Monday, August 1, 2011

HOW TO GET TO RITM (Research Institure for Tropical Medicine)



From Alabang interchange via FX taxis: Look for the FX taxi terminal at the Alabang  Rotonda.


From South Luzon Expressway, coming from Manila via private vehicle:
Exit at Filinvest toll gate  (after Alabang toll plaza) and turn left  at the next intersection.


From Zapote:
Enter Filinvest Corporate Avenue and go straight ahead.


From South Luzon Expressway, coming from Laguna:
Exit at Filinvest toll gate and turn left at the next intersection.


From the Ninoy Aquino International Airport:
Go to the taxi service counter just across the road immediately after the exit door of the arrival area and ask the taxi service person to take you to Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang in the area of the Festival Mall. (The taxi driver can choose any of the options above, except the last.)


OR

take the BUS to ALABANG via Skyway
bumaba ka sa SOUTH STATION
maglakad papunta sa CITY TERMINAL (near HENLIN)
sa tapat lang ito ng Starmall Alabang (across the street)
hanapin nyo lang ang mga Shuttle na papunta RITM





THE MANILA SOCIAL HYGIENE CLINIC



Social Hygiene Clinic - Manila Health Department, 2nd Floor of 208 Quiricada Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila(green building across the main gate of San Lazaro Hospital, between LRT Bambang and LRT Tayuman Station)


Contact Details: For inquiries, call 711-6942 and look for Dra. Diana Mendoza or Ms. Malou Tan, Monday to Friday only from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.



Happy 1st Monthsary???

kamusta kayo?  happy ba?

it's my 1st month as an HIV positive person and so far so good naman, i am happy.  grabe andami ko yatang nagawa this past 1 month, sobrang busy... thats why di ako nakakapag update ng blog ko, pasensya na po kasi ayaw ko naman magpuyat kaya i try to get enough sleep as much as i can, kabilin bilinan ni Ate Shola.  ;)
1. SI ED. yes nasabi ko na kay Ed (my bestfriend).  he visited manila (he's from the south) so i took the opportunity to tell him. actually 2 araw na kami magkasama nun, i never got the chance to tell him at first, ayokong malungkot sya so i planned to tell him pag maghihiwalay na kami so when we were at tiendesitas at namamasyal, i decided to pull him aside and we sat sa isang wooden bench doon malapit sa mga pet shop.  hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin and so i pulled out my iPad and have him read the DAY 2 - White Party entry.  yun yung entry where i texted him and i thought about him, my 2nd day.  habang nagbabasa sya, amused pa sya pangiti pangiti --- "hehehe, ako ito ah" tatawa tawa pa sya... tapos nung bandang nasa hulit na sya ng entry, naging quiet na sya, nangingilid ngilid na ang luha sa mga mata nya. so ayun nahawa na rin ako, medyo naluha luha na rin ako.  hindi naman sya sobrang umiyak pero napapansin na kami nung mga tao sa kabilang bench kaya pinigilan namin ang pumalahaw sa iyak.  siguro mga 30minutes kaming andun , di ko na matandaan kung anu pinagusapan namin. so ang ending sa halip na maghiwalay na kami nun at makatulog na sya for his early morning flight, eh di na sya natulog at sumama na lang sya sa aming gumimik at umattend ng isang birthday party.  hes back in the south, calls and text me often, checkin on me. am lucky to have a bestfriend like Ed.


2.  SI TOFFEE.  nasabi ko na rin sa kanya.  he is my longest ex more than 4 years kami.  nasa pilipinas sya for a 6-month vacation.  duktor sya.  ayaw ko rin sabihin sa kanya ng diretso so ang nangyari - 2 weeks after my rapid test, i got a call from Dr. TuaƱo na dumating na ang confirmatory test galing San Lazaro, sealed daw ang envelope so i need to come and visit them sa social hygiene clinic nila.  the next morning i texted Toffee, sabi ko may importante lang akong pupuntahan at magpapasama ako sa kanya.  he said yes without asking any more questions.  sa taxi kwentuhan lang kami ng kwentuhan about his life abroad and my life here.  masaya, di ako nagpapahalata na ninenerbiyos ako.  pagdating sa social hygiene clinic dumiretso kami sa 2nd floor and nakita ko si Ate Veron, yung nurse na nagcounsel sa akin.  pinapasok nya ako sa counseling room, sinabi ko sa kanya na kasama ko ang friend ko na duktor at isasama ko sya sa loob.  naupo kami ni Toffee magkaharap sa table ni Ate Veron.  Inabot sa akin ni Ate Veron yung sobre, sinipat ko si Toffee, clueless sya, tahimik lang na nag oobserba.  binuksan ko ang sobre at binuklat ang confirmatory test result.  under sa Western Blot results naka check lahat - gp160, gp120, p66, p55, p51, gp41, p31, p24 at p17 - walang check ang p39 --- halos perfect score --- CONFEEEERMEEEED!    iniabot ko papel kay Toffee.  binasa nya ang mga nakasulat, blanko pa rin ang mukha, walang emosyon.  pinagpatuloy ko ang pakikipag usap kay Ate Veron at kung anu ang next step at paano ang endorsment sa treatment hub.  sa taxi pauwi, maraming tanung si Toffee, sinagot ko naman lahat.  marahil dahil duktor hindi sya mahirap paliwanagan.  ganundin eh sobrang positibo rin ang kanyang pananaw sa mga taong may HIV.  sa kanyang karanasan sa amerika, marami na syang nahandle na HIV patients at alam nya na hindi ito katapusan ng mundo.  sabi nya basta lagaan ko lang ang sarili ko at sa pamamagitan ng healthy living, i will be okay.  syempre importante pa rin daw ang ibayong pagiingat.  pinagusapan rin namin ibang bagay tulad ng sexlife and even party drugs, sobrang open ako sa kanya - sinasabi ko lahat, sometimes i think he knows me better than anybody else in this world.  sana eh siya na lang ang duktor ko forever, sana eh dito na lang sya sa pilipinas. i feel safer when he's around.  

3.  RITM - Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.   ito ang aking treatment hub.  medyo may kalayuan pero kumpara naman sa mga bad stories na naririnig ko about PGH and San Lazaro, i opted to go to RITM instead, mas magastos, mas malayo pero mas maganda ang facility at mas warm ang mga tao.  mababit sila lahat... si Ate Shola... si Ate Letlet, si Dra. Ditangco... i feel safe with them.   mga 2 weeks din ako pabalik balik sa RITM, sankaterbang lab tests for the baseline.  kailangan daw ito para malaman ang health status ko so lahat kailangan i-check.  gumastos ako ng kulang kulang na Php 5,000 to get all the tests done, some are free, some are not.  bawat ospital iba iba ang patakaran.  ang mga first timer daw sa San Lazaro wala pa daw 1k ang babayaran - i actually visited San Lazaro in an attempt to get my baseline tests done without spending too much.  pero my initial visit to San Lazaro just confirmed some horror stories about the place, wala ring available na duktor so i decided to abort the plan.

4.  CD4 Count = 379.   this is my first CD4 count result.  i was hoping it's higher but nevertheless it's a good count na rin.  all my laboratory tests results are also good, am in almost perfect condition except for my HIV. Stage 1 Asymptomatic.  that the BEST news i can get.  maswerte ako nagpatest kaagad ako, ngayon maaagapan ko na ito at magagawan kaagad ng paraan.  sabi ni doktora option ko kung gusto ko ng magsimula ng gamot (ARV's)  sabi ko naman pagisipan ko muna, magreresearch muna ako about it. wala pa naman ako sa standard threshold na 350. so hindi pa urgent ang mag medicate ako...  sa aking isip i will make an informed decision within the next 3 months.  hopefully everything will still be fine by then.

so happy ba ako?  i can say i am very happy, i got one bad news but all the others news that followed are good news.  busy rin ako sa trabaho most especially sa advocacy work ko. in the span of one month i feel like i have become a better person.  feeling ko rin andami kong naaccomplish sa buhay ko... it's a great start... i'm always looking forward to a great day.

HAPEEEEE!!!

ito ang aking diary

BONG


ps... eto pala ang mga tests na kelangan: