YES, You Can!

I received an email from a new pozzie who wanted just to talk. He gave me his number. As soon as I got home, I called him up. He was shocked how fast I responded to him. I just told him that it seems that it was an urgent thin...

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Drug Testing and ARV's

Today I went to get my Drug Test for my Mayor's Permit for my company. On the way there, I remembered that one pozzie before thought that he might not get his driver's license because he was worried what to put in the form for the medicines that he was taking. He was thinking that the officer-in-charge of the testing might ask him about the medicines that he was taking and what his answer would be. Issues of disclosure came to his mind. He was...

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DOH NEC HIV/AIDS July 2012 Registry

The DOH-NEC Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry for July 2012 just recently came out. This report shows the cases reported in the country. From the report, there are 278 new HIV cases, which is 36% higher compared to the same period last year. 95% of the cases were males, with median age of 27. The most number of cases reported where in the 20-29 age group. Cases from the National Capital Region (NCR) showed 55% or 144 of the reported cases. ...

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The Love Fund Report: August 2012

I texted Maram and Ate Beth and asked them for the list of the beneficiaries of The Love Fund (TLF) for this month. Maram just emailed me the list. In behalf of the staff of RITM-ARG and The Love Fund, thank you very much for all the donations. Please keep them coming as there are a lot more indigent people who are in need of medical assistance...

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Treatment Timeline

1st Consultation and Tests Today you found out that you are HIV positive as shown in your confirmatory letter. You are shocked of course, because, who won’t be? The HIV status is pretty devastating as nobody around your circle has openly discussed about it. You get confused. You turn to read articles about it from the net. Then you realize that you need to do things for your health. ...

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PP Prayers List 9

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. I have added new pozzies in twitter and I would like to add them have to this list. I also indicated a priority list for those who are in need of immediate prayer! ...

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PLHIV of the Week: PositHIVe

I have known PositHIVe for quite sometime now over twitter so I asked him if he could share his story to my readers. Good thing he agreed to it.  This is his story. ...

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S.E.T. New Schedules!

PLEASE BE ADVISED ON THE NEW SCHEDULES OF THE S.E.T. DUE TO THE UNAVAILABILITY OF SPEAKERS INVITATION TO ALL PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN THE PHILIPPINES ...

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Email 40:The Western Blot Test

"Dear PozziePinoy: First allow me to thank you for providing a very valuable information through your blog. I am XXX (not my real name) and left my work in XXXX because I tested positive on my Elisa test. Before they deport me, inunahan ko na sila and booked for the earliest flight to Manila. My next plan is to go for a Western Blot Test in RITM but when I called them, I was told them they can only do it for blood donors. Pozzie, I prefer...

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Our Mask

We all wear a mask. Not everything is revealed to the public eye. Not everybody knows what we are exactly feeling and what we are exactly thinking. Up to now, HIV/AIDS has a stigma in the society. May it be the “gay plague”, the drug addict’s curse or simply a “promiscuous” disease, it still haunts and scares a lot of people. Even though there are breakthroughs with treatment and that the disease can be preventable by protection and awareness...

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HIV & Alcohol

During my first consultation with my infectious disease doctor, she asked me if I drink alcoholic beverages. I didn't know if it mattered really, but good thing that I am just a social drinker and that's what I told her. She said that there are a lot of things to consider when drinking alcoholic beverages especially if you are HIV positive. We have to know the short term and long term effects, the effects of our organ systems and the interaction...

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About THE LOVE FUND

The Love Fund is a project geared towards helping the indigent and less fortunate people living with HIV/AIDS. The primary mission of TLF is to provide medical support for treatment of opportunistic infections (OI), laboratory tests and hospitalization costs of ill patients. The project accepts cash and/or in-kind donations. The candidates for TLF beneficiaries are screened by the staff of RITM-ARG. An end-of-the-month report is submitted...

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First Anniversary

It's almost the finish line of my "1st year anniversary", as Dr Ditangco said it during my first consultation with her when Tag and I met her in The Medical City, one thursday afternoon. I can still hear her voice during our first talk. She was calm, relaxed, full of confidence and reassuring. I knew from that time on that she will be my infectious doctor and I will put my full trust and confidence in her.  I knew that she would be able to...

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Bawal ang Pasaway: HIV/AIDS

The other night, I was able to watch this segment from GMA News TV's Bawal ang Pasaway: Positibo-Usapang HIV/AIDS.  Winnie Monsod interviewed Wanggo Gallaga, an HIV-positive writer of the Philippine Star and Philip Castro, the Program Officer of the United Nations Development Program.                            "Mareng Winnie" as she is known to the public asked questions as to why the Philippines is considering HIV/AIDs as problem. Mr. Castro replied that the alarming...

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Self Empowerment Training 3 & 4

INVITATION TO ALL PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN THE PHILIPPINES SELF EMPOWERMENT TRAINING (SET)  LAST 2 BATCHES OF TRAINING  HAPPENING THIS SEPTEMBER !!!! 3RD BATCH: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2012, 2PM TO 7PM                                           SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012, 8AM TO 1PM 4TH BATCH: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2012, 2PM TO 7PM       SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012, 8AM TO 1PM  ...

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Philippines Fighting HIV

The key to preventing the spread of HIV is knowing our status. Awareness then is the step towards eradicating it. If we know our status, if we know if we are HIV positive or not by getting ourselves tested, then we become an active advocate in preventing the spread of it. Know your HIV status. Get tested now and tell others to get tested too. ...

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HIV Awareness Video

Although done in 2007, this award winning video still applies up to now.                                                             ******************* *** Please donate to the LOVE FUND. It is for the benefit of the indigent pozzies that are in dire need of financial help especially...

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Church Workshops on HIV/AIDS

I just want to repost this as this is very crucial to our country. The Catholic Church in the Philippines is now trying to help with HIV/AIDS awareness and this is a great milestone to the prevention of the spread of the disease. I am reposting it from the Philippine National AIDS Council website: Manila Archbishop... to help with the awareness programs of HIV/AIDS in the country. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle has called...

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Take Charge!

I’ve heard this story from a fellow poz about a recent death of another poz. Let’s call him “Alex”. He was diagnosed last 2010 and his CD4 was 400 then. Then he just took his health for granted. Never again did he go back to his treatment hub and this year, 2012, he went back to his treatment hub and his CD4 was already too low. He passed away with multiple organ failure. We have a responsibility to our health. As soon as we find out our HIV status, we should always monitor our health, especially our CD4 count, the viral load and the presence...

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HIV Disclosure

When I got sick with pneumonia and was diagnosed with HIV, the first thing that came to my mind was to tell my siblings and my parents. I felt that I needed to do that so I can focus on my health. I knew it will be a burden to them knowing that I acquired my serious and incurable illness but I had to do it to unload something from my mind and my heart. I never even thought if they would accept me or not afterwards but I knew, that because of our strong relationship, that they would understand. Well, they did.  ...

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PP Prayer's List 8

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. I have added new pozzies in twitter and I would like to add them have to this list. I also indicated a priority list for those who are in need of immediate prayer! 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...

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HIV and Dengue

Being a person with HIV/AIDS, I see to it that I am knowledgeable about the different infections that are prevalent in our country. Tag and I are always on the lookout, trying to prevent infections as we both know that because of my weak immune system, any infection can be magnified.  Today in the early morning news, I head from the newscasters about the outbreak of dengue again since it has been raining recently. Because of this, I...

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Stupid Mistake

Every time I go on a trip, I am meticulous in packing especially my ARV's. I make sure I have pill boxes in all my luggages so that I won't miss a dose in case a luggage gets misplaced or stolen. Well that didn't happen during my weekend getaway. On Saturday morning I knew I packed everything. Tag and I left around 2:30 in the afternoon and went to SBMA, a 2 and a half drive from Manila. We arrived in the resort around 5pm, checked in and started to relax. At 7pm, I felt being hot. Was it the aircon, I thought? Then I began to itch. Then all...

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Self Empowerment Training

 INVITATION TO ALL PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN THE PHILIPPINES WHAT: SELF EMPOWERMENT TRAINING (SET) WHEN: SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2012, 2PM TO 7PM                      SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2012, 8AM TO 1PM                       NO REQUIREMENTS NEEDED!! Interested parties can text or call Ate Beth 0917- 836-0312. You...

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Q & A 1: Hepatitis B and HIV-ARV's

TEXT QUESTION Pozzie: Hey I have a question. Do you have Hepa B? Because we have the same regimen. POZZIEPINOY: What do you mean? Pozzie: If you have a co-infection of Hepa B? Because I remember we have the same regimen. I have a friend who has coinfection of HIV and Hepa B and he takes the same meds like us: lamivudine, tenofovir and efavirenz. He's been undetectable with Hepa B viral load for 3 years. But now, his latest test showed 1k plus viral load of Hepa B. He's really scared. Me too. :( Does it mean that he has developed resistance? POZZIEPINOY:...

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"STAR"

Since I was a young kid, I always look up at the night sky and see the billions of stars somewhat glued on to the blanket of darkness.. Amazed by it, I studied constellations and the galaxy. I read about myths about them, about how they are placed in the sky like souls of men looking down on us at night, when the sky is dark, when our spirits are down.  I met “Star” in twitter. He was a blogger too like me. I read about his stories,...

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