ARV’s is a CD4 count of 350 and below. That means if your count is higher than 350 then you don’t need to take the free ARV’s yet. Well that is the case only in the Philippines and I think in most developing countries. In the first world countries, even if one’s CD4 count is higher that 350, the doctors would already prescribe ARV’s. Of course, the poz will pay for the high cost and usually their insurance will cover for them. The reason for this is that there is a greater probability...

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Medicines Are Free

I know you are confused. I know you are scared. I know you feel like it's the end of the world. I know you feel paranoid of what others might think of you. I know you blame yourself for what happened to you. But it's ok to feel that way. It's normal for anybody to do it. I've been there. The struggle was so great that I felt like there was no hope at all. But there was. There is! HIV is not a death sentence anymore. It is like another disease...

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Facts

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Painful Feet in HIV

I remembered a fellow poz who have been complaining about painful feet months ago. Another poz had his operation recently and was told that TB maybe the cause of his painful feet. We are still crossing our fingers that it is not. However, TB is an opportunistic infection and can affect any part of the body of an immunocompromised individual not only the lungs. Early detection and treatment is still the key.  Because of this, I researched about painful feet and how it is related to TB and HIV. What does it feel like? Peripheral...

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PP Prayer List 2

I just want to add 2 new persons to the Pozzie Pinoy's Prayer List YOU too, can also be a part of this list by emailing me. I already sent the list to a Catholic priest, a head pastor of a big Baptist church here in the country and a Baptist pastor relative in the US, a Mormon Bishop in the US and my brother's group of Monks in the US (and soon a muslim priest, if anyone would recommend me one) and I will send this list to them every week so they too and their communities can help in praying for all of us. 1. Poz Angel 2. PositHive 3....

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